Chapter 11
BLYTHE
I’ll be out in just a few minutes.
Take your time.
I’m in no hurry.
Is everything all right?
Yup. Just thinking.
Blythe lookedat her cell phone and almost made a smart comment or a crack at Lance, but if anything the last few days had shown he could be a really nice guy – and she could use a nice guy in her life right now. It hit her hard this afternoon. She had been doing a contract for a couple trying to work through a split in their marriage. The man was very vocal about how he felt, and the woman had been in near tears, pleading for him to be nicer to her.
Things could be so much worse,she realized. Oh, it wasn’t a perfect meeting between them, nor had nearly dying helped things along, but Lance was right. It changed how you saw the world and how you felt about life. While it had hurt to know that Lance hadn”t been interested, it was also the truth. He’d never lied to her – not like this man had lied to his wife.
Oh, the sordid things they’d shared while bickering!
Blythe had paused, holding her pen over the contract, her eyes wide and completely unsure what to say. This was not something they covered in the classes she had taken on how to ‘close the deal.’ Lying, cheating, and retaliation, were all things that she didn’t want to ever experience – and this couple had been drowning in it.
No, she preferred the honesty between her and Lance – even if it was tough to accept or hurt. Once trust was gone, you had nothing, and Lance had been open since the very beginning. He cared for her at the hospital, offered up his home, and was helping her put together her new one.
I think I’m going to ask him to move in, she thought silently. I have an extra room, and it’s been nice to have someone in my life.
Blythe always wanted marriage, a family, and the promise of forever – but maybe she needed to look at things differently. Maybe relationships lasted because they were friends first and had each other’s backs. Not stabbing them in the back like this couple.
“Maybe you should wait?” Blythe finally said, interrupting the couple snapping at each other – only to have them turn on her.
“Why? You think he’s not good enough to make that car payment? That’s not your job, lady…”
“I can make that payment, and it’s none of your business what we do, right?”
“How dare you assume that there’s a problem!”
“Our problems don’t affect our flow of money – and none of your business!”
Blinking, the man snatched the pen from her angrily and signed the documents, while still snapping at his wife.
“You keep the maintenance up, you hear me? I don’t want your side piece touching this car. It’s bad enough he’s fooling around with you – I don’t need him tinkering with something else.”
“You said that if you had someone on the side – that I could too!”
“Yeah? Well? I hate it, and I dumped Brenda…”
“Good! Cause I dumped Reggie three weeks ago…”
“You did?”
“Yes – I miss you…”
“I miss you too…”
I think I’m going to be sick,Blythe thought silently as the two bickering adults were suddenly all nauseatingly lovey-dovey. As she finished getting them to sign in several places, put together the paperwork into a folder, and handed it to the couple, she couldn’t help but watch them with an awareness that was enlightening.
Lance would have had his hand on her lower back or touching her arm.
Lance never raised his voice to her.
Lance never looked at her with anger or hatred. He cared, and it was there in his eyes, even if they weren’t in love, there was something between them – and she liked it. It wasn’t just passion or desire, but something so much deeper.
Respect.
He held her in a place of honor and treated her like she was special. Without a second thought, she picked up her cell phone and texted him again.
Just finished.
I’ll be out in five minutes.
We should probably talk.
I agree. I have something I want to discuss with you, too.
Clicking submit, Blythe put together the deal jacket and turned it in to Jack who was sitting there at the sales counter with the new car manager, laughing obnoxiously.
“Yeah, that woman must be one lousy lay…”
“I think it’s him. I think he’s got ‘little man syndrome,’ and it makes him feel big to buy her a car…”
“Uh, hey guys,” Blythe said pointedly, trying to interrupt the discussion that was soooo inappropriate for the office. “I’m heading out for the day. Here’s the last deal jacket.”
“So, what do you think, Blythe?” Jack began, grinning and treating her like one of the ‘boys.’ “You think she’s meek in the sack or…,” and he held up his pinky finger. “Teeny-weeny?”
“I think it’s impolite to be discussing this and…”
“Oh-hooo! I forgot that Killer has claws,” Jack interrupted, winking at her and pointing as he turned to the new car manager. “Now, this one probably wears the pants in the relationship. I don’t think there’s a quiet bone in her body…”
“Unless it’s his,” the new car manager guffawed lewdly – and the two men literally high-fived each other.
