What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love) (50 page)

             
“
Well,
ladies, what do you think? Should we let your mom in on our little secret?”

             
Lily was the first to respond. “
Actually,
there are
two,
so you should have said
secrets. That’s
with an s for more th
a
n one.”
Normally,
I would have reprimanded her for speaking to an adult like
that
, but I was too preoccupied
by the fact that
they were all in on a secret together.

             
“Sorry,
secrets
with an s. Should we tell her?” Alex looked at the girls.

             
“Can I tell her the one you told me at the zoo?”
Josie said and
Alex smiled at her.

             
“I would love for you to tell her.”

             
Josie looked so pleased. “Alex is moving
here.
He
bought a house and we each get our own room. He said we could decorate it however we want.” I was shocked. My eyes were huge and I looked at Alex. The zoo was over a month
ago.
He
had bought a house that long ago and didn’t tell me. He could tell by the look in my eyes how surprised I was.

             
“Actually, you are basically standing in my front
yard
.” Alex
stood up and
looked up at the bluff
that sits
above the beach
. He
pointed to the white Victorian house above us.

             
“You bought the Anderson house? I thought it was bought by some corporation out of New York for corporate retreats.” I had
a
hint of question and shock in my voice.

             
“
It was bought by my corporation, and not so much for retreats, but I am putting in a studio in the basement and allowing my label to record
there
if I choose to allow
the artist
.”
I ga
ve him a look of question. “Abby, I own the label.” I still
didn’t
think everything was sinking in and processing. I still couldn’t believe Alex did this over a month ago, before we even said out loud that we loved each other. I didn’t understand why.

             
“What about the second secret.” Jasmine was tugging on Alex’s shorts.

             
“Yes, you can tell her.”

             
I looked down at
Jasmine and was eager to hear what she had to say. “Alex wants to be your number one,
because
he loves you.”

             
Lily quickly chimed in, “
Mommy,
what is your number
one?
I don’t get it.” I looked at Alex with wide eyes.

             
I was shocked, but
I
finally spoke, “Who told you?” I didn’t know if I should be mad yet or not.

             
“You did. You told me the night you called me after you were out with Lexi. You told me what your number one was on the list. You told me that your number one was to find a man who would love you for you and not make you change for
him;
that
you refused to change again for
anyone.
That
person would be your true love
that
you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. Abby, I want to be that person. No, I am that person. Let me spend the rest of my life with you.”  Tears were streaming down my face.

             
“Why didn’t you tell
me
that
I told
you?
” I was shocked.

             
“I was hoping you would tell me again at some point, but sober.” He smiled when he said it.

             
“So, do you like the surprises?” Lily was looking up at me.

             
Dropping to my
knees,
I
grabbed
the girls for a big hug. “I love
them,
” I
said,
while looking up at
Alex,
who
was smiling
down on me. I kissed each of the girls on the top of the head and sent them to finish the sandcastle. I climbed back up to my feet. “You bought the house over a month ago?”

             
“Actually, I bought the house after I flew in the first time to see you. I saw it from Bruce’s
plane, fell in love with it,
and had to have it. Plus, I knew I would be living here and we would need a large
r
house to live in with the girls.”

             
“We? You are pretty sure of
yourself,
buying a house after knowing me for a few weeks and thinking we would end up together.” I
kept
my voice even
-
toned and flat.

             
“Well, to be honest, I actually knew we would end up together the first night I laid eyes on you. I just needed you to realize it.” He had a warm smile on his face that melted my tough acting exterior. “Are you going to kiss me or do I need to throw you in the water?”

             
“I don’t think your California body could take the Michigan water. You aren’t tough skinned enough.”

             
Alex smirked at me, “Is
that
a challenge?” He
reached
out for me, but I took off running and screaming towards the girls. I held Lily out in
front of me to
protect
me.

             
“The kids can’t save you.” He reached
out, grabbed all of us in his arms,
and marched us to the water. Once he
entered,
he let out a loud hiss.

             
“See, I told
you.
I think I need to toughen you up. It
might
be a good thing you moved
here
.” Alex let us all drop, but the water was only to our knees. I
didn’t
think he could take any
more of the water. The girls and I sat in the water and Alex stood above us.

