Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3 (7 page)

Jen looked up at Zack and stroked his face, his eyes closing as she touched him. “I’m so happy right now. A part of me thought you would reject my proposal.”

Zack laughed and looked down at her, a child’s grin on his face. “How could I refuse a proposal like that?”

She smiled and shrugged. “You couldn’t, which I suppose was the point.”

Zack pulled her close to him and she relished in the sound of his heart beat and strong arms around her once again. She couldn’t believe how immensely happy she felt just being near him, knowing that he would be her husband. They had gone back to Aunt Gabby’s after sharing their good news with those at the Hansen farm. Aunt Gabby was elated, and insisted they take her truck and get a hotel, which they did. She inhaled deeply and sighed; this man was her future, a future she had never been more excited for. She snuggled closer, afraid to fall asleep and wake only to find this a dream.

“I came here this weekend to try and clear my head,” Zack said quietly.

Jen nodded. “I thought it was strange you weren’t at the hospital. But I’m glad you were here, it makes sense that we’d get back together in the town we met in.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through so much to find me.” He smiled at her.

“It was worth it. I would go anywhere to be with you.”

“What changed?” Zack asked, after a moment of silence. “You were so adamant about not needing to get married and not wanting a big family. What changed your mind?”

Jen hesitated, she wasn’t sure she even wanted to bring up the club or what transpired there. But she wanted him to know how she had come to the decision she’d made. “Remember my friend Bianca? Well, my dad called her and told her I needed a little pick-me-up. I guess he was worried I was going to bum off of him forever. So she convinced me to go to this club and we met a couple guys there.” She paused and looked up into Zack’s eyes, gauging his reaction.

“I’m listening, go ahead.”

She nodded and continued, “Bianca introduced me to this guy and it was like I was standing outside my body, watching the entire scene play out before me. I knew he’d ask me to dance, which he did. And I knew he’d ask to buy me a drink, which he did. It was all so unbelievably predictable. Eventually, he asked me to go home with him.” Jen felt Zack’s body stiffen and she gazed into his eyes.

“Did you go?” he asked slowly.

His mouth asked the question but Jen wasn’t sure he really wanted the answer. She was happy to ease his discomfort at the thought. “No.” She shook her head.

He relaxed a little. “I’m glad. I mean, I know we weren’t together but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have hurt.”

“I wasn’t even tempted. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was revolted by him, by all the men there. I couldn’t believe that that was how I used to spend my time. When I turned him down he became a little belligerent and asked why I was there, if not to hookup with someone.”

“And?” Zack pressed.

“And I couldn’t answer him. I didn’t want to be there any longer, so I left. And the next day I talked to my dad, which was a conversation I NEVER saw coming.”

“Really? What did he have to say? I’m sure he tried to stop you from coming after me.”

“Actually, he was the one that told me to go after you.”

Zack looked at her in surprise. “You’re kidding me?”

Jen shook her head. “I was as surprised as you are. He said some nice things about you but you aren’t supposed to know that he actually likes you.”

Zack chuckled. “Good to know. I’ll remember that when I call him tomorrow.”

“Why are you going to call him?”

Zack moved up on his elbow and kissed Jen on the forehead. “I have to ask permission to marry his daughter.”

“You don’t need to ask,” Jen began to protest.

Zack put a finger on her lips. “I most certainly do. It’s the right and gentlemanly thing to do and I aim to do things all proper like.”

Jen laughed at his attempt at a John Wayne accent. “If you insist.”

“I insist.” He kissed her softly.

“Hey, are you tired?” she asked sitting up.

“Not really. Are you?”

“Not at all. Let’s go somewhere.”

Zack sat up as well. “Where do you want to go?”

Jen’s eyes were wide with excitement. “I don’t know, anywhere! I just want to go somewhere.”

“Well it’s…” Zack glanced at the clock on the night stand. “It’s two o’clock in the morning. I’m not sure how many places we can go.”

“Oh come on, isn’t there somewhere you can take your wife to be? This is your hometown, don’t you know of any amazingly romantic spots we could go to?”

Zack thought for a moment then grinned widely. “I think I know the perfect spot.”

