Trouble Me: A Rosewood Novel (49 page)

“I’ll think about all that later. Right now I have something far more important to do.” Without warning, Jade slid off his lap to kneel before him, her hands positioned
lightly on his thighs. Looking up, she caught his wide grin and gave him a mock scowl.

“Officer Cooper, you have a one-track mind. This is me at my most serious.”

“Sweetheart, I take you on your knees before me very seriously.” But he dutifully schooled his features into one of grave expectancy.

“Okay. Here goes,” she said, adding, “Jeez, this is kind of nerve-racking. I don’t know how you men do it. Rob Cooper, I love you. Will you marry me?”

His face went momentarily blank with astonishment. Then, with a loud burst of joyful laughter, he drew her up by the elbows and kissed her hard.

“Jade, honey,” he said, laughter still threading his voice, “that was supposed to be my line. I’ve been rehearsing my proposal, trying to get it just right.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I needed to be the one to ask. You’ve already proved how important I am to you, even after I was stupid enough to try to push you away. I want you to know how committed I am to you, how very much I love you, Rob. And, by the way, you still haven’t given me an answer.”

His every word was punctuated with a kiss. “I would be honored to marry you, Miss Radcliffe. Anytime. Anywhere.”

With lips that tingled deliciously, she smiled widely and looped her arms about his neck. “You, sir, have made me the happiest of women. But, Rob, I do need some time before we take that step—do you mind waiting a bit before we marry? You and Hayley are so important to me. I want to be a really good mother to her. I don’t want to confuse her by rushing things before she’s ready to accept me in her life.”

“You’ll be fantastic with her. You already are. But we can take as long as you need.”

She’d never believed a heart could soar, yet hers did as
she kissed him with all the joy she’d ever felt. In response, he laid her down on the sofa, following until their bodies were in perfect alignment.

Her body fell under the magic spell of Rob’s touch, his hands seemingly everywhere at once as he stroked and caressed her. Arching and quivering beneath him, nearly mindless with pleasure, she floated ever higher.

His voice was a husky growl in her ear. “Jade, honey? You’re ringing.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Ringing? Well, perhaps, she thought hazily. Though her body felt more like it was singing for him.

He nipped her earlobe. “Don’t you want to answer your cell? It might be Ted Guerra.”

She blinked while his words slowly registered. “Oh!” She really was ringing—and from an area very close to Rob’s fingers. Hurriedly, she dug her cellphone out of her jeans’ front pocket and pressed the
CONNECT
button.

“Hello?” She hoped whoever was on the other end would assume her breathlessness was caused by a mad dash to her phone rather than the fact that Rob had again lifted her to settle her across the muscled length of his thighs. Or that his hands were splayed along her abdomen, his fingertips idly tracing the curves of her breasts.

“Jade, it’s Ted. I have some very good news. I’m pleased to report that the board has decided that you are too valuable a teacher to dismiss over the issue of your college writings. I had been anticipating vigorous opposition from a certain quarter, but, interestingly, it never materialized. The vote was unanimous. You have your job back, effective immediately.”

“I’m so happy to hear that.” She met Rob’s gaze and grinned.

“I am too,” Ted replied. “As I said before, you’re a fine teacher and doing an excellent job. As a matter of fact, if you’re interested in teaching next semester, I
may be able to offer you another substitute position, but one with the potential to become a full-time job. Carole Fletcher, one of the third-grade teachers, has just notified me that her husband’s company is relocating him. They’ll be moving to Texas in December. Do you think you’d be interested in taking over her class? I think it would be a perfect fit, considering that was the grade you student-taught last year.”

“I—I—” Dazed by the offer, Jade could hardly form a sentence. “Yes! Yes, very much. Thank you, Ted.”

“I do have one piece of bad news for you, however. I received a call from Christy Harrison. She and her husband have decided that Eugene would be happier in a private-school setting. He won’t be returning.”

“Oh.” She was silent, coming to terms with her sense of loss. “I’m sorry. He’s such a bright boy, and the other kids learned a lot from his questions and comments. Do you think it would be appropriate for me to write Eugene a note, saying how much the class will miss him?”

