Page 98 of Love on the Vine
While I finished my course at Ferrandi, Jake and I saw each other every other weekend, either in Paris or Moustiers. WhenI’d gotten an apprenticeship in London over the summer, we saw each other less since Jake was busy preparing for the upcoming harvest. We talked every day though, and one weekend he’d surprised me with a trip to the Lake District where he’d proposed to me in a rowboat in the middle of Lake Windermere.
We were married in Moustiers in the fall after the harvest, and the villagers finally got the wedding they longed for. Jin and Lucie were there, so were Callie and Levi, my whole family, even my mom, and Jake’s mom with her current partner. I cried through almost the entire ceremony, and I’d never been more grateful for waterproof mascara.
Who would have thought two years ago that I’d be married to the handsome stranger who crashed our family Christmas?
It didn’t seem possible sometimes. When I thought about all the things that had led us to each other—the chance meeting at the gas station, my dad’s impromptu invitation, Jake accepting it, my trip to France—if even one piece of that puzzle hadn’t come together, where would we each be now?
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Jake’s scruffy cheek, full of love for him—even more full of love than usual. Taking him by the hand, I led him back to the bed and pushed him down.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” He captured my hips as I straddled him. “I thought we’d agreed we wouldn’t do that here.”
“I know. I have something else for you though.” My nerves twitched with anticipation.
“Okay . . .” he said apprehensively, his eyes meeting mine.
“It’s under my sweater.” He cocked an eyebrow at me, convinced no doubt it was naughty underwear, but I was saving that for later when we got back to the hotel.
“Go on.” I nudged him with my knee, and he took the edge of my sweater in his hand and gently raised it, then stilled when he saw what I’d written in pink lipstick just below my navel:
Merry Christmas, Papa
A slow smile spread across his face, and I let out the breath I was holding.Okay, so no freaking out. Good.
When he looked back up at me the smile turned into a knowing smirk.
“You knew?” I asked incredulously.
“Well, I did notice that it’d been a while since your last period. And then there were these.” He pushed the sweater up higher, revealing my boobs that were pretty much spilling out of my lacy bra. He ran his hands over them lovingly, and I moaned because they were also way more sensitive now too.
“I can’t believe you didn’t say anything!” I shoved his shoulders and he fell back on the bed, laughing when I fell on top of him.
“I figured you wanted to surprise me. Even though I was an active participant in making the surprise.”
It’s true that it hadn’t exactly been a secret that I wanted to have a baby. Over the summer I’d asked him if he felt like he was ready to start thinking about kids yet, and he’d said sure, as long as it didn’t interfere with my new job.
My apprenticeship in London had turned into a full-time gig as a recipe tester and developer for a well-known chef. Our team was international, and we largely worked from home with one week a month in the test kitchen in London. I wrote for the website, and we all contributed to a YouTube cooking channel, which initially had horrified me, but I was now beginning to enjoy, especially since I got to make Jake my cameraman.
I was busy but made my own schedule, and I knew that I could make it work if Jake said yes to starting a family. I thought he’d want to take things slower, but he hadn’t lied to me when he’d said that once he knew what he wanted he went after it. I went off the pill the next day because I was hoping to get pregnant right away so I could give him a birthday present he’d never forget.
“I am surprised by how quickly it happened,” he admitted, rolling me onto my back and rubbing his hand gently over my belly.
“Well, you know this will count as two gifts. A Christmas and a birthday present.” It was my turn to smirk. “Although, it will probably be a belated birthday present.”
“Ah, now I understand why you practically had me chained to the bed in October. And here I thought you were just overjoyed to be my wife.” He shook his head at me. “It was exhausting, you know. But in a good way.”
“So are you happy?”
“How can I not be when there’s going to be another piece of you to love?” He pressed a kiss to my stomach, and my eyes went misty.
“And you. It’s part of you too.”
“Us.” He whispered against my skin as I combed my fingers through his soft, thick hair. I hoped our baby would have his hair.
The sound of the “Jingle Bell Rock” doorbell announced our special guests. “That must be Katrien and Danica,” I said, sitting up. Jake’s mom had agreed to come celebrate with us, despite her bad memories of the neighborhood. She was truly making an effort to be part of her son’s life.
“Will we tell everyone?” I asked as I straightened my sweater and my hair.
He frowned. “Ben is only just beginning to tolerate me again. If I tell him on Christmas Eve that I’m going to make him a grandfather, he might club me over the head with a Gooduckant.”
“True. We’ll wait then.” I opened the door, but he took my hand and spun me back. He cupped my face in his and stared into my eyes. “I love you, Olivia. The best gift I ever got is getting to say that to you for the rest of my life.”
My heart warmed like it did every time he told me he loved me. Knowing that he’d never said it to anyone before me, how hard it was for him, and now how easily and often he said it, filled me with light.
Then he took my lips in a tender and possessive kiss that made me forget everything—even my own name.