A short time later Zack stopped the truck at Helena’s Grove. The two of them got out and sat on the hood, a light blanket wrapped around them. It looked completely different in the light of the full moon and Jen marveled once again at its beauty. She felt at peace here, at this place, with this man – something she realized she’d taken for granted up until she didn’t have it anymore. The night sounds were alive as she and Zack talked and laughed under the stars. A slight breeze blew and Jen watched the grass as it swayed back and forth in the moonlight, the rustling of the leaves in the trees adding an eerie, yet beautiful and captivating sensation. She shivered as a tingle went through her and she pulled the blanket tighter. Despite being in the dark, away from civilization, she had never felt safer.

“Are you cold?” Zack asked when she pulled the blanket around her.

“No, just getting cozy.” She smiled at him, only able to discern half of his face in the moonlight. “Can we stay here forever?” she asked dreamily.

Zack laughed. “Yes, if that’s what you want.”

She smiled and put her hand on his face, leaned in and kissed him; a slow, mesmerizing kiss that she never wanted to end. When they finally parted Zack held her to him and the two of them sat there, on the hood of an old truck until the first light of morning began to pierce the darkness.

Soon the sounds of the night were replaced by the songs of morning birds in the trees. Jen inhaled deeply – after sleeping in for the last few weeks during her breakup breakdown, she’d forgotten how beautiful mornings were. Zack’s eyes were closed and she knew that he was tired, despite his claims of being otherwise. He’d stayed up for her. She kissed his cheek softly. “I love you Zack.”

His eyes fluttered open. “I wasn’t asleep.”

Jen smiled. “We should probably be getting back. You can get some sleep before we head out today.”

Zack rubbed his eyes. “I forgot to book the flights.”

“I did.”

“We’ll have to call a cab on a Sunday to get us to the airport.”

“Aunt Gabby said she’d take us.”

Zack looked at her. “Is there anything you don’t think of?” he asked teasingly.

“I just figured we’d want to get back to Boston as soon as possible. We need to get some things in order.”

“Like what?” Zack asked through a yawn.

“Well, I have to go beg and see if I can get my job back. And you have to see how much time off you can get from the hospital.”

“Time off for the wedding?” Zack asked.

Jen just nodded.

“Okay, when are you thinking? I’m alright with waiting a year to get married if that’s what you want. And I’m sure we could borrow some money from somewhere for the place in New York that you’ve always dreamed about.”

Jen shook her head. “I don’t want the venue in New York. I don’t want the big wedding or the huge guest list and I definitely don’t want to wait a year.”

Zack sat up. “You don’t want a big wedding?”

“No, I know I said I did but that’s just not important to me anymore.”

“Are you sure.”

“Very sure.”

“Okay, well what do you want now?”

Jen took a deep breath and looked around her; the first rays of sun were beginning to shine through the trees giving the grove an enchanted glow. “I want to get married here.” She looked at Zack and smiled at the surprise on his face.

“Here? As in, right here?” He gestured to the area surrounding the truck.

Jen laughed and grabbed his hand. They slid off the truck and walked through the grass, weaving in between the trees as Jen spoke. “Helena’s Grove is where we had that amazing date, where we first kissed, and where you proposed to me… even though I said no.”

“Oh yeah, that.” His eyes crinkled at the memory.

“I love it here and so do you. We could put some pretty white chairs over there.” She pointed and Zack followed her gaze as she painted the picture for him. “We could put an arch there and I could walk down that path. We could fit at least fifty people out here and then have a reception somewhere in town.”

Zack was nodding as she spoke. “I think it’s a great idea! I can’t wait to see you in an amazing white dress, walking toward me.” He kissed her forehead. “I get all excited just thinking about it.”

“And I want to get married this year.”

Zack’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “This year?”

Jen nodded.

“Honey, it’s already August. If you want to get married this year and have it be outside you’re talking September, first week of October at the latest before it gets too cold.”

“September sounds great!” She smiled at him.

“Seriously? September? Don’t get me wrong, I’ll marry you tomorrow but I just want you to have the wedding you want. After all, this is the only one you’re ever going to get.” Despite his concerns, Zack’s eyes were dancing.

