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“I would love that. Sounds like a plan.”
She jumped in and helped me clean. An hour into it, the delivery van arrived with the food, and shortly after that, we were surprised with a floral delivery. Shelby pulled through again. We unpacked everything, and I let Tara finish up her editorial while I fixed a marinade for the steak and cleaned the potatoes. We settled into a rhythm, and everything just felt natural.
“Now that we’ve agreed to forever, maybe we should play a bit of twenty questions. I know we’ve talked a lot, but there’s still things I would love to know about you. I’m not worried I’ll get scared. I just love learning about you and enjoying the moments we share. Does that sound cheesy?” I realized I was rambling.
“You’re not worried you’ll find out something to scare you off?” She winked.
“Not at all.” I leaned across the counter, giving her a quick kiss.
“Okay, I’ll go first. Kids? Yes or no?” She hesitated a minute, which led me to believe she was a yes.
I tried not to show my excitement, but I didn’t think I pulled it off. “Yes.”
She grinned. “Good, that’s all I really needed to know. Everything else we can figure out, but I’ve wanted to be a mom my whole life. I just never thought it would happen. I actually looked into adoption but never went too far because I was always traveling, and that would be hard with just me and a baby.”
“We’re both only children. How do you feel about that? Do you want more than one?”
She took a deep breath, making a funny face. “Remember, you already gave me the ring! I would love a houseful…”
“Great!” I interrupted. “Me too. See, nothing to worry about.”
We continued on, asking about favorites in several categories and sharing some of our best memories. It was nice, and like I had assumed it would, it only brought us closer. Being with her was like a dream I never wanted to wake from. By the time the marinade was ready, the house was clean, and we prepped everything else for dinner, we’d had a crash course in Landon and Tara 101, and neither of us had run for the hills.
“Do you want to read the editorial before I send it off to the publisher?” She had the cutest excited face.
I read bits and pieces of it as she went along. She was a talented writer. Of course, I knew that since I’d stalked her after the big fight. I hadn’t admitted to that yet. A strange sense of calm washed over me after she asked. It hit me that I wasn't the least bit worried about the article or how the general public would take it. Then another thought occurred.
“I wonder.” I pulled up a chair alongside her. “We could use the article to promote my book. When did you say they wanted to print it?”
“Six weeks. Do you think you’ll be done by then?”
“I have a couple more chapters to bang out and then send to Shelby. I’m pretty proud of it. I don’t think it will take much editing time. I don’t want to ride on your coattails, though. That might have been rude of me to ask.”
“You’re concerned? Please. Do I want to strengthen my article by also announcing a brand-new Landon Adams book? The first in twelve years. Yes, please. It’s a wonderful idea.”
“It’s settled, then. Can your people hold off until tomorrow?”
“I’m sure it will thrill them when I tell them why.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you. This could be great for me.”
“This article is going to be great for you with or without the book announcement. Once it hits the stands, you’re going to have magazines lining up to talk to you. I’m proud of you.”
“You’re the sweetest. Keep saying that for the rest of your life and we’re golden.”
Outside, we heard a car pull up and walked over to see her parents getting out. Her mother was beaming from ear to ear. I’d laughed when Tara had mentioned the holiday thing, but it had been years since I’d shared a holiday with anyone. Even before the accident, since my grandmother had died a few years before that. I had been so excited about Tara being a part of me it hadn’t hit me that I was gaining a whole family. The thought nearly moved me to tears, but I held it together. Ashford truly was my saving grace. I should have closed my eyes and picked a point on a map years earlier.
Opening the door, we greeted Mark and Beth, and I talked with the driver. He agreed to come back in a few hours and jokingly asked if I needed him to get too close to a few of the reporters. It was tempting, but I said we were good. Once the paperwork was in order, they wouldn’t be there anymore.