             
“You’re right, this is cold.”

             
I asked Alex to help me up, but once his arm was
extended,
I had the girls help me pull him down. Alex was a good sport and went
along
with
it,
because we obviously were not strong enough to
have actually pulled
him in.

             
We decided to call it a day sooner
than
planned. Alex told us he would meet us at the house in an hour with pizza. I was actually upset when he left to head back to his place. I finally had him here with
me. He
was leaving, but I knew this was a short
separation,
unlike the others. Alex was now living here and I could see him whenever I wanted. Well, when I wasn’t at work.

             
I got the girls home and showered. I dressed them in shorts and a t-shirt and set them up by the
TV
so I could get showered. I took my time and washed up. There had been no need to shave or keep up on things while I was separated
from Alex.
I was in full buffing mode. When I finally emerged and made it
downstairs,
Alex was in the kitchen and the girls were helping him set up the patio table for dinner. I stopped and leaned against the arch
watching them. Alex was so good with the girls and the girls were acting
as if
he
had
been apart of us forever. Alex was the first to see
me,
and he smiled and mouthed
I love you
to me.

             
I no longer felt
frightened at
exposing the girls to Alex or admitting to myself how much I loved him. I left the
arch,
walked over to
him,
hugged his waist and told him I loved him out loud so
even the
girls could hear. He leaned in and kissed me.

             
Lily only responded by letting me know how hungry she
was,
and that Alex and I were slowing down the dinner process. I reminded myself to talk to her later about her tone and attitude, but right
now,
I didn’t care. I was with my three girls and the man that I loved.

             
When we finally got the girls to bed, Alex and I sat out on the deck and I
took
him a beer. I turned to sit next to him when he grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap. “I could do this every
night,
” Alex
said,
kissing me on the neck. I realized how much I wanted to do this every night. I took a pull from my beer bottle.

             
“When did you start drinking beer?” I didn’t turn to look at Alex’s face, but I could feel the puzzled statement in his voice.

             
“Well, I figured I don’t want to wait
until
I die to cross everything off my
list,
so I thought I better suck it up and learn to drink beer.” I turned and looked at him this time.

             
Alex took a drink of his and made a face. “This is not beer, this is like lemonade beer.”

             
I started to
laugh.
“It classifies, at least in my book.”

             
Alex rea
ched over and set his beer down. “Not in mine, but I’ll allow it so we can get everything off the list now.”

             
“There are still technically t
hree
things left on the list.” I looked at
Alex,
knowing that even though he told me he was my number
one, it
didn’t technically cross it off.

             
“Well, I
asked
you to allow me to be your number one, but I guess I’ll just have to put it this way. Abrianna Sullivan O’Hare
Porter,
will
you
marry me and will
you
be my wife in eleven months, actually ten sounds better.
By the way,
I had a writing room added to the house so you have a place to write your book.
”

             
“
Geez
, could you be any more romantic?” I set my beer down and
wrapped
my arms around his neck.

             
“If that is what you
wanted,
why
you didn’t
say
it?
A
little communication never hurt anyone.” He
moved in
and kissed my nose. Alex started to sing
Hey there
Delilah.
He
did more th
a
n change my name, he practically re-wrote a few parts. I was giggling like a high school girl. He made sure to sing loud and obnoxiously when he got to the chorus, the part of What you do to me.

             
When Alex was
done,
he said, “You have no clue what you do to
me,
Abby. I can’t have a life that doesn’t involve you or the girls.”

             
I
put my hands on the side of his face
and kissed him, “Ten months it is then.” Alex quickly scooped me up and carried me inside. “
Sorry,
Romeo, but the girls are in there
sleeping,
so you’ll have to deal with necking on the couch.”

             
“I’ll take whatever I can get. I love you and always will, I promise.”

I knew in my heart
that
he did and that he always would.

Will there be a Happily Ever After for Alex and Abby?

             
With ten months until the weddin
g,
Abby and Alex
were
learning to navigate their new relationship. Abby
was
learning to open up and allow Alex to help and be a part of her life with the girls. Alex
was
adjusting well to small town life and the
roll
of a
stepfather
.