Page 16 of Mama's Boy
“You take good care of me,” Chase teased.
“Have you decided on the main course?”the waiter asked.
“Yes, the shrimp scampi and the Lobster Fra Diablo, rice and the vegetable of the day.”
“Fine, sir.You wine will be here in a moment and I’ll have the appetizer here in a few minutes.”
Rowan looked at Chase as if he wanted to see the inside of his soul.“I take good care of you.I love you.”
The waiter came back, uncorked the wine gave the cork and a wine glass with a small amount of wine to Rowan.Rowan took the glass, smelled the wine, rolled it around the glass then took a taste.“This is excellent, please pour.”
The waiter poured the wine and Rowan made a toast, “To us…”
“To us…” Chase answered.
Rowan went into his pocket and felt for the box.The ring inside was a wide band in thick white gold.At the front it had two diagonal lines of cut diamonds.It was exquisite and Rowan thought it still didn’t adequately express what he felt for Chase.He got up from his chair and Chase looked at him funny.
When Rowan got down on one knee, Chase put his hands over his face.“Look at me, baby.”
Chase took his hands away from his face.Tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes.“Baby, I love you.Will you marry me?”
“Yes, oh God, yes, Rowan Hart, I want to spend all of our days together for the rest of our lives.”Rowan handed Chase the box.He opened it and took out the ring.Rowan grabbed his left hand and put it on his ring finger.
Rowan got up off his knee and pulled Chase up with him and into his arms kissing him with passion.The rest of the dining room broke out in applause.
Chase was still crying when they sat down.“What’s wrong, baby?”Rowan grabbed his hand.
“I’m so happy.I can’t stop crying.”Chase hiccupped on a sob.
“I have one for me, too.Do you want to put it on?”Rowan held out a second box.
Chase took the box from Rowan’s palm.His hands were shaking.He opened the box, took out the ring, and slipped it on Rowan’s finger.They matched.
“Now we have to get together with your mother, we have a wedding to plan.”
Chapter 7
Sunday dawned with Chase in Rowan’s arms.They’d spent most of the previous day planning their lives.They went downstairs to have some coffee and after the first cup were ready to talk to one another.“If it’s okay, we’ll sell your house and move together here, or we could buy something new together?”Rowan asked.
“I’m fine selling my place and moving here.I love your house, but I need somewhere quiet to work.”Rowan went over to his desk and took out a set of blueprints.They showed a hallway off the kitchen leading to a large two-story addition.The room was depicted with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a corner for Chase’s recliner, which was where he liked to work with his laptop.It also had a formal desk, files and a place for a printer and fax machine.
“I promise that when the door is closed, I won’t disturb you.I even sketched in a half bath and a nook for your coffee machine and an office fridge.”Rowan said anxious to get Chase’s approval on his plans.
“This all looks wonderful,” Chase said, “you thought of everything.”
“You have some great furniture.I was so busy fixing this place up I neglected furnishing all of the rooms except for the bedroom, kitchen and living rooms and even those rooms are light.Your good pieces, like the piecrust table, should come here.The second walk-in closet is empty with the exception of the stuff you’ve already brought here and so is the second medicine cabinet in the master bath.There’s plenty of room for a second dresser or we could go out and buy a new bedroom set.”Rowan barely took a breath.
“You don’t have to convince me, hon.I was on board with whatever you wanted as soon as you said the words Friday night.I’m so glad that your father and brothers are happy for us and I can’t believe your sisters-in-law both offered to be surrogates for us when the time comes.”Chase had met Rowan’s brothers and sisters-in-law a couple of weeks ago.They were excited and supportive.
They’d called Rowan’s father the previous night with the news.He sounded very happy for them and told Rowan that he would attend the wedding with Elena Garcia, the woman he’d started seeing.Elena had two daughters who were anxious to meet Rowan and Chase along with Rowan’s brothers’ families.
That left them with Edith.Even with John, Edith still leaned quite a bit on Chase.For the past three months he had been encouraging her to go out more and make some new friends.Now that she had a car and drove, Chase suggested that she get to know the area and explore.“Mom, the GPS won’t let you get lost.I programmed in home, first thing.All you have to do is push home and it will direct you there.”
Edith and John were finally coming to dinner late that afternoon.Chase and Rowan bought a standing rib roast, and were making scalloped potatoes and fresh green beans almandine.They were serving spinach salad with hot bacon dressing and shrimp cocktails for an appetizer.Rowan made a cheesecake and Chase was fixing a plate of antipasto that would be ready when they came.
“Good thing both of us can cook or there would be a lot of takeout in our future.”Rowan sliced the potatoes while Chase cut the ends off the green beans.
The bell rang at precisely four.Rowan and Chase both went to the door.“Hello darling, and you must be Rowan.Chase and Rowan this is John Schwartz.”Edith breezed in.
