Treading Water: Coming Home Part 35

He hesitated, and Kate could tell that he was deciding whether or not he should tell her.

"Just say it. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."

"Apparently, the media have figured out who I am, and they're digging into my life. They're making a big deal about the age difference between us. Ashton recommended we ignore it, which is good advice."

Kate's first thought was about her dad seeing the coverage and having it make things worse.

"It was inevitable that they'd figure out who was with you in the video," Reid continued.

"I'm sorry. I hate that they're dragging you through the mud, too."

"Don't be sorry. I knew what I was getting into, and I've gone into it fully aware of the possible fallout." He put his arms around her and drew her in close to him.

Resting her head on his chest, Kate closed her eyes and took comfort from his embrace.

"No matter what happens, no matter what they say or how intrusive they may be, there's nothing they could say or do that would make me not want you. That would make me not want this life we're figuring out for ourselves. Got me?"

Kate nodded and held on to him, her anchor in the storm.

"The next few months are apt to be rough, darlin'. You've chosen an unconventional path by agreeing to marry a guy my age. People are gonna talk, and some of it will probably be vicious. I'm a big boy, and I can take it. There's no way they'll drive me away, so don't spend one second worrying about that, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered.

"Now how about you show me this incredible house we're going to call home?"

"I'd love to."

"What did your dad say about the media reports?" Jill asked as Ashton drove them to his place. She'd spent the afternoon at his office, making calls, arranging the interview and dealing with the firestorm surrounding Kate, Reid and the video.

"Not too much."

"Hopefully, he'll take your advice and not look."

"I hope so."

"I feel sort of sorry for them," Jill said. "Here they've missed each other all these years and when they finally get back together, this happens. It's not fair."

"Well, they should've been a bit more circ.u.mspect in St. Kitts."

"True, but they thought they were alone."

Ashton reached for her hand. "Let's forget about them for a while. What do you want to do tonight?"

"Is it okay to say not much? I'm so tired. Thinking about all of this is exhausting, and now there's a wedding to be planned."

"They've set a date?"

"Your dad didn't tell you?"

"We never got around to talking about that."

"You should probably let him tell you."

"Come on," Ashton said, laughing. "Just tell me."

"December twenty-sixth."

"On his birthday."

"Oh, I didn't realize that was his birthday."

"Uh-huh."

"How do you feel about that?" she asked.

He stared straight out the winds.h.i.+eld. "Fine. I guess."

"You don't sound fine."

"I'm sure he'll ask me to be his best man."

"You don't want to do it?"

Ashton glanced over at her and then returned his attention to the road. "It's hard to talk to you about this. My future stepmother is your sister."

"She's not exactly going to be your stepmother, Ashton. As funny as that would be."

"I'm glad you think so." He paused. "I don't want to sound like a jerk, because I am happy for him-for both of them. h.e.l.l, I've lived long enough to know that what they seem to have doesn't come along every day. It's just that she's younger than I am, you know?"

"It's weird for you."

"A bit. Yeah. See? I sound like a jerk."

"No, you don't. Maybe he could ask Buddy to stand up for him."

"He could, but he won't. He'll ask me, and I'll do it because it's him asking."

"But you won't really want to."

"No," he said with a sigh. "I don't want to."

"Maybe you should tell him that before he asks you to spare you both the awkwardness of it."

"I could never say that to him. It's hard to explain what we've meant to each other over the years. My mom died such a long time ago. Our family was me and him, with the Longstreets thrown in there, too, of course. Since everything happened the first time with Kate, I've often wondered if I would've been p.i.s.sed no matter who he ended up with."

"Probably a little. You'd had him all to yourself for a long time."

"Yeah."

"Want to know what I think?"

"I really do."

Jill smiled at his earnest tone. "You've already been very supportive of a relations.h.i.+p that once caused you a lot of pain. You wouldn't be out of line to draw some boundaries if you need them."

