Unexpected Love (31 page)

Eighty-six

When Sean got home, he changed and they ate dinner. 

Her grandfather complimented her on her food as usual and Sean echoed the thoughts.

After they were watching TV, her grandmother said, “Sean, you looked tired, you should go up and get some rest.”

“I think I will.  I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Her grandmother pointed to Taylor to go up too.  She reluctantly got up and her grandmother said, “You’ll be fine, sweetie.”

When Taylor got to the room, she couldn’t think about how to even start the conversation.  Sean sat down on the side of the bed and looked at her.  “What’s wrong?”

Yep, he was perceptive.  Taylor was biting her thumb and shifting her feet.  How did she tell him?  How did she even start the conversation?

Sean had never seen her this nervous.  Usually she hid it better than she was right now.  He held out his hand and she walked over and took it.  He pulled her down to sit next to him. 

“What’s wrong?”  He repeated.

“Why do you think anything’s wrong?”

“Because I’ve never seen you this nervous.”

“We can talk later.  You look really tired.”  The tears started running down her cheeks.

Sean hugged her, “No, we need to talk now.  Tell me.”

She wiped her cheeks with the back of hands, “I answered your home phone this afternoon.  I wasn’t sure I should but I did.”

“That can’t be what is upsetting you.”

Her voice lowered, “It was your father.”

His brow furrowed, “My father?”

She nodded her head yes.

“He called here?  How did he get my number?  What did he want?”

She swallowed, “I wasn’t very nice to him, Sean.  I hope you aren’t upset with me but I meant every word I said.”

“Start at the beginning and tell me the whole conversation.”

She repeated the conversation to him.  When she was done, he said nothing.  She could tell he was thinking and he did not look very happy.  He was probably upset with her.  She may deserve it but she would not take back what she said.

Sean was fuming.  He had not spoken to his father in nine years.  The last time he saw either of his parents, he had tried to tell them he was leaving but they were screaming at one another and paid no attention to him.  He had gotten used to that.  Not that it made him feel any differently than he had felt for a very long time.  He had given up trying to get their attention. 

One day he decided he couldn’t stand it there any longer and he wanted to stop getting into trouble just to try to get them to talk to him.  So he had left on a plane with $200 in his pocket and one carry bag.  Yes, he had charged the ticket to his father’s credit card.  What his father didn’t say to Taylor was that a year later, when he had graduated from the police academy and started working, he had mailed him a money order with no return address to pay for the ticket and he had signed it so his father knew who it was from.

On the plane ride to America, he had thought long and hard about what he wanted for his life.  Going to America knowing no one and having very little had been scary but it was something he had to do.  He needed to change his life.  There had been a cop in Australia who gave him some advice and seemed to understand him.  More than his parents did.  They never gave him any advice and barely talked to him.  Not when he got into trouble or did something good.

He had decided he wanted to be a cop and he had resolved to be the best husband when he found the right woman that any man could be.  And if he had children, they would be loved and cherished, not pushed selfishly aside.  He was not going to get into big arguments with the woman he loved and he was going to help others by being a cop.

Now his father had called and essentially told the most important person in his life not to marry him and that his genes were bad?  And his father had the nerve to say he wasn’t good? He had a wild streak?  He had the nerve to tell Taylor off? 

When she had asked him if he loved his son, all he could say was that it was not his fiancée’s business?  His father was more of an idiot than Sean had realized. 

Eighty-seven

Taylor was so nervous about the long silence, she almost got up and ran out of the room.  But he was still holding her hand.  He finally looked at her.  She looked even more nervous.  She didn’t think he would leave her over his father, did she?

“You can throw the number away, Taylor.  I’m not interested in talking to him.  I’m also happy you stood up to him and told me what he said.  You defended me, woman,” he said it with a grin.  Then his face became grimmer, “I’m glad you told him off and if I had been on the phone, the words would not have been that polite.  No one is more important to me than you.  He’s lucky I don’t call him and cuss him out.”