She was so shocked and taken aback that she simply laid down the deal jacket and left the room. Gathering her things, she was halfway out of the building when she heard Jack’s voice behind her only seconds before he grabbed her arm.
“C’mon, Blythe, we were just having a little fun! Don’t be mad. It was just a few of the guys cracking a joke.” … And heard a car door slam at the same time she heard Lance’s voice split the evening air.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY WOMAN – NOW!”
“Whoa there, big fella… I was just checking on her,” Jack began, backing away and holding up his hands in silent acknowledgment that he wasn’t looking to start a fight – but Lance was. He stepped in front of her, leaning toward Jack almost aggressively.
“You don’t touch other people, mister.”
“Lance, that’s my boss,” she whispered nervously, watching the two of them. No, this was bad, and she needed her paycheck. This dealership wasn’t as terrible as some others she’d worked at in the past, which is why she’d transferred here.
“Even worse! Don’t you ever touch her again – you got me?”
“Jack, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Blythe interrupted, tugging on Lance’s arm. “Can we go home, please?”
“I want to hear him say it,” Lance snarled hotly. “Nobody lays a hand on you…”
“Lance, please?”
“See you tomorrow, Killer,” Jack grinned and pointed at her. “Her, not you. You touch me, and it’s assault.”
“Only if you can still dial a phone, jerk…”
“Oh my gosh,” Blythe hissed under her breath. “Jack – I’ll see you tomorrow. Lance, let’s go,” and her big hulking firefighter turned to look at her with such a tenderness in his gaze that she nearly collapsed right there in the parking lot under the fluorescent lights.
“Nobody touches you… but me,” he mumbled under his breath, opening the passenger side door of his truck a moment later. She touched his cheek, felt her heart hammering in her chest, and realized her hand was trembling. She had never seen him so protective.
“Only you,” she breathed, feeling something shift within her.
“Only me,” he repeated, turning his face slightly to kiss her palm before looking over his shoulder and glaring at the building. “That man touches you again, no matter how innocent, you tell me and…”
“Lance, I can handle myself,” she promised. “Can we go home? I’m starving.”
“You bet,” he acknowledged and shut the door, circling the truck and climbing into the driver’s seat. He started the vehicle, pulled out onto the main road, and drove silently. She kept her mouth closed, not commenting on what just happened as she mentally examined it.
He’d come charging toward them like some protective caveman claiming his woman, and she was here for it one thousand percent. Just when she couldn’t imagine him being any more attractive, he had to go and reveal that hidden little personality trait that made every feminine bone in her body turn to mush in a split second.
Pulling into the driveway of her house, she started a little surprised. She didn’t really have much at all in the way of furniture, and it dawned on her that maybe he wanted to show her something. Well, she wasn’t about to ruin his moment if he’d done something for her benefit.
Right now, Lance could do no wrong in her eyes; she thought as he opened the passenger side door for her once more and held out his hand. He was still frowning and looked a little miffed, but she was pretty sure that Jack would give her a wide bearing now.
If anything, Jack was a wimp and a coward when push came to shove and when it came to money, he would sell his own mother – which made Blythe perfectly safe. She made Jack and the dealership a lot of money.
“This is nice,” she whispered, walking up to the front door with Lance as his hand rested on her lower back.
“I hope you always think that.”
“Oh, did you get a…” Blythe stared at the welcome mat in silent horror before a nervous laugh escaped her. She looked at Lance and saw his frown finally begin to crack as a small corner of his lip turned upward. The welcome mat at the front door said, ‘I can see your undies’ in bold, elegant cursive scrollwork that was hard to read until you were right in front of it.
“You didn’t…”
“I kinda had to…”
“Lance…”
“What?” he chuckled, and just seeing his smile made her relax. “It’s true, you know. If you were wearing a skirt, the welcome mat could see your underwear.”
“It’s inappropriate.”
“It’s distinctly ‘me’.”
The two stood there looking at each other – and it was almost like he was asking her to approve of him putting a little mark on her place. If she was considering asking him to move in, then it was because he’d already left a mark on her heart. What would it matter if he put his own flair on a home they shared?
