The beach house neared, so Jules angled towards it and climbed the stairs to the deck. Rhett pursued in silence. Jules propped her arms on top of the wooden railing, and Rhett followed suit, their shoulders touching. They watched the waves for a long time. The silver moon emerged through the clouds, adding an ethereal light to the darkness.
Finally Rhett spoke. “The worst thing was I couldn’t recover past my failed marriage. I’d made some terrible choices. I didn’t want to ever get in such a position again.”
He paused for a moment. “My only consolation came in convincing her to accept Christ before she died. Celeste never apologized for leaving, or not wanting Andi. And she blamed me for everything that went wrong in our marriage.”
“I’m so sorry. But I’m thankful for her salvation.” She linked her fingers with his larger ones and shivered. The wind had picked up. Rhett pulled his hand from hers, draped his arm over her shoulders, and snuggled her close to his warm body.
He turned towards her. “You know what?”
His chest pressed against her shoulder. She hated to move. The closeness would pass, and she ached to stay near. Here, there were no people to impress. Just the two of them, becoming intimate.
She drank in the cool oxygen as she studied him. “What?”
“It’s taken me a while to realize it, but it’s different with us.” He drew her into his embrace and rubbed his hands down her back.
His breath brushed her cheek. The waves crashed beyond the deck. The air around them whipped, but the space between them crackled warm and electric.
She fingered the button at his collar and stared at his mouth. Words appeared foreign. “Uh-huh.”
He pressed her to him and her heart quickened. His raspy cheek stroked hers, and he whispered in her ear. “Jules.”
Her hands snaked behind his neck and splayed against the silk of his dark hair. She shivered and exhaled through parted lips. Something like warm liquid mercury filled her, and her pulse thundered.
He withdrew and searched her face. The porch light illuminated the desire in his blue eyes, and she wet her lips. His hooded gaze returned to her eyes, and his mouth descended to hers. Their lips touched lightly then separated.
He probed her expression for several seconds before his mouth came back to hers, more demanding this time. A flame kindled in Jules’ chest as he pressed her even closer with firm pressure. His mouth trailed a path of kisses down her jaw and to her neck, and Jules closed her eyes, struggling to breathe. His scent filled her senses and normal thought patterns fled. She arched, savoring the wave of pleasure at his touch. And suddenly he pulled back.
“Wha…?”
“Do you want to go inside?” His voice rasped low and husky with emotion.
“Uh-huh.” She groaned.
His arms drew her against him, his lips tasting hers for a moment and stealing the air from her lungs. Passion stirred the flames higher. His hands caressed the small of her back and roamed to her upper arms and massaged her tense muscles. She peered at him through heavy lids and sighed, yearning to be drawn back into his embrace.
“Jules?”
“Hmmm?”
“If I take you inside, I’ll take you to my bed.”
The fragrance of his skin enveloped her, and she desired nothing less.
“Then take me.”
He picked her up, cradled her against his chest, and swung her through the door with ease. She buried her face in his neck and clung to his thick corded shoulders. Tonight the masks came off. No more marriage pretense.
* * *
The next morning, she woke to a Rhett-scented bed, and she smiled in memory. He’d already risen, but she stretched out, enjoying the cool sheets and that fact she was truly Mrs. Rhett Carsen. Her little reverie ended when she heard the sound of the door and of crying echoing down the main hallway. Andi’s sobs and Pete’s voice drifted to her ears.
She vaulted out of bed, wrapped herself in the sheet, and grabbed her clothes before making a beeline for her room. She dressed in a flurry, flipped her hair into a bun, and hurried through the hallway. Andi’s howls came from Rhett’s bedroom. She looped around and paused in the doorway as Rhett examined Andi’s legs.
“What is it?” she asked, entering the room.
Angry red splotches splayed across the child’s legs and several welts had risen.
“I don’t know. Maybe jelly fish stings. I’m not sure.”
“They hurt, Daddy. Ouch, ouch.” Andi bawled.
He turned to her. “Listen, I’m going to take her to the emergency clinic we passed on our way in from the airport just to make sure. You okay to stay here?”
Jules stuttered. “Uh…yeah, I’ll start the packing.”
“Good.” He cradled Andi and strode down the hallway then took the stairs at a jog.
Jules scurried behind them and rushed ahead to open the door to the garage. She waved as they got in the vehicle and drove off.
Jules puckered her face and chewed her lip. He hadn’t even asked her to come along. A rock settled in her stomach, and she chided herself for being so immature. She should be praying instead of pouting. Tears trembled on her lids as she sent a prayer heavenward. Then she set her jaw and cleaned the house.
Out went any leftover food. She finished the dishes then collected the trash. She packed her own suitcases and organized Andi’s clothes, filling one suitcase with dirty laundry. Finally, she went to Rhett’s room and stood, hands on hips. She took a deep breath. Why hadn’t he included her? Was she nothing more than a one-nighter? A groan tore from her as she sank to the side of the mattress. She pressed her fingers to her mouth. Good enough to spend the night with, but not important enough to be included during a family crises.
