Waylaid (21 page)

“I wasn’t worried.”

“You weren’t?”

“Haven’t you noticed I’m Grade A Number One stock?” I puffed out my chest.

She giggled, causing a wave of coughing.

I grabbed a wad of Kleenex from the nearby box and gave them to her. “Sorry. Was trying to help by saying something funny.”

She pressed the tissues to her mouth and then put them aside. “You did. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“
I’m
glad you called me.” I darted a glance toward the door. What time would her mom show up? “Listen Addy, I called your mom.”

“You did? Oh…”

“I was supposed to fill out your paperwork and there was stuff I didn’t know. Also, she needed to know, no matter what’s going on between you.”

“Oh. Is she…?”

“She’s on her way. Your mom sounded very concerned.”

“I guess I need to try to have a good relationship with my parents even though they don’t want us to get married right now. I haven’t spoken to either one of them for over a week.”

It had almost been like Mrs. Lafollette had been trying to tell me something. Like maybe it hadn’t been her idea to oppose our marriage. Could that be true?

A door opened and closed from out in the waiting area. Rapid steps followed and when I looked up, there stood Addy’s mom and dad. I got up from my seat and stood to the side. I wasn’t going to leave, though. No way.

Addy’s eyes appeared glazed as she peered across the small room. “Hi, Mom. Dad.”

Mrs. Lafollette rushed to sit in the chair I had vacated. Her dad followed more slowly, but his expression appeared sad, almost beaten.

“Oh, Addy.” Her mom placed her hand on Addy’s forehead. “Are you feeling any better? Have they told you what’s wrong?”

Instead of answering right away, Addy glanced up at me. I smoothed her hair from the top of her head, about the only thing I could reach to be able to touch at the moment with her mom sitting beside her.

I glanced up, taking in both of her parents. “The nurse said Addy had pneumonia.”

Mrs. Lafollette let out a gasp. “Oh!”

“But that she’s going to be fine after lots of rest. She can make up her class work when she’s feeling better.”

“Thank you, Graham. For taking care of Addy.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I love her. I will always take care of her.”

To my surprise, Addy’s mom reached up and patted my arm. “I know you will.”

Then why did you make such a big deal about us getting married?
Unless… My glance switched to Addy’s dad.

Mr. Lafollette stepped closer, rubbing Addy’s lower leg through the white blanket. “Sweetheart, your mom said that you’d gotten run down because of…” He swallowed. “If my reaction to your wanting to get married right away caused you to be so upset that you…”

So it was her dad, not her mom.

“Dad, they said I’m going to be just fine.”

He shook his head. “That’s not the point. If I hadn’t reacted so strongly — and by the way, it was all me but your mother went along with me — you might not have gotten depressed enough to have a compromised immune system.” Mr. Lafollette looked at me and then back at Addy. “I’m so sorry. I can see by the way you two are together that there’s a tremendous amount of love between you. I can’t imagine any of your other boyfriends going to the trouble of doing what Graham did to take care of you.”

“Daddy…” Despite her pallor, Addy’s cheeks formed a blush.

“What I’m saying is, I liked Graham from when I first met him. But I didn’t realize how serious you had gotten. At first I thought it was a terrible idea for you to marry so young. That it wouldn’t last.” He rubbed her leg again. “But kid, I can see now that I was wrong. It’s obvious you two are serious about making a marriage work. Can you forgive me?”

Both Addy and her mom were crying by that time. I wasn’t far behind.

“Dad, of course I forgive you.”

“Thank you. And we are behind you, both of you one hundred percent. And of course, we’ll gladly pay your school bills, Addy.” He grinned. “So when’s the wedding?”

Addy

I snuggled close
to Graham, loving the feel of his arms around me. “This is so much more fun than doing my calculus homework.”

“Well I would hope so. How’s that going by the way?”

I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Blech.”

“Blech?” He chuckled. “That doesn’t sound good. Not even a little.”

“Math is evil. It was invented to torture people like me whose minds aren’t equipped to understand its evilness.”

“Aww, come on. Is it really that bad?”

“Graham, you need to understand. I. Hate. Math.”

