Finding Peace (Finding Series Book 1) (40 page)

The fact that he introduced himself as my brother and not my step-brother is not lost on me. Nick has always been kind to me and he always tried to make me feel like I belonged there when I attempted to live with them before I moved in with Tessa.

“Nice to meet you too.” Blake says.

“Well, I’m out of here. As much as I’d love to stick around and see how this all plays out, I’ve got a hot date waiting on me. Good luck to both of you.”

“Thanks a lot brother.” I say as he walks to his car.

He just throws his hand up in the air and waves goodbye.

“It will be fine.” I say, turning back to Blake.

Surprisingly Blake doesn’t look too worried. We walk up to the door and I ring the doorbell. Dad opens the door. He looks older than I remember. There is more gray in his hair and his eyes look tired. Some things haven’t changed, though. He still has his military haircut and he still has large bulging biceps.

“Come in.” He says in a deep burly voice.

“Hi Daddy.”

He gives me a one arm hug, patting me on the back. My dad has not been the same since his split from my mom. He rarely shows any emotion. I suspect some of that is from years of being in the military, but it’s mostly from having his heart broken, although he is the one that left us.

“This is Blake McGinnis, my fiancé. Blake, this is my dad, Andrew Jameson.”

My dad just stares at Blake’s out stretched hand. I give him a look that says so help me if you don’t quit I will cause a scene and it won’t be pretty.

He finally reaches his hand out and nods to him saying. “Blake.”

“Honey, don’t make them stand in the doorway. Kayla bring Blake into the living room. I can’t wait to meet the man who has stolen your heart.” Anne calls from somewhere within the house.

Dad puts his arm out showing us the way to the living room, like I don’t know how to get there. Blake and I sit on the sofa together. We sit in silence as Daddy sits across from us in a chair just staring at us. Shocked by how calm Blake seems, I look at him in awe. He is just sitting there staring right back at my dad. I reach over and grab his hand squeezing it lightly.

He looks over at me and has the nerve to wink at me. I think I love him even more in that moment.

“It’s awfully quiet in here.” Anne says as she walks in with glasses and a pitcher of sweet tea. “Oh. My. Gosh! Look at the two of you. Stand up please, so I can see both of you.”

Taking a deep breath, I stand and Blake follows suit.

“Turn around Kayla.”

I turn and she gasps.

“You are gorgeous honey. That dress is to die for.”

“I think it needs some more material. Where’s the rest of it? You could at least put one of those wrap things on.” Daddy says in a fatherly tone.

“Don’t listen to your dad. You both look wonderful. Sit, sit. Y’all want some tea?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’d love some.” Blake says.

“Me too, please.”

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Blake and I both say,

“Aren’t you two just adorable? Now show me that ring I’ve heard about.”
I hold my hand out and she squeals.

“Andrew look at this rock on your daughter’s hand.”

“Anne, I really don’t care about that ring.”

Everyone gets quiet.

“I just wanted to let you meet Blake. We don’t have long before we need to leave. The limo is waiting for us.”

Dad ignores me.

“Blake, don’t you think this is all just a little too quick and that y’all are way too young?”

“Dad, we didn’t come here for this. I don’t need your permission.”

Blake reaches his hand over and places it on my knee.

“It’s okay sweetie. I’ve got this. Mr. Jameson, first and most importantly, I love your daughter. To answer your questions. It may seem fast to you, but to us it’s taking way too long. I asked her to move in with me because she is going to need a place to live after graduation. But she refused because she doesn’t want to live in sin. Your daughter is strong in her beliefs that your mother taught her. She was planning to move to Florida. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Dad interrupts him.

“So you’re saying you only asked my daughter to marry you because she wouldn’t move in with you? That’s not why you ask someone to marry you.”

“Dad!” I shout.

“Sir, if you will let me finish I will explain, this was going to happen whether it happens now or ten years from now. I’m going to marry Kayla. She is my soul mate, my other half and a life without her, although I could live it, is not something I ever want to do. I want to build a life with her, house, kids, and even grandkids, I want it all. Regardless if we do it now or later doesn’t matter, but we have decided that we want to start our lives together now. Sir, I would think you would be proud of your daughter for not agreeing to just move in with me.”

“How do you plan to provide for her and where will you live?”

“Daddy, Blake builds houses and he is building our house right now and it’s going to be beautiful.”

I’m frustrated and I can feel my anger building. How dare he try to be a dad to me now after he hasn’t been in my life for years.

“You can’t blame me for being worried about you.”

I stand up in front of him. “Really! Where was your concern all those years that you just disappeared from my life?”

“That’s not fair Kayla.” Anne says softly.

“No, it’s fine. Let her talk.” Dad says.

“I don’t need to talk. I’m done. I’m marrying Blake and there’s nothing you can do about it. I don’t need nor do I care what your opinion is. Let's go Blake.”

Blake sits his glass on the table and stands up.

“It was nice to meet you.” Blake says to Anne and my dad.

I give him a have you lost your mind look. To even add to my shock, my dad stands and shakes his hand.

I turn to walk out of the house when my dad’s voice stops me.

“Your grandmother is sick and she wants to see you.”

My chest tightens and I freeze not wanting to hear what he has to say. I haven’t spoken to my grandmother in a while, but I have received word that her health was declining. However, she has been sick on and off for years.

Without turning around I ask, “What’s wrong with her?”

