Forever Layla: A Time Travel Romance (13 page)

Layla smiled at me. “Toes are completely toasty.”

I let out a long breath and felt my shoulders loosen up again. “Good, because I have a surprise for you back home.” The words came out and I liked saying them.
Home
. Our home together. Well, it would be soon.

“What is it?”

“You’ll see…”

We pulled up
, and I jumped out and ran around the truck to let her out. We walked into the house, and the scent of the savory meat filled the air.

“Yum, you picked up takeout?”

“No, I cooked dinner for us.”

She turned to face me. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I didn’t either, but I thought it was time to learn.”

She made her way to the kitchen and opened the oven. “It smells wonderful. What is it?”

“A spiced pork roast.” I grabbed a couple of oven mitts and shooed her out of the way as I pulled it out of the oven and placed it on the stove. “I’ve washed all the plates, cups, and silverware in the house and even set the table in the dining room.”

She walked out of the kitchen door and into the small dining area. “Awww, you even lit candles.”

I grabbed a large carving knife and fork and started slicing the roast as I’d seen my mother and grandmother do. I had found a nice platter in the back of one cabinet and started placing the sliced meat on it.

I heard the click clack of Layla’s heels as she came up behind me. “What did you make to go with it?”

I turned around to face her. “To go with it?”

“Yeah, like what sides?”

I put the utensils down. “I was so excited about making the roast, I forgot all about sides.”

Layla came up beside me and planted a kiss on my cheek. “That’s
okay. We can just open up a can of beans or peas. No big deal.”

“I think I saw some beans in jars on the screened in back porch, right beside the washer and dryer.”

“The washer and dryer are outside?”

“Yeah, guess when these old houses were built, there was no such thing as a laundry room.”

Layla made her way down the hall and out the backdoor then back to the kitchen. “Where are the pots?”

I pointed
, and she grabbed one and opened the jar and dumped beans into the pot. The whole thing was new, us cooking together and making a home, but it felt right. Michael would find the whole domestic thing just plain boring, but I liked it and the thoughts of any old boring everyday thing, as long as it included Layla, seemed exciting. I couldn’t wait to share all my days, the rest of our lives, together.

Chapter 12

Layla

I
GOT TO WORK EARLY the next day. After starting the coffee and sorting through the faxes, I started opening the mail from the day before. Once everything was in stacks for either my desk or Drake’s, the coffee was finished. By the time he walked in, his coffee waited on his desk, along with his stack of correspondences. I took a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk with my memo pad ready.

“How was the picture taking?”

Drake pulled off his sports coat and draped it over his chair before sitting. “The man’s a slum lord and thinks he’s King Midas. He left Watson’s because when they did a drive-by inspection—they saw some things that needed repairing to continue qualifying for insurance with them. He didn’t want to spend the money on changing them, so he brought all his business here. Now I have to call him and tell him the same blasted thing Watson’s told him. I probably wasted all afternoon yesterday since he will shop around and find some agent who will let him get by with it for the business.”

“I had a feeling it would be something like that. Oh
, well.” I sat up in my chair and bit my lip for a second, trying to think about how to bring it up.

“Just say it.”

I glanced up from my notepad. “What?”

“You’ve obviously got something on your mind. Just say it. Unless you are leaving. If that’s what you are going to say, just keep it to yourself because I won’t let you go.”

I tilted my head to the side. “I’m not going anywhere. The next agent might call the cops when I take his wallet and car and become a squatter in his office.”

“True. So if you aren’t leaving, then what is it?”

I held out my hand displaying the diamond. “I’m getting married. I need to take an extended lunch or leave early or whatever to go apply for the license.”

“Wow, you kids are moving fast.”

“Well, life moves fast. It’s over before you know it.” I tried to make it sound like a joke. I hoped it came off that way since I shrugged and smirked at him when I said it.

“Are you just getting married at the court house?”

“Probably. Nothing big or fancy. Just legal.”

“Don’t you want to make it special?”

“To me, it’s special because of the person I’m marrying and the promise we’re making. Not the expensive dress or reception.”

“With that attitude, it might just work out for you two. Still, you should make it special. Why don’t you do it at my house on the lake
? I’m a notary so I can make it legal. The yard is nice. We could do it Saturday evening and grill out after. Nothing fancy like you said. Invite your family.”