“Maybe you just don’t have the right teacher.”

“My teacher is nice. I’m just not understanding the material.”

“By right teacher, I meant
me
.”

“Ah… Yeah, by the way, I remember someone saying he would help me with it if I needed it.” I poked him in the chest. “So far, no help has appeared.”

“That will be much easier after we’re married and actually living in the same place.”

“I can’t wait. The wedding can’t come soon enough.”

“Are you sorry that it’s not going to be some big extravagant hoopla?”

“I don’t need all that. I just want to marry you, share my whole life with you. Besides, have you ever noticed anything about me to suggest I’m a hoopla kind of girl?”

“Nah. I just like saying the word.”

“You’re crazy.” I poked his chest.

“You’re marrying me, so what does that make you?”

“Smart. Lucky.”

He smiled. “I’m the lucky one.”

“Didn’t hear anything about
smart
in there.”

He raised one eyebrow. “I know to quit when I’m ahead.”

I laid my hand on his thigh. “When you sign up for your classes, any idea what you’ll take?”

“I’m thinking lots of…
math
.”

“Ick! Seriously?”

Graham shrugged. “I like it. It’s not hard for me. Actually, I’ve been thinking about being a math teacher.”

“I just don’t get you, Graham. Maybe I don’t know you at
all
.” I turned my head, trying not to giggle. I gave a slight shrug. “It might be wise to…”

He sucked in a breath. “To
what?
”

“It’s the math thing. I’m not sure a math lover can marry a math hater. Isn’t that like being in different political parties or something?”

Graham placed his finger beneath my chin and turned me so I peered at him straight in the eyes. His eyebrows were lowered but his mouth formed a smirk. “I truly think that our love is strong enough to jump the treacherous math hurdle, Addy. You must
believe
in our love.” He lowered his hands to my sides and tickled me.

“Stop!” I gasped, caught between laughing and trying to wiggle free from his fingers.

“Stop?”

“Please!” Another snort escaped me.

“All right. If you insist.” Graham reached around me and turned up the heat in the truck. His facial expression sobered as he kissed the top of my head. “I’m so relieved you’re feeling better now.”

“Well it has been a few weeks.”

“I know, but… You really
scared
me, Addy. I was so worried. I don’t know what I would have done if something happened…”

I turned so I was facing him. “But thanks to you, my giant in shining armor, I got to the clinic right away for help.” I cupped his face in my hands, studying his features by the light of the dashboard. I raised one corner of my mouth. “Giants are so handsome.”

He chuckled. “Guess I’m glad I’m not an ogre then.”

I shook my head. “Definitely not an ogre.” Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his. His breath was warm, his mouth moist. Desire shot through me. I’d been so sick and weak that until now I hadn’t felt like doing much more than accepting a few quick kisses from Graham.

But now, the absence of closeness with him had caught up with me. “Graham,” I ran my fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair. “I think we need to make up for lost time.”

“Mmm. You read my mind.” He pulled me tight against his chest. His heart thudded next to my breasts. Warmth ran up my back as he ran his fingers under my shirt. “I’ve missed you. Missed this.”

“It’s been forever.”

He pulled me on his lap and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Not easy to do in such a confined space, but desire overcame discomfort. My body felt like it had been in a cocoon for the last few weeks and now I was ready to emerge and fly, free to discover new worlds with my lover.

I no longer felt cold. Now, heat from down deep spread across me, igniting fires every place Graham touched me. I unbuttoned his shirt partway, longing to press my hands against him. Running my fingers in circles around his bare skin, I smiled when Graham gave a shuddered breath.

“Addy…” He kissed my lips. So soft. So sweet. But only for a moment. Then, he increased the pressure, opening my lips with his tongue, tasting me, caressing the inside of my mouth.

Graham slowly unfastened a few buttons on my blouse. I waited for cool air to touch my bare skin as he slipped it over my shoulder but none came. How could desire for someone cause you to change temperature so quickly?

My body was ready for Graham. All of him. He ran his hands over my chest through my shirt. A jolt of lightning crashed through me all the way to my toes. “Oh…”

He lifted me from his lap, keeping hold of me as we shifted to lying side by side. A thump startled me.