“I like the welcome mat. It’s inviting,” she acknowledged, smiling up at him as he opened the door… and she gasped.
There, inside her once empty home, were a couch and a recliner. Both were covered in a floral pattern with throw pillows that matched, a few small lamps that cast a warm glow on the living room. She turned to see that there was a small dining table nearby.
“You’ve been busy…” she whispered, stunned and touched, as she laid a hand over her heart to slow down the erratic beating within. The table was set with the new dishes they’d picked out, and a small taper was waiting to be lit. She could smell something fragrant coming from the kitchen, realizing that he’d cooked dinner for them.
“Oh Lance…”
“Do you like it?” he asked softly, shutting the front door. “I went with feminine touches, hoping it would be something you liked.”
“I love it,” she breathed, turning to him. “This is incredible.”
“It’s not everything,” he replied, and there was a mischievous look in his eyes that caught her attention immediately. “Take a look around.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.”
Blythe immediately walked into the kitchen and saw nothing out of place. The countertops were still pretty bare except for the spice rack he’d picked out the other day. Looking around the living room, she heard his voice.
“You are getting colder…”
“Is this a scavenger hunt?” she asked, turning to him in sheer delight at the thought that he might have put more into this than she ever imagined… and heard his soft chuckle. He was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, watching her, but that smile was everything.
“Sure.”
Peering in the restroom, she saw the buttery colored shower curtain – and her mouse items she’d bought for his place!
“Oh! You brought the mice,” she exclaimed, laughing happily, and saw that the toothbrush holder was there – with two toothbrushes. A part of her almost commented on it, but maybe he was thinking along the same lines as her.
“Yup.”
His voice was in the hallway, and she immediately peered into the cabinet, seeing the gray towels and several yellow ones. He’d matched the little cheese blocks and touches of gray probably better than she could have done because décor wasn’t exactly her forte, and she hadn’t thought it was his either, to be honest. Walking back into the living room, she looked around the room again and saw Lance’s eyebrow lift almost in a dare.
“There’s more?”
“You never know…” Lance began evasively and unfolded his arms, looking a little nervous. That surprised her. He was always confident about things, almost decisive, yet he looked unsure at that moment. Why?
Turning, Blythe hesitated and looked over her shoulder at him.
“You didn’t…” she breathed, stunned – and nearly charged toward the master bedroom of the house, opening the door swiftly… and staggering. She clung to the doorknob with one hand and the frame with the other as her eyes took in everything.
There, in the master bedroom, was the most glorious bedroom set she had ever laid eyes upon. The headboard, dresser, mirror, and nightstands looked like it was covered in silverleaf and practically glowed. The bedspread was a pale blue satin and there had to be at least five or seven pillows tossed haphazardly in a mountain against the headboard.
He had obviously changed the light fixture, replacing it with another that had crystals dangling from it. Shards of light were scattered around the room, giving it a romantic feeling. A pale blue satin robe was hanging in the closet in the distance, the mirrored doors opened to allow her to see it.
And then she hesitated.
If she wasn’t shocked to the core already, the picture frame on the nightstand certainly finished the job. She made a small noise in her throat as a trembling hand covered her mouth, trying to hold back tears. There, on the nightstand beside a bouquet of white roses, was the picture from the calendar, framed… and on the frame it said, ‘Mr. Mrs.’.
Lance was asking her to marry him?
This was the most beautiful, original, extraordinary way that someone could ask a person to marry them, and she was beyond touched. She stepped into the bedroom, unsure if her legs would carry her. Her eyes were touching everything through blurry tears and she saw the fuzzy slippers in the closet waiting for her that were also blue and white.
Bridal.
The robe and slippers were bridal blue and white, and there was no mistaking his intent anymore.
“Do you like it?” he said nervously from the doorway – and she nodded, at a loss for words as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, but I just wanted you to have something pretty, and when I saw this bedroom set…”
“It’s perfect,” she whispered, looking at him. “Yes.”
“Yes?” he repeated, questioningly. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, I will marry you.”
“Huh?”
And there was a very strange noise deep within her brain at that single word. She had never realized that a person’s soul could make a sound like that until Lance’s eyes met hers.
