Page 18 of Forever Foolish

“Ahhh, okay. Nice. You’re in town and close to things.”

“Yes,” he agreed, sounding almost nervous. “And we’ll turn here.”

Their relationship, their friendship, had always been strangely settled between them. There was no question of whether they liked each other or even cared for the otherperson – it was simply a matter of placement or ‘how’ to make things work. This wasn’t something either of them had planned on, but somehow, the pieces fell together, almost like the teeth of a zipper. A text, a picture, an email, and whispers stolen over the phone, all of it had led them to here, now.

He had her attention because he was taking her home.

Theirhome.

She might not live with him now, and it might be years down the road, but this place he was taking her was where they would build and grow together. They would share laughs, smiles, and moments that would never be forgotten. Someday, they would discuss dreams, plan things together, and welcome a child. Sliding a sideways look at him, she marveled at his profile and how familiar he was to her soul.

Something in her recognized a part of him – and that’s what people didn’t understand. Her parents, his family, and all of their friends knew that it was crazy to think that a broken relationship long ago could lead to their descendants somehow finding their way through it all when their parents couldn’t.

“I love this place,” J.J. whispered, pointing as he slowed down. “I thought we could put Christmas lights on the large pine tree in the yard for the holidays... and the stoop has three large steps on the side of the house where we could put pumpkins. There’s a formal entrance, but it’s not as warm and welcoming. I always enter through the kitchen.”

“Show me…” she breathed, feeling her heart turn over in her chest as she could see the picture he was painting before her. It was a tiny blue frame house with white trim that was so simple yet sweet. There was a line of little shrubs, almost forming a fence of sorts. The wooden porch on the side of the house was the more inviting of the two; she mused as he pulled up onto a gravel driveway beside the house, putting the truck into park.

Chloe started to open the door to the truck, but J.J. was already racing around to her side to get it for her – holding out his hand.

“Come,” he whispered breathlessly, his eyes nearly glowing from his face with a warmth that rivaled the sun. They walked up the steps to the porch for the first time together, and the sense of ‘home’ was stronger than anything she’d ever felt before, causing her to look at him again only seconds before he scooped her up into his arms.

Neither said a word.

Neither looked away.

J.J. carried her over the threshold like a groom bringing his bride home for the first time – and she felt it deep down inside. He set her down slowly, letting her get her feet underneath her as he wove his fingers with hers, holding her hand. It was like he was urging her to look around without saying a word, and she wanted to.

Turning slightly, she saw the ‘L’ shaped kitchen that lined two walls. There were cabinets above and below, with a window over the sink. At the end of the counters, there was a cabinet to hide a trash can or other things. A picture window was in the distance looking over the front yard and the street in the distance – and she smiled as a small table was set directly in front of it. There was a wooden rocking chair in the corner of the kitchen that caught her eye, along with a washer and dryer. As she continued looking around, she realized that there was no living room on this end of the house, but she saw three bedroom doors and a hallway.

“Here,” he invited softly, moving over to a door and opening it. Her breath caught as inside there was a single full-sized bed and a dresser that was obviously being used.Her eyes met his as he slowly backed away, pulling her to the next doorway and opening it.

“A guest room for your parents if they come to visit…” he murmured quietly, his eyes holding hers. He’d set this up deliberately, planning for the future – with her. Her eyes stung as it hit her like a ton of bricks, marveling at this man before her. Clearing his throat, he continued backward down the hallway to open another door before pointing at the opposite wall. “This is another guest room… and that leads to the basement. We’ve got a formal living room over here, but I don’t have any furniture in it yet. The basement is actually a walkout with a small mudroom. Let me show you.”

Following him, they went down the stairs into the basement and she saw it was dimly illuminated by small windows dotted around the room with a door in the distance. J.J. walked over, opened the door, and gestured her through to take a look. As she opened the other door, she saw it looked out on a small garden nearby and chuckled.

There were deer grazing from the feast that he’d obviously planted, trying to grow something to harvest. They exchanged a look as J.J. frowned in frustration before uttering something under his breath, before hollering out the door and shaking his fist at the deer watching him with boredom.

“You’re gonna end up mounted and stuffed, ya’ mongrels!”

“J.J.!” she exclaimed, laughing in disbelief at his response – as he joined in. They stood there in the alcove beside each other, smiling, sharing a look that suddenly changed.

“Welcome home,” he whispered.

“I’m so happy to be here.”

“I want you to feel like this is home, so if you see something you want changed… say the word.”

“You know what I’d like to change?”

“What’s that?”

“I’d like you to finally kiss me,” she said softly, holding his warm gaze and waiting. “We’re together, we’re home, and…”

“It would be my honor,” J.J. whispered tenderly, interrupting her and stunned her completely as he stepped into a ‘circle’ that she didn’t know existed. There was such a thing as personal space – but this crossed that line and felt downright intimate. His fingers caressed her cheek before sliding into her hair, sinking in and clinging to cup her head and pull her toward him.

“Ohh…”

That single word escaped her as she fell under his spell, practically gawking at him at the intensely masculine side that he was revealing. This wasn’t ‘just J.J.’ but her man claiming her, possessing her… and he hadn’t even kissed her yet!

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