Love Song Series Box Set (21 page)

Jase

As soon as I pull out the ring, Julie starts to cry.
“Julie, what’s wrong?” She doesn’t answer, just continues to sob. Shit, what the hell have I done? I sit down again and pull her into my lap. “Why are you crying?”

“
You’re going to ask me to marry you,” she says between sobs. “You’re going to ask me right here, where you first asked me out.”

Okay, this I can handle.
“I didn’t ask you out. I told you that you were going out with me. I wasn’t taking the chance that you would say no,” I say with a smile, trying to lighten her mood.

Julie laugh
s as she wipes the tears from her face. “This time, you have to ask.”

“
I plan to,” I reply before opening up the box and pulling the ring out. I take a deep breath before looking into her eyes. “Do you remember this ring?”

She nods her head.
“It was your mom’s,” she whispers.

“
Yeah, it was, but it was my gram’s first. Grandpa gave it to her the day he came home from Germany. She wore it for twenty-nine years before she gave it to Pop. Then, my mom wore it until she died. I want you to wear it until our son meets the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.” I take another deep breath. “Julie Anne Walker, will you marry me?”

Julie wraps her arms around me and starts to cry again.
She doesn’t answer. I hold her close and wait for her to say the word. It seems like it takes forever. Finally, she leans away and looks into my eyes. “Yes, Jason Andrew Gibson, I will marry you.”

I pull her back to me and kiss her.
I’m so happy I could nearly shout as I slide the ring on her finger. It fits perfectly, just like I knew it would. I remember seeing it on my mom’s hand a million times, but it has never looked as beautiful as it does now.

“
We have to wait though.” I jerk my head and look at her. She’s smiling from ear to ear as she places her hand on her belly. “I don’t want to be fat on my wedding day. We’ll do it six weeks after the baby is born.”

I nod. I
’ll agree to anything as long as she’ll marry me. “That’s fine, but why six weeks?”

“
Because we won’t be able to have sex for six weeks after he’s born. I wouldn’t want to go on our honeymoon and not be able to give you a little, or a lot,” she answers with a sexy smile.

I throw back my head and laugh before pulling her mouth to mine.
Fuck! I love this woman.

We spend
an hour making out on the football field. I have never felt happier in my entire life; everything is finally feeling complete. After making out like teenagers, we load into my truck and run to get take-out before heading home. I had a whole big night planned, but Julie wants to tell Jenny our big news. The idea of Jenny’s reaction makes me chuckle. Yeah, Sweet Pea is going to be excited.

Chapter 2
6

Julie

I’m walking through the Piggly Wiggly when my phone rings. Dean has already called twice today, so I get nervous every time I hear it go off. My stomach is in knots as I pull it from my purse, but the tension fades when I see Bethany’s name flash across the screen. I slide it on and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

“
Guess what I figured out today?” she says, excitement in her voice.

“
What?”

“
You’re off work the same week Jenny and I are out for Spring break!” she shouts.

“
I thought you were off the week after I was?” I know that’s what she told me.

Mr. Frie
dman is shutting the office down in two weeks for his annual hunting trip in Colorado. It’s mandatory vacation time for both Becca and I, so I was disappointed when I realized I wouldn’t be able to take off during Jenny’s Spring break from school.

“
I did too, but I was looking over the school calendar this morning and realized that I had the dates mixed up.”

Th
is is wonderful news! I’ve wanted to take them to Chattanooga ever since we moved back to Cromwell. “We can go to the mountains!”

“
That’s what I was thinking. I even looked for cabins online. I found one with three bedrooms and a Jacuzzi on the deck, so you and Jase can have some fun after me and Jenny go to bed,” she says with a laugh.

“
Oh crap. I didn’t even think about Jase.” He’s not going to like this idea at all.

“
What about Jase? Please don’t tell me that you don’t want him to go with us?” she asks and blows out a frustrated breath.

Leave it to B
ethany to always think the worst. “Of course I want him to go with us. I just don’t think he’ll like the idea of me being away from home. By that time, I’ll be nearly eight-months pregnant. You know how protective he is.”

“
Oh, I never thought about that,” she says.

