Chapter 16
As Pine Valley wine country came into view and they neared the town, Kinley began to fidget. She’d had the past hour to come up with what she wanted to say, and still had nothing. How did she put all she finally realized — weeks…months’ worth of feelings and emotions — into a simple speech that started with, hi, I’m back?
“Just speak from your heart.” His Italian accent heavy, his tone soft and sweet for a change, Mr. Moretti tapped at his chest. “Right here. You can’t go wrong with the heart, miss.”
How did he know what she was thinking? Was it that obvious?
“From the heart, got it.” She blew out a nervous breath. “And if it’s too late?”
“It’s never too late for love, miss.” Moretti tossed her a quick wink before returning to the road. “Not the real kind.”
“Right…” she said in a near whisper, and then it hit her. “The park! Take me to the park!”
“What?” An eyeroll with a dramatic sigh followed his question. “Why are we going to the park? What am I, some sort of taxi service to you? I’ll never understand…”
“I know…you’ll never understand young people. Jace and JT, they’re at the park. It’s the last Friday of the month. All the kids are there for Painting in the Park,” Kinley recited. “And yes, technically…you’re my taxi, big guy!”
Another big sigh, something Moretti was good at, and he made a quick, last minute sharp turn toward the park. An enormous crowd could be seen from quite a distance. Given the season threatening to change, and sunny, dry days becoming fewer and farther between, it made sense. Pine Valley residents wanted to organize one last Painting in the Park before they were forced indoors for the winter.
“How will I find them in that crowd?” Kinley thought out loud.
“Really?” Moretti was annoyed by her lack of imagination and determination. “You’re looking for a man with a child, you’re in an ice cream truck, and you don’t know how you’ll find him… I’ll never understand.”
“Music! The ice cream truck music! The kids will come running…parents in tow! JT loves your gelato!” she said.
Mr. Moretti looked up, as if speaking to the heavens. “She fiiinally gets it. This one. Oy!”
Approaching the final blocks leading to the park, Moretti flipped on the music and the crowd began to separate. It worked. Kids were running and adults scattering — Kinley and Mr. Moretti were the cause of playground pandemonium.
Parking at the curb, where a line was already forming, Kinley jumped out to search the crowd, climbing up the step on the side of the truck, holding the side mirror to stay balanced. Her phone buzzed in her hand, but she ignored it. She was on a mission — realizing her dream. Scanning the crowd, she finally found what she was looking for. This really was what it was about — finding what she was looking for, in life and in love. Jace.
“Jace!” she shouted over the large, noisy crowd.
Jace glanced up from the phone in his hand and looked around, but inevitably returned his attention to the phone he was holding. So, Kinley called his name again, getting the same result as before. Her phone buzzed yet again, but she ignored it.
Kinley called Jace’s name one more time over the crowd, ready to wave her arms and gain his attention, but he didn’t even look this time. Frustrated, she grabbed her buzzing phone and turned it off before forging through the crowd to get to her man. Before she could, however, the notification on the screen grabbed her attention. It was a text from Jace.
Why would he text her? He knew she was supposed to be in the air, New York bound. The man stood within shouting distance, but curiosity got the best of her and she opened the message.
I know you won’t get this for a while, you’re still in the air, but I couldn’t wait until you landed. Kinley, I should have stopped you, asked you to stay, fought for you and us, chased you to the airport, hell…there were a lot of things I should have done. Like tell you I love you. I want you to be happy, and if that’s in New York, so be it. I’m sure they need kid docs there too. Anyway, I hope you had an uneventful flight, made it safe, and everything you want is waiting for you. If I’m part of that list, just say the word. All my love, Jace.
Her eyes welled, overwhelmed with emotion from his words — he loved her, he was willing to move for her, Jace wanted to fight for her. Kinley chuckled at the part about an uneventful flight given the delays leading up to departing the plane. She had to assume it would have been a less than comfortable flight had she not caught on.
Kinley’s attention was brought back to her phone and another message when it began to rattle in her hand.
I already miss you so damn much, I swear I hear your voice calling my name. How ridiculous is that? Anyway, I love you. Call me when you land and get settled. Let’s talk.
So, he had heard her calling his name — this moment felt surreal. He was saying all the right things, wishing for another chance just as she had while waiting for her flight, and here they were, with that chance.
