Chapter Twenty-Six

It wasn’t until he realized Jody had fallen asleep that Jared could finally relax. Knowing she’d been able to put the video behind her had him breathing easy for the first time in the last two hours. He’d done everything, short of begging, to convince her not to watch it. But in the end, she’d insisted. My girl is fierce.

He didn’t know what he’d expected, but her calm acceptance of seeing herself so out of control certainly hadn’t been on his radar. As she watched the video, he’d hoped Jody would concentrate more on how they worked together as a team rather than what she’d personally experienced. Maybe they could finally put this whole mess behind them now and move on with their lives together.

Since the event, he hadn’t been able to pull Jody out of her funk. Jared couldn’t pretend to understand what her mind and body had been through that day but could offer support and a shoulder to cry on. Every time he tried to get her to open up, she’d calmly state that she was fine as if a barrier had been constructed to hide her feelings.

Each dawning day seemed to carry Jody to a darker place—a place she wouldn’t allow him entry. In the end, he backed off and gave her the space she seemed to need.

Hopefully, this weekend would be a new start for them. Without Jody knowing, Jared had worked very hard over the last few weeks to put this weekend together. Each night she fell asleep, he would sneak out of their bedroom and worked out the details from his home office. Nathan and Terry had even gotten involved in the planning. All the work would be worth it if she were able to find the peace she so richly deserved.

Knowing there’d never be a moment’s rest for her in Phoenix, he planned to convince her she might be safer some place more secluded. Jody needed a safe haven, someplace she could move around without fear of being afflicted by troubled spirits or grieving people, either past or present. She needed a place in which it would be possible to find and heal herself, ultimately gaining her happiness again.

Pulling the car to a stop, Jared turned the engine off. He had to admit, the cabin, highlighted with moonlight, was stunning. It certainly lived up to everything he’d heard about it. The time had come to reveal the real reason they were here. He couldn’t help but feel their future happiness rode on the outcome of the next few minutes.

Jared hated waking Jody while she slept so peacefully, but he needed to get her inside. Reaching into the car, he stroked her hair. “Wake up, Monkey. We’re here.”

He loved the sparkle of life and joy her eyes held in the first moments after waking. But it saddened him how quickly the happiness disappeared once she became fully awake.

She pulled him into the car for a kiss. “Hold me, Jared.” He tried to shake off the ominous feeling the tremor in her voice caused.

“Come on, Monkey. I’ve got a few surprises for you.” Pulling her from the car, he wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

The crisp, fresh scent of pine did more to soothe her soul than any measure of meditation or mantras could. Each deep breath seemed to energize Jody and carry her worries away. There was something mystical and rejuvenating about this place.

“What do you think?”

The beauty of the cabin left her speechless. While Jared’s Camelback Mountain estate was the picture of grandeur and opulence, something right out of the pages of Architectural Digest, this rural cabin felt real, felt warm. Above all else the simple cabin in the pines felt more like a home than the Phoenix residence ever could. It was rustic and yet elegant in a purely natural way. The wraparound front porch held rocking chairs and tables, so the occupants could enjoy watching wildlife as they lazed the afternoon away. More importantly this place felt safe.

She spread her arms wide, leaned her head back, and took a deep cleansing breath. Opening herself up to the vibrations of the land, Jody tested the waters and received no messages, felt no ghosts. For the first time in weeks, her smile was genuine. “Oh, Jared, it’s beautiful!”

Feeling as though she didn’t have a care in the world, they walked arm and arm up to the house. He started to put the key in the door but suddenly turned to her and pulled her into his arms.

“Do you love me, Monkey?”

Jody reached out and grazed his mouth with her fingers, wondering if his skin tingled with her touch the way she tingled with his. “With all my heart.”

Her heart swelled with love as he kept the kiss tender. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” he whispered into her mouth, anxious to get her inside. “I want you to close your eyes, and I’ll guide you in.”

Excitement built between them as he led her through the door. “What have you done?”

“Here.” He positioned her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Open your eyes.”

Jody blinked a few times until she got her bearings in the semi-dark room. Candlelight softly lit the room, and several dozen roses gave the area a breathtakingly romantic feel.

