Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3 Read online

  Zack was smiling as she spoke. “I don’t think there could be a more perfect place to start our married lives together.”

  “I’m glad you can see my side of things,” she said teasingly and wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the gesture, his fingers entwining at the small of her back. He kissed her softly, then deeper as his grip tightened around her. Jen pulled him close and stepped backward as he gently pushed her up against a tree. His hands moved to her face and his mouth explored hers passionately. He was breathing hard when he pulled back, and only inches from her face said, “Sometimes, I can’t believe that I could love a person as much as I love you. Or that someone like you could love someone like me.”

  Jen rested her forehead to his. “Believe it,” she whispered, “because it’s real!”

  Chapter 12

  “Seven weeks? You’re getting married in seven weeks?” Aunt Gabby’s eyes were large. “That’s not very much time. At least not for nowadays, I remember when shotgun weddings were the thing. Cheap and quick; of course, most marriages ended as quickly as they’d begun.” She sat down with her cup of coffee and an English muffin.

  “We don’t want to wait until spring and we want to have the ceremony out at Helena’s Grove, so the end of September looks like our date,” Zack said, smiling at Jen.

  “I’m really happy for you kids,” Aunt Gabby commented, smiling broadly.

  “Our plane leaves at 10:45 so we should probably get going. We’ve got a lot to work out before the big day,” Zack told Aunt Gabby. “We’re going to try and be here a couple days before the wedding so we can help set up and get things ready.”

  “I’m sure Annie’s thrilled! She’s been really worried about the two of you,” Aunt Gabby told them.

  Zack and Jen exchanged glances. “We haven’t told her yet. We thought we’d call her once we got back to Boston.”

  “That is, if gossip doesn’t get to her first.” Zack gave Aunt Gabby a look.

  She feigned a look of offense and put a hand on her chest. “I never spread gossip. You don’t have to worry about me saying anything to anyone.”

  “Good.” Zack winked at her.

  Jen stood. “We’d better go. We don’t want to miss our flight.”

  They all piled in the truck and Zack drove as they made their way to the airport. Aunt Gabby chatted excitedly the entire time about the colors and the flowers and where Jen was getting her dress. She insisted that she be with Jen on that momentous occasion. “The dress is the second biggest decision in your wedding,” she told Jen matter-of-factly.

  “What’s the biggest decision?” Jen giggled.

  “Well, the decision to marry the groom of course,” Aunt Gabby stated like it was the most obvious thing.

  “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.” Jen squeezed Zack’s hand and he glanced at her, his dimple showing prominently as he smiled.

  “You let me know when you get the appointment and I’ll fly up to meet you,” Aunt Gabby went on. “And I insist on buying the dress.”

  Jen’s mouth hung open. “No! Aunt Gabby, you don’t have to do that.”

  “Oh stop it child. I have to have something to spend my money on. What better thing than my favorite niece’s wedding dress?”

  “You might have to fight Daddy for that privilege,” Jen observed.

  “Nope, he can foot the bill on the wedding itself if he feels so inclined. The dress is my department, I want it and he won’t dare fight me for it.”

  Jen shook her head as she laughed. “You and Daddy have the funniest relationship.”

  Aunt Gabby shrugged. “It’s just because I’m the only person left in this world that will tell him the way the bear craps in the woods. And he won’t talk back because he knows I’ll flip him in the mouth the same way I did when he was a naughty little boy.”

  Zack and Jen chuckled as Aunt Gabby chatted away. Jen knew it was no use arguing about the dress. She’d made up her mind and Jen was reminded of just how stubborn her aunt could be. Once at the airport they said their goodbyes, promising to keep in touch with all the details. An hour later the two of them were on the plane headed for Boston. Zack was asleep only minutes after take-off, his head leaning back against the chair, mouth open slightly. Jen smiled as she watched him; feeling like the luckiest girl alive. Eventually, his head slid over until it was resting on her shoulder. She was glad he was getting some rest. The next few weeks were going to be insane, Jen knew that much.

