Chapter Thirty-Four
TALLY
P enny’s bridal shower two weeks later was a special event. It seemed like every woman in town was there. I guess that was to be expected when you were about to marry the son of the town’s founding family. Jake even let Nora and Ava come along since Marjie was also attending. Marjie and George knew about me and Jake. But he still hadn’t told the girls.
All the young girls in attendance got to sit up front and help Penny open some of her presents. While Nora and Ava sat with the other kids, Marjie and I had a little time to chat.
“Things seem to be going well with you and Jake,” she said.
I smiled politely. “I think they are, yeah.”
“This might sound a little strange coming from me, but I’ve never seen him so happy. Even when he was with my daughter.”
I laughed nervously, not knowing how to respond.
“You seem pretty serious about each other.”
“We are.”
“I’m assuming he’s the one who’s holding back on telling the girls.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think we should’ve already told them, but he wants to wait a little longer. Just in case. He doesn’t want them to get hurt again.”
“I see.”
“But that makes me feel like he doesn’t have enough trust in our relationship, like he thinks it won’t work out. Especially after he told me he loves me and has never felt like this with anyone before.”
Marjie looked thoughtful. “It sounds to me like he might not only be worried about the girls getting hurt, but himself as well.”
“I would never leave him like Kate did. I want to spend my life with him.”
“I’m sure he wants that too.” She patted my hand. “But he might have some things to deal with before the five of you can move on together.”
I was quiet after that, wondering if she was right.
When the girls and I arrived home, Jake was watching a hockey game.
“Hey, how was the shower?” He glanced over his shoulder at us but didn’t bother to get up.
“Penny got so many presents, Daddy, and I got to help her open some.” Ava sighed. “I wish I had red hair.”
Her admiration of Penny’s hair color was so sweet. “You have beautiful hair, Ava.”
She grinned at me.
Nora plopped down on the couch next to her dad. “We got to have tea like the grownups if we wanted. And Tally let me use her phone and video the whole thing. Look, I’ll show you.” She opened the phone camera roll and showed him a video she had taken of a close-up of her cup on its saucer, one of her dropping sugar cubes into her tea, me sipping my tea, and some of Ava helping Penny open her gifts.
“Those are some nice videos, Nora,” he said.
“I like videoing. It’s fun. Can I have my own phone?”
Jake took the phone and handed it back to me. “Whoa there, lady. You’re a little young to have a phone. How about we get you a camera instead.”
Her face lit up. “Yay!”
She jumped up and headed off to her room, and Ava went to play too.
I plopped down next to him and glanced over my shoulder before giving him a kiss. “Are the Red Wings winning?” I motioned toward the TV.
He frowned. “They’re down by three.”
“Bummer.”
“So, the shower was good?” he asked with his attention partly on the television.
“It was. But very crowded since Lucas’s family knows pretty much everyone in town, and I think they were all there.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you loved that.”
“It was fine. I sat with Marjie for part of it. She’s so sweet to me, considering everything.”
“What everything?”
“You used to be married to her daughter. I’m your girlfriend and her grandchildren’s nanny. I don’t know, it’s kind of a weird situation. ”
“They’re used to weird with Kate as their daughter. And they love you.”
I wanted to bring up what we’d talked about regarding the girls and his issues about the end of his marriage, but it didn’t feel like the right time. Plus, one of the girls could’ve walked in at any moment.
“I was thinking about making a stir fry tonight. Does that sound good?”
“Sounds delicious.” He glanced over his shoulder, then reached his hand over to the back of my neck and tugged me to him, scattering all other thoughts in my brain with a dizzying kiss.
I slowly opened my eyes. “I should offer to make stir fry more often.”
He chuckled, and I waited a few seconds to get my bearings before heading to the kitchen to prep the food for dinner.
A little while later, while the girls were off cleaning up their toys and washing their hands for dinner, Jake joined me in the kitchen.
“My sisters are coming over tomorrow night,” I informed him while pushing some chicken and veggies around in the skillet. “Noelle needs to get the rest of her nighttime driving hours in before she gets her driver’s license, so we’re taking her out.”
He came up behind me and slid his hands around my waist. “Should I be worried? Has she driven in the snow at night before?”
“Oh, yeah. She especially likes driving fast on slippery roads and doing donuts at intersections.”
“Funny.” He nuzzled my neck, and I tilted my head to the side to give him better access .
My stirring slowed as he pressed a line of soft kisses there. “I’m going to burn dinner,” I mumbled.
“Let it burn.” His lips closed over my earlobe, but this time it didn’t make me giggle, and my eyelids slid closed at the sensations.
“What are you doing?” Nora was suddenly there in the kitchen doorway.
Jake dropped his hands and turned around to face his daughter. “Uh, Tally had something in her ear, and I was checking if I could see anything.”
I screwed up my face as I put my fingertip in my ear and wiggled it.
She stared at us blankly, then went to the refrigerator, grabbed a juice pouch, and headed to the dining room.
I looked over at him and whispered, “Something in my ear?”