Jen laughed and took his hands as they stopped between a couple trees. “I’m not worried about the wedding or the reception or the dress…” She paused. “Don’t get me wrong, I want a nice dress.” Zack chuckled and she continued, “My point is I don’t want our marriage to be about how big the wedding is or how many gifts we get or how many people show up. I want it to be about us and the things
we
love. And what better way to show that than to have it here, a place that means so much not only to us individually but also as a couple.”

Zack was smiling as she spoke. “I don’t think there could be a more perfect place to start our married lives together.”

“I’m glad you can see my side of things,” she said teasingly and wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the gesture, his fingers entwining at the small of her back. He kissed her softly, then deeper as his grip tightened around her. Jen pulled him close and stepped backward as he gently pushed her up against a tree. His hands moved to her face and his mouth explored hers passionately. He was breathing hard when he pulled back, and only inches from her face said, “Sometimes, I can’t believe that I could love a person as much as I love you. Or that someone like you could love someone like me.”

Jen rested her forehead to his. “Believe it,” she whispered, “because it’s real!”             

“Seven weeks? You’re getting married in seven weeks?” Aunt Gabby’s eyes were large. “That’s not very much time. At least not for nowadays, I remember when shotgun weddings were the thing. Cheap and quick; of course, most marriages ended as quickly as they’d begun.” She sat down with her cup of coffee and an English muffin.

“We don’t want to wait until spring and we want to have the ceremony out at Helena’s Grove, so the end of September looks like our date,” Zack said, smiling at Jen.

“I’m really happy for you kids,” Aunt Gabby commented, smiling broadly.

“Our plane leaves at 10:45 so we should probably get going. We’ve got a lot to work out before the big day,” Zack told Aunt Gabby. “We’re going to try and be here a couple days before the wedding so we can help set up and get things ready.”

“I’m sure Annie’s thrilled! She’s been really worried about the two of you,” Aunt Gabby told them.

Zack and Jen exchanged glances. “We haven’t told her yet. We thought we’d call her once we got back to Boston.”

“That is,
if
gossip doesn’t get to her first.” Zack gave Aunt Gabby a look.

She feigned a look of offense and put a hand on her chest. “I never spread gossip. You don’t have to worry about me saying anything to anyone.”

“Good.” Zack winked at her.

Jen stood. “We’d better go. We don’t want to miss our flight.”

They all piled in the truck and Zack drove as they made their way to the airport. Aunt Gabby chatted excitedly the entire time about the colors and the flowers and where Jen was getting her dress. She insisted that she be with Jen on that momentous occasion. “The dress is the second biggest decision in your wedding,” she told Jen matter-of-factly.

“What’s the biggest decision?” Jen giggled.

“Well, the decision to marry the groom of course,” Aunt Gabby stated like it was the most obvious thing.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.” Jen squeezed Zack’s hand and he glanced at her, his dimple showing prominently as he smiled.

“You let me know when you get the appointment and I’ll fly up to meet you,” Aunt Gabby went on. “And I insist on buying the dress.”

Jen’s mouth hung open. “No! Aunt Gabby, you don’t have to do that.”

“Oh stop it child. I have to have something to spend my money on. What better thing than my favorite niece’s wedding dress?”

“You might have to fight Daddy for that privilege,” Jen observed.

“Nope, he can foot the bill on the wedding itself if he feels so inclined. The dress is my department, I want it and he won’t dare fight me for it.”

Jen shook her head as she laughed. “You and Daddy have the funniest relationship.”

Aunt Gabby shrugged. “It’s just because I’m the only person left in this world that will tell him the way the bear craps in the woods. And he won’t talk back because he knows I’ll flip him in the mouth the same way I did when he was a naughty little boy.”

Zack and Jen chuckled as Aunt Gabby chatted away. Jen knew it was no use arguing about the dress. She’d made up her mind and Jen was reminded of just how stubborn her aunt could be. Once at the airport they said their goodbyes, promising to keep in touch with all the details. An hour later the two of them were on the plane headed for Boston. Zack was asleep only minutes after take-off, his head leaning back against the chair, mouth open slightly. Jen smiled as she watched him; feeling like the luckiest girl alive. Eventually, his head slid over until it was resting on her shoulder. She was glad he was getting some rest. The next few weeks were going to be insane, Jen knew that much.

