Sweet Serendipity (32 page)

Tasha stood on the stairs and said, “The kids think the world of him. You are really lucky. Have the two of you talked about any plans for the future?”

Rebecca looked at her with a scrunched up face. “No. We’ve only just got to the part about letting the kids get used to him.”

Tasha burst out cackling.

“Done.” She turned to go back inside. “Maybe it’s time to take the next step.”

Adam hopped off the bike and was filled with pure happiness. “Thanks, Ethan, that rocked.”

“Any time, buddy.” He looked over at Rebecca and then back at Adam. “Hey, buddy, would you mind if I took your mom out for a ride?”

Adam smirked, “no problem. You guys probably want to go and kiss and stuff. I’ll just go hang out with Riley and Ashlee.”

Rebecca cleared her throat as she tried not to laugh. She grabbed a sweater from her car and put it on. Ethan helped her put a helmet on and she slid her leg over the bike and wrapped her arms around his back.

He started the motorcycle and they pulled out onto the road. Adam waved as they rode away. Ethan honked the horn and Rebecca waved back to Adam. He drove back roads through the center of town, and he passed by Emily’s store. She noticed that Emily’s lights were still on, so Ethan honked as he drove by. He finally pulled the motorcycle over to the side of the road and helped her off the bike. “Come walk with me.”

He laced his fingers through hers as they walked along the brick sidewalk. The cool September evening air felt like a much needed relief from the hot August heat. The smell of fall was in the air. It was her favorite time of year. She loved the colors and scents of the season.

Ethan abruptly stopped walking and pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked around and asked, “Why did we stop?”

He smiled with his sexy grin and asked, “You don’t know?”

She realized that they were standing in front of the tree in the middle of the center of town. Her cheeks blushed.

“Do you remember what I told you about this tree?” He asked her.

“Refresh my memory.” She responded, mischievously.

He got down on one knee and pulled out a little velvet box from his pocket. “I seem to remember it all began with a myth about if you are asked out on a date while under the tree….” He turned serious and looked deep into her eyes. “Rebecca Davis I fell for you from the first moment that I laid eyes on you. You took my breath away. You inspired me. You healed me. You made me realize that no matter what the past held for the either of us, that we can build a future together.”

A crowd was beginning to gather around them. She noticed Emily standing with the older couple that had visited at the beginning of the summer, who told her their love story about this very tree.

Ethan continued. “I want a future with you Rebecca. I want to wake up and fall asleep with you every day. I want to tell you every day for the rest of your life just how much I love you. I want to be there for your children because they are you. I want the whole package, if you’ll have me?”

A small voice yelled out, “Say yes.”

Rebecca looked over and noticed Tasha, Riley, Ashlee and Adam standing with Emily. Adam yelled for her to say yes. She looked back down at Ethan.

“You already talked to them about this?”

His smile widened.

“I wouldn’t be doing this without their blessing. You are a package deal. That means kids and all.”

She didn’t need him to say anything else.

“Yes!” She yelled out.

Ethan slid the ring on her finger, and jumped to his feet in one single bound. He swept her into his arms, and kissed her. The now forming crowd applauded at her response.

She looked at Ethan, really looked at him. She couldn’t imagine a life without him in it. He filled the void that she had felt for so long. She placed his hand over her heart. “Do you feel that?” She asked him. He nodded. “I thought my heart had stopped beating a long time ago. I felt so hollow and so empty for so long. It was you who made it beat again. Because of you, I know what it means to love and to be loved.”

He pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. Riley and Adam ran up to them and threw their arms around both of them. Ethan reached his arm out for both the kids, and embraced them.

They made their way through the crowd over to where Emily and Tasha were standing with the retired couple. The woman reached out and grabbed Rebecca’s hands. “I told you that tree held a magical quality. I hope the two of you have many years of happiness ahead of you.”

“Thanks Mom” Ethan said.

Rebecca looked from the woman to Ethan. “Did you just say Mom?”

Ethan smiled. “Yes.” He walked over and kissed his mother on her cheek. “Rebecca I’d like to formally introduce you to my mother and father. Mom, Dad, this is Rebecca and her daughter Riley, and her son Adam.”

They exchanged greetings and they were excited about meeting the kids. “Oh wait until they meet all of the other kids.” She pinched Adam’s cheek and he blushed. “Oh sweetie you’d better get used to it. There is a lot of hugging and pinching from old Grandma Roberts.” Adam smiled at her.

Two women, both with matching blue eyes walked over to them. Ethan smiled from ear to ear. “Rebecca these are two of my sister’s Victoria and Annie. Rebecca only smiled. “Did you call your whole family?”

They all laughed in unison. Victoria took her hand and smiled. “Oh Ethan she’s precious. She has no idea what she’s in store for.” She left a pause in between her sentences. “Once you are married to him, you marry us all. It goes both ways.”

Emily put her arm around Tasha’s shoulders and cried. Tasha looked down at Emily and shook her head.

“Girlfriend, you are such a weepy sap.”

Emily wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I can’t help it. I’m pregnant.”

Tasha squealed.

“Ha! I called that one.” She hugged her and shook her head. “Here we go again.”

Ethan opened the doors to the gallery and a make-shift party began in celebration of the engagement. Ethan’s family piled in; his two sisters, their families, and his mother and father. Micah arrived and shook hands with everyone. James arrived with the two kids and joined his wife. Ryan and Christine showed up and gave their congratulations. The kids met a handful of Ethan’s nieces and nephews. The younger ones were led by Adam into the back studio to play with paint.

Riley and Ashlee instantly hit it off with Abby and Kirsten who were their age. They sat in chairs playing on their iPhones. Ethan’s family looked at Ethan’s paintings of Rebecca. His father put his hands on his shoulder. “They are terrific son. It’s good to see you painting again.”

