Chapter 33 #2
“When,” I confirmed. “Whenever you want to move in. It feels too quiet when you’re not there, and I miss you when I wake up alone. I know there are still things I need to work through where Raleigh is concerned, but I don’t want you feeling like you come second ever again.”
One of Jackson’s hands dropped from my face to cover the outline of Raleigh’s ring through my shirt.
“One of things that made me fall so hard for you in the first place was how fiercely you loved Raleigh, even after he died. He’s important to you, so he’s important to me.
And we’ll figure out turning the space you shared with him into a space for the two of us. Together.”
His words made my heart squeeze, the love I had for this man blooming in every part of my soul as I pressed another kiss to his lips.
There was just one more thing I needed to do to solidify our relationship and his place on this farm.
Pulling away, I gazed into his eyes as I ran slow circles over his lower back through his shirt.
The affection that stared back at me gave me the strength to say the words that came next.
“I’m telling my parents tonight. I asked them to meet with me after I finish with you.”
Jackson’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “Really? Are you sure?”
I nodded my head. “I’ve put it off long enough. I wasn’t sure where we would land before, and I worried the whole farm knowing would put pressure on us, but it’s well past time.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“You want to?”
“Of course. If you want me there, then I want to be there. But it’s okay if you don’t. If you would prefer to tell them by yourself, that’s fine, too.”
Tapping at his hip to urge him off my lap, I shook my head. “I’d love for you to come. I just didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
Jackson’s smile was slow and kind. “I’m ready for anything when it comes to you, baby.”
His hand slid into mine as we made our way from my office, and the drive back to the main house was quiet as I struggled to temper the expectations I had for how my parents may react.
I wanted to believe after everything and how accepting they were of who Raleigh was, they’d be just as willing to open their arms to Jackson, but I couldn’t deny the difference.
Jackson was younger, and his being my employee complicated our relationship without doubt.
Just like I’d told Jackson earlier, though, I believed in us.
We’d come too far and through too much to let lesser things break the foundation we’d made.
If my parents couldn’t see how good Jackson was for me, it’d hurt, but we’d manage.
When we stepped inside the house, I called out. “Ma? Dad?”
“In the office!” My father’s voice came from that direction, and I motioned for Jackson to follow me to the back of the house.
The space still looked relatively the same, with tall bookcases lining the back wall and lots of natural light coming in from the window.
However, the solid mahogany desk that used to sit proudly in the middle was notably missing, instead having been replaced by some comfortable-looking armchairs facing the window where both my mother and father sat.
As Jackson and I stepped into the room, and my parents both looked up, my father placed the book he was reading against his chest to save his spot while my mother slipped a delicate bookmark between the pages of hers.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I commented, noticing more seating options now that we were through the threshold along with some other changes that screamed of my mother’s influence.
Ma’s face lit up. “Isn’t it nice? When your father suggested turning it into a reading room for us, I was over the moon.” She turned and reached out a hand to him which he took and gave a small squeeze. “I love that we get to use this room together now.”
“You’d said you wanted to talk?” My father motioned toward the extra seating after sending a fond look to my mother, but I could feel both their stares on us as Jackson followed me over.
I gave him a short nod as we both sat. “I did.” When Jackson settled next to me, I took his hand in mine and rested it on my knee. Not only was it a signal to my parents what our conversation was about, but his touch was grounding as my heart began to knock against my chest.
“I wanted you both to hear from me that Jackson and I are together. We’ve been keeping this to ourselves while we figured out what we really wanted, but now that things are serious, I want you both to be aware.
” My voice came out steadier than I felt, even as I watched my mother lift a hand to her chest. “I know this might be a shock because, believe me, it was hard for me to wrap my head around being with anyone who wasn’t Raleigh. ”
When I turned my head to look beside me, Jackson’s steady green-brown eyes were already looking in my direction.
“They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, and I really believed the kind of love I had with Raleigh was once in a lifetime.
But Jackson has shown me I might be one of the luckiest men alive since I get to experience it twice.
” His smile was warm, the dimple in his cheek just barely visible, but I knew it was there.
“I love you,” he whispered under his breath for just me to hear, and I knew regardless of what my parents thought or believed, it would all be okay.
A low grunt came from across the space, and I looked over to where my father had his arms crossed.
For a split second, nerves slowly snuck their way back under my skin, and my stomach soured as I wondered if this would be the moment my father would put his foot down.
But then he spoke and hope flared bright inside me.
“He make you happy?” he asked, looking between me and Jackson.
“Very much so,” I responded quickly.
“He treat you right?” This was directed to Jackson as my father tilted his salt-and-pepper head toward me.
“The best.” Jackson grinned wide. “I’d consider myself the lucky one in all this.”
“That’s all I can ask for, then.” Dad grunted after a moment, nodding a little to himself. Beside him, my mother added in her own nod of approval as well.
“Really?” I asked, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, but once again stunned by my parents’ easy acceptance of the partners I’d chosen for myself.
“All we’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, healthy, and taken care of, Tucker,” my mother chimed in, a watery smile forming on her lips.
“Losing Raleigh was hard on everyone, but it was awful watching you wither away after. Sometimes it felt like we lost you right along with him.” She sniffed a little before continuing.
“But in the last few months, it’s like you’ve finally gotten some of your life back, and if Jackson is who we have to thank for that, then your father and I are more than happy you’ve found each other. ”
The relief that washed over me was sharp and sudden, and I dropped my head forward slightly at the rush of it.
Even if I’d been prepared to walk out of here with a potentially broken relationship with my folks, knowing I had their support was like a weight taken off my shoulders.
Gentle lips pressed against the back of my hand, and I tilted my head to soak in the reassurance of my man.
He sent me a soft smile before turning his attention toward my parents. “I want you to know I don’t take Tucker’s love lightly. You’ve raised an incredible man, and I plan to cherish him for however long I can.”
Sitting back up, I knocked my shoulder into his lightly. “Okay, Sunshine, no need to turn this into wedding vows.”
“Oh, you get to do the deep declarations, but I can’t?
” Jackson laughed, looping his arm around my neck to pull me into him.
The unexpected move had me letting out a quick bark of my own laughter as my sunny farmhand peppered my cheek in kisses.
I could hear my mother’s own tinkling laughter joining in, and somehow, the rightness of the moment had me realizing something.
When the time came, I’d marry the shit out of Jackson Arness.