  Her mind whirled around the events of the summer. There had been so many changes in her life in the past year it still surprised her to think about it. She had thought moving to Ohio for the summer was a big decision. Then getting in a relationship with Zack had been even bigger, followed by her decision to quit working for her father and move to Boston to live with Zack. It seemed like one big event after another – and it wasn’t slowing down! Now she was engaged; she would soon be Mrs. Zack LaFaye. Her entire life she’d thought that she would keep her maiden name when and if she ever got married. Plenty of women did that, especially if they were in the working field. But now that the time had come, she found herself excited to take Zack’s name – excited to be his Mrs. She smiled at the thought and looked down at her fiancé sleeping soundly on her shoulder. She kissed his hair and rested her head against his for the remainder of the flight.

  By the time they landed, grabbed their luggage and caught a ride to their apartment, they were both exhausted. Jen couldn’t remember a time she’d done so much traveling in such a short period.

  Zack pulled out the keys and unlocked the door to their apartment. They shuffled in and stopped in their tracks – the apartment was a mess! Jen’s mouth hung open as her eyes darted from the garbage on the floor to the beer bottles overflowing from the trash can to the half naked man asleep on their couch. She looked at Zack for an explanation but judging by the look on his face, he was every bit as surprised as she was. He walked swiftly to the couch.

  “Jeremy!” he shouted.

  Jeremy jumped and twisted as he fell off the couch onto the floor but then quickly got on his feet. “Dude you’re back!” he exclaimed.

  Zack nodded. “I’m back. What the hell did you do to my apartment?”

  “It’s kind of a long story,” Jeremy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t know for sure when you’d be back. I had some friends over last night and I didn’t get around to cleaning up. Sorry bro.” It was only then that Jeremy acknowledged or noticed Jen. “Hey, you’re back too? That’s great! Did you guys work stuff out then?”

  Jen tiptoed around the garbage on the floor and stood next to Zack. “Yes we’re back, we’re back together and we’re back in our apartment so…” She let the implication hang in the air although Jeremy didn’t seem to take the hint.

  Jen suddenly smiled and turned to Zack. “You know what babe, I’m going to go unpack and take a shower. I’ll let you deal with this.” She carried her luggage to the bedroom, hoping the party had been limited to the living room and kitchen. She opened the door slowly and found it clean and tidy except for a few of Zack’s clothes draped over the bed. She exhaled a sigh of relief and began unpacking as Zack let Jeremy know he would have to move out.

  Twenty minutes later Zack entered the bedroom and plopped on the bed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it would be so hazardous to have him stay here,” Zack moaned.

  “Is he gone?” Jen asked, pulling her pajamas from the drawer.

  “Yes. He’s really a nice guy. And I didn’t think it’d be a big deal to have him stay here a few days but… I guess I was wrong.”

  “I’m glad you helped him out when he needed it.” Jen patted his knee. “But I’m also glad that we have the apartment to ourselves once more.”

  Zack nodded in agreement. “So am I. To be honest the only reason I told him he could stay here in the first place was because it was so weird for me to come home to an empty apartment. It just felt strange.”

  Jen smiled at him.
/>   “Not that he’s anywhere near as fun to come home to as you.” He winked at her and she giggled.

  “I’m glad to hear that. It would be a sad day if I had to fight Jeremy for your attention.”

  Zack stood and pulled her up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her. “I know the next couple years won’t be easy for us – with the internship and you working, it’s going to be difficult to get the time we need. But I promise you right now that I’ll do whatever I can to make time for us.”

  “Does that mean you won’t study when we go to dinner or lunch or breakfast?”

  Zack exhaled. “I’ll do my very best not to.”

  “And you won’t talk about diseases or broken bones when we’re eating?”

  He smiled. “I’ll try not to.”

  “And you’ll love me, and kiss me every morning and every night?”

  “Absolutely.” He kissed her. “I’m just sorry our first night home we had to be welcomed by such a mess.”