“The better question is what’s not wrong with her. She is going downhill fast.”

Trying to control what I’m feeling, I respond coldly and without emotion.

“Fine. I will go by and see her this week.”

My dad could be using this just to get to me for all I know.

“I’d like to go with you when you go.”

I spin around to look at him.

“No! I’m capable of going to see my grandmother alone.”

He looks down, shaking his head.

“That’s not a good idea. She is talking out of her head and saying things that don’t make any sense.”

“I can stay an extra night and go with her.” Blake adds.

“Blake, you have to work on Monday.”

I look at him confused.

“I can let them know I won’t be in. I’ll go with you. You shouldn’t go alone.”

“No! Absolutely not!” My dad shouts.

“She may be your mother, but she raised me too, and Blake can go with me if he wants to. There is no need for you to go.”

“Kayla, I’m going with you. Blake can go if you insist, but I will be there.”

“Whatever. I have a prom to get to.”

“You will let me know before you leave to go to Mom and Dad’s.”

It wasn’t a question it was a demand. He is ordering me the way he orders his men. I’m not one of his soldiers and I don’t have to listen to him. He lost my respect a long time ago. He hasn’t been a father to me in a very long time.

“I’ll let you know.” I say to appease him. Although I have no intention of doing that.

I don’t like to lie to him but if my grandmother is sick, I just want to see her without him hovering over me. My feelings toward him will taint my time with her. When I’m there I want it to only be about her not him.

With that Blake and I leave getting into the limo, we head back to the Coliseum, where we left Tessa and Asher over an hour ago.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Blake looks at me with worry in his eyes.

“No. I’m sure she is fine. This happens every so often, but she always pulls through, she will probably outlive all of us.”

I laugh because my grandmother is a tough lady and I can hear her fussing right now saying, ‘Nonsense. I’m fine’.

“I’m still going with you. I don’t want you to go alone. Something doesn’t feel right to me. Your dad was very adamant about him being there.”

“Of course you can come with me. My dad is just being my dad, an overbearing soldier.”

But my dad was acting very weird. That feeling I can’t shake just became a high alert signal with flashing caution lights.

“We just need to focus on us and having some fun for tonight. We will go see my grandmother after church tomorrow. That way you can stay or just go home after I see her.”

“Sounds good. Prom here we come.”

Laughing I snuggle in close to him.

“I love you Blake. I fall more in love with you every day.”

Feeling him sigh, he squeezes me tight.

“Baby, you have no idea how much I love you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All eyes were on us as we made our late entrance to the prom. Most were asking “Who is that, that Kayla Jameson is with?” I also heard some “Wow! He is gorgeous.” Yes he is and he is mine. Blake was as charming as ever. All the girls were in awe of him.

We have danced song after song together. Blake has sang in my ear along with every love song. Now he is holding me like I am precious to him and he is thankful to be here with me.

Feeling like a princess, I bask in his passion and care. As the night comes to a close, I hated that it was going to all come to an end. The D.J. calls for the last song of the night so Blake and I make our way to the dance floor.
Waiting For A Girl Like You
by Foreigner starts to play. He spins me around and then pulls me into his arms.

As the song starts, Blake sings softly into my ear and everyone else in the room magically disappears except the two of us.

“You’re so good, when we make love it’s understood. It’s more than a touch or a word we say. Only in dreams could it be this way. When you love someone. Yeah, really love someone.”

We sway back and forth across the floor. Letting him lead me as I rest my head on his chest with my eyes shut, feeling the vibrations in his chest as he sweetly sings the words to me.

“Now, I know it’s right. From the moment I wake up till deep in the night. There’s no where on earth I’d rather be, than holding you tenderly. I’ve been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life.”

Blake keeps running his hands up and down my spine and the skin to skin contact his tantalizing. It makes me want things that I am not supposed to want. Makes me long for things that we promised to wait on.

“Blake.” I whisper, not even thinking he can hear me.

“Yes, Baby.”

“I… I…” I’m so nervous, I can’t think of what I want to say. My body is trembling from all of the different emotions taking me over.

“Are you ready to leave?”

I swallow and answer breathlessly. “Yes.”

He stops and takes my hand, leading me to where Tessa and Asher are standing. Blake looks at Asher and some kind of unspoken message passes between them. Asher nods at Blake and he nods back. Tessa and I are lost as we watch their exchange.

“Y’all be careful. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Blake says to them.

“Y’all too.” Asher says back.

Tessa and I hug and she must see the confused look on my face.

“No curfew tonight, Kayla.” She whispers in my ear.

I swallow hard.
Is this what she meant by good luck with the no sex deal?

Blake wraps his arm around me and places a kiss on my shoulder. Every time he touches me it sends what feels like an electrical current through my body, but tonight it’s more than that. It’s more intense. It fills me with desire that I don’t want to put the brakes on any more. I lean into his touch as I feel my body melt. We have to get out of here now.

“The limo is waiting Kayla. Asher has made other arrangements for him and Tessa.”

Feeling a little embarrassed about what I’m going to say, but feeling an overwhelming need to say it.

“I’m not ready to go home Blake.” I look deep into his eyes and I know he sees what I’m trying to convey to him.

“I’m not taking you home, Kayla.”

The look of desire on his face is unmistakable. He isn’t smiling, no smirk, no teasing. His look is raw passion no doubt about it.