Ethan understood without exchanging words that his father was happy that he had found happiness. “I am happy Dad. She’s an amazing woman.”

He noticed Rebecca standing by the door leading to the back stairwell. He casually made his way over to her and pushed her through without anyone seeing. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled softly. “This is what I want to look forward to everyday for the rest of my life.” She held her hand up to his cheek and kissed him gently.

“I have a surprise for you” he said to her.

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Is there more? You’ve already surprised me.”

“Baby, I will fill the rest of your life with happy surprises.” He walked her upstairs and opened the door to his loft. He led her over to the counter where he had plans scattered all over the place. She looked at them and then quickly looked over at Ethan. “What is this?”

“I am building a house. I bought a piece of property when I purchased the gallery. I’ve changed the plans a few times along the way, but I think you’ll love it.”

She looked at it and gasped, “It’s right on the ocean.”

“All you have to do is walk out the back door and down the path. I have a studio along the side of the house where Adam and I can paint. I have a big room over the garage that can be Riley’s. She can use it as an apartment when she’s in college. There will be a study overlooking the ocean where you can write your books.”

Rebecca wept. He took her into his arms and laughed. “Why are you crying? Do you want me to change something?”

“Oh god no! It’s perfect.” She looked into his eyes. “It’s my turn now.”

“Your turn for what?” he asked her with a devilish grin on his face.

“To surprise you” she said.

“You have a surprise for me?” He said playfully.

She took a deep breath and a tear fell from her eye. “I’m pregnant.”

He didn’t move. He found that he was holding his breath.

“Say something!” she told him.

“I…didn’t think that this was ever a conversation we’d have. I had accepted the fact that Riley and Adam were it for me. I…Are you happy about this?” He asked her.

“I honestly didn’t think I would ever want to go through it again. Losing Brian was unbearable, and I always thought that having another child would feel like I was trying to replace him. But when I took the test and it came back positive, it just felt right. I love you Ethan. You’ve given me a second chance at life and love. You healed me too. I will love this baby because it is us.”

He let himself exhale.

“I can’t tell you what this means to me, Becca —a baby, with the woman I love. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

He leaned down and kissed her as tears rolled down his face. He let out a laugh of happiness.

Riley knocked on the door and walked in.

“Hi guys! Everyone is wondering where you are.” She looked around. “Fun place.”

Ethan called her over to the table. He pointed to the plans and then pointed to her room. “What do you think? That will be all yours to decorate any way that you choose.”

She squealed so loud that Adam ran up the stairs two at a time to see what happened.

“For real? O-M-G, when will it be done?”

“It’s all built; it just needs to be painted and decorated,” Ethan told them.

Adam ran over and looked at the plans. “What’s all that?”

Ethan began explaining the house set up. He got to the studio and Adam’s face lit up. “You made a room just for painting?”

“It’s what you wanted, right?” Ethan asked him.

“Yeah, I do.” He looked at the rest of the rooms and smiled. “This is gonna be a huge house.”

Ethan put his arm around Rebecca and they both smiled at one another. Both the kids looked at them suspiciously.

“What if I told you guys that we were going to have a baby?” Rebecca asked them.

Riley screamed out in joy. “A baby, I love babies. I hope it’s a girl. I can dress her up and play with her, and take her out. Oh my god, I’ll be like eighteen years older than her. Holy crap!” she laughed.

Adam looked a little unsure. Rebecca leaned down and kissed his cheek.

“Are you OK with it?”

He smiled coyly.

“Yeah, Mom, I think I really am. Maybe Ethan and I can teach her to paint, too.”

The loft door opened and the party suddenly moved to the upstairs. Emily took one look at the four of them huddled together and burst out, “Holy hell you are pregnant aren’t you?”

That peaked Ethan’s family’s attention. Ethan put his hand over Rebecca’s stomach and smiled.

“We’re having a baby!” He shouted out.

His mother clapped her hands together.

“Hallelujah! I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.” Everyone cheered. Emily hurried over to Rebecca and was giddy.

“I can’t believe you are pregnant! Me, too! We’re going to have babies together. I’m going to cry again.”

Tasha hugged Rebecca and shook her head at them.

“You’re both nuts for wanting to do this all over again. All the diapers and late night feedings, ick!” She teased.

Ethan took Rebecca’s hand in his. “I can’t wait.” He told her.

His sister Annie laughed, “Good thing you are building a big house. Let’s see fourteen plus three more now, that’s seventeen kids now. Then three of Emily’s and one for Tasha totals twenty one kids at Christmas time.”

Rebecca looked over at Ethan with a shocked look on her face. He burst out laughing and said, “Welcome to the family guys.”

Rebecca’s house sold by the end of the first week that it was listed. The realtor commented on it being lucky timing because of her client needed to relocate to Massachusetts. She had packed her life into two PODS. One for her to keep and the other was for Jack. Jack finished checking the house one last time. “Not all of it was bad was it Becky?”

She handed him a coke and shook her head. “No it wasn’t Jack. I loved you for most of my life. It just wasn’t enough.”

“Do you regret that you married me?”

She rubbed his shoulder, and looked at the tattoo on his upper arm. RA+JD 5-15-94. She ran her fingers over it and he slowly pulled his sleeve down. She shook her head, “No regrets. We have a history together Jack. We are a family. It may not be what we imagined it to be, but now we’re just part of a modern day family. You’ll always have a place in my heart, and I hope I always will with you.”

“You’ll always hold my heart Becky. There is only one you.” He looked down at the ground and started kicking the sand in the driveway. “I really am happy for you. I know you always wanted a big family. I guess you are getting yourself one now.”