Wish Come True (The Blogger Diaries Trilogy Book 3) (19 page)

It’s 8:00 p.m. when we arrive at my parents’ house that evening. I called Mom to tell her to keep Josalyn awake as long as she could, because I was going to swing by and grab her so we could spend the night at Jason’s hotel.
 

We load up the portable crib and everything she’ll need the next day as far as clothes and baby food go, and I pack myself an overnight bag this time too. I have no doubt she’ll fall asleep on the drive.
 

When we get to the hotel and open up my back door, sure enough, she’s snoozing away in her car seat. I unhook her from her straps and she doesn’t even stir as I lay her head on my shoulder while Jason grabs the bags and the Pack 'n Play out of my trunk.
 

We set it up near the bathroom, behind the wall, so if she wakes up she won’t be able to see if any hanky-panky is going on. She stays completely oblivious to the world as I lay her inside and cover her up with her baby blanket.
 

My hair is in a windblown knot on top of my head, and I feel sticky from our day at the beach and the five hours in the car, so I give Jason a wicked look as I take hold of the bottom of my hoodie and lift it over my head then prance into the bathroom to turn on the shower. He takes the hint and follows me inside, and I ask him to leave the door cracked a little so we can hear if Josalyn wakes up as he goes to push it shut.
 

Josalyn may be almost a year old, but this whole sex thing as a mother is still brand spanking new to me. I’ve yet to have to sneak around my kid’s back to get some action. She stayed with Mom the few times Jason and I went out in Texas, and then again last night. So this is a new experience. It feels both weird and exhilarating at the same time, like the excitement of being caught, but also feeling a little ashamed of doing the dirty with my daughter so close by. But here in the bathroom, at least there’s a mostly-closed door between us, and she is asleep. Shower sex it is!

The next morning, we go to Krispy Kremes for breakfast down the road, but then hang out in the hotel together. Jason cuddles up with Josalyn on the bed and shows her YouTube music videos, and I can’t help taking pictures of their adorable interactions. It’s a very relaxed day of just lying around and spending quality time together, and it feels wonderful, like everything in the world is as it should be.

The following day is much the same, only we spend it at my house, going on a paddleboat ride, taking a stroll on the trail through the woods, and of course, I had to introduce him to Smithfield’s Barbecue. We had the same argument again, over what barbecue really is, my side being ‘pulled pork with vinegar sauce’ and his side being ‘beef with red sauce’, but after his first taste of North Carolina style barbeque, there was no more arguing. He thought it was ‘Good… damn good.’ My face hurt from grinning at my triumph.

The next day would be our last together, which was going to be cut short since he was going to leave that night, so Josalyn spent the night at home with Mom so I could have Jason to myself. We spent the evening making love, and slept for a good portion the following day, and before I was ready, it was time to tell him goodbye.
 

This time was a little harder, since I didn’t know exactly when I’d get to see him next. It had been hard enough getting these past few days off from work, so I didn’t know when it’d be wise to try again. But with one final kiss and a hug I didn’t want to end, he got into his car and headed back to Texas.

I cried the whole way home.

Kayla’s Chick Rant & Book Blog

December 12, 2008

 
I’ve pretty much kept up with all my book reviews for you ladies, but I’ve neglected the ‘Chick Rant’ portion of my blog. Probably because there really hasn’t been anything to rant about. The last several months have been a blur, between multiple visits with Jason, alternating between him coming to see me, and Josalyn and me flying to Texas to stay with him. If anything, I should change the name to ‘Rave’, because it’s been nothing but good things happening. Let me catch y’all up.

April:

I decided to quit my job to focus fully on my degree and Josalyn. With the upcoming visits with Jason, there was no way my boss would’ve been okay with me taking a week off basically once a month, so I went ahead and threw caution to the wind, quitting after saving every penny of my last few paychecks so I’d have a nice cushion.
 

Josalyn’s first birthday party was a blast. I took lots of pictures of her digging into her birthday cake, which ended up everywhere, mostly in her hair—of course. I got her a blow-up castle, and Aiden bought the colorful plastic ball-pit balls to go in it. It was the first time he’d come to visit her since Christmas.