She was so relieved.  Taylor hugged him, “I love you Sean.”

“I love you too.”

She looked at him, “You don’t cuss.”

He laughed, “You haven’t seen me at work sometimes.   I can cuss but I try not to, but I could make an exception for him.”

She giggled, “I was scared you would be mad at me.  I thought you might want a relationship with him and I didn’t want to ruin it for you or get you into the middle of us not getting along.  I am sorry but I would not like him.  He’s too much like my mother.”

He grinned, “No worries there.  And for the record, I’m not interested in meeting her either.”

“Sean, he did say one thing that was right, I am in a fantasy world.  I have everything I could ever want and had ever dreamed of wanting.”

Sean kissed her passionately, “Me too.”

She stood up, “I have to go down and tell Gran you aren’t mad at me.  I didn’t tell her the conversation but she knew I was scared to tell you.  She told me not to worry, you were smart and you loved me and you would figure out what you wanted to do.”

“I’m liking your grandmother more and more.  Taylor, you can always talk to me, okay?”

She grinned, “Okay, but Gran says we are not always going to agree so we will have to work it out like they have had to do.  If she’s really upset with grandfather, she won’t have sex with him.”

Sean raised his eyebrows, “Remind me never to make you mad.”

She laughed and kissed him. 

Her grandmother looked at her expectantly.  Taylor gave her a thumbs up.  “See, sweetie. I told you.  Grant, how about we go upstairs and create some trouble?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Taylor followed them upstairs.  When she went into the room, Sean was asleep.  She laid down next to him and fell asleep with a big smile on her face.

Eighty-eight

Sean came downstairs the next morning and found Elma and Grant in the living room.

“Good morning, Sean.”

“Good morning, Elma.”

“I hope you don’t mind but we sent Betsy out to do some shopping and have some time to herself.”

“No, of course not.”

He sat down on the couch, “Can I get you anything?”

Grant spoke up, “Nope.  Elma made some coffee.  It’s still hot.  You should get some, she makes good coffee.”

Sean came back with a cup of coffee.  He looked at them, not sure what he should say. 

“Honey, I can see you and Taylor were meant for each other and I want you to know how much we appreciate that you take such good care of her. Things have been so hard for her recently.”

Sean thought, you don’t know the half of it.  He simply said, “She’s doing really well.”

“I can see she is looking so beautiful and I know she told me she is getting stronger.  She told us you made her start going to the gym.”  Her grandmother laughed, “But she doesn’t like it.”

Sean grinned, “I’m never going to get her to like it.”

“That’s okay.  You gave her the push she needed.  I’m happy knowing she’s happy.  You’re not going to break her heart are you?”

“No, ma’am.  I need her as much as she needs me.  I’m very serious about our relationship.  We are getting married in a few days, you know.”

“Wonderful.  We appreciate you bringing us here for that too.  But you don’t have to be shy around us.  I know you are being careful about kissing her and having sex with us here, but don’t worry about us.”

Sean started choking on his coffee.  Wow, she definitely spoke what was on her mind.  It was true he and Taylor had not made love since they had arrived.  Taylor got a little noisy during lovemaking and she was afraid they would hear her.  Of course, he wasn’t exactly quiet either so they had decided to wait.  No matter how hard it was.  He figured he could last a week, but he was having doubts more and more as the days went on.

Grant spoke up, “Good thing she has a ring on her finger.”

Elma shook her head, “We were so much love, Grant.  You may recall we didn’t wait.”

“Well, it was good wasn’t it?  I remember our first time.  It’s not something you forget.”

Sean felt like he was on a Ferris wheel that was going really fast.  He was relieved when he heard Taylor come down.

Elma smiled. “It was fabulous.”

Taylor looked from one to the other and asked, “What was fabulous?”