  “Don’t worry about it. That’s the good thing about a small apartment – it’s easier to clean up.” She grabbed a towel and headed for the shower.

  “True,” Zack replied as he began to put away his own luggage. “The last couple days have been pretty crazy, haven’t they?”

  “Oh honey.” Jen leaned out the door. “The crazy is only getting started. The next seven weeks will most likely be the craziest of your life!”

  Chapter 13

  Jen never realized how prophetic her words would be as the next three weeks whizzed by. If planning a small wedding was this hectic, Jen couldn’t imagine what planning a large wedding would be like! Since they’d opted for a small ceremony, the guest list proved to be a chore as it was hard to determine who in their lives they considered a ‘close friend’. The reception was to be at the newly renovated barn used for group gatherings that Jen, Zack, Annie and Adam had visited last year at Christmas time. Annie was the maid of honor and she seemed to take the role very seriously. She had cried when Jen asked her and since then she had been Jen’s right-hand- woman. Anything she needed, Annie was on it in a flash. Bianca’s reaction to Jen’s marital news had been less than enthusiastic, as Jen knew it would be. Bianca had the same views about marriage that Jen had had, but after some prompting and a position of bridesmaid offered, she relaxed and even told Jen she was happy for her.

  By the first week of September, Jen thought she had almost everything worked out – except the dress! She had less than four weeks until the wedding and was yet to find one she really liked. She, Aunt Gabby and Bianca had gone to several bridal stores in hopes of finding the perfect one. The problem was that Jen could not for the life of her decide what the perfect one looked like. She had always loved pretty dresses, and she knew that finalizing on something as monumental as her wedding dress was going to be difficult, but she never imagined it would be impossible. Bianca had plenty to say, telling Jen she’d compromised on every other thing she’d ever wanted; she was NOT to compromise on the dress! Aunt Gabby had as much if not more to say but kept it to herself until she and Jen were alone.

  “The dress is just a piece of cloth you will never wear again,” she assured Jen. “You look beautiful in everything! Just picture what you want in your mind and find something close to it. You’ll never be satisfied if you go on like this.”

  Jen knew she was right. She didn’t want to be a diva about the whole situation, but dress after dress seemed to have at least one thing that bothered her.

  The next weekend, Aunt Gabby, Annie and Bianca were all coming back to New York for the third time to try and find the dress. Jen agonized over the decision and was frustrated with herself for being so picky! But she knew she had to love the dress – it was just part of the deal. She met the three women at yet another bridal store. She was glad everyone had made it this time as previously either Bianca or Annie were absent and Jen had missed their different opinions. Aunt Gabby, on the other hand, had been by her side through everything and Jen prayed this time she would find the one she was looking for.

  “Thanks, you guys, for making the effort to be here.” Jen smiled at the ladies around her when they were seated in the waiting room. “It really means a lot to me.”

  “I’m glad to be here if you actually pick one,” Bianca teased. “I thought I was picky, but girl, you’ve got commitment issues.”

  “Speak for yourself!” Jen teased her back.

  “I’m sure we’ll find the right one. I can feel it,” Annie, always the positive one, commented. “Today is your day Jen, I know it is.”

  “Well, I think you’re being downright picky about the entire thing,” Aunt Gabby said. “It’s a dress; you’ll wear it once, just once. Then it will go in the back of your closet and the only times you’ll take it out is to marvel at how thin you once were!”

  Jen tried to swallow the nerves that rose up at Aunt Gabby’s words. “It’s not just a dress Aunt Gabby. It’s the dress that Zack will remember me in for the rest of our lives. I want it to literally take his breath away. I want his heart to stop when he sees me. I want my heart to stop when I’m in it.”

  “We’ll find it Jen, don’t worry,” Annie said, smiling sweetly.

  Aunt Gabby opened her mouth to comment but was cut off when the consultant announced it was their turn to come back. The party of four walked around, each suggesting dresses they believed were the perfect match. Jen nervously tried on several, but eventually turned each one down. After an hour, her spirits were diminished. She fought back tears as Aunt Gabby entered her dressing room.

