Straight To You: A Novella (Taking Chances Series Book 1) (8 page)

How could she refuse those adoring blue eyes looking at her? “Okay. I’ll need to check with Zoe about getting time off, but it should be fine.”

“Thank you. It’s going to be a great trip. I can’t wait to create new memories with you in Boston.”

New memories sounded wonderful to Ashlynn. After today’s meal, she was ready to focus on the future instead of the past.

NINE

“Are you sure it isn’t a bit soon to be doing this?” The hesitation in Ben’s voice echoed in Ashlynn’s ears. He stood in the doorway to her bedroom and watched her place neatly folded sweaters into a black suitcase.

“Ben, I’m visiting his family, not eloping.” Ashlynn smirked as she saw his eyes widen in horror.

“Hey, don’t get any ideas into your head. No eloping now, you hear me?” Ben crossed his arms, assuming the stance of a bouncer, though a much less threatening one. “Mom and Dad would not have been okay with that.”

“I’m totally kidding.” Her hazel eyes grew round in exasperation. “Why are you suddenly so worried? I thought Jeremy was on your good side already.”

“I can tell he’s grown up some and I’m sure glad he’s not the cocky teenager he used to be. But he’s still a guy, Ash. I know my own kind. The brain is not the
only
organ we think with.”

“What?” It then dawned on her what he was referring to. “Yes, Ben, I’m well aware of how some guys think.”

Ben rubbed his jaw. He had never seen his sister this way before, so happy and confident about a man. She acted as if Jeremy could do no wrong. “It’s just that you’ll be across the country with him for a whole week. All that time alone …”

“We’ll hardly be alone. His whole family will be over. And we’ll be staying in separate rooms at his sister’s place.”

“Just be sure to lock your door at night so you don’t get any unexpected visitors.”

Ashlynn rolled her eyes. “Ben, I’m a big girl. You need to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

“I trust you, but I don’t know if I trust Jeremy’s hormones.” He lowered his voice to convey the seriousness of his next words. “He’s not pushing you to do stuff you don’t want to, is he?”

“No, of course not. No sex, no funny business that might lead to sex … not until marriage.”

“So you
have
talked about getting married?”

“I meant that in general terms. Calm down, big brother. You worry more than Mama and Daddy ever did!” A wistful look crossed her face. Talking about the future always reminded her of what she would be missing with her parents gone. “Sometimes I still can’t believe they’re gone. There’s so much I wish I could talk to Mama about. I think she would have been happy to hear about Jeremy and me. She knew I had a crush on him even before I told her.”

“Well, those cheeks of yours have always been like a window into how you feel. So what did Mom think of Jeremy?”

“She said he was cute, but too old for me of course. Daddy was the one who told me it’s important to look at a guy’s heart and not get caught up in his smile.”

“Dad always had wise advice.”

“Yeah, he did. And the best hugs, too.” Ashlynn sat on her bed with a sigh. She felt her eyes begin to well up. “Ben, without Daddy here, I’ll need someone …”

“What is it?”

“Will you walk me down the aisle? I mean, when the time comes?”

He walked over and gently squeezed her shoulder. He knew life had dealt them a bad hand of cards, but they had always had each other to lean on. He would do anything for his sister. His expression softened when he looked into her downcast eyes. “Hey, of course I will. It would be my honor to give you away.”

A hint of a smile appeared on her lips. “You know what that means, right? You’ll need to hand me over to my future husband.” She suddenly had an image of Ben holding tightly onto her arm and refusing to let go of her at the alter. “We might need Mel to pry you away from me.”

“Very funny.” Ben breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t have to worry about this scenario just yet. “Anyway, we have plenty of time to work out the details.”

“Thanks, Ben.” Ashlynn gave him a quick hug. “You are the best brother I could ask for, you know that? I don’t know if I ever told you how much I appreciate you, especially with all the stuff I put you through before.”

“It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean to be a brat on purpose,” he said with a lopsided smile. “There was so much for both of us to adjust to when Mom and Dad died. You were so young. I had just gotten used to living on my own. Both of us had to grow up fast. But we did all right, all things considered. God’s seen us through every step of the way.”

“Yeah, He has. I’m so thankful there are so many more good days than bad now. So many more.”