I hear sadness in her voice and immediately feel guilty. I know she needs to get away.
Dean’s phone calls have been really getting to her, and she seems to have retreated into herself over the last few weeks. The only time she seems interested in anything is when I get a letter from Brandon. Sometimes, I think she looks forward to them more than I do.

I have to think of a way to make this happen for her.
“I’ll call the doctor and see what he thinks before we even mention the trip to Jase.”

“
Yeah!” she shouts, sounding more like a ten-year-old kid than the twenty-eight-year-old woman she is. “If he gives you the go ahead, Jase will let us go.”

As soon as we hang up, I call the doctor
’s office. Luckily, his receptionist is one of Jenny’s friends’ moms. I explain what my plan is, and she lets me talk to the doctor right away. He gives me the all clear. Of course, I have to spend twenty minutes listening to what I could and could not do.

After we finish talking, I go back to shopping. I start to pick up some chicken
, but then have a better idea. Meatloaf. Yes, definitely my bacon wrapped meatloaf. I grin to myself. It’s what I always cooked in the past whenever I wanted Jase to do something for me. Today’s the perfect occasion. I reach over and grab a package of hamburger meat then head for the bacon.

Jase

“
I’m heading out,” I shout to Pop as I walk out the door.

I
’ve always loved my job, but now the days seem to be getting longer and longer. I never used to mind working until six every day, but I used to be alone. Now, I want to be at home by four. I know my girls will be there, and I want to be there too. Now when the day’s finally over, I’m virtually running out the door.

I
’m home in less than ten minutes, but it seems to take forever. As I walk into the house, I hear some crappy pop music coming from the living room. I also hear the shrieks of female laughter. Closing the door quietly, I walk toward the sound.

Julie, Jenny
, and Bethany are doing some sort of fucked-up dancing. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Bethany is moving her arms in a swimming motion while shaking her whole body. Jenny is bent at the middle, booty in the air, swinging it from side to side. Julie is attempting the moonwalk while twirling her arms like a windmill. It’s the funniest shit I’ve ever seen. I shout out in laughter, holding my stomach.

All three girls freeze and look at me. Then Jenny starts to laugh
. “Come dance with us, Daddy.”

After a few minutes of grumbling, I join in.
Before long, I’m dancing just as crazy as they are. I even throw in my own version of the electric slide, making the girls laugh their asses off. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.

After our dancing marathon is over, we
head to the kitchen for dinner. Julie made her bacon wrapped meatloaf and mashed potatoes. She’s always hated making meatloaf because she said using her hands to mix it all together is gross. I’ve only had it twice since she’s been back, even though I have asked her to make it a hundred times. She knows it’s my favorite meal, so her making it after working all day makes me wonder. Back in the day, she only made it when she wanted something, so when I see what she’s made, I give her a ‘what do you want’ look.

“
Bethany and I were talking today. The school’s spring break is coming up in two weeks, so Bethany and Jenny are out. Mr. Friedman is going to be out of town, and the office will be closed the entire week, so I’m off too.”

Ahh, here we go.
“Yeah, that’s good.”

“
Well, she and Jenny have never been to the Smoky Mountains. I thought maybe we could go to Chattanooga. We could visit the aquarium and take them up to Ruby Falls. I already talked to the doctor, and he said it was fine.”

I look around
, and all three of the girls are wearing huge grins. Shit! I hate to ruin this for them. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You guys don’t need to be off on your own until we figure out what your ex is doing.”

I try to keep my response as simple as possible.
Jenny is at the table, and the last thing she needs is to know Dean has been causing problems. We’ve done our best to hide the calls from her, but she’s smart enough to know something is going on.

“
What do you mean, on our own?” asks Bethany.

I motion to my girls, all three of them.
“You three in Chattanooga, alone... It could be dangerous.”

Bethany may have started out as Dean
’s sister, but she has quickly become a member of my family. I’d lay my life on the line for her any day.

“
You don’t think Pop will give you the time off?” she asks, wearing a frown.

“
What?”

Julie reaches across the table and lays her hand on mine.
“We want you to go with us.”

They want me to go on vacation with the
m, like we’re a real family. I stare at Julie for a moment, and she’s still smiling at me. I look around the table. Jenny and Bethany are smiling too. That’s when it hits me. We are a real family, the family I always wanted.

