The Truth About Fairy Tales (24 page)

             
“Yes, I am. We’ve been involved for a little while now. I think it’s serious…” I stopped and realized I was being ridiculous.

             
“You don’t want to tell me who he is? Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad.”

             
“Jackson Riley. It’s Jackson Riley, okay.” I closed one eye, anticipating the dozens of questions I knew would follow.

             
The look on her face would have been priceless if I weren’t worried that this connection might cost me my new job of less than ten minutes.

             
“Jackson Riley?
The
Jackson Riley? Oh girl, you gotta tell me your secret, because that guy is gorgeous.”

             
And, just like that, Jessie and I became instant friends.

             
“I couldn’t even begin to tell you because I don’t know. I certainly have no secrets or tricks. I think maybe I’m just weird enough to keep his interest.”

             
“Maggie, there’s nothing weird about you. Maybe he finds all of your little quirks refreshing. So what does Jackson Riley think about you working in the field?”

             
That had me wondering just what type of woman Jessie thought I was. “I don’t care what he thinks. It’s my choice not his. He can either live with or not.” Boy, I sounded tough. Almost like the old Maggie, I barely remembered anymore.

             
“Spoken like a true attorney. You’re going to make a nice addition to our little firm. So, tell me how you got interested in the law in the first place. I always love hearing those stories.”

             
This woman was so easy to talk to that before I knew it I’d told her just about everything, from the fact that I’d given up a sure-fire partnership to be with Jackson, to how I’d met Lee in the first place.

             
“That's the most remarkable story I’ve heard in a long time. I have to tell you I’m thrilled that you’re staying in Austin. That’s some love story you got going on there. I just love a good romance.”

             
I couldn’t tell her that it wasn’t exactly like the fairy tales. Oh, I was crazy in love with Jackson and I believe he cared deeply about me, too, but well, we had other things in our lives than each other. It wasn’t just about romance.

             
After I left Jessie, thrilled by my newfound fortune, the first person I thought of sharing it with was Jackson.

             
I think he’d told his assistant to find him whenever I called, because Amy didn’t even hesitate before putting me through to him.

             
“Hey, what are you up to today?” That slight tremor in his voice always made me smile.

             
“Guess what?” I didn’t really give him time to guess. “I have a job!” He sat patiently listening to me explain my new job to him, happy to see me happy. There were noises in the background that reminded me I was probably keeping him from something important.

             
“You’re busy. Jackson I’m sorry. What am I interrupting?”

             
“Only a staff meeting. But I think these guys would rather hear about your new job than our upcoming budget plans.”

             
“You have me on speaker phone?” I squawked.

             
I couldn’t believe it. I’d been so excited that I was rambling on and the whole office was listening.

             
When the room erupted in laughter, he picked up the receiver. “Sorry, Maggie, I didn’t have time to get you off the speaker before you started talking. Anyways these guys love hearing stories about you. They’re just about as crazy about you as I am.”

             
“Jackson.” I tried to sound angry but I couldn’t stay mad at him. After all, he’d introduced me to just about every single one of his senior staff members and they were all great. He told me that he was always telling them about the things I did. If I didn’t know better I’d think this guy who had accomplished so much in his own life was actually proud of me. Secretly I felt sorry for his staff members if I were their entertainment.

             
On his desk where he’d told me there had never been one single picture before was the one of our trip to Paris. Ben had taken it of the two of us smiling. There was also a snapshot of Sidney.

             
“Sorry, baby. This calls for a celebration.” I listened while he stopped for a second and laughed. “Sorry, but you guys aren’t invited to this one.”

             
I was laughing just about as hard as the staff when he finally came back to me. “Tonight. We’ll go someplace really nice tonight.”

             
As much as I loved dining out with Jackson, tonight I wanted it to be just the two of us…well, okay, the three of us. I couldn’t forget Sid.

             
My plan was to entice him into the kitchen by meeting him at the door in my very best seduction attempt. He could do the cooking from there.

             
I had all the candles lit, lights out, and fire in fireplace burning beautifully. I’d already found out from Amy what time he would be home. Sid was fed and locked away in his little room. Everything was ready.

             
The poor man never knew what hit him. The second he opened the door, I grabbed him and showed him just how much I loved him and we never made it out of the living room. And dinner? Well dinner ended up being greasy pizza ordered in. Not that I minded much. I loved the stuff almost as much as I loved this guy.

             
Jackson, well, he had romance in mind. “You know, you spoiled the most romantic night ever, don’t you?”

             
“This wasn’t it? And I didn’t hear you complaining.” I picked up a second slice of pizza.

             
He gave me a look that told me just how foolish that statement really was. “What do you think?”

             
“I think you’d better stop looking at me like that if you want to finish the pizza.”

             
That made him laugh, at least before he reached for me again. “You know you’re going to be the death of me, don’t you?” I don’t think he really minded all that much. He took the pizza from me and threw me up over his shoulder, heading for the bedroom where he showed me, in all the special ways that only he could, just how little he minded.

