In One Night
An I Wish You Were Mine alternate reality
Chapter 1
Everything Jackson Burke thought he knew about life and love was woefully inadequate. And worst of all, he knew it. Last night had changed everything for him on so many levels. And after this one night, he still found himself scratching his head at how good this all felt-so soon.
It shouldn’t feel like this… so comfortable… should it?
And what the hell had last night even been anyway?! Last night was the game. He was a quarterback. The quarterback for the Texas RedHawks. And he’d gotten distracted by a pretty young woman in the stands… which never happened. Ever. He’d expected his blunder to have an extremely bad effect on the game, but actually, it caused the other team to fumble…
When the TV stations went to commercial break, one of his friends and runner for the team, Adam Harper; a good-looking, but sometimes painfully brash and loud man despite his 5’10 height- walked over to him with the normal towel and Gatorade… and looked in the direction of whomever, or whatever had distracted Jackson during the game. Once Adam saw what Jackson was looking at- or rather, who he was looking at, he chuckled. “A girl, huh…” and clapped him on the back. “Cute. Not usually your type, Burke… not that I’d know since you rarely date… but perhaps your type has changed?”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Perhaps it has.” He hadn’t meant to admit it, but he couldn’t help the urge.
Adam laughed softly. “Well, please tell me I can pull her aside and give you a chance to talk to her… She looks alone… and I think she saw you look at her.”
Jackson’s back was turned (on purpose) away from the stands where the pretty young brunette sat.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because she’s staring at you with a half-confused, half-flustered expression.”
Jackson cursed under his breath…. “Do you mean that in a good way or a bad way? Those aren’t exactly concrete emotions.”
Adam grinned. “I think you have a shot. And not because you’re a rich athlete… or even because you’re good-looking as hell… but, I think she sees the real you… the one under all this.” He waved his hand around to indicate the stadium and the uniform.
Jackson’s breath caught, and for a moment, he was terrified… of what? Rejection. He was afraid of not living up to the adorable creature’s expectations… but he stopped himself… and before he let Adam go away without a mission, Jackson blurted out in as soft a voice as he could muster, “Do it.”
And now, Jackson was waking up next to that same girl Adam had pulled aside for him… Jackson never did this… honestly, even though he had his share of female admirers and groupies… and he’d been propositioned more times that he could count; he’d never once taken any of them up on it.
And he’d never made a move on anyone. If he were to be real and honest, Jackson knew it was because it seemed cheap.
The part that troubled him about last night is that it should have still felt cheap, and the girl in the stands- she was the forever type of girl… he could tell by looking at her. She was little more than eighteen, and looked it with her girlish features, braided hair, and very little makeup… but she didn’t need makeup… She wore black athletic pants, and an oversized sweatshirt from University of Texas… the college he’d graduated from. She looked like a nice girl. So why was he ok with something he previously found cheap and exploitative?
Turns out, while the prospect had seemed cheap on the surface; the way it happened was romantic comedy, meet-cute worthy…
Adam had gone up to the stands under the guise of asking if she wanted to buy a jersey. Apparently, the young woman had bought one even though