“You said anything I wanted, remember?”
“I meant it…”
“I want it all, so yeah, I’m going to make sure our home is ready when you come back to me in five months.”
“I’m going to be the man that gives you everything your heart desires.”
“I know.”
“Dang it… my timer is going off,” he said quietly. “I’m going to call again next Saturday.”
“Sundays are better,” she replied quickly. “Eva usually has me working on Saturdays early in the morning, but I’m off on Sundays.”
“Sunday it is, sweetheart.”
“I can’t wait. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he murmured, just as the line went dead.
Jax sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he tried to calm the overwhelming loneliness that came with saying goodbye. He logged onto the computer, logged in on Amazon, and sent her a home improvement magazine subscription… and ordered some king-sized sheets as a reminder, including a gift note.
To my incredibly hot wife…
This is what I had in mind for us. The walls, the house,
and everything else is yours to do with whatever
your little ‘Pinterest heart’ wants, Darling.
Your loving husband
Jax clicked purchase,sending another gift in Mary’s direction, wanting to give her constant reminders that he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
CHAPTER21
MARY
She had hungup the phone with Jax when his parents called about three minutes later. Her hands trembled as she answered the phone, telling herself repeatedly that these people raised him, so they must be similar to him somewhat… right?
“Hello?”
“Is this Mary… Cunningham?” a woman said – and then started sobbing.
“Hello? This is Mary… who is this?”
“Oh my goodness, you sweet baby girl,” the woman wept. “You sound so nice and I just can’t wait to meet you. I’m Jean-Ann, Jax’s mother, and I’ve got you on speaker so Xavier can hear you too.”
“Hello, I hear you are the dreamboat that won my son’s heart?” the man said kindly, and Mary chuckled nervously.
“I don’t know about ‘dreamboat’… but I see where Jax gets his playful streak. It’s nice to meet you both, Jean-Ann and Xavier…oh! I get it now. I wondered if Jax was a family name, but I guess technically it is. How clever, you took a bit from each of your names.”
“Oh yes, our son was such a beautiful mix of the two of us that it seemed appropriate, but when you come visit – I can show you all his baby books and…”
Mary couldn’t help but laugh with joy at the persistent invitations.
“I would love to meet you both.”
“Your room is already waiting,” Xavier offered, only to have Jean-Ann interrupt him. “You just fly right on up here and we’ll handle everything else. The weather is beautiful and there isn’t much in the area, but you don’t even have to leave the house. You can see the property, we can have coffee on the back porch, and get to know each other. I’m so excited!”