             
As I lay next to him so happy, Jackson got out of bed, went to our dresser where that little brightly decorated box he’d tried to give me on Christmas day still lay. Jackson had left it there in plain sight, deliberately, as a constant reminder to me. He wanted me to know that both he and the box weren’t going anywhere.

             
“I think it’s time, don’t you?” He held it out to me and I could only stare at it. Oh, I wanted to accept what I believed was in that little box—most definitely. I just didn’t know if I could trust all the comfortable happiness that went along with it. For me, such things were just shadow figures. Here today then gone in the blink of an eye.

             
When I looked into those blue eyes of Jackson’s I knew that if my happiness went away it wouldn’t be because of him. He would never let me down.

             
And so, in his bed, wearing nothing but a smile, I took the box from him and he came back to join me there.

             
I can’t recall any other time when I was this scared before this moment. Right now, facing my future, I was terrified. I ripped the paper away and looked at the small jeweler’s box that held the logo of one of the most prestigious stores around.

             
My fingers froze. I wanted to open it, but I just couldn’t. Jackson did it for me. He clicked the box open took the ring out and looked at me, giving me time to adjust to the shock of it.

             
There, in his hand, was the most beautiful emerald cut diamond I’d ever seen before. I couldn’t say a word. I was speechless.

             
“Mary Margaret Monroe, I know how frightened you are right now, but I also know how much I love you.” That did it for me when nothing else could. Those three little words were my undoing. I started to cry, ignored the ring, and threw my arms around his neck.

             
“You love me?” I asked him, thoroughly amazed. “You love me, Jackson?”

             
Jackson somehow untangled my clinging arms from around his neck to look down into my disbelieving eyes.

             
“What did you think we were doing here? What did you think I felt for you?”

             
My mind was busy going back over all the time we’d been together, seeing clearly for the first time all those little gestures of his. “I don’t know—you never told me.”

             
“You never told me either, but I knew it, because I felt it. Didn’t you feel it as well?”

             
Oh, yeah, I did. It had been right there for me to see all along and clearly visible for everyone who had been watching our little romance unfold.

             
“Yes…I guess I was just afraid to trust those feelings. I mean, after all, we didn’t exactly get off to the best beginning and I still don’t know what you see in me.”

             
“Only a woman!” He told me completely astonished. “Maggie, you are the most beautiful person in the world to me. I love everything about you right down to that stubborn streak of yours, your vulnerability and most assuredly the fact that you were a virgin when we met and yet you didn’t hesitate giving yourself to me.”

             
“Oh, Jackson.” I was embarrassed all over again by that. I still didn’t want to talk about that.

             
“So, Mary Margaret, will you take this ring or not? You’ve been crying over it long enough.”

             
“What does it mean?” I asked, needing in my best attorney mind sight all of the facts here. Because frankly, there was no way I was jumping to the conclusion that this guy was in love with me enough to marry me. Nope…sorry not going to happen. He’d have to spell it out for me in plain, simple English for my doubting little attorney self.

             
“Well, this here…” He held the ring out, hesitated only a second before slipping it on just the right finger. “This is an engagement ring, Miss Monroe. That means that by me putting it on your finger, as I just did, that I want to marry you. Now, you in turn have to make a decision. I mean, I made the decision on the ring, and when to ask you to marry me. So, you see, I need some input from you now. What’s it gonna be, little bit?”

             
“Yes…Jackson, yes, of course, it’s yes.” 

             
I think my easy acceptance, no arguments offered, threw him again. He looked at me as if he hadn’t quite heard me right. He was a little bit suspicious before he took me in his arms and kissed me and if I didn’t know him better, I would almost have been willing to swear that Jackson Riley had tears in his eyes.

             
“You will? Really? I, thought, well I thought I’d pretty much have to drag you down the aisle.”

             
“Of course I will, but I want to go slow. Is that okay?” I was so worried that I’d break his heart by telling him that. I loved him and wanted to marry him, but happiness in any lasting form was new to me.

             
“We’ll take it any way you want to, Maggie, but I’m going to warn you up front I’m not waiting a year. So get yourself comfortable with the idea soon. Got it?”

             
I nodded and hugged him tighter. “Got it. I love you, Jackson. I’m so sorry that I’ve never told you that before. I think I’ve loved you for quite some time, definitely before Paris.”

             
“Really, well, little bit, I’m afraid I’ve got you beat there. I’ve been in love with you since you walked into that restaurant and told me I was old.”

             
“Don’t forget decrepit.” I added ever so sweetly. He took his time that night showing me that not only was he not old, but there certainly wasn’t anything decrepit about him either.

Chapter Thirteen

              Even though I wanted, time to adjust to the idea of marriage, that didn’t mean I didn’t want everyone I knew and loved to keep from hearing about it. The first person I called that next morning was grandmother. She and Lee were busy planning their own spring wedding and she was so in love. She understood why I was crying.

             
“Honey, you know we’re happy for you. I don’t think I could have wished for a better man for you than Jackson. You two are just good together.”

             
“You think so? You like him don’t you, Gran?”