Page 2 of The Wedding Toast
“No, that’s not going to happen.If anything, I think it’ll amp things up for a while.”
She raised her eyebrows.“Only for a while?”
He grasped her hips and rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she sat astride him.“Yes.I see things getting intense for a while and then slowing down.”
She looked so crestfallen that he reached up to stroke her cheek.“Think about it, Becca.What have we been calling sex?”
She looked genuinely thoughtful for a moment before a slow smile spread across her face.“Baby-making practice.But we agreed that it should only be practice until we’re married.So …”
He nodded happily.“So, once we’re married, things might amp up for a while as we try to get pregnant, and then maybe they’ll have to taper off for a while if we succeed.”
He had to laugh as she pulled his T-shirt that she liked to sleep in off over her head, saying, “In that case, we should have as much single-people sex as we can while we still can.”
She leaned down to him, and her long hair fell around them like a curtain, closing the world out as she kissed him.Jacob hugged her to his chest and rolled them again, pinning her body to the bed with his own.
Her eyes sparkled as she said, “You’re being bossy again.”
He nodded happily.“Only because you love it.”
“I do.”
“I do, too.And next weekend, we’ll get to say those words for real.”He lowered his head to kiss her, knowing that even without his parents here, life with Becca was better than it had ever been.
~ ~ ~
Becca looked herself over in the mirror before she went downstairs.She loved Saturday mornings with Jacob.Not just the staying in bed for what they shared there, but the whole thing; Saturday mornings were one of the rare times they were alone in the house.
Elena, the cook, felt more like family, and she had right from the beginning.The housekeeper, Mrs.Browning, seemed scary at first, but she was just more formal than Elena.She too had become a friend over the last year.Wow, it was hard to believe that Becca had lived here with Jacob for more than a year.In some ways it seemed like she’d only been here a few weeks; in other ways, it felt as though he’d always been a part of her life.
She ran the brush through her hair a couple more times.She looked fine.She’d taken her time getting ready after their shower.Jacob had gone over to see Bentley – to talk about best man things, he’d said.
She could call any one of the girls if she wanted to.But although she’d grown close to them all – probably closest with Alyssa and Piper, and then Hannah, and surprisingly Willow, and not just because she lived here on the estate too – there wasn’t anyone here who she wanted to talk to about how she felt.She loved these girls, but they came from a different world, even though they insisted that they didn’t, and that she was one of them.She didn’t disagree; she felt like one of them now.But they had no clue about what her life had been like before.They couldn’t understand how it felt to be a Kansas farm kid – let alone how surreal it felt to be that same Kansas farm kid who was about to marry not just any old Napa bigshot buttheJacob Jacobs!
Of course, that wasn’t how she saw it, wasn’t how she saw him.She loved that man with all her heart and soul.But there was a part of her who still struggled to reconcile it all.
When she reached the kitchen, she smiled when she saw a note from Jacob next to the tea kettle.
Elena left egg muffins for us.Eat some, don’t forget.
She grinned as she headed for the fridge – she loved those little egg muffins.Once she was settled at the island with her breakfast, she unplugged her phone and scrolled through her emails.There wasn’t anything to panic over.Jacob had removed her from most of the group emails about wedding details – she’d been getting so stressed.And he was right; there was no need for her to follow the rollercoaster of every detail.All she needed to know was that everything would be perfect on the day – he and her mom would make damn sure of it.
She checked her watch.There was no point in calling her mom; she’d be at the grocery store.She’d done the weekly shop after lunch on Saturdays for as long as Becca could remember.But just because she wouldn’t be home didn’t mean … She dialed the number and waited.
“What’s up, Becca love?”
“Hi, Dad.Nothing’s up.I just have a little time to myself and thought I’d see how you’re doing.”
“You sure you’re all right?”
“I am, I’m positive.”She let out a short laugh.“To tell you the truth, everything’s so all right that I’m kind of at a loose end.I thought you might be the same way – you’re taking a break this afternoon, aren’t you – while Mom’s out?”
He huffed out a laugh.“I am.Making the most of the peace while she’s doing the shop.Though what she’s shopping for I don’t know.We’re coming to you on Monday, so …”
“You know what she’s like.She’ll want to make sure that you’re restocked for when you get back, and besides, she wouldn’t know what else to do.”
“That’s true.But your mom’s fine.I’m fine.Tell me about you.Are you ready for next weekend?Nervous?Most of all, are you sure?I know your Jacob’s a good ’un, but you have to be sure, Becs.Not saying I think you want to call it off – I know you love him, and it’s plain he loves you.But if it’s too soon, if you want to take more time … Just because he’s spent all that money, just because your mom’s been so all in on getting it organized, it doesn’t mean … All’s I’m saying …”
“Aww, Dad!I love you.”