May:

Josalyn and I flew to Texas and stayed with Jason this time. We timed the trip so we could attend Buffy’s baby shower, both women and men attending, which I thought was super fun! They had games for everyone, including which man could chug beer fastest from a baby bottle. They didn’t realize how slow liquid comes out through the nipples, so it was hilarious watching the grown men suck as hard as they could to get the alcohol out.

We went on an awesome little day trip to Galveston one day, and took Josalyn to Moody Gardens. Jason’s parents came along with us, and we had a great time exploring the three pyramids, showing her the penguins in the Aquarium Pyramid, and walking through the Rainforest Pyramid. The last one held the IMAX theater, where we watched a cool 3D movie about ocean life. Josalyn wouldn’t keep the 3D glasses on, but she was still really well behaved for the forty-five-minute show.

June:

This was an exciting month! Jason flew to Fayetteville this time, and Mom watched Josalyn for two days while we went up to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit Busch Gardens. Usually, when I go to the giant amusement park, it’s a day trip there and back home, so I never realized how impressive the city itself is. We went to a winery and got souvenir glasses at our wine tasting, and ended up buying a couple of bottles we really enjoyed. Jason loved the dry red ones, while I preferred the sweet ones.

When we got back to Fayetteville, I took him to my favorite tattoo shop, The Chop Shop in Hope Mills, where I’ve gotten all of my tattoos to date, because I don’t trust anyone else. Jason shocked me, asking me if I wanted to get a tattoo with him, and we ended up getting kanjis. He got the one meaning Yin in the middle of his back between the tribal wings he has outlined, and I got the one for Yang on the inside of my left wrist above my Celtic trinity knot. We loved the meaning behind the symbols, Jason making me melt when he explained he felt I was the Yang to his Yin, the light to his dark, his opposite who completed and balanced him.
 

At first, I was a little nervous to get a matching tattoo with him, because I’ve always heard it’s bad luck. But after learning the full meaning of Yang, it fit me personally, so I’m not worried about it.
 

The next day, we grabbed Tooty and went on an overnight trip to Myrtle Beach. (I know, I know! But it’s soooo much fun down there!) I cannot even describe how awesome it was. When we first arrived, Jason pulled the new floaty we got her out of the box and blew it up, and I snapped the cutest pictures of her pudgy little self, sitting on the bed watching him as the yellow plastic expanded, her face mesmerized, like he was working pure magic.
 

The hotel we stayed at was awesome. It had an indoor waterpark, with a lazy river we floated in for a couple hours, a few kiddy slides Jason took her down, and even I had a great time in the water! Well… the pool, that is. I still didn’t go into the ocean. But let me tell you, seeing Jason’s tattooed sexy-ass body in his bright white swim trunks, holding my daughter in just her little swim diaper and a shitload of sunscreen as he introduced her to the ocean for the first time—OVARY EXPLOSION. If he could make babies, I would definitely give him one.
 

He had a late-night flight home that same evening, so when we got back to Fayetteville a couple hours later, we only had time for a short paddleboat ride around my lake before it was time to take him to the airport. It was much harder to say goodbye to him after each visit, since every minute spent with him I was growing more and more attached and in love with him.
 

End of June/ July:

This was quite a trip for us, because Josalyn and I ended up staying for two weeks! So much happened, all of it amazing. First, Buffy had my niece, which they named Abigail (they really love those A-names!) and we got to meet and snuggle her the day of my nephew Alex’s birthday party. The baby had to stay in the hospital for a few extra days because she was severely jaundiced, but finally came home healthy and absolutely beautiful.

Also, we went to Beaumont for the 4
^th
of July to spend the day with Jason’s dad’s side of the family. We had a huge barbecue, played in the pool (Jason even took Tooty down the waterslide!) and set off tons of fireworks. His—ridiculously good-looking—cousin Chad, a male nurse (something Jason gave him hell about throughout the entire day) made me both nervous and laugh hysterically. He was intimidating with his quick wit and sharp tongue, but then softened the teasing with drool-worthy smiles and a “I’m just playin’, honey” said in his Texas drawl. Apparently the only girl Jason had brought around them before was the infamous ‘awful girl’ his mom had mentioned back in January, and everyone openly agreed they liked me way better. The comments made me happy, at the same time curious and jealous. He still hadn’t told me anything about her. Though I finally found out her name was Lainey.
 