There it is again, your voice. Even JT hears it. We’re at the Painting in the Park. JT painted a unicorn for you — he’s never mentioned them before, but said you knew all about them. Guess we’re both a couple of love-sick guys. Talk soon.
Swelling with joy, her heart soared, a feeling she hadn’t experienced before now. Jace’s words had moved her to tear-stained cheeks and a snorting giggle at the unicorn reference. If there was a single doubt in her mind up to this point, about where she was meant to be, that doubt was now gone.
Her attention back on her phone, she decided to get his attention over the crowd another way. She texted him.
I don’t even know what to say, other than, I love you too. So much it hurts. I was afraid, Jace…but I’m not anymore. Let’s talk, we’ll figure it out. Man, what I wouldn’t give to be in the park too, eating gelato with you and JT right now…
This was silly, plain silly, a made for TV movie sweet romance silly. Here she was, confessing her love to a man via text message, teasing him with gelato, when he stood within walking distance. That’s what they had, though — a sweet romance — and that was how their story was meant to play out.
Kinley watched him pull out his phone again. The look on his face was both one of confusion and delight. She watched him read the handful of words, a smile emerging as he reached the end. He looked down, talking to JT it seemed, before his fingers went to work on his phone. Excitement washed over her when her phone buzzed in her hand.
You have no idea how badly I wanted to hear those words. I can’t wait for your call, baby. Funny you mention gelato. The boy and I are in line for one now. We’ll have an extra scoop, your favorite flavor, just for you. What I wouldn’t do to see your face right now…
There was nothing left to say, they had said it all, albeit through text messaging. It was time to let him off the hook and tell him she was back and never leaving again.
You want to see my face? It’ll cost you a scoop, Doc. Look up…
Nerves took over as she waited for him to read her message, ridiculous as it was. Those obnoxious butterflies were back, fluttering around in her belly from the excitement in knowing how much her life was about to change.
He read it. Looking left to right, he read it again — a million-dollar smile stretched across his face. She saw his body quake in laughter as realization set in and he scanned the crowd once more, finally locking eyes on her. His body sagged for a moment, a gasp, maybe a sigh, escaping him. Either way, he looked relieved to see her.
Jace disappeared from sight, ever so briefly, coming back into view holding JT. JT’s little hands were clapping before they covered his mouth as he laughed in excitement. Kinley’s heart was ready to burst. Cue the sappy, Hallmark movie music.
What’s more was Sadie appeared at his side with Cooper and Connor, motioning for him to do something she couldn’t quite decipher. As Sadie took Jace’s place in line, he placed JT on his shoulders and bolted her way.
She quickly stepped off the side of the ice cream truck when Jace and JT reached her, standing toe to toe. With so much she wanted to say just moments before, she found herself standing there speechless — something that happened to her often when Jace was around.
“You’re here,” he said, breaking the silence.
“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go back,” Kinley admitted.
“But I thought you wanted to go home, chase your dream. I don’t want to stand between you and what makes you happy, Kinley.”
“I am home, here in Pine Valley. I was just too scared to admit it before. And this is my dream. You and JT — you make me happy, Jace.”
“Well, you make us happy, twinkle toes,” Jace said, pulling her close. “I promise I’ll never let you go again. I’ll always fight for us, I’ll tell you every day I love you, and show you just how much. And I’m going to marry you, twinkle toes, so be ready for forever, because that’s what I’m talking about.”
With a quick glance at her watch, she teased, “I totally have time for forever…”
Jace leaned in and kissed her, the crowd around them clapping, offering their heart felt awwws.
“So, is this fling of ours over?” Jace teased, resting his forehead against hers.
“Yeeeah…not really my thing anymore. I’m looking for something a little more…permanent.”
JT interrupted their silly banter. “Does dis mean we get ’a keep her, Dad?”
Kinley reached for the tot, pulling him from his father’s shoulders and hugging him close. “Yeah, dude…forever.”
Six months later…
“I can’t believe it’s tomorrow…” Kinley said, straightening Jace’s tie.
Jace held her head in his hands and pulled her in for a sweet kiss before saying, “Longest six months of my life. Tomorrow, you’re ours forever.”
“Forever,” Kinley said before kissing him back.
“No cold feet, twinkle toes?” Jace asked. “You’re really going to meet me at the altar tomorrow?”