“I don’t have any family
, and I’d hate to put you to all that trouble. We’ll just do it at the courthouse. No big deal.”

“David…he’s got a family well established here in Chesnee. If you leave them out, that’s not going to sit well for your future relationship with them. Especially if you embarrass them by not even inviting them to their only son’s wedding.”

“I guess I hadn’t thought about that. Are you sure? I still don’t want anything big.”

“We can grill burgers and hotdogs after
, and you two can Jet-ski away in your dress and suit if you want.”

I stood and smiled. “Sounds perfect. Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Layla. You showed up here at just the right time for me.”

“I didn’t do anything. Just made myself at home.” I started out the door to my desk in the front when his words made me stop.

“I’m glad you did because this is exactly where you belong.”

A warmth filled my chest and extended from it to my fingertips. My cheeks became warm as I thought about all he had said. I belonged here with David, but not just with him. I belonged here at this time, with this circle of people. I could see that I had a place and a purpose for the path I had in front of me. My being sent to Myrtle Beach that night was no mistake. I didn’t like it when I felt too many things at once, so I just nodded to Drake and turned and walked to my desk and got busy with my day.

*

DAVID CALLED ME ABOUT LUNCH, and I told him a lie that I was too busy and that Drake was letting me off early to go get it, so he should meet me around four. The truth was I’d made that plan because I had something to do with my lunch hour. I stepped into the dentistry office and walked up to the reception desk. A woman in her early fifties with a tight short perm sat at the desk.

“Can I help you?”

“I need to see Dr. Foster, please.”

“Is this for an appointment?”

“No…I…” I swallowed and tried to think of what to say. “Just tell him his son’s fiancé is here.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide. “I’ll let him know.” She spun around and I heard her whisper, “That woman says she’s David’s fiancé.” A younger woman came and peeked through the reception window and then ducked back away from it.

Dr. Foster soon came out to the waiting area. “Layla, that’s your name, right?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He motioned me through the doorway, and I followed him down the hall to his office where he again motioned for me to enter before he followed me and shut the door behind him.

“I understand you and David are engaged. The ladies up front were surprised to hear it
, but my good friend Harris who owns the jewelry store already told me. Told me he rented his mom’s house to you guys to help out. I didn’t quite appreciate him helping my son throw his life away on some easy piece.”

I held back the sting of his words and tried not to let the pain show. “That’s why I’ve come. We are getting married this Saturday… at Drake Duke’s lake house. I wanted to invite you and your wife and daughter. You may not like this decision
, but he is your son, and he’s getting married.”

“And why isn’t David here inviting me?”

“Ummm…”

“Does he know you’re here?”

I shook my head.

“Then I’m not sure this invitation counts. Unless you came here alone for other reasons.”

“I think the invitation does count since I’m the bride, and I’m inviting you. What other motives do you suspect me of having? ”

“What is this about Miss…?”

“Parker. It’s about your son is getting married, and I don’t want to come between him and his family.”

“You should have thought of that before you made him choose.”

“I didn’t make him choose. That was your wife who gave him the ultimatum.”

“That’s not how she told it. Are you calling my wife a liar?”

I sighed and looked away before facing him. “No, I’m not. I think in a disagreement, people see things differently, that’s all. I don’t want David to lose his family over me. I don’t want him losing Christmas traditions and get-togethers over this. You may not agree with the choices he is making, but they are his choices to make, and he is still your son. If he gets married, and you and your wife miss it, you can’t change that. It will always be in your history. He will always remember.”

Dr. Foster
pushed away from his desk and pulled something out of the pencil drawer. “I wasn’t against David seeing you the way my wife was at first because, honestly, I just saw it as him sowing some wild oats. But I guess my wife saw you for what you really are.”

He placed a pad on the desk and grabbed a pen and started writing something. It wasn’t until he ripped out a rectangular piece of paper and pushed it across the desk at me that I realized it was a check.

“Is this enough to make you forget all about my son? Because if you are serious about not wanting to come between him and his family, I suggest you take that check, pack up, and go back to where you came from because this is the last chance you will ever have to see any of my family’s money. I will cut David off if you marry him. No tuition. No help when the money gets low. I can promise you that.”