“Alec said you might think…”
“I might think what…” she said quietly and heard his nervous laughter as he looked at her warily from the doorway. A second later, he waved her over toward him and quickly crossed the room, gathering her in a hug.
“Hey, I was just messing with you,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Of course, we’re getting married.”
Blythe felt her knees sag in relief because of the way he was reacting, she was pretty sure that this was some huge misunderstanding. They stood there, and he was rubbing her back gently in a comforting manner, both silent for several minutes.
“I was going to ask you to move in with me,” she finally whispered, trying to open the uncomfortable mental doorway between them. “I really liked having you close.”
“Oh really?” he tensed, almost seemingly surprised. “I’m glad because that floral cover on the couch is actually hiding my old couch and recliner. Furniture is freakin’ expensive.”
“You brought over your couch and recliner already?”
“And my mattress set.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah, I thought things were going really well between us too and thought that I’d, ah, well… that we could, um, take things to the next level.”
“I’m touched that you thought to propose like this. It’s so original and different. I mean, anyone can do a ring or ask someone over for dinner, but you made dinner and created a home, a setting that shows you care,” she whispered, hugging him. “I think this was the sweetest thing, Lance.”
“That’s me… sweet,” he chuckled nervously. “You mentioned you were hungry, right? I made something for dinner and thought we could talk about things – but I guess everything is already out there, huh? I mean, we’re actually getting married.”
“Did you want a big wedding?” she asked, her mind racing with all sorts of thoughts and ideas. Did she want a big dress with a long train, or maybe something simple and retro? He did call her Betty Boop all the time but there was so much kind of unsettled out there financially with the fire. Her insurance stuff, too.
She was waiting to hear from her claims adjuster again, then she still needed to get her key programmed to her Jeep, the tow bill, plus the payments were now going to start coming for her new home – and Lance still had his apartment.
“What if we just went to the justice of the peace and sent out announcements to our friends and family. I mean, most of my aunts live in Maryland, and it’s kind of just me here…”
“I grew up at the orphanage that the charity event was being held for.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, we really are still getting to know each other… right? I mean, this is fast, and we have so much to discover.”
“So let’s skip the announcements,” she said easily, waving it off and feeling a measure of relief. “I can include some photos in Christmas cards later this year or send out something creative later on.”
“Oh… great.”
There was something to his voice that made her look up in surprise. He was awfully pale with this pinched look on his face. She immediately touched his forehead, feeling for a fever.
“Are you all right?”
“Yup. Just a nervous tummy, I guess.”
“Do you want to skip dinner and take something to help calm your stomach?”
“Skip dinner and go to bed?” he began, perking up. “Yeah, that sounds great and…”
“If you aren’t feeling good then…” Blythe walked over to the bed and plucked off two pillows before tugging off the blanket. She pulled the sheets back and patted the bed linens. “Let’s get you tucked in so you can rest. I don’t mind taking the couch and I don’t want you feeling sick, especially not when you have to go back to work soon.”
“Yeah. Work. Um, that’s sweet of you. But don’t you want to join me?”
She looked at him in surprise and smiled, shaking her finger at him. He gave her a weak grimace that was slightly curled upward in a false smile as he slowly shrugged. Yeah, Lance did not look like his normal self. Poor thing must be really feeling bad, she mused.
“You get some rest, and we don’t even need to think about things like that until after we are married. Besides, we have the rest of our lives to be around each other, sleep together, or make love. Neither of us is in some huge rush, right? You, however, aren’t feeling good and need to let your body relax. I’ll get you some warm ginger tea to help settle your tummy.”
“Oh goody…” he whispered weakly, sitting down on the side of the bed. “Are you sure? I mean, there’s plenty of room.”
“I’m positive. Get some rest, Lance, and try to feel better,” she smiled, touching his forehead again and gesturing that he should lie down. “Close your eyes and try to rest. It’s been a very big day for both of us.”
“Yep, but the day isn’t over…”
“It is for you, hero. Get some rest.”
She closed the door softly and heard his heavy sigh – and smiled. Life was certainly turning around, and she was more than thrilled to realize that Lance was going to be a part of her life now, even more than he had become. It wasn’t just friendship but a deep yearning that was finally coming to fruition. Who knew that having a crush, putting yourself out there, and taking a chance to meet someone could turn out so beautiful?