Ready for Love (22 page)
LJ was sitting in her truck in the Aldridge driveway, her heart filled with trepidation and anticipation. “Can I do it?” She nodded, got out of the truck, and went to the front door, where she pressed the doorbell with her index finger.
The door swung open. “LJ, glad you could make it. Come on in.” Carl stepped aside so she could enter.
“Did you make the reservations?” Virginia asked when she entered the kitchen.
“Yes. I was able to get a private room for just our party.”
“Is everyone coming?”
“Yes. They were all excited to be there to celebrate her birthday.”
“They know it’s a surprise, right?”
“Yes.”
“What did you tell her?” Carl asked.
“That Ryan and I were taking her out to celebrate.” LJ grinned. “She thought Ruth’s Chris Steak House was too extravagant.”
“That is so like her.” Virginia moved to the coffee machine. “Either of you want a cup?”
“Yes, please. I haven’t had my quota for the morning yet.” LJ moved closer to Virginia.
“I’m good,” Carl said. “Where does she think you are now?”
“I told her I had a meeting. She was so engrossed in what she was telling the grad students that she didn’t suspect a thing.”
“I told her we unfortunately had a previous engagement with one of Carl’s old Army buddies and we couldn’t go to dinner with you, but I said I made a cake and hoped you all could stop by after dinner.” Virginia handed LJ a full coffee cup.
“She won’t be mad that we’re surprising her, will she?” LJ took a sip.
“No, the last time we surprised her like this was on her sixteenth birthday. Remember that, Ginny? She loved it.”
“Yes. She was smiling for weeks after that.”
LJ nodded and gathered her courage. “I wanted to ask you both something,” she began.
Virginia frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Everything is fine.” LJ reached in her pocket. “I wanted to ask your permission to marry Kylie.” She took out a ring box and opened it.
It only took a moment for Virginia to wrap LJ in her arms. “Of course it is. A wedding. How wonderful.”
Carl came over and put his long arms around both women. “You will make her even happier than she is now,” he whispered.
Virginia looked at LJ with a twinkle in her eyes. “Does that mean we may have other grandchildren?”
LJ laughed. “I think you’ll have to ask Kylie about that.”
†
“I remember coming here years ago when Ted’s office hosted a Christmas party. The food was wonderful but really expensive.” Kylie began to open the car door.
“No, wait. Let me get that.” LJ rounded the car, opened Kylie’s door, and helped her out. “I’ll get Ryan, and then we can go inside.”
Kylie smiled when she saw the rich wood that accented the walls. She took in the wonderful smells that wafted around her. “This is too extravagant,” she whispered to LJ, who was holding her hand. “We should go somewhere else.”
“It’s your birthday, and you are worth every penny.”
“I don’t think we’re talking about pennies here.” Kylie laughed.
“Dr. Evans. I have a six thirty reservation,” LJ said to the hostess.
“Right this way.”
When Kylie walked into the room, she heard people yelling “Surprise!” and saw her parents along with Granny Thorpe, Rob and his wife Louise, Lynne and her husband Tom, and Jodie and her husband Roger. She gasped. “Oh LJ, this is too much.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Yes.” She leaned into her. “I can’t believe you did this for me,” she whispered.
“I’d do anything for you, don’t you know that?” LJ hugged her. “You deserve only the best, my love.”
Soon everyone was sitting around a large round table, digging into the appetizers before consuming their meals.
When everyone had finished dinner, Carl stood and smiled. “Before we have dessert, shall we open the gifts?” He winked at LJ.
Kylie had soon opened each present and treated each one as if it were a treasure. “I don’t know what to say except thank you, everyone, for this wonderful night.” She looked at the grinning LJ seated next to her. “Thank you so much for this surprise. It was totally unexpected and awesome of you to do it for me.” She leaned in and kissed LJ’s cheek.
LJ pushed back her chair, stood, and then bent down on one knee. “Kylie, you are the breath of my life, for no other love brings my life the meaning that you and Ryan do. Will you marry me?” She pulled the ring box out of her pocket, opened it, and held it out.
Kylie covered her mouth, and a tear escaped her eye. “Oh, yes, my love. Yes, yes, yes.”
Everyone around the table began to clap as LJ slipped the diamond ring onto Kylie’s finger.