“I can’t see why not. Come by the office tomorrow and we’ll give you some school stationery so that everything will be official and by the book.”

“Okay.”

Saying that he’d see her tomorrow, Ted rang off.

Rob was beaming with pride. “So, you got your job back.”

“Yeah, and I may get hired to substitute-teach next semester for Carole Fletcher, a third-grade teacher. She’s moving from the area.” For fear of jinxing her chances, she didn’t add that Ted had mentioned the job might become a permanent one.

Rob dropped a kiss on her nose. “Congratulations, sweetheart. Not everyone gets a job offer on the day they thought they were going to get sacked.”

“Pretty cool, huh? Of course, none of this would have happened if not for you and my sisters.” Her tone
grew more serious. “Did you hear what Ted said about Eugene?”

“That his parents are putting him in another school? Yeah. It’s too bad. He’s a nice little boy. But, Jade, maybe it’s for the best. Christy would have continued to cause problems for you.”

She nodded. “Probably. Rob, I have to warn you, this most likely won’t be the last time I get into trouble. I seem to have a penchant for it.”

“Sweetheart, I’ve known you were trouble for quite a while. What I realize now is that you’re exactly the right kind of trouble. I love you,” he whispered. “Trouble me for the rest of our days.”

She smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

Nineteen months later

“L
OOK WHAT
Aunt Ellie, Emma, and I have brought,” Miriam said, entering Jade’s old bedroom in the big house where Jordan and Margot were tending to Jade. With all due pomp and circumstance, Miriam balanced a tray laden with crystal flutes. Ellie followed with a magnum of very fine champagne, compliments of Margot’s agent, Damien Barnes. Emma, Jade’s soon-to-be (as in less than forty minutes away) sister-in-law, carried an equally delicious offering: a small mountain of glistening plump strawberries and a cut-glass bowl filled with whipped cream.

And because this was Jade’s big day, she thought with the happiness that seemed to be a constant in her life now, Margot would have let Ellie add an extra spoonful of sugar to the cream.

So much had changed in her life; her sweet tooth remained.

“Your timing’s perfect,” Jordan said. “Palin and Kristin finished Jade’s hair and makeup. We have a few minutes before she needs to put on her dress—”

“Quick, Emma, give the girl her strawberries before she gets anywhere near that wedding dress,” Ellie advised.

“Ellie, you don’t think I’d dribble strawberry juice on my wedding dress, do you?” Jade asked, grinning.

“Uh-huh.” Ellie nodded.

“Oh, ye of little faith. Me staining my clothes is so last decade,” she teased. “I’m a new woman now. Still …” With a surreptitious wink at Emma, who’d brought the tray over, she daintily plucked a strawberry, dunked it carefully in the bowl of whipped cream, and with a flourish promptly inserted the entirety into her mouth, as the other women burst out laughing.

Miriam popped the champagne cork, and glasses were quickly filled. Margot carried Jade’s to her; she sat on an upholstered bench in front of a vanity that Owen and Travis had carried in from Jordan’s former bedroom so Kristin and Palin could work their magic.

Laying a hand on Jade’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze, Margot cleared her throat. “Ladies, I’d like to propose a toast before the ones that will follow the much-anticipated event downstairs. Let’s raise our glasses to our beloved Jade. You’re an amazing sister, friend, and teacher. Thank you for being in my life, and thank you for everything you’ve added to it. Because of you, we have new people to love and call family: Rob, Hayley, Emma, and all the Coopers. Because of you, I have a new personal trainer, who regularly kicks my butt and has me in the best shape of my life. Because of you, I can go to sleep at night knowing that we have Warburg’s finest providing on-site protection against any and all bad guys. Because of you, we have a growing riding program that’s producing some very fine young riders—with Hayley leading the pack. Today marks the next chapter in the wonderful story of you and your hunky RoboCop. We can’t wait to see what comes next. Here’s to you, kiddo.”

