Page 66 of Jack

They all turned when Jason stepped throughthe doorway. One quick look at the couple had a smile wreathing hisface. To their surprise, he raced into the room and wrapped his handsaround Zuri in a bear hug that had her gasping for breath.

"Please say I can call you mom,"he whispered.

Tears blurred her vision as she hugged himback. "I would be honored."

*****

Once he realized that he was well and trulycaught by her, he did not want to wait for the wedding. In a completeturnaround, he was the one who pressed for the wedding to be as soonas possible.

"June." He was firm on that andthere was no budging him. Zuri was in complete agreement, but hismother protested that it was too short a time to plan a ceremony.

He looked at Zuri. "Do you want a bigsplash?" Hers was the only opinion that mattered to him.

"No."

"Good. Then June it is." He hadcaught her against him and without any self-consciousness at all, hekissed her with leashed passion that had her spinning.

With his mother, son and her brother in thespacious living area of the manor. He had also given her carteblanche to change the entire scene. The one thing they bucked headsabout was living together before the ceremony.

"It makes no sense me coming to yourplace every night just to be with you," he had tried to reasonin frustration. "It's inconvenient in more ways than one. Yourapartment is above a bar and your bed is small."

She had given him a look that spokevolumes. He was beginning to know her well and realized that once shedecided, she would not budge. "I want to set a good example forJason. And living together before the ceremony is telling him thatit's okay to shack up."

"He knows we're having sex!"

"I am not going to be swayed,"she told him firmly. And ended up melting his frustration anddistress by simply wrapping herself around him.

It still amazed him that just by existing,she managed to make his life full and worth living. He would never beable to thank her enough. His relationship with his son had improveddrastically and he no longer had the urge to stay away from themanor. Hespent every night withher, after making sure to go home and spend some time with his son.He was happy and could not believe it after being miserable for solong.

Now they were getting married and in theenchanting inn that was owned and operated by Zahra Whitlock. Brycehad persuaded him to have the ceremony there and Zuri had beendelighted at the idea.

They had also kept it out of the press.

The ceremony was simple and over in a fewminutes. Her dress was a Romano's original, a champagne-colored silkthat molded her slender curves like a lover's hand. She and Zahra hadbonded immediately, and the woman had gone all out for the ceremony.It was held outdoors under the very lovely gazebo that had been addeda few months ago and was perfect. Zahra had been thrilled to be herattendant along with Jazmine. Bryce was the usher and to hersurprise, Jack had asked Jason to be his best man.

The boy was so overwhelmed that he hadcried.

"No turning back now," Jackmurmured a few minutes later as they danced their first dance as acouple. "You're stuck with me."

Lifting her head, she allowed her eyes towander over his beloved face. He had discarded his tuxedo jacket andloosened his bow tie. His thick dark brown hair wastousledby the breeze that had sprung up during the exchange of vows. The dayhad turned out lovely, after raining two days ago. "I want to bestuck."

His eyes darkened as he gazed down at her,eyes smoldering. She had told him in the early hours of the morningthat their family was expanding. He never thought he wanted children,but now he wanted to fill the manor with them and vowed to her and tohimself to be there for her always. "I never got the opportunityto be there when Jason was born and was not interested. Now I want tobe involved in everything."

"I adore you," he told her now.Lifting a hand, he brushed back a lock of her hair that had artlesslyescaped from the tidy chignon that the stylist had arranged. "Youchanged my life." Emotions stormed inside him and left himbreathless as well as speechless. "Darling-" his voicepetered off as those emotions choked him.

"I know darling." Brushing herlips against his, she marveled at the tremors she felt when shepressed against him. "I love you more."

*****

Jack gazed at his two-day-old daughter indazed wonder. "She is so tiny," he whispered, nudging ather tightly closed fist with one finger.

"And she looks like you," Jasonsaid in wonder, lifting his head to glance at the proud and contentedmother, lounging on the mound of pillows. It was hard to believe shehad been in the hospital just a dayago, going through a twelve hour labor that had her husband mindlesswith worry.

The redecorated suite hosted her brotherand his new wife, Jazmine and Millicent. Her husband had gifted herwith a stunning ice blue diamond bracelet and matching earrings assoon as she delivered their daughter. The man seemed unable to helphimself. He had given her so much since they became a couple, and shehad simply given up and stopped arguing with him.

He had told her after their first big blowup when he had got rid of her entire wardrobe, with ones fromRomano's, that it was part of the way he was showing hisappreciation. So, she had stopped arguing.

As if he knew what was on her mind, helooked up from the adorable face of his daughter and stared at thewoman who had given him everything. For a moment, it was as if theywere the only people in the room.

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