With a laugh, he pointed to our feet. “Sorry. Just my foot hitting the door again.” As cramped as I was in the truck, I could only imagine how bad it was for him.

Graham flipped me on my back, kissing my neck, running his lips down my collarbone. I arched my back when he lowered his head and placed slow, warm kisses in a trail above my bra. “I cannot wait to marry you, Addy.”

“Me either.” I kissed his chest, the small patch of dark chest hair tickling my cheek.

He slid his hands around the back of my jeans, pressing me to him. “Addy, I want you… so bad.” His lips crashed against mine in a hunger I hadn’t felt before. I wrapped my arms around his neck, longing for our clothes to be off, so there would be nothing between us. I felt drugged. Graham was intoxicating. His kisses and touches set me on fire. “I want you too. So much.”

I put my hands on his lower back up under his shirt, kneading the skin just below his waistband. His skin was hot, clammy. With a gasp, I glanced down. His hand was massaging the inside of my thigh. Why were these stupid clothes in the way?

I didn’t think I could take it anymore. Why wait? We were engaged, getting married in a few weeks.

I kissed his lips, long and slow and then pulled away, gazing into his eyes. “I know you’re… that you’re trying to protect me, wait for us getting married. I love you for that but…”

“But…”

“I’m good with not waiting. You are mine and I am yours. You have my heart. I’m ready to give you the rest of me too.”

He let out a sigh. “I want that more than I can tell you. Everything in me wants to take you, all of you. Right now.”

I touched his cheek. “I’m a virgin. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I mean I’d assumed. Hoped.”

“I’d never wanted to make love with anyone before. Until you. Now… it’s all I can think of.”

He kissed me, the tenderness nearly making me melt. “I’m so glad you waited. Saved yourself for me.”

“Me, too. But, I’m ready, Graham. In my heart, we’re already married. I’m… what I’m trying to say is, you don’t have to wait anymore. I’m sure you… um, with Darlene… so…”

Graham let out a sigh and pressed his forehead against mine. “Addy, I never…”

I frowned. “Never, what?”

His throat moved up and down when he swallowed. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

That didn’t sound good. Was he having second thoughts about us? Had something bad happened with Darlene?

Scooting back up into a sitting position, he pulled me with him until I sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, cuddling me in a protected, loved ball. “You see, I’m like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never… When I dated Darlene, even though we were together a long time, we didn’t…”

What was he saying? Surely he couldn’t mean…

“Addy, you and I are the same. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Never loved someone so completely. Never wanted to make love to anyone else. So… I only have the same amount of experience that you do.”

I stared at him. “Graham? But you’re twenty-two. And dated her for so long.”

One corner of his lips rose. “It’s true. I will be your first and you will be mine.”

I ran my fingers down his face. “Do you realize how special this is? How wonderful that we will be each other’s first everything?”

“I do. I’ve… I’ve given it a lot of thought and…”

“What?”

“I want our first time, the first time we give ourselves to each other completely to be special. Magical.”

I tilted my head. “And not on the seat of your truck.”

“Yep. Are you all right with that? With waiting a little longer?”

“Oh, Graham.” I tucked my head under his chin. “Yes. I mean, I don’t want to wait. My body longs to be with you now. But… my heart wants it to be the most special moment of our lives.” I raised my head and pulled his face to mine. “You are the sweetest, most thoughtful, loving man I’ve ever met. I can’t believe how blessed I am that you came into my life. That you love me.
Me
.”

“Addy, you are so easy to love. From the first moment I met you, I wanted to know more about you. Spend more time with you.”

“From the first moment?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “And you? How did you feel when you met me? Did I scare you when I kissed you that first night?”

“When I met you, I wasn’t looking for love. It didn’t fit in with my plan.”

“Ah yes, the plan.”

I chuckled. “But as it turns out, there was a new plan. A better one. Thank you for being the one for me. My one true love.”

“No Addy, I’m the fortunate one. The day I met you was the best day of my life. So far. From here on out, it will only get better.” He pressed his lips to mine as I melted into a contented puddle.