Clearwater Romance (32 page)

She leaned back from him, just enough to allow look at him again. “What are you saying?”

In that moment he realized what he wanted. “Marry me. Let’s have the family we started eight months ago.”

Her eyes fluttered as if she was unable to focus seconds before she collapsed back against the couch.

“I propose and she passes out. What a mess this is turning out to be. Can I do nothing right?”

Jessi’s eyes fluttered open. Looking around the room, she tried to grasp what happened. Michael sat on the edge of the couch next to her, a cool rag pressed against her forehead. Last thing she remembered she was on the couch, then everything went black. “What happened?”

“You passed out.” He took the rag away, and leaned back just slightly. “Are you okay now?”

“Passed out? That’s never happened before. Should we call Doctor Bowmen?” Worries of danger to her daughters raced through her mind. She realized she thought of them as
her
daughters for the first time. Then everything rushed back.
He proposed.

“You’re fine, it was just the shock. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” She tried to sit up, but he pressed a hand to her shoulder. “I want you to stay there for a few minutes to make sure the shock has worn off.”

“I need a drink.” He brushed away the hair that clung to her face, before a straw came into view.

“When I got the rag I grabbed a bottle of water. Thankfully the straw was on the counter from takeout from the hospital a few nights ago,” he explained and bought it to her lips for her to take a drink.

Minutes passed as she ran through what he’d said, yet he the silence hang between them, as he sat beside her, her hand in his. “Michael, I don’t know about marriage, but I’ll stay. I’ll help you raise the girls at least until we can figure out something else.”

He leaned closer, his face hovered just above hers. “Thank you.” He pressed his lips to hers, the warmth of his mouth made her forget her worries for a moment. He used his tongue to gently slide her lips apart then explored her mouth, the spice of cinnamon drew her in.

She returned his kisses, eager for more of his tongue, when he pulled back. “I promise this isn’t a mistake. It might be unconventional and we might have been thrown together because of circumstances beyond our control but I think this was always had it was supposed to be and I’ll prove it to you with time.”

Reeling from his kiss, she watched him for a moment. “Why did you never make a move before?”

“James…he was always so protective of his little sister. Plus I was an intern. You deserved better than somebody under that kind of pressure—both physically and financially.” He cupped his hand along her cheek. “I planned to ask you out once my internship was over but you did the semester abroad and when you returned James mentioned you had a serious boyfriend. Then Peg came along. I always wondered how different things would have been if I wouldn’t have waited. Now we have the chance to explore it.”

“I know it might sound stupid, since we will have children together in a matter of weeks but it needs to be slow.”

“Anything you want, as long as you give us a chance. Not just for the sake of our girls but for us. We deserve it too.” He ran his thumb along her chin. “I’ve always loved you and finally I’ll have a chance to show you.”

She wasn’t sure what she was got herself into but he was right. She couldn’t just walk away from this opportunity. This might be Fate’s way of giving them both a chance to explore what could have started all those years ago, this time with twins in tow.

* * *

The following days passed in a blur, until Christmas only a week away. With Michael busy at the office and his hospital duties she was left to break in the new housekeeper, do the final preparations for the twins, as well as finals for the online class she taught. Jessi had planned everything in advance. After the holidays she would take a semester off giving her nearly eight months with the girls before she had to teach the fall semester.

Jessi sat behind the desk in Michael’s study where she had she had set up temporary quarters until they had time to refurnish Peg’s old office for her to use, when Cathy entered. “Ms. Macis, you have a phone call. A man name James.”

Cathy was an older woman, a little plump around the middle and she had let her hair turn gray adding a nice silvery white to her dark brown hair. With time she’d have that beautiful white grey that so many older women wanted if they let their hair remain natural. “Thank you, Cathy. James is my brother. Please, always put through his calls.” She tried to put down the ground rules now while Cathy was still new, later they’d be harder to instill. One she tried was for Cathy to call her Jessi instead of Ms. Macis but that was the only thing the woman refused saying it was respectful to call her employers Mr. and Ms. and Jessi had no comeback to that.

“Yes, Ms. Macis.” She left to get back to her duties and Jessi picked up the phone on Michael’s desk.

“James, once again a phone call in the middle of the day. What’s up?”

“Michael called.” He stated it as if she should know why.

She leaned back in the warm leather chair, waiting for James to say why he called. “I don’t follow.”

“Jessi Ann, don’t play with me. You’re staying in Clearwater with him. Dammit, you go up there a little more than a week ago and he’s proposed.” James didn’t seem angry, just disappointed she didn’t tell him sooner.

“I didn’t accept his proposal, yet.” It seemed stupid to defend only that part of his statement but that’s the part she got from it. She wasn’t sure why she added the
yet
, had she decided that she might accept it? Thankfully James didn’t call her on that.

“So, you are staying?”