The gorgeous woodwork drew her attention. Even with the large, open floor plan, the real log walls gave the room a warm, intimate feel. As she turned, the kitchen caught her eye. There, the walls were made of rock with copper embellishments throughout. It truly was the heart of this home and a place where she envisioned the occupant’s dreams had been built throughout the years.

His arms moved around her as she automatically leaned back into him. “Oh Jared, I don’t know what to say. It’s spectacular, more than I ever could have dreamed for a vacation hideaway.”

“Come with me. I want to show you something else.” Jody couldn’t keep her fingers from skimming the roughened logs which made up the walls as they walked to the back of the house. They stopped in front of a picture window large enough to see the beautiful moonlit trees surrounding the home from anywhere in the room. Jared turned the outside lights on to expose a back deck overlooking a large pond with a dock. They moved through the double doors and viewed the beautiful, natural landscape surrounding the cabin.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she squeezed close into his side. “Oh, Jared, this place feels so peaceful, so serene. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I hadn’t been able to recapture that feeling since before Fiona came into our lives. It feels safe.”

Turning her toward him, he held her close to his chest. “I had a priest come and bless the house. A shaman blessed the land. A medium cleared out all the ghosts. I had a local Wiccan coven come and place wards throughout the house and land to make this your sanctuary. This cabin is your safe spot where nothing can hurt you when you’re here. This home is our paradise.

“Do you really like it, Monkey?” He held his breath until she reached up and pulled his mouth back to hers.

His sigh of relief was lost in their kiss. “I bought this house for you and me. I can’t promise that you’ll never be in a situation like you were with little Mikala again or even little Fiona. I can promise that you’ll be safe here with me.”

“You bought this home? You did this for me, Jared? You’d leave everything behind? What about your job?” Barely able to see him through her tears, she looked into his eyes trying to determine the honesty of his answer.

His hands gently moved to her cheeks as he lowered his forehead to hers. “Sweetheart, we live in a digital world. I can have video conferences and do research from my home office. I may have to go to Phoenix once in awhile, but not often. And besides I’m the boss.

“Oh, Monkey, don’t you know I have nothing without you? Haven’t you learned that yet? You’re the meaning in my life. Before you, I had nothing at all.”

Jared guided her to a table where a bottle of champagne chilled and a small black box rested beside it. A gasp escaped Jody’s lips. Her hands flew to her mouth as she started to understand the implications of the gesture before her.

“You’ve changed my life, Monkey. I can’t go back to the man I was before I met you. You’ve given me more in the few short months I’ve known you than anyone has ever given me before. You make me feel like a whole man for the first time in my life. You’ve given me love and family. I need you by my side, Jody. Will you marry me? Will you live your life with me here in our own little forest?”

Shock reverberated through her. She searched for the words she didn’t want to say but needed to be said. “Jared, I can’t ask you to give everything up for me. I’ve been so selfish when it comes to you. It’s not fair to—”

Jared pulled her to him so rapidly she almost lost her balance. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Monkey. If anyone is selfish, it’s me. I can’t live my life without you. I’m not going back to that bleak existence. I love you too much, and I’ll never let you go.”

Tears of happiness ran down her face as she molded her body to his. Struck speechless by his beautiful proposal, she could only acknowledge him with sloppy sobs of joy, a runny nose, and an excited nod.

Giving in and letting him take care of her, she allowed Jared to wipe her nose with a tissue, and her tears with his fingers. They sealed the moment with their first passionate kiss on the balcony of their safe haven, looking out at the beauty of their forest.

A few moments later, Jared guided Jody to a bench and sat her down. Opening the little black box, he revealed the most magnificent diamond ring she’d ever seen. Sealing the deal, he slipped the ring on her hand and kissed her forehead.

After popping the cork on the champagne, he offered her a glass and held his up as if to toast. “I have something else for you, Monkey.” He stalled by taking a sip of his bubbling wine. The sexy smile he offered held promises of a passion filled evening in their new home. If she were lucky, maybe even right here on the back deck.

