Page 39 of Coming Home

“Then I better check with the men of Game Night. See if they can come, as well. I’ll go by the Barton County clerk’s office this week and smooth the way for us. See when he or she has an opening next Monday. Then we can invite our family and friends.” He thought a moment. “I’d also like Gillian Roberts there. She’s as close to family as Willow and I have now.”

“I’d be happy to have Gillian there,” Ainsley said. She shook her head. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this so fast. My head is spinning.”

“If you think it’s too fast, I can put the brakes on, Ainsley,” Jackson said, sincerity shining in his eyes. “I don’t want to push you into something.”

“You’re not,” she assured him. “If anything, I’m the one doing the galloping.”

“We’ll gallop together. Right now, though, I think we need to go see if Clancy’s place appeals to us as a place to raise our kids.”

He stood, pulling her up with him. His arms went around her. “I’m on a natural high right now. I’m with the woman I love, and she loves me back. We’re going to get married. Married!” he shouted, causing a nearby flock of seagulls standing in the sand to scatter, taking flight.

“Let’s pack up and head over to Clancy’s place,” he said.

They gathered their trash and placed it in the backpack, shaking the sand from the blanket and folding it. Jackson took her hand, and Ainsley felt on top of the world, as if she were the heroine in some crazy romance novel. Well, she’d found her own, real-life hero in Jackson Martin.

“Ainsley Martin,” she said aloud as they began climbing the steps. “Just practicing.”

His eyes gleamed at her. “I like the sound of that.” Jackson lifted their joined hands and brush a kiss across her knuckles. “I like it a lot.”

They reached the top and returned to Boo’s, leaving the blanket in the laundry room and clearing the trash from the backpack. There were still cookies left, and Ainsley set the bag on the kitchen island, where they would be easily spotted, leaving a quick note telling Willow and Dylan to help themselves.

They drove into the Cove, passing where his law office would be on the square, and continuing the few blocks until they reached Clancy Nelson’s home. As Jackson got out of the car, it seemed mindboggling that he would be able to walk to work in less than ten minutes, compared to the tortuous commute he’d experienced in L.A.

He removed the keyring from his pocket which Clancy had given him as he and Ainsley started toward the house.

“I like that it’s a corner lot,” she said. “And I already had mentioned the beautiful maple trees in the yard. Have you been here before?”

“Several times over the years. Boo and Clancy were tight. Clancy and my grandfather were fishing buddies, and Clancy’s wife was a great cook. One thing I really liked about this house was the back yard. It’s large and level and would be great for our kids to run around.” He hesitated and then said, “I’ve mentioned kids without even asking if you want any.”

“Would it be a dealbreaker if I didn’t?” she asked, and his heart sank.

“I would be disappointed because I’ve always wanted a family of my own, but I could find other outlets. Coaching Little League. That kind of thing.”

“It wasn’t a test, Jackson, though it may have seemed like one,” Ainsley said. “I really want children. I always regretted being an only child, and I was blessed enough to have Rylie act as my sister.” She paused and then added, “I guess I wanted to see if you still wanted me without children in the picture.”

He reached for her, pulling her into his arms, giving her a reassuring kiss. “I’ll always want you, Ainsley. Even when your hair has turned white—or even fallen out. I am happy, though, that you do want to have children. I suppose we can negotiate how many down the line. For now, let’s go inside.”

They mounted the steps, and she looked at the large porch, thinking about sitting in the swing after dinner with Jackson and talking over their day.

He unlocked the door, and they went inside.

“Let’s walk through without making any comments,” he suggested. “Then we can discuss what we think of the house.”

“All right. I’m going to head upstairs and check it out first.”

Ainsley climbed the stairs and went through each room, noting its size and condition. The bathrooms definitely needed updates, but the paint seemed fairly fresh and the carpet, though slightly worn, had no stains.

She passed Jackson on the stairs as he went up and she went down. She explored the first level and then took a seat at the kitchen table to wait for him.

He turned up a few minutes later and joined her, asking, “What do you think?”

“For the most part, it seems to be in good condition. As my dad would have said, it has good bones. On the other hand, the kitchen appliances are ancient, and it’s way too small for my taste. All of the bathrooms are so out of date, I would be embarrassed for anyone to see them, much less use them. I do wonder what’s underneath this carpet, though.”

They began discussing the layout and what it might take to update it to their style. Then they went into the back yard, where Ainsley could see their future children playing and hosting friends for a barbeque. Returning to the house, they sat at the kitchen table again.

“Is this where you can see us?” Jackson asked, his face neutral. “I don’t mind putting the money into this place if you do, but I don’t want to spend too much, only to find you really didn’t like it.”

“I love it,” she said. “I love the size of the lot. The number of rooms. The location. It would need quite a bit of work, though, and that could get expensive. I suppose we should get Pete Pulaski over here so he could give us an estimate.”

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