“Sex, sweetie.  Your grandfather and I had some amazing sex before we got married.  We’ve been married for over 50 years and it’s still just as good as when we were young.”

Taylor looked like he felt.  She looked over at Sean.  He shrugged as if to say don’t look at me and then stared at his coffee.  Taylor shifted her eyes at Sean when he finally looked up to get him into the kitchen. 

She turned and looked at him with an apologetic look, “I am so sorry.  I have never seen her like this, but I have not spent much time with them in the last few years.”

He kissed her, “It’s okay, it just threw me off.  I think she means well.”

She hugged him and whispered, “I love you.”

He smiled, “I love you back.”

He pulled her up against his body and was kissing her again when they heard, “Now that’s more like it.” 

They both looked to see her grandmother standing there with a big smile.

“Gran, I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Sorry, too much?  I’m just trying to encourage you both.  Honesty is always best.  We’re old but we’re not dead, sweetie.”

Taylor decided it was best to drop the subject.

Sean took them out to lunch and then her grandparents went upstairs to take a nap.  Taylor went into the kitchen to decide on dinner.  When she was looking in the fridge, Sean closed the door and pushed her up against it and kissed her, his tongue touching her lips, hands under her shirt.  “Not sure how much longer I can wait.”

She moaned as he found her breasts.  “They are supposed to be sleeping.”

He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.  He made her crazy with need and she stroked his chest and ran her tongue around his nipples as he groaned.  She whispered, “This is a good time to try number two” in his ear and pulled gently on his ear lobe with her teeth.  Her world spun in sensations, lights, and heat.  They both tried to be quiet as they made passionate love.  When she was pulsating with sensations, she was biting her lips to keep from screaming out his name.  She started to get louder and Sean kissed her to keep her quiet. 

As they lay afterwards, Sean said, “At least we were quieter.  But let’s not wait so long next time.  I almost couldn’t last.”

Taylor laughed, “I might have a bleeding lip I had to bite it so hard.”

Sean ran a finger over her lip, “Nope, just as nice as always.  We need go to the court and get a license and the preacher is all set.  Do we need anything else?”

She pulled him down, “I have a dress and I’m making snacks.  Maggie, Sara, and Gran are going to help me with that.  But I might need some inspiration.”  She ran her hands down his back. 

He moaned against her mouth, “Let’s practice one and two.”  Then he made love to her again.

Eighty-nine

On the day before her grandparents were due to leave, they sat down with Taylor and Sean.  “Today is big wedding day.”  Her grandmother was grinning.  “And Grant and I have two wedding gifts for you.”  She held out one of two envelopes.

“You guys didn’t have to.  Just having you here is enough.”

“Open it.”

Taylor looked at Sean and then opened the first envelope.  She pulled out some documents but she didn’t understand at first.  She looked at Sean.  He said, “It’s the deed to their house, Taylor.”

“What?  You can’t give us your home.”

Her grandfather chuckled, “Too late, already done.  Of course, we want to live there but when we are gone, the house is yours.”

Her grandmother spoke up, “Don’t argue with me and do not give it to your mother.”

Sean laughed, “No worries there.”

Her grandmother handed her the second envelope.  Taylor gave it to Sean to open.  She was still in shock about the house.  She had been there a few years ago and it was a big house on a huge lot of land.

Sean pulled out a check.  He silently showed it to Taylor.  It was made out to Mr. and Mrs. Reed.  Three hundred fifty thousand dollars.  Taylor’s jaw dropped.

“I don’t understand.”

Her grandfather smiled at them, “It’s for you two to do whatever you want to do with it.  It is most of our savings but we have plenty left to live on, so don’t worry.”

“But granddad, it’s too much.  We can’t take this.”

“No.  It’s not.  We want to give this to you.  It doesn’t do any good sitting in a bank but you can put it in and get the interest from it.”

He held up his hand as both Taylor and Sean looked about to protest, “It’s done.  Never argue with an old man who has had two heart attacks.”