When I returned to the craziness downstairs, it took a few minutes to find Jax. He was at the sink washing some of the dishes that had been emptied from all the food. It seemed that everyone had dug in, knowing that Desi would be sequestered away for a good while. While Desi had been too focused on me and her own problems to instruct me to do so, I knew that she’d want me to thank everyone for her.
“Hey everyone!” I said loudly. “Desi is finally making use of the bed upstairs. She’s going to get some sleep. She deeply appreciates everyone here for her and for Caleb tonight, and it means a lot to her. Everyone is free to hang out, eat, and catch up, just please make sure to keep the volume down so she can get some sleep. As I’m sure you’re all aware of, she’s exhausted. Also – if there’s a lemon pie… Ima want a piece of dat.”
There were a few laughs from the family around me that knew me best. Lana stopped me as I moved through the crowd.
“How is she?” she asked.
“She was good enough to gripe at me before going to sleep,” I said, smiling. “So, I think she’s doing okay.”
“Good. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied. “I was happy to help.”
“Before you go,” she said, stepping in my path. “We need to talk about Jax.”
“Do we?” I asked.
She nodded. “You need to marry that boy.”
“We kind of only met about a month ago,” I said. “So, marriage might not be the best idea.”
“I don’t care,” she said, her thick southern accent coming through. “This whole time he has been dealing with all these women. Look at us. We are all a mess. Your family has been swarming in on him like flies on a pie made out of you know what, and he has smiled and chatted with all of them. They are curious about him. When asked, he stood there and told us the story of how you met. It was a cute little story.
“The story about you walking in and saving his mother’s life, however, was amazing. To hear him tell it… Ugh. You are that boy’s hero, honey. He said he’d seen beautiful girls in his day, but when you walked up to him in the park, you outshined them all. Then in that room, when he saw you so determined and strong, he said no one would ever be that beautiful to him again.”
“He did not say that,” I said.
“Actually, yes. Yes, he did,” she replied, one of her brows raised with a knowing smile on her face. “I’m telling you. You need to keep that boy.”
“You and your daughter are way too much alike,” I said. “That’s what she was griping at me about, too. I came down to take him for a walk.”
“He’s not a dog, honey,” she said, laughing a little.
I shared in the laugh. “I know it. I just can’t talk to him here. This isn’t the right time.”
“You mean to say that you can’t let all us old women live vicariously through you by letting us eavesdrop. That’s just rude, young lady.”
I laughed again. She was a good woman. “Yes. That’s what I mean. I have no idea how he feels, and I need some privacy. I also need for there to not be so much sadness and depression in the air.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find that he feels exactly the same way that we all do about him. I mean… that you do.” She winked before stepping out of the way. “Have fun. Just don’t do anything too fun in the car or anything like that. When you guys finally do it, make it romantic.”
“Lana!” I scolded.
“What?” she asked. “Don’t you think I know how these conversations go? I didn’t expect you to realize your love for one another and run off to go bake cookies in the sunset.”
“Oh, my goodness. You’re rotten.”
I gave her a hug and walked away. Jax had just finished with the dishes. The women, young and old, were gathered around him. He made a good show of being the sexy, caring type. His momma needed a big thank you card.
Lana and Desiree were both right. A conversation needed to happen, but it couldn’t happen right then. It needed to wait. It wasn’t my time. There were too many people around that needed attention more than me. Still, I’d been up a long time and exhaustion was getting to me. I needed a nap.
“I’m beat. I think I’m ready to find a place to take a nap. How are you feeling?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he said.
His eyes were a little pink. I could tell he was lying, even if it was just a little.
“Would you want to lie down with me?” I asked. “Only sleeping this time. I promise not to jump you.”
He smiled. “Technically, it was I that jumped you. Not the other way around.” He leaned in close enough that no one else could hear. “You were just vocal about letting me know that you wanted it.”
Even as tired as I was, he was still able to get a rise out of me. He was everything I could have hoped for.
“Let’s go find a place to sleep. We might even have to make a bed in the floor in Lana’s room next to Desi. She should be passed out cold by now,” I said.
“Sounds good to me. The more you talk about sleep, the more I find myself ready to just pass out.”