Jody’s heart sped up and did an excited little pitter patter as his fingers moved seductively to his mouth. The ease with which he turned her on amazed her. Instead of doing something completely erotic with those fingers and tongue, he startled her when a shrill whistle escaped his lips.

As if he hadn’t just broken her eardrums, he raised his glass and toasted. “To us.”

“What have you got up your sleeve now?” She clinked her glass to his. “To us.”

Suddenly, the patter of little feet running toward her could be heard. She turned to find two beagle puppies, ears flopping with each bound, heading straight for her. Dropping to the ground, she patted the deck, enticing the cute little munchkins to her side. The puppies landed in her lap, almost knocking her backward. Jared’s laughter rang out as he sat down on the floor of the deck next to her.

He reached out and grabbed a puppy. “This is Fred, and that’s,” he pointed to the puppy licking her face, “Wilma. I know how badly you’ve wanted dogs, so I thought we should have a few new additions to our little family. They shouldn’t be bothered by any stray spirits here.”

Scratching the puppy’s back, Wilma joyfully licked Jody’s face. At no time in her entire life had she ever known the kind of happiness Jared offered her. She brought his hand to her mouth and playfully nipped at his fingers. “Jared, what have you done?”

“Let’s call the house a wedding present and the puppies a prelude to children.”

“You were pretty sure I was going to say yes, weren’t you?”

The broad grin he brandished lit his face with amusement. Jared’s happiness had her heart soaring higher than it ever had before. Nothing else mattered. He was her true gift, and she thanked her lucky stars for him.

In response to her question, he playfully shrugged his shoulders. “When you finished reading your latest literary masterpiece, you left it lying on the table next to the bed. I picked it up and started reading. I learned a few things from the mighty Highlander. I figured if you said no, I’d do what the brawny Scotsman did. I’d sweep you off to my castle, take your clothes off, and tie you to the bed.” Leaning in a little closer, he whispered seductively in her ear. “I’d speak in a thick Scottish brogue, and prance around flexing my bronzed, moistened muscles. You’d have no choice but to beg for my throbbing manhood.”

His fingers snapped in the air with attitude. “Nothin’ to it!”

She let loose with gut-busting laughter.

“Can anyone join this party?” Jody jumped when she heard Nathan’s voice. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she turned and saw both Nathan and Terry walking toward them, each sporting shit-eating grins. Neglecting the chaise lounges, they grabbed the bottle of champagne and sat on the deck floor next to the new family.

“You know, there are plenty of chairs. I’m not sure why we’re all sitting on the ground,” Nathan joked.

Jody reached out and kissed her two best friends. Before she could pull away from Nathan, his demeanor turned serious. Looking deeply into her eyes, he asked, “Are you happy, baby doll?”

She glanced at Jared and beamed. “Oh yeah.”

“Then we’re happy.”

“Wait just a damn minute,” Terry interrupted, surprising the people around him and garnering everyone’s attention.

“I’m happy that you’re happy.” He spread his arms to encompass Jody and Jared. “But there’s one thing that’s got to happen before I’m happy.”

Not having a clue what he could possibly be talking about had Jody’s brow moving up a fraction of an inch. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of Terry answering her question, Jared leaned in to explain. “In exchange for his help with this place, I promised him something.”

“Okay.” Expecting more information, Jody purposely lifted her shoulders to prompt him to continue. When Jared blushed, she cringed. “Oh God! What did you promise him?”

“Since he didn’t get to keep Solitude—” Terry interrupted by loudly clearing his throat. When he had everyone’s attention, he mocked, “Stick to the script.”

Embarrassed, Jared bent his head in shame. “Fine. Dammit. Since Solitude was stolen out from under him, I owe him. He wants to show people what real love looks like. He insisted on using us as the subject matter.”

Looking at Terry’s winning grin, she whispered under her breath, “Should I tell him there’s no way in hell he’s going to get to keep that portrait either?”

Jared kissed her head and murmured into her ear. “Nah. Don’t spoil it for him.”

The sound of his easy chuckle filled her with joy.

Jody lifted her glass to toast. “To troubled spirits. I will be forever grateful to you for bringing Jared and I together. May you all rest in peace.”