They looked up as the doorbell rang. Ben gestured to Ashlynn’s suitcase as he walked out of the room. “You go ahead and finish up. I’ll get the door.”

Ben walked downstairs and opened the front door to let Jeremy in. “So, your flight’s at midnight?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, we thought it’d be better to take the red eye and get to Boston in the morning. That way we don’t waste any time flying.”

Ben seemed to be deep in thought as he ran a hand through his dark brown hair. He cleared his throat and gestured for Jeremy to take a seat. He crossed his arms and his face turned serious. “While we have a few minutes alone, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?” He sat down opposite from Ben on the couch.

“You and Ashlynn have been going out for a while now. Six months, right?” In this short amount of time he could tell Ashlynn was falling hard for Jeremy, and this knowledge worried him. He knew his own species well. Was Jeremy worth Ashlynn’s trust? Would he disappoint her or worse, hurt her? Ben squared his shoulders and looked Jeremy in the eyes. “I want to know what your plans are. Where do you see your relationship heading?”

Jeremy understood the role Ben was playing as the concerned and protective older brother. Since Ashlynn’s parents weren’t around anymore, he was left with the job of watching out for his sister. That included questioning the boyfriend about his intentions. He knew what to say to put Ben’s mind at ease. “I’m completely committed to Ashlynn. She’s honestly the biggest blessing to come into my life. The more I get to know her, the more I value her. I plan to see our relationship through to the end, as long as she will have me. But know that I would never do anything without asking for your blessing first. When the time comes, Ben, you’ll be the first to know.”

Ben’s face relaxed into a smile. “Good man. I’ll be waiting.” He reached his hand out to shake Jeremy’s. “By the way, I didn’t mean to be so stern. I figured you were serious about Ashlynn. Statistics show that most couples who do break up do it around three to five months. Numbers don’t lie.” Ben winked playfully as he took in Jeremy’s serious demeanor. “You know I’m just watching out for my baby sister.”

Jeremy chuckled. He hadn’t been the least bit intimidated by Ben, but out of respect for him, he had played along. “I understand. I know how special Ashlynn is. She deserves the best.”

They turned as Ashlynn entered the room. She wore jeans and a pale pink sweater, and a headband held back her blonde curls. She had caught their handshake as she descended the stairs. “What are you guys up to? Striking a secret deal?”

“Just guy stuff.” Ben ruffled Ashlynn’s hair and smiled. “Have a good trip and text me when you guys land.”

“Will do.” Jeremy called out as they walked out the door.

- - -

The drive to the San Francisco airport took about an hour. During the ride, Ashlynn took control of the radio, turning the dial to find the songs she liked.

“Are you playing
Name That Tune
?” Jeremy looked at her with amusement. “You barely hear one phrase of a song and you change the station.”

“It’s just so hard to find positive songs these days. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to hear about heartbreak all the time. Life is hard enough as it is.”

“What’s with all the gloom and doom? Something on your mind?”

“Sorry. It’s just that the holidays always remind me of my parents. Their anniversary is in two weeks, which is when the accident happened.”

He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry. Are you okay with this trip? I wish I had known earlier-”

“I’ll be fine, Jeremy. I think going to Boston will help take my mind off of the sad things. Really. I’d rather be spending Christmas with you than sitting at home with Ben and Mel. A girl can only play so many games of Scrabble, you know.” She suddenly leaned forward in her seat as the rhythmic twang of guitar strings flowed out of the speakers. “Oh! I love this song.” She turned the volume up.

“Ah, finally. Which one is this?”

“
God Bless the Broken Road
. It’s the country version by Rascal Flatts. It was my mom’s favorite. She and my dad used to dance to it when she cooked dinner. He would come in to the kitchen, put the CD on and she would take off her apron as soon as she heard the first notes. He would then swirl her around the kitchen island where I was doing my homework.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I can almost smell soup cooking on the stove. Hmm, the sweetness of carrots mixed in with some tangy pepper and fresh parsley. My mom’s chicken noodle soup was the best.”

“Sounds like a wonderful memory.”

“It’s one of my favorite memories of them,” she said as she leaned her head on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Listen to the lyrics. They’re really beautiful.”