“I cleared my schedule. I should be there,” Kinley teased, placing her hand on her belly. “Besides, you’re my baby daddy…”
“That I am,” Jace said in a deep timbre as he grabbed her ass. “Knocked you up to seal the deal.”
“Oh, how barbaric of you. Tell me more while you beat your chest,” she said with a dramatic eyeroll.
When Kinley decided to forgo New York, realizing her heart was in Pine Valley, they just knew. Jace had already told her he was going to marry her, and she didn’t protest, so an official proposal came only two weeks later. It was a no brainer. A few hours apart and threat of New York in the picture was all the couple required to realize how much they truly loved each other — and needed each other.
After six months of planning and a surprise pregnancy in the mix, the day had finally arrived. They were preparing for their rehearsal dinner at the Pine Valley Grand Hotel, where they would be wed the following day. Neither had cold feet. If anything, it was quite the opposite and they wished they didn’t have to wait as long as they had.
“Daddy, dis thing falled off,” JT said as he entered the room, holding his neck tie in front of him.
“Oh, come here, dude,” Kinley said, squatting down to his level. “I’ll fix it. Look, I know you don’t like it, so if you promise to leave it on for the rehearsal dinner, Daddy will get up early and take you for donuts tomorrow before the wedding.”
“Oh, I will, huh?” Jace laughed.
“Yeah. You will. I have a wedding to get pretty for,” she said, flipping up JT’s collar to put his tie back on.
“You’re already pretty,” JT said, batting his thick eyelashes. “But Dad should go because you said so and you’re da boss.”
Kinley looked up at Jace with an ornery grin. “See? I’m da boss.”
Jace tossed his head back and laughed. The past six months had been a whirlwind and nothing short of fantastic. Something caught the corner of his eye through the big picture window to his left. Evelyn Shirley, jaw dropped, camera on him, from the sidewalk.
“Oh crap, what now?” Jace said in an angsty tone. “Evelyn Shirley. Sidewalk.”
“What?” Kinley asked with a bewildered look as she popped her head up to see over the couch blocking her view.
Evelyn notably jumped in shock at the sight of Kinley and started hitting her screen with her thumb in rapid fire. With her face in a twisted expression of what looked like disgust, she marched on with her nose in the air and a slight shake of her head. You could almost hear the tsk, tsk rolling off her lips from where they stood inside the house.
“Wonder what that was about?” Kinley asked with a shrug.
“I’m sure we’ll know soon enough via Facebook,” Jace said, helping Kinley to her feet. “Let’s get going. Can’t be late to our own party.”
When Jace and Kinley entered the Pine Valley Grand Ballroom, rather than cheers, the group waiting for them erupted in laughter. Jace and Kinley looked at each other, then the group, only to notice they all had their phones out.
“Oh no,” Kinley said, causing a scene as she rigorously felt around Jace’s pockets. “Phone. Where’s your phone?”
“Who are you going to call?” Jace asked, pulling his phone from his shirt pocket. “It looks like everyone is here…”
“Call? Pfft.” Kinley shook her head, and grabbed the phone from Jace, having left her own at home. “Facebook, Doc. Keep up.”
“Evelyn,” he sneered.
“Ding, ding, ding!” she said as her nails clicked against the phone screen. “Facebook — they’re all on their phones and laughing…at us.”
“Oh crap, Facebook.” Jace ran his hands through his hair as he glanced over Kinley’s shoulder, anxious to see what Evelyn had to say now.
It was a series of pictures taken from the sidewalk in front of their home, just an hour before. One was of Jace, head back in an odd pose and awkward smile on his face. The second picture was Jace staring right at the camera, and Kinley on her knees, right in front of him, face groin-high wearing a wide-eyed look of shock to match Jace’s. JT wasn’t tall enough to appear in the picture it seemed. What Evelyn thought she caught and what Evelyn really caught were two very different things…
A long pause stood between the jaw-dropped couple as they looked at what appeared to be pictures of…a blow job in progress. They read the latest caption from evil Evelyn Shirley on #RumorHasIt — then joined the laughter.
Looks like the honeymoon started early for these two…and everyone is invited for a street-side view! Get a room or close the curtains — there are children around. P.S. this is where babies come from — get a new hobby…or a TV in your room.
The End