"I suppose you're right." He drove into a parking lot in the middle of a cl.u.s.ter of townhomes. "Here we are. Home sweet home. Stay there." He got out of the car and came around to open her door.

"There's a lot to be said for dating a Southern gentleman," Jill said, charmed by his manners.

"Guys up north don't open doors for their ladies?"

"Not with any level of reliability."

"Then they weren't raised right."

"I'm beginning to think you're right about that."

"Kate used to live over there," Ashton said, pointing to a building across the parking lot from his.

"I remember her saying you guys were neighbors."

"Yeah, she moved out as soon as she could-probably because I was here. I like the place, so I stayed put." He led her into a nicely decorated home that was clearly occupied by a guy, with leather and chrome and a gigantic flat-screen TV in the living room. "I have my needs," he said when he caught her staring at the TV. "Football, baby. Lots and lots of football."

Jill wrinkled her nose at the mention of a sport she'd always hated. "That might be a deal breaker."

He seemed stricken. "No... You probably need a better understanding of the game so you can appreciate it."

"I understand the game just fine, and I'll never appreciate it."

He honestly looked like he might cry. "I thought you were the absolute perfect woman for me, but now I'm not so sure."

Jill bit her lip to keep from laughing. "If it's too much for you," she said, backing toward the door, "I could leave now before this goes any further."

"Or," he said, following her with intent in his eyes, "you could think of some way to make it up to me."

"Make it up to you?"

"You are the only girl I've ever dated who doesn't like football as much as I do."

"Is that right?" By now she was backed up to the door and he had surrounded her with his arms propped over her head.

"Uh-huh." He pressed his body against hers, and Jill had to restrain herself from pulling him even closer.

"So whatever will we do about this significant difference of opinion?"

"I suppose," he said, dipping his head to kiss her neck, "we'll have to come to some sort of compromise."

Jill tilted her head to give him better access. "You don't have to give up football for me. Really, I'd never ask that of you." The next thing she knew, she was hanging over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs. She let out a squeak of surprise and protest. "Put me down!"

He dropped her with an ungraceful plop in the middle of his big bed.

"That was very undignified."

"I like you this way-with your hair all messed up and ruffled."

Jill started to fix her hair, but he required her full attention when he came down on top of her, propping himself on strong arms. "Did today feel very, very long to you?"

Jill nodded and raised her hands to grip bulging biceps. "Very long."

He never broke eye contact as he brought his lips down to claim hers in a deep, sweeping kiss full of pent-up desire. "I was thinking," he said when he came up for air, "since Kate is going to be cutting back, you might have some extra time on your hands. Maybe you could come to work with me."

She stared at him, agog. "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious. You're extremely good at what you do, and I have other clients who'd benefit greatly from what you've learned running Kate's career."

"But you and me, working together?"

"Why not?" He kissed her again, scrambling a brain that was trying to focus on his offer.

She turned her head to break the kiss. "Don't toss out something like that and then try to distract me."

He nudged at her belly with his erection. "I like distracting you. And if we worked together, I could distract you whenever I wanted to."

"And that's supposed to be a selling point?"

"I thought so."

"Rather full of yourself, aren't you?"

"I'm rather hoping you like me as much as I like you. I'm rather hoping that this is the start of something important for both of us. And I'm rather hoping you might want to be my partner at work as well as at home."

Flabbergasted, Jill stared up at him.

"I can see that I've taken you totally by surprise." He moved off her and put his arm around her, urging her to turn on her side to face him. "Stop looking at me like I just told you I believe in aliens."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that, but you did catch me by surprise."

"It must seem like I'm moving way too fast since we got together, but I feel like I've waited such a long time for you, and now that I have you..."

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"I want everything, and I want it now."

"G.o.d, you don't mess around, do you?"

"Never."

Jill knew there was a world of sincerity behind that single word, and she appreciated the double meaning. "I...um... I don't know what to say. I don't do things like this. I'm not impulsive. I'm a planner. I make lists and spreadsheets and more lists."