He listened to the singer describe how a string of broken relationships had led him to the woman he loved. All the heartaches he had experienced along the way were part of a grander plan. God had blessed his journey and brought him straight to his love. As he listened closely, he felt as if he was hearing his own story in the song. “I never paid attention to the words before, but they’re so true, so heartfelt. I understand why your mom liked it so much.”

They sat in silence as the melody drew to a close. Ashlynn reached over and turned the radio off.

“No more music?” Jeremy asked in surprise.

“Not now. I’m just going to soak in the warm fuzzies from that song,” she replied with a soft sigh.

Jeremy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and breathed in her sweet floral scent. He wasn’t one to get emotional, but he could feel a lump growing in his throat. Part of him couldn’t believe God had brought such a wonderful woman to him. A decade ago, he would not have imagined his life to be as good as it was today. He didn’t deserve to be with Ashlynn, that was certain. Anyone who knew his past would see that she was getting the raw end of the deal. But God was proving over and over again that His grace was the ultimate trump card, more powerful than any negotiation tool.

Soon after, they arrived at the airport and parked. Jeremy reached out for Ashlynn’s hand as she reached for the door handle. He drew her close and pressed his mouth to hers in a deep, long kiss, one laced with tenderness and brimming with gratitude.

When they finally pulled apart, Ashlynn was out of breath. “What was that for?”

“I just want you to know how much I appreciate you,” he replied with a crooked smile. “You know in my line of work, I’m always trying to get the most value and the best terms out of every contract I handle. I don’t settle for anything less. I use every tactic I know to get what I want, and I usually get it. But with you I feel like I’ve gotten the best deal ever, more successful than any I’ve ever negotiated, yet I don’t know what I did to win. I don’t bring anything good to the bargaining table, but you’re still willing to take a chance on me.”

“Jeremy, that’s not true.” Ashlynn shook her head adamantly. “Having you back in my life has been wonderful. I think I’ve laughed more these past few months than I have the past decade. Being with you really makes me happy.”

Her words brought a feeling of contentment to his heart. “I guess we can only thank God for all of this.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a sweet smile.

“Hey, come here,” he said as he pulled her in for another kiss. “Now that one was to make up for earlier. We didn’t get a chance to say a proper hello when I picked you up. Not with big brother watching.”

“Ha ha. You never know, Ben might have followed us here.” She looked furtively over her shoulder.

He feigned a look of fear. “Nice try.”

“Oh, you should have heard him earlier. I think he’s under the impression we’re a couple of teenagers who try to make out every chance we get. He didn’t make you sign an oath to stay ten feet away from me this week, did he?”

“No,” Jeremy replied with a grin, “only five. I hope you assured him he has nothing to worry about. We don’t make out
all
the time, just most of the time.”

“Jeremy!”

“I’m kidding, though you know I wouldn’t mind if we did.”

“What am I going to do with you?” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Come on, we don’t want to miss our flight. And we better get going before someone starts noticing all our windows are fogged up!”

TEN

“It’s so nice to have an extra pair of hands. Thank you, Ashlynn.” Jeremy’s sister took the empty dishes and silverware from her and placed them in the sink. She eyed her husband warily as he attempted to extract a brownie from the refrigerator. “I saw that.”

Chris grinned and licked some chocolate frosting off his lips. “Brain food.” He walked up to Jillian and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, babe. Off to work I go.” He waved to Ashlynn and left the kitchen.

Jillian chuckled, her blue eyes sparkling in amusement. “He’s got a sweet tooth, my hubby. He’s working on a new book and apparently chocolate is his muse.”

Ashlynn laughed. “I totally understand. Chocolate inspires me, too.”

Sounds of giggling met their ears. Ashlynn peered into the living room where Jeremy sat on the couch reading to his twin nieces. The two girls sat on his lap, listening intently to his high-pitched impression of an elf. She turned to Jillian and smiled. “He’s so good with the girls. They really like him, too.”

“They’re crazy about him. And they about drove
me
crazy when they woke up extra early today because they knew Uncle Jeremy was arriving. I can’t believe they’ve been fighting all day over who gets to sit with him first. I hope you don’t mind sharing Jeremy for the week.”