He shrugged. “I panicked.”
“Why don’t we just tell them?”
The other two girls came through the kitchen then and went to the dining room, and he looked relieved for the interruption. That was the first time I began to worry he might never tell them.
“You’re going too fast,” Rochelle cried. “That’s black ice.”
“No, it’s not,” Noelle said. “It’s dry pavement.”
“It could be black ice. And if it is, we’re going to slide off the road to our deaths. ”
“Your constant screeching in my ear is going to run me off the road faster than black ice will.”
Rylee and I laughed at their bickering.
“Slow down earlier so you don’t slide through the next intersection,” Rochelle said.
“Oh my gosh!” Noelle grumbled. “Your kid’s going to hate your constant nagging.”
“My kid’s going to be a better driver than you, so I won’t have to nag.”
I cracked up. “I have a feeling you’re going to eat your words someday, Ro.”
“And it’ll serve you right.” Noelle turned at the next street and clipped the curb, and Rochelle screamed.
“You did that on purpose,” she cried.
“If I did, you’ll never know.” Noelle cackled like an evil villain.
By the time we had finished the drive, we were all on edge. But I was thankful for the time with them. I missed my sisters.
Back at Jake’s house, Rochelle quickly jumped out of the car. “I’m taking the transit bus home.”
Noelle rushed her and wrapped her in a big hug. “You know you love my driving.”
Rochelle shook her head. “I love you, but I value my life and the life of my unborn child more.”
We laughed as we headed for the door.
“Okay, we need to quiet down before we go inside,” I told them. “The girls are sleeping.”
“You’re such a mom too,” Noelle said.
I didn’t mind that comment one bit.
Jake came out of his office and greeted us, and I introduced him to my sisters.
“It’s wonderful to meet you all.” He held his hand out .
Rochelle was the only one who shook it. “Nice to meet you too.”
Rylee and Noelle just gave him closed-mouth smiles.
“How was the driving practice?” he asked Noelle.
“Would’ve been better without Miss Backseat Driver here.”
Jake looked at me. “You?”
I curled my lip at him. “Have you ever known me to backseat drive?”
Rochelle raised her hand. “Guilty.”
“Worse than Mom and Dad,” Noelle said.
Rochelle smacked her arm. “Shush! I’ve got a little one to think about.” She laid her hand on her belly.
“Oh, you’re expecting,” Jake said. “Congratulations.”
“You didn’t tell him?” She shook her head at me. “Have you told him anything about our family?”
“Some,” I replied, “but I don’t want to scare him away.”
“She might have told me,” Jake said, “but there are a lot of you. I can’t keep track.”
“You should come to family dinner sometime,” Rochelle said. “It’s easier to keep us straight once you put faces with names.”
“That would be nice.” He gave her a polite smile.
“I wish the girls were up to meet you,” I said. “They’re so sweet. You’re going to love them.”
After a little more small talk, we said our goodbyes, and Jake and I settled in on the couch together.
“I love spending time with my sisters, but this is my favorite place in the world.”
“The living room?” he asked teasingly.
“On this couch with you. ”
He kissed my temple and pulled me against his side.
“Your sisters seem nice.”
“They are. Rochelle and I didn’t always get along when we were younger. We’re only two years apart. There was a lot of bickering, as sisters do. But as we’ve gotten older, we’ve learned to appreciate each other more, and we’re much closer.
I’m so excited for her and Todd. They’ve been trying to have a baby for a few years, and just when they were about to try other options like fertility treatments, she got pregnant. They finally got their miracle.”
“That’s great.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I can’t wait to have a family of my own. Taking care of other people’s kids for all these years has been wonderful, but I want to have a baby.” I snuggled into his side. “Someday.”
He kissed the top of my head, and we sat in comfortable silence for a while.
I lifted my head. “Did you talk to Marjorie and George about keeping the girls overnight for Penny and Lucas’s wedding?”
“I did. They’re all set.”
“Are you sure you don’t want the girls to come? We still have time to talk to them about us, and Penny said we can change our RSVP if we want to. It would be nice to go all together.” I wanted to say like a family, but I hesitated.
“Let’s stick to the original plan.” His curt reply disappointed me.
“Oh. Okay.”
He sat still and quiet, and I wished I knew what was going on in his head. Had I pushed too hard about the girls? My heart rate picked up, and my stomach churned the longer the silence continued .
“Did I say something wrong?” I asked.
He didn’t look at me. “No. I’m just tired. I have a meeting tomorrow I’m stressing about, and I could use a little extra rest, I think.”
I was disappointed our night was suddenly cut short, but I wanted to be an understanding girlfriend. “I should go then and let you get some sleep.”
“Thank you,” he said.
I shifted to lay against his chest and looked at his eyes, which were fixed on the cold fireplace. I waited until he finally looked at me before I spoke again.
“I love you.”
He lifted my chin and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Good night.”
I got up, and so did he, and I hugged him tightly before heading to the guest house. But I couldn’t help noticing that he hadn’t said ‘I love you’ in return.