  “How are you holding up, darlin’?”

  Jen shook her head; there were no words to describe her state of despair.

  Aunt Gabby sat on the chair next to her. “Honey, in my experience if you look for perfect, you’ll always be disappointed. Things aren’t perfect.”

  “Zack is perfect,” Jen countered.

  “Zack is a gem, but he’s not perfect. He’s perfect for YOU,” Aunt Gabby stressed.

  Jen’s eyebrows furrowed. “I know you think I’m being picky, but I just want it to be amazing.”

  “It will be; you’ve looked amazing in every dress you’ve come out in. I think your problem is that you’re too focused on pleasing me because I’m buying or Zack because he’s your fiancé, but what you really need to do is find the one you want. You need to find the dress that is perfect for you. You take Zack’s breath away every time you enter a room, no matter what you’re wearing – you have from the day you two met. You could walk down the aisle in a sheet and he’d talk about it for the rest of your lives.”

  “I know you’re right. It’s just that I want him to think back on this day as the best day of our lives. I want everything to be…”

  Aunt Gabby was shaking her head. “I already told you, perfect doesn’t exist. It can be perfect for you if you choose to let it be. Don’t blame him for your inability to choose.”

  Jen smiled. Aunt Gabby had always been one of those ‘take responsibility for your own actions’ type of person.

  “This is what I’m going to do,” Aunt Gabby said patting Jen’s hand. “I’m going to take Annie and Bianca and the three of us are going to pick two dresses that we feel you will like, and what best suits you.”

  Jen nodded and took a deep breath.

  “In the meantime…” Aunt Gabby stood. “I’m going to find someone to get you a glass of wine.”

  “I don’t think they serve wine here,” Jen observed.

  “Oh honey, don’t be absurd. There is no way these ladies deal with brides all day long and don’t have a glass or two of wine hiding somewhere in the back.” She gave Jen a nod and went out the door.

  Jen shook her head as Aunt Gabby left. What a woman she was! Jen felt very lucky to have her in her life.

  A minute later a woman about Jen’s age came into the dressing room. “Hi I’m Tracy, I was told you could use something to drink? We don’t have alcohol but I can get you something else – soda, water, tea
, coffee?

  Jen smiled. “Water would be perfect.” The girl nodded and was gone. She returned shortly with a bottle of water and asked if she could get her anything else. Jen assured her she was fine and she was left alone. As she sat there, sipping on her water, Aunt Gabby’s words ran through her mind. Maybe she’s right, Jen thought. Maybe I have been looking for a dress that everyone else would love, but obviously I want Zack to love it. Of course, if he were here he’d say he loved every one of them. She shook her head, knowing that fashion and women’s clothing was far out of Zack’s zone of comfort or knowledge. Jen took a deep breath and tried to rid herself of all the frustrations and stress. She didn’t know how long it had been when Aunt Gabby returned, and true to her word, she was carrying two beautiful gowns. Jen stood to inspect what she’d found, smiling at the simplistic beauty of both dresses. Aunt Gabby hung them up and stood back. “Okay there you go. Try them both on so we can see, but I have a feeling you’ll love one of these.”

  “What if I love both and I can’t decide?” Jen asked teasingly.

  “Honey if you love them both I’ll buy both just so we can be done and move on!” She winked at her just as Tracy appeared. She expertly removed the first dress from its hanger and helped Jen put it on with little effort. Standing in front of the mirror, Jen smiled at herself and then turned to walk out and show the others. The girls oohed and awed over Jen as she made her appearance. The classy halter top piece hung perfectly on Jen’s curves and she had to admit, she looked amazing. After a few minutes of admiring the dress she went back to try on the other one. Jen was instantly drawn to this gown. As she slipped into it she could feel her heart beat speeding up. It fit her like a glove and even Tracy gasped when it was all zipped up. Jen couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as she made her way out to the full length mirrors.