Natasha ~ Present
“JUST TEXT ME THE DIRECTIONS,” I said, then hung up on my soon-to-be brother-in-law, not ready to answer the twenty questions that came from me asking for Jericho Smythe’s address.
As soon as I realized he was gone, I quickly got dressed and headed out to find him.
My first guess had been Prime Beef, but after I ran around back and saw that his car was gone, I figured it was best to drive out to his house and see if he was there, rather than go back into the party filled with everyone I knew in the world, and suffer through all of their questions.
I heard my phone ping and picked it up to look at the directions Jackson had sent. It was a small town, so I knew exactly where the street he’d sent me was located. I made a U-turn and pointed my car in that direction, nerves igniting in my stomach as I realized that I’d be there in less than ten minutes.
Once I found the house number on the mailbox, I turned left onto a dirt road and followed it back, gasping when I broke through the trees to see the house seated about a half mile off the road.
It was cute, quaint even, a one-story ranch-style home with a wraparound porch and a white picket fence surrounding it. The kind of fence that would hold a dog in the yard when necessary, or keep your children from running wild on the land. And, what beautiful land it was. There were large trees crawling across the acreage, as well as a few fruit trees, blooming with blossoms, and rose bushes on one side of the house.
It was like a dream come true. Our dream come true.
I parked next to Jericho, so I knew he was home, then got out, my head swinging back and forth to take it all in as I walked up to the front gate, opened it, and let myself inside. My breath caught as I walked up the steps of the porch to knock on the front door, and waited.
After a few short, agonizing moments, the door swung open to reveal a shocked Jericho standing before me. He’d already changed out of his work clothes and into some basketball shorts and a T-shirt that said, come to the math side, we have pie, except it was the pie symbol, not the word.
“Natasha,” Jericho said, then gestured with his hand and added, “Please, come in.”
I tried to give him an apologetic smile as I walked past him and into his house. Rather than pausing just inside the door, I took in my surroundings and walked farther into the house. When I stepped down into the living room, I gasped as I took in the open area, which looked up into the kitchen, both of which were decorated with rich woods, and had a down-home, country feel. I could see the gleaming, state-of-the-art appliances from where I stood, and turned to look at Jericho, my mouth open with shock.
“What did you do?” I whispered.
“Natasha, I’m so sorry,” he began, taking a step toward me then stopping abruptly, as if he wanted to reach for me, but was afraid to. “I’m sorry for leaving like that, for not staying and facing you like a man, but I was so ashamed.”
“Wait . . . what?” I asked, because while I was talking about the fact that he lived in the home we’d dreamt up together, he was obviously talking about something else. “Face me about what?”
“I saw the look on your face . . . after. And, God, Tash, if I took advantage, or forced you to do something you didn’t want to do . . .”
Oh, no, no wonder he’d left.
“No, Jericho, I promise, that wasn’t the problem at all. I was there with you, one hundred percent.”
Jericho ran a hand over his hair, his eyes searching my face.
“You were?”
“Couldn’t you tell?” I asked shyly, taking a step closer to him, until I was less than an inch away from touching him. I looked up and said, “I’m sorry I freaked. I was shocked at my behavior, then embarrassed that I’d attacked you like that, that it was obvious it had been a long time . . . and, finally, I was worried that we’d ruin the friendship that we’d just started to rebuild.”
Jericho’s hand came up slowly, tentatively, before he placed it against my cheek, his thumb caressing me sweetly.
“How long?” he asked gently.
Of course, that would be the part he’d focus on.
I took a deep breath, and knew I had to be honest. “Since the last time . . . with you.”
Jericho closed his eyes, then opened them and smiled wider than I’d ever seen.
“For me, too,” he said, and I was sure I heard him incorrectly.
“You can’t mean . . .”
He nodded and lowered his face to mine, his lips barely brushing mine before he pulled back.
“There’s been no one else,” Jericho admitted. “I told you, you’re it for me.”
This time I closed my eyes and leaned forward. He kissed my forehead and waited for me to gather my thoughts.
Once I had, I leaned back and brought my hand up to grasp his wrist at my neck.
“This house?”
“I bought it for you . . . for us,” he replied.
I didn’t know what to do with all of the thoughts and emotions swirling within me. I was afraid to give myself over to him completely, but after what had happened at my place, and what we’d just admitted to each other, I didn’t think I had a choice.
Plus, he’d made our dream house a reality, even when he had no idea whether we’d grow old in it together, or he’d live there all alone.
I owe it to both of us to give it a shot.
Before I could say that, I felt something brush against my leg and looked down to see a black cat walking between us.
I looked up at Jericho with a grin and asked, “Isaac Newton?”