“
I’ll talk to Pop in the mornin’. He’ll give me the time off.” I look around the table at my girls and smile. “We’ll have a ball.”

Chapter
27

Julie

I toss another of Jenny’s shirts in the suitcase before turning to look at Jase. “Do you think I should take her some warmer pajamas? I only packed her nightgowns, since it’s been so warm lately. It may be cooler in the mountains, though.”

“
I’m sure the nightgowns will be fine. If she gets cool, she can cover up.”

I roll my eyes at his suggestion and rush to her room to grab some flannel PJs.
Stepping back into our room, I hold them up. “Jenny never stays under the covers.”

He blows out a frustrated breath as he closes one of the three suitcases
lying on the bed. “Do you really need all this stuff for a six-day trip?”

“
I’m a woman. I need a lot of things,” I explain with a smile.

Jase just shakes his head and smiles.
He picks up Jenny’s princess shoes that are lying beside the only empty suitcase. “Remind me again why Jenny has to take fake shoes with her. Do you really think she’s going to wear these while we’re in the mountains?”

“
I doubt it, but she loves them. They’re her favorites.” I walk over and place my arms around his waist. “This is our first family vacation. I want it to be perfect for Jenny. If she wants her princess shoes, I want her to have them.”

Jase smiles down at me.
“I understand, baby.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll just run over to the apartment and grab my suitcase.”

He backs out of my arms and places his hand on my bulging stomach.
“Don’t move those suitcases. I’ll get them myself as soon as I get home. I’ll be right back,” he says and walks out of the room. A few minutes later, I hear his truck pulling out of the driveway.

I
’m so busy packing that time seems to fly by. I look at the clock; it’s nearly nine. That’s strange. Jase went to his place over an hour ago... He should be back by now. I’m trying not to worry, but it just doesn’t make sense. I need to check on him.

I walk down the stairs and see Bethany on the couch.
“Can you watch Jenny for a few minutes?”

“
Sure.”

“
I’ll be right back. I’m going to Jase’s.”

“
Is something wrong?” she asks.

“
I don’t think so,” I say as I walk out the door.

It only takes ten minutes to get to Jase
’s. I pull up and freeze. There’s a car parked beside Jase’s truck. It’s Becca’s car. I jump out of the car as fast as my swollen body will allow. My heart is racing as I make my way into the apartment. My stomach rolls as I hear voices coming from the bedroom.

Jase

The girls and I are leaving for the Smokey Mountains tomorrow, and I cannot fucking wait. I’ve been planning shit all week. I want to make sure my girls have the best time ever. We’re all getting packed tonight. Most of my clothes are at Julie’s, but I need my suitcase from home. I head over to my house. I’m in my room grabbing the suitcase out of the closet when I hear the door open and footsteps down the hall.

As I look around my old bedroom, I realize I need to let
this place go. I’m never coming back here, so there’s no reason to keep paying rent for it. As much as I love Julie’s house, I hate to lose this place. It was the first home Julie and I shared. Even though it holds a lot of bad memories, it holds a hell of a lot of good ones too.

“
Jase?” a voice calls from the hallway, breaking me away from my thoughts.

“
Are you here?” It’s Becca. What the fuck is she doing here? She pokes her head into the room. “We need to talk,” she says, leaning against the doorframe.

“
Did you just waltz into my place without knocking?” How fucking dare she; who did she think she was? “You need to get the hell out.”

“
Jase…” she starts but I cut her off.

“
What the fuck are you doing here?” I wait for an answer, but she looks down to her feet. “Like I said, you need to leave. We don’t need to talk. I need to get back to my family,” I say as I start to walk past her.

“
Please, it’s important,” she says, pleading.

She
’s been popping up for weeks, always wanting to talk. I’ve blown her off time and time again, but I know she’s going to keep coming at me if I don’t listen, so I set the suitcase down and cross my arms across my chest. “You have five minutes.”

Sh
e walks across the room and sits on the bed. “I did something wrong, so very wrong.” She takes a breath. “We didn’t sleep together, Jase, at least not until that one time at the shop. That’s it. All the other times, we’d just drink together. After you passed out, I would take off my clothes and lay down beside you.”

“
What the hell are you talking about?”

She shakes her head as she hugs herself.
“I let you believe we did. I did everything I could to make you think you had been with me.”