“Yes. We both know he can’t do it alone, and the girls deserve better than we did. A nanny can’t replace a mother.” She loved her brother, but she really didn’t want to have to defend her actions—not to him, not to anyone.

“I just don’t want to see you hurt. I wish I would have never mentioned he was looking for a surrogate.”

“We both know Michael won’t hurt me on purpose. This might be the best thing that’s happened to us. Giving up the girls would have been harder than I realized. Now I don’t have to.” She ran her hand along her stomach, feeling feet kick beneath her hand. At least one of them, if not both, sure had a kick.

“It could make things harder later if you decide to fight him for custody. Maybe you should speak with a lawyer before you make any kind of commitment.”

“No matter what happens between us, I won’t take the girls from him. They deserve to have their father a part of their life. If things don’t work out with Michael, I’ll get my own place here in Clearwater and we’ll raise the girls together, even if in different houses. We’ll remain civil to each other for the sake of the children.” She’d do whatever had to be done to give the girls two parents.

“Sister, you have high expectations. I just hope it works out for you.” He was silent for a moment she thought they were disconnected. “Michael is a good man and you’re an even better woman, so if any two people can make it work it’s you too. I’ll miss having you around here. It will seem odd not seeing you a few times a week for lunch, dinner or just coffee.”

He had her there that was the one thing she’d missed. “Me too. When will you be here for Christmas?”

“I’m flying in Friday night. Michael is picking me up at the airport.”

“Five days before Christmas.” Shocked he was taking that much time off work, she leaned forward to look at the calendar. “That’s nearly two weeks. I don’t think you took more than a weekend off since you graduated medical school.”

“I’m about to be an uncle. I want to be there to see my little nieces when they’re born. Plus, if you’re moving, the least I can do is spend Christmas and New Years with you. You’ll be so busy with the twins, who knows when I’ll get to see you.” There was a touch of sadness in his voice. It wasn’t just she was moving away, it was they were both losing their best friends due to the miles that separated them.

“We’ll see each other regularly. I’ll come down and you’ll come up here. After all, the girls need their Uncle James in their lives just like two parents.” With another few minutes of small talk—she asked him to pick up a few needed things from her apartment—they ended the call.

Jessi sat and made a list. She had to figure out what she’d do with her furniture. Was it worth bringing it here to put into storage? None of her furniture would fit into the elegance of the house, so it was either storage, or get rid of it. If she got rid of it and things didn’t work out she’d have to start all over again. So many decisions to make.

* * *

Michael stepped into the house, not bothering to take off his coat. “Jes!” He hollered up the steps, hoping she wasn’t resting.

Cathy stepped out of the kitchen, her apron bore splotches of flour. “Mr. Johnson, is everything all right?”

“Nothing could be better. I just wanted Jes here before I bring in the surprise from outside.”

“She was working in your study. I’ll get her for you.” Cathy turned to go.

“No need. I’m here. What’s all this fuss about?” Jessi came down the hallway toward them. Without another word, Cathy left them.

“I have a surprise.” He stepped out the door and grabbed the Christmas tree he had leaned against the house only moments before. “I didn’t see the point to put one up before you arrived, but I want to now. I thought we could decorate it together.”

“Only if we have hot cocoa and listen to Christmas music.”

“Deal.” He lugged the tree into the family room. It was the first time he had a real Christmas tree since he was a child. It was also the first time he’d decorate a tree since he did it with James and Jessi when he was an intern. Peg never wanted a tree. She hated the mess they created...
How did I ever end up with such a woman? We were so different.
He pushed the thoughts away and focused on making this a Christmas both Jessi and he would remember always.

“I have decorations in the truck, as well as a tree stand.” He leaned the tree against the wall before he turned to go back out into the cold. “Ask Cathy to make some cocoa. I’ll get the Christmas music on when I get back.”

Bag after bag he carried in before finally he turned the stereo on with the jazz instrumental Christmas CD she bought him on the last Christmas they spent together in Denver. With the tree in the stand they took a moment to drink their cocoa while she separated the decorations he purchased.

“When did you find the time to get all this?” She set another string of Christmas lights into the pile that was already larger then they’d need for the tree.

“Confession…I bribed my office assistant Melissa. I told her what I wanted color-wise and she did the rest, thankfully, because I would have never known what all to get. Who’d think a tree would need a skirt?” He held up a red velvet one with white snowflakes decorating it.

“Everyone knows that. You need to hide the hideous tree stand until the gifts are put there.” She unfolded it and handed it to him. “Being as big as a whale, if I get down there I might never get back up, so it leaves you to put it around the base.”

“You’re beautiful.” He kissed her cheek then did as she had asked.

“I love that you find me beautiful even when it looks as though I’ve swallowed a beach ball.” She pressed her hands against the cushions of the couch for extra momentum to get up.

“You’ve always been beautiful to me, but now you have a glow around you like nothing I’ve ever seen. It makes your beauty radiate.”