August:

August was extremely busy for the both of us, getting started with our fall semesters. I didn’t get to see Jason this month, but oh, holy hell! If I wasn’t head over heels in love with this man already, then this would have sealed the deal.
Acheron
, the fourteenth book in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series, which I’ve been reading since the very first book
Fantasy Lover
was a new release, came out at the beginning of the month. Exciting in itself, I know. BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

I saw she would be doing a book tour, and one of the stops would be in Houston. I freaked out and told Jason about it, and without me even asking, he volunteered to go get me a signed copy!
 

He called me while he was there, at the Barnes and Noble store on the north side, at Deerbrook Mall, where we’d gone to see the movie when we saw each other the first time in over two years. Imagine my tall, dark, and handsome Texan badass boyfriend in a sea of housewives and goth-dressed teenage girls waiting in line to get their hands on the hardback Goliath of a book. I could feel his discomfort through the phone, but being the wonderful man he is, he asked me if there was anything I wanted him to tell or ask the author when he got up to her. I told him to ask her if Nick Gautier, one of my favorite characters, would be getting his own book. Turns out, Nick would be getting his own series!
 

Instead of worrying about my beloved book getting lost or damaged in the mail, I asked Jason to just keep it safe for me until the next time I saw him.

September:

We didn’t see each other until the next month, when Josalyn and I made the trip to Texas. I take all online classes, but Jason goes to the actual school every day, and I didn’t want him to miss class when he’s been doing so well in his courses. So the next few trips were up to me to go to Texas. And what a trip this one was!
 

My big brother Jay, sister-in-law Renee, my oldest niece, fourteen-year-old Brooke, and three-year-old nephew Bret had moved to Texas a few months prior, so we picked Brooke up and took her to Galveston for a day at Schlitterbahn, a massive waterpark. Being petrified of waterslides, my ass was happy just hanging out in the kiddy area with Josalyn while Jason and Brooke went on the biggest and scariest slides. Brooke is normally pretty shy around new people, but she warmed up to Jason quickly, and even ended the day giving him an adorably nervous hug.
 

After the beautiful day in Galveston, you would never have guessed that Hurricane Ike would soon turn the rest of the visit into quite the adventure. Jason’s parents evacuated to San Antonio, but the three of us decided to go to Kingwood and weather the storm with Jay and his family. I will never forget when the hurricane finally hit at two in the morning, and my crazy-ass brother got out on his balcony in his tighty-whities, yelling “WE HAVE DEBRIS!” the infamous line from
Twister
, as limbs landed on the floor of the patio. I was both terrified and laughing my ass off, shouting for him to get his ass back inside. He finally came in, telling us, “Those are hundred mile-an-hour winds for sure!” while I covered my eyes at his state of undress. The idiot. I love him.

The power went out, but we had plenty of light, thanks to Renee’s obsession with candles, and we actually slept pretty soundly for the world to be seemingly ending outside. When we awoke the next morning, sure enough, it looked like we had been through the Apocalypse. Josalyn stayed with Renee, while Jason and I headed to Friendswood to assess the damage to his parents’ house. It was surreal making our way south. The normal forty-five-minute drive took us three hours. The roads in Kingwood alone were a disaster, seeing how their motto is “The Livable Forest”. Every square inch of free space in the suburb is filled with trees… except for the huge ones that had fallen across the main roads, forcing us to double back and find other avenues of getting out. When we finally hit the highways, it truly looked like the set of an end-of-the-world movie. The freeways, even the ones high up in the air, were flooded, causing us to take backroads and other routes, instead of our normal straight shot down 59 and 45. As we passed Downtown Houston, I got chills at the eerie sight of hundreds of windows blown out of the majestic skyscrapers.