I stood and ripped the check and threw it down on the desk. “I’m going to remind myself that you and your wife must truly be excellent people at heart
, or you wouldn’t have such a wonderful son. I’m sure you think you are protecting him, but you’re just pushing him away.”

“There won’t be another check like that offered.”

“Good, because I don’t want your money.”

“Harris may have made the mistake of letting our family’s good name in this town open a door for you, but that also won’t be the case in the future.”

I rolled my eyes at the man. “Oh, please! I was living in LA before I came here. You might be ‘all that’ in Chesnee, but out in the bigger cities next to plastic surgeons and big bankers
your age
, who asked me out all the time, you really are not all you and your wife seem to think you are. If it was money and status I was after, I wouldn’t be with an eighteen-year-old kid living in an old mill house in Chesnee.”

“You want me to believe this isn’t about money?”

“I can make my own money. I want your son in my life, and come Saturday, he will be my husband. Cut him off. Don’t come to the wedding. Those are your choices, but just like I said, you can’t undo those choices either. I just wanted my conscience clear about this when you want back in his life, and the door isn’t open any longer.”

I turned and yanked the door open b
efore storming down the hall, out the door, and onto the sidewalk. I took several steps until I made it to a small side street by the railroad and stepped around the corner. Then I leaned my head against the brick building and let the emotions flow. I’d tried to make peace. That was all I could do. All my life I’d longed for a family. David had one. One that cared for him, and I was taking him away from that. Maybe his parents were right. Maybe I should just take off.

No, I couldn’t. Ther
e were too many pieces that fit together showing me that David and I really did belong together. There were others to think of besides us. It was becoming clear to me that real love, the big magical kind, was always about more than just the two people who fall in love. Walking away would do more than just kill our future. I had to remember that.

I stepped out of the side street and headed back to Drake’s office, glancing only briefly at Dr. Foster’s office. If this was their choice, I would do all I could to be David’s family for as long as I could.

David

THE SCHOOL WAS BEING PRETTY loose with the attendance of the seniors, so Michael and I asked if we could go have lunch off campus. That thing he did with his eyes worked on all women, young or old. We got a complete pass for the rest of the day from the guidance secretary. I seriously needed to learn that thing.

Michael had me drop him off at his house so he could practice his guitar. I headed to my house. I circled mom and dad’s house a couple times to make sure no one was home. Mom was supposed to be at the Carolina Foothills Artisan Center where she volunteered as a patron of the arts. I didn’t see any lights on. The car could still be in the garage though. I finally parked and hit the button for the garage door. No car.

After pulling into the garage, I immediately shut the door and let myself into the house. I opened the cabinet door in the mud room and grabbed a couple of industrial size garbage bags before heading up the stairs three at a time until I got to my room. I threw the bags on the floor, bent down, and reached under my bed for my box of notebooks. I pulled the box out, grabbed it up and walked it down to my truck, first thing. I raced back up the stairs, grabbed one of the black plastic bags, ripped open a drawer, and raked a stack of clothes into a bag. I opened another drawer and did it again and again until the drawers were empty. I grabbed another bag and headed for my closet. There I grabbed clothes, hanger and all, off the racks and doubling them over in the bag. I ran down the stairs to get another bag for my shoes when the front door flew open. I turned to face my mother.

“What are you doing here?” I thought it was your day at the Artisan Center.”

“It is. You tripped the silent alarm.”

“You don’t normally set the alarm during the day.”

“I know. I…I wanted to know if you came by.” She had a solemn look on her face with traces of tears in her eyes.

I grabbed the bags and turned away. She wasn’t going to guilt me into changing my mind. I had what I’d come for a
nd had no further business. “I’m just getting my things.”

Mom grabbed my arm
, but I didn’t turn to face her. I clenched my jaw and struggled not to shove her away.

“Please let me go so I can get my things and
leave.”

“Why are you doing this? This isn’t how we raised you. You aren’t one of those kids who does random things like this. You think things through. You are the epitome of responsibility and always have been. Raising you has always been like parenting a little adult. I’m at a loss as to how to handle this with you. You’ve given me no practice in parenting a hormonal teenage boy.”

I turned to face her. “I’m not a kid chasing a skirt. I wish you could see that.”

“You left for the beach
, our responsible upstanding son. You came back with a girl you picked up at the beach, and it’s been nothing but sneaking around from you since. And now you want to marry her—a grown woman twice your age.”