Jade wasn’t the only one who sniffed loudly. As she stood to embrace Margot, she said shakily, “You know Kristin will have a conniption fit if I smear this makeup. So no more speeches until Stuart’s pronounced the blessed words and I’ve made an honest man of Rob.”

“There’s no time, anyway,” Jordan said. “We have to get you into your finery so that Palin and Kristin can do their touch-ups and the girls can have their sneak peek. And Charlie will want to take a few photos of us together, and I need to run down and make sure Owen and Scott have got things under control seating the guests …”

Putting down her untouched champagne glass, Jade crossed the room to kiss her oldest sister. “Jordan, take a deep breath. There,” she said, when her sister complied. “Now, have I told you that I’m pretty sure this will be the most beautiful wedding ever? So relax and finish your champagne, and, Miriam, be ready to pour Jordan another glass. But two is the max for all of you. Tipsy bridesmaids only work in movies.”

“Jade, you astonish me,” Jordan said. “Aren’t you just a little nervous?”

“Nope. Too happy. Now, shall we see if the dress still fits after last night’s dinner?” She smiled, thinking that if the wedding date was a month later, she might have had real reason to worry. Only able to confirm her suspicions last week, she didn’t want anyone to guess before she surprised Rob with the news that one of their spontaneous bouts of aquatic lovemaking had produced an unanticipated but wondrous result.

She couldn’t wait to see his expression when she told him tonight that a little bundle of trouble—joyous trouble—was on the way.

The bedroom had grown more crowded, with the addition of Palin and Kristin spritzing and daubing and glossing and Charlie Ayer aiming his Nikon, the camera’s shutter whirring away. “Jade, really, think it over. Ditch that guy at the altar and run away with me.”

“I’m tempted, Charlie. But now that I’m a reformed citizen, I tend to worry about things like bigamy. And I
can’t imagine Anika would be too happy about sharing you either. Shall we ask her, ’cause I think I hear the pounding of flower girls’ feet.” Anika, Margot’s former roommate and Charlie’s wife of three years, had volunteered to keep all four girls entertained and their dusky-pink dresses and ivory sashes stain and wrinkle free.

Charlie lowered his camera to shoot Jade a wounded look. “You Radcliffe women have a cruel streak.” Then the door opened and his exotically beautiful and adored wife walked in, followed by four of the cutest-looking flower girls she’d ever seen. Anika and Rob’s mom, Megan, had already attached their headpieces, composed of miniature pink roses and baby’s breath, and the effect was angelic. Charlie must have been of the same opinion, because his face split in a wide grin. “But I forgive you, because you’ve also provided me with some of the finest material ever. Smile, girls.” And the motor of his camera resumed its whirring.

The girls’ smiles were sweet to behold, but it was Hayley’s expression that pierced Jade’s heart. She looked awed, as if she couldn’t believe it was Jade inside that dress.

“You look like a princess,” she whispered breathlessly. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you. I hope your dad thinks so too. Do you like the dress? It was my mom’s.”

“I want to wear my mom’s dress when I get married too.”

Jade took her hand and squeezed it. “I think that’s a lovely idea. I know your dad would agree. We’ll remind you when the big day comes. But, right now, are you ready to lead the way and perform your duties as head flower girl?”

“Yeah. I’m going to be watching Daddy’s face the whole time. He’s going to be so happy.”

“No happier than me, kiddo. I’m really glad we’re going to be a family.”

Hayley nodded, but then a rare shyness stole over her, and she gazed up at Jade through a veil of thick brown lashes. “After the wedding, once we’re all living here at Rosewood in the house Kate and Olivia’s daddy built for us, will it be okay if I call you Mom?”

Pristine dress be damned. Jade dropped to her knees and hugged Hayley fiercely. “Absolutely. I’d love nothing more, Hayley.”

With the flower girls leading, the descent down the sweeping circular staircase was fairly orderly, though perhaps Georgiana’s decision to hop down the steps wasn’t exactly in the flower-girl handbook. Since Jade’s only guideline on this day was to share her and Rob’s happiness with the people they loved, Georgie could not only hop down the stairs but then do cartwheels the entire length of the double parlor where the wedding ceremony would be held.