With tears in her eyes, Kylie smiled. “This is the best night of my life.” She looked at LJ and grinned. “Well, there may be one that was better,” she whispered.
Not long after, Kylie’s granny approached them.
“Granny, I’m so glad you could come.” Kylie embraced her. “You being here makes this extraordinarily special day in my life all the more so.” She held out her hand. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
The older woman smiled and took LJ’s hand in hers. “I have never seen Kylie so happy, and I know it’s all because of you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Thorpe.”
“Please call me Margaret.” She held a gnarled finger up. “No, I think Granny is better.”
“I’d be honored to call you that.” LJ smiled. “I wish my gran was here. I think you two would have gotten along.”
†
“Kylie,” LJ whispered that night in their bed.
“Mm-hmm.”
“I was thinking that maybe you, Ryan, and me could move out to the farm. It would be a wonderful place to raise children.”
Kylie thought she was dreaming. She straightened up, and a glorious smile graced her face as she hugged LJ. “I love you.”
LJ laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“How about yes, yes, yes! Can we have our wedding there?”
“That would be perfect. My grandparents were married there under that big oak tree in front of the house. According to my gran, the whole town turned out to celebrate the occasion.”
“How about we just invite a few close friends?”
“Sounds like a plan to me. Are you happy?” LJ tried to tamp down her insecurities, but they wanted a voice.
“Deliriously so. Did you doubt that?”
LJ shrugged. “Not really. Bad habits are hard to break.”
“I love you and can’t wait to be your wife.” Kylie kissed her. “When can we move? That will mean a longer drive to work. What about Ryan and school? There’s so much to do….” Her eyes brightened. “LJ, did you say ‘children’?”
LJ pulled Kylie in closer and kissed the top of her head. “Yes, do you mind?”
Gray eyes misted over. “Oh, sweetheart, I want that with you. I want to have a family with you.” She gently kissed LJ’s lips and then opened her eyes wide. “LJ, we will have to add rooms to the house. Who will be the father? How many shall we have?”
Laughing, LJ shook her head. “My love, we can have as many children as you like. We will add on lots of bedrooms and fill them all.”
“You’re so wonderful. I love you so much. Can we move tomorrow?”
Bemused, LJ smiled.
She’s like a dog with a bone and no thought of giving it up.
“Tomorrow might be a bit soon. How about within the next month?”
“Perfect.” Kylie began kissing LJ in earnest.
How did I get to this point? A soon-to-be wife with a daughter and more children on a farm.
“Hmm, Kylie, I’m not really keen on the idea of my having children. Do you mind?”
Kylie pulled back before wrapping her arms around the beautiful woman and kissing a bare shoulder. “Love, I can’t imagine you pregnant. What do you say I do the baby thing?” Kylie leaned over LJ and picked up her phone off the nightstand.
“Kylie? Who are you calling…the sperm bank?” A rumble of laughter came from deep inside her as she spoke.
“No, I’m not calling them yet. I’m just getting the number so I can call in the morning. You know the father has to be tall and have blue eyes and black hair.”
LJ took the phone and placed it back on the nightstand. Then she took Kylie in her arms and began kissing her. “What do you say we stop talking and I show you just how much I love you?”
Kylie giggled as she pulled the sheet up over their heads.
“Happy birthday, my love.” LJ pulled her close, relishing the nearness of the woman she loved.
Late, into the early hours of the morning, their bodies entwined as their hearts, minds, and souls embraced in peace and love.
“LJ?”
“Mm-hmm?”
“I love you.”
Then, in the hours just before dawn, LJ Evans smiled as her heart soared. “I love you too, baby.” She thought of her grandmother, who had told her that love would sneak up on her one day and she’d be helpless to stop it from happening.
You were right, Gran. Right here in my arms is all I’ll ever want or need.
Erin O'Reilly is an accomplished author with twenty-three published works, including her newest collaboration with JM Dragon
Take Me as I Am
and soon to be released
Ready for Love
. She was the Sapphic Readers Award winner for her book
Deception
. Her focus as a writer is to develop strong characters that make a dramatic impact on her story lines.
When not writing she is the technical Director and CEO of Affinity eBook Press.
Contact
Erin at
[email protected]
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