Her mind whirled around the events of the summer. There had been so many changes in her life in the past year it still surprised her to think about it. She had thought moving to Ohio for the summer was a big decision. Then getting in a relationship with Zack had been even bigger, followed by her decision to quit working for her father and move to Boston to live with Zack. It seemed like one big event after another – and it wasn’t slowing down! Now she was engaged; she would soon be Mrs. Zack LaFaye. Her entire life she’d thought that she would keep her maiden name when and if she ever got married. Plenty of women did that, especially if they were in the working field. But now that the time had come, she found herself excited to take Zack’s name – excited to be his Mrs. She smiled at the thought and looked down at her fiancé sleeping soundly on her shoulder. She kissed his hair and rested her head against his for the remainder of the flight.

By the time they landed, grabbed their luggage and caught a ride to their apartment, they were both exhausted. Jen couldn’t remember a time she’d done so much traveling in such a short period.

Zack pulled out the keys and unlocked the door to their apartment. They shuffled in and stopped in their tracks – the apartment was a mess! Jen’s mouth hung open as her eyes darted from the garbage on the floor to the beer bottles overflowing from the trash can to the half naked man asleep on their couch. She looked at Zack for an explanation but judging by the look on his face, he was every bit as surprised as she was. He walked swiftly to the couch.

“Jeremy!” he shouted.

Jeremy jumped and twisted as he fell off the couch onto the floor but then quickly got on his feet. “Dude you’re back!” he exclaimed.

Zack nodded. “I’m back. What the hell did you do to my apartment?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” Jeremy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t know for sure when you’d be back. I had some friends over last night and I didn’t get around to cleaning up. Sorry bro.” It was only then that Jeremy acknowledged or noticed Jen. “Hey, you’re back too? That’s great! Did you guys work stuff out then?”

Jen tiptoed around the garbage on the floor and stood next to Zack. “Yes we’re back, we’re back together and we’re back in our apartment so…” She let the implication hang in the air although Jeremy didn’t seem to take the hint.

Jen suddenly smiled and turned to Zack. “You know what babe, I’m going to go unpack and take a shower. I’ll let you deal with this.” She carried her luggage to the bedroom, hoping the party had been limited to the living room and kitchen. She opened the door slowly and found it clean and tidy except for a few of Zack’s clothes draped over the bed. She exhaled a sigh of relief and began unpacking as Zack let Jeremy know he would have to move out.

Twenty minutes later Zack entered the bedroom and plopped on the bed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it would be so hazardous to have him stay here,” Zack moaned.

“Is he gone?” Jen asked, pulling her pajamas from the drawer.

“Yes. He’s really a nice guy. And I didn’t think it’d be a big deal to have him stay here a few days but… I guess I was wrong.”

“I’m glad you helped him out when he needed it.” Jen patted his knee. “But I’m also glad that we have the apartment to ourselves once more.”

Zack nodded in agreement. “So am I. To be honest the only reason I told him he could stay here in the first place was because it was so weird for me to come home to an empty apartment. It just felt strange.”

Jen smiled at him.

“Not that he’s anywhere near as fun to come home to as you.” He winked at her and she giggled.

“I’m glad to hear that. It would be a sad day if I had to fight Jeremy for your attention.”

Zack stood and pulled her up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her. “I know the next couple years won’t be easy for us – with the internship and you working, it’s going to be difficult to get the time we need. But I promise you right now that I’ll do whatever I can to make time for us.”

“Does that mean you won’t study when we go to dinner or lunch or breakfast?”

Zack exhaled. “I’ll do my very best not to.”

“And you won’t talk about diseases or broken bones when we’re eating?”

He smiled. “I’ll try not to.”

“And you’ll love me, and kiss me every morning and every night?”

“Absolutely.” He kissed her. “I’m just sorry our first night home we had to be welcomed by such a mess.”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s the good thing about a small apartment – it’s easier to clean up.” She grabbed a towel and headed for the shower.

“True,” Zack replied as he began to put away his own luggage. “The last couple days have been pretty crazy, haven’t they?”

“Oh honey.” Jen leaned out the door. “The crazy is only getting started. The next seven weeks will most likely be the craziest of your life!”