Her words make no sense, not at fucking all.
“What the fuck?”

“
I knew it was wrong, but I wanted what you and Julie had. I’m sorry.”

My heart
is hammering in my chest as I stumble onto the bed beside her and place my head in my hands. “I cannot believe this.”

“
It gets worse.”

I jerk my eyes to her.
“How the hell can it get any worse than that?”

“
The time we were together at the garage, I set you up to be caught. I knew Julie was going to be there and when. I made sure to be there at the same time, and I did everything I could to make sure she caught us having sex.”

“
Why would you do that? You know as well as I do that I would’ve never slept with you that day at the shop if you hadn’t threatened to tell Julie?”

“
I thought if she left you, you would turn to me,” she says as tears fall down her face.

“
How could you do this? You were her friend. Shit, you were my friend.” I ask, trying to resist the urge to strangle her.

“
I can’t explain. I don’t even understand it myself. You have to believe me. I’m so sorry. I’ve lived with this for so many years. It was killing me. I had to finally tell you.” She pauses and looks at me. “When your mom died, you fell apart. I was already broken. I thought you were someone I could talk to. As we got to know each other better, my feelings for you started to grow. I was so messed up that I thought those feelings were love.”

“
Damn it, Becca,” I mumble, not sure what to say.

She
takes a deep breath and continues. “I was going through such a bad time. I told you all about it when we hung out, but you were so drunk most of the time that I doubt you even remember. I was too nervous to tell you when you were sober.”

“
Do you really think I give a fuck what you were going through? Look at what I’ve been through the last nine years. Fuck you! Fuck you, Becca!” I shout as I jump from the bed.

I walk to the wall and send my fist flying through the sheetrock.
“It’s a good thing I’m not the kind of guy that hits women. If I were, your ass would be dead.”

I start to walk toward the door, but her words stop me.
“I am sorry, Jase. You have no idea how much.”

I turn back and see her
looking at me with pain-filled eyes. That’s when I notice the change in her. She looks different, less made up. She isn’t dressed like a slut. She looks like the Becca I knew from high school, only sadder. She reminds me a lot of myself, before Julie came back into my life.

“
Fine, tell me. Tell me why you fucked up my whole life,” I finally say.

“
There was a guy,” she says with a nervous laugh. “Isn’t that how all these stories start?”

I
’m unimpressed so far. I raise an eyebrow at her. Does she seriously think I give two fucks about some asshole? “Get to the point.”

She shakes her head a little then continues.
“This guy told me he loved me, but he said we had to keep it secret. I was best friends with his sister, and he was afraid she’d be mad if she found out.”

Oh fuck
, this can’t be happening. It has to be Brandon or Will, and neither of them are asshole enough to do shit like that. “Don’t try to tell me that Brandon or Will used you. I won’t believe it.”

She narrows her eyes.
“I don’t care what you believe.”

Her words are so sure, so strong, that I start to doubt myself.
A teenage boy will do a lot of shit to get into a girl’s pants, so it could be true. If it is true, my guess would be Brandon. Will has been with the same girl forever. She even left with him when he joined the military. She’s a selfish bitch as far as I’m concerned, but Will loves her.

“
This guy and me, we were together for years. He even left town, but he would come back and see me. It went on for a long time. Then all of a sudden, he quit coming back.” She looks away, but I can see that she is crying.

Shit, that could only mean one thing.
Brandon hardly ever came home; he was always gone overseas. Will, on the other hand, came home a lot in the beginning. He stopped a few months before my mom died.

“
That’s when I found out I was pregnant.”

Pregnant? When the hell was
Becca pregnant? “I don’t remember you being pregnant.”

She looks at me and gives me a sad smile.
“You wouldn’t. My parents made sure of that. When Mom and Dad found out I was pregnant, they sent me away for a few months. I came back after I had the baby and all the evidence was gone.”

“
Fuck!” I mumble out, more to myself than her.

“
He was a beautiful baby. I loved him from the moment I laid eyes on him. My parents wouldn’t let me keep him though,” she finishes in a whisper and breaks into sobs.

What the
hell do I do? Yeah, I hate what she did to Julie and me, but shit. I can’t just stand here and watch her cry. I make my way to her and wrap my arms around her. “Shhh.”