Oh, snap. Had she become some handy roommate whose duties now included…. She jumped up and shook her entire body in revulsion. Oh, please no. She froze and huffed air into her lungs in panic. He hadn’t told her he loved her. Had he fed her some sob story to spend the night in her bed? Heavens above. What was worse than being a glorified nanny? Being Rhett’s escort.
Her sobs rocked the walls, and she rushed headlong into the bathroom to splash the blotchiness and grief away. Somehow, she had to pull herself together and make the trip homeward.
She spat into the porcelain bowl. Homeward? Bitterness filled her stomach. No, just her apartment. A semi-permanent dwelling to raise Andi.
After pacing the hallway for several minutes, her nerves settled somewhat. Focus. She had to marshal all their belongings for the trip and stop dwelling on what she couldn’t change. Compartmentalizing the depressing dilemma, she coached herself in whispers to finish the task, keeping the horrid thoughts at bay.
She yanked Rhett’s belongings from the drawers and crammed them into the suitcase with a little too much force. Just as she rolled the suitcases next to the door, she heard the car doors slam.
With a wooden mask firmly in place, she treaded to open the door. Andi walked beside her father with her hand in his, and although she didn’t cry, her drawn face was pink and blotched. The red slashes on her lags were still visible, and Rhett led her into the main floor bathroom.
“It’s jellyfish stings. Not serious.” He settled on the tub and Andi sat next to him. He pulled a clear bottle from a sack he carried. “We need to put vinegar on them. At least there were no tentacles in her skin. The doctor said the storm must have brought in a swarm and thought maybe there might be small pieces floating in the water. He’s had a couple cases in the last two days.”
Wonderful. This she could do. Concentrate on Andi. Plus, the added advantage of Rhett’s fatherly concern wrapped around his daughter would leave him with little thought of her.
Jules breathed a prayer of thanksgiving that the child had been spared something worse, and helped spread the vinegar over the angry welts. Andi snuffled and complained her legs hurt, so Jules found some pain reliever in the zippered pouch of her suitcase.
By the time they doctored Andi, cleaned her up and dressed her, they had to leave for the airport. Andi slept through most of the plane trip, her little head lolling on her father’s shoulder. Jules couldn’t wait to get her home. Goldie had suffered the same fate, and Jules buried her agony by praying for the girls. What a lousy way to end a special vacation.
Late that evening, they drove into the garage, and Andi awoke with a scream, clinging to her father as he tried to remove her from her booster. The child refused to lie in her bed, so he carried her to his and stayed with her. Jules trudged upstairs and unpacked, letting the tears flow down her face. Rhett had barely spoken to her the entire trip. Clearly, he regretted the added complication of their union.
The next few nights, Andi remained with her dad and slept in his bed. Jules cared for her during the day, went about her normal chores, and caught up the laundry. A strange despondent aura settled between her and Rhett. After all they had been through and shared, she could hardly believe the awkwardness that now separated them. At least he hadn’t upped her duties like she’d feared. He went to work. She cared for Andi. She fixed dinner, he mowed the lawn. All the while squelching down a hopeless gloom. If it wasn’t for Andi, little conversation would have graced the house.
August arrived and the scurry to prepare for school started. Rhett took the day off to accompany Andi to first grade, but Jules’ heart wrenched with every step, every fake smile. She covered her misery by buzzing around like all the other mothers, taking pictures, waving, and double-checking Andi’s supplies. Yet her spirit was not in it. For Andi’s sake, she put on a good front.
Shortly afterward, Rhett left for two weeks to do a final check on the Chicago project, and Jules couldn’t help but feel relieved. After Andi’s bedtime, Jules crept into his bedroom, lay on his bed, and prayed. She groaned and buried her head in his pillow.
The next morning, she awoke, still in Rhett’s bed. Oh, she felt awful. Her arms and legs must have been molded of lead in the night. She was so tired. A quick glance at the clock revealed a good ten hour sleep. She stood and wandered into the bathroom.
As she stared into the mirror, a nagging thought pounded in her brain. She remembered another time her body had been so exhausted. It’d been many years ago, but she’d never forgotten it. Her stomach suddenly churned. Nooo. It couldn’t be. Here, about to be a grandmother. She could not be. No way. She surely wasn’t…pregnant! She was thirty-nine. Oh, Lord, please, no.
She lost no time after dropping Andi at school. She drove to Princeton and picked up a pregnancy test. Her hands shook as she read the directions.
After following instructions to a T, she paced and checked her watch. How could a few minutes drag on so? Finally, she snatched up the white stick. A plus greeted her eyes and she sank to the toilet lid in shock. She carried Rhett’s child. This just wasn’t possible, certainly not probable. How…how could this happen? One night? She groaned. She loved him so much and now his baby grew within her. And he could barely speak to her!
She finished the week in a haze. Rhett arrived home on Friday, and tension lit the air. She did the only thing she could. She confined herself to her upstairs rooms. Then Hannah’s call came. She’d been rushed to the hospital. The baby was coming. It seemed she went numb, unable to process what to do. To Jules’ surprise, Rhett organized everything, and they were in the SUV within the hour.
Late that night, Hannah birthed a boy, whom they named, Zander Lee. Healthy and beautiful, Jules cried when she held him. Her first grandchild.
They stayed for three days, until infant and mom were settled at home, and then they headed back to Indiana. The next morning, Jules rose and organized Andi for the day. She dropped her off at school and made her way back into the garage. When she came into the kitchen, Rhett sat at the counter.
“What…are you doing here?”
“I never left.”
“You…didn’t go to work this morning?”
“Nope.”
She approached, laid her purse on the granite, and perched on the end stool.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
Her eyes flew to his. Oh, glory above. The horrible scene with Darrell clouded her thoughts. The strange light in his eye sent her breathing to short gasps. Rhett was done with her. Here it came—again. Her chest swelled with pain, and she tried to breathe without sobbing.
He moved to the stool next to her and took her hands in his.
“I…think we’ve grown apart.”
She blinked at him, her heart in her eyes. She’d be on her own. With a child.
“Have you changed your mind about being married to me?” He scrutinized her face.
She swallowed and shook her head. He nodded, his gaze never left probing hers. What would he say?
“Jules, I overstepped my bounds with you. I promised to be a friend, your roommate. But I let myself get carried away in Florida, and when we got back you were so distant, I just assumed you regretted that night.”
“I didn’t and I don’t, but I thought maybe you did. You rushed Andi off to the clinic and I…” She trailed off in a whisper as tears dropped from her lashes.
He shook his head. “I need to apologize about leaving you behind. I wasn’t thinking clearly. All I wanted was to get help for Andi and usher everyone home as soon as possible.”
Jules inhaled a shaky breath. “So, have you changed your mind about us?”
He gave a crooked smile as he wiped her tears away. “I haven’t. I only regret not being completely clear with you. You see, I don’t want to be just a friend or your roommate anymore. Not positive I ever wanted that. Maybe I just fooled myself. What I really want is to be your real spouse. I should have told you this in Florida.”
He gripped her hands and locked on her with intense eyes. “I love you, Jules.”
She gasped, and he grinned wider, his brow lifting in question. “That is if you want me as your husband.”
Blood pulsed with such force through her body, she was sure he could hear it. She shook her head as more tears fell. “Oh, Rhett, I’ve loved you for so long, and I never thought I could love again. You befriended me during the lowest time of my life, and you cared for me and lifted me up through every obstacle. You and Andi.”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.
“But there’s something you need to know.”
His smile slowly disappeared, and his eyes grew dark and serious. “All right.”
“I’m pregnant.”
His jaw fell open and he stared. “Are you kidding me?”
Miserably she shook her head.
A grin broke across his face, and he eased her to him. His chest shuddered as he breathed. At last, he set her back and gazed at her with those beautiful azure eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a father again. Andi will be through the roof.” He laughed, picked her up, and swirled her around in a circle before easing her down carefully. “Jules?”
“Yes?”
His lips twitched and his left brow lifted. “Will you move to my room?”
She laughed and wiped a tear. “What would we tell Andi?”
He smiled that crooked smile and kissed her good and hard. “We’ll think of something.”
* * *
Jules peered down at herself in the blue, sparkled wedding gown. She looked identical to the vision a year and a half ago in a Gatlinburg hotel mirror. Same dress, hairstyle, shoes, veil, and flowers. Only this time, a glitter of excitement and love glowed from her eyes as she scanned everyone seated in folding chairs on the patio. Hannah, Jason, baby Zander, Jillian, Rhett’s folks, Jules’ parents, and stepfather. Jules’ father cradled Jules and Rhett’s new three-month old, Brody Rhett Carsen, who slept contently.
Andi, clad again in a beautiful blue dress, smiled cheekily at her from the sun room doorway, and turned to start her march down the aisle, scattering red rose petals. A myriad of church folks and friends, including Pete and Cora Grayson, with Goldie in a fresh yellow dress, filled the chairs on both sides. The flowers cascaded on the tunneled arch, and small lights lit up the dusk-darkened patio.
But mostly, her gaze stayed upon her husband in the navy tux at the end of the tunnel. His blue eyes were firmly fastened to the glass door to the sunroom, waiting for her to emerge. Oh, she loved that man.
Jules took a deep breath and gathered it all in. She patted her stomach that was not only queasy with the excitement of the day, but also from another new life growing there. She smiled, thinking of Rhett’s reaction to her announcement tonight. An additional Carsen joining the family. No doubt Andi would be dreaming of a little sister when the news got out.
She placed her hand on the handle of the door. Her soul sang. Thank you, Lord for rebuilding my life, for never abandoning me, and for teaching me to understand that sometimes I must wait. A tear quivered on her lash. Your blessings overwhelm me. She pressed a gloved hand to her lips to stanch the tears. The paned glass in front of her slid open, and she stepped through the opening to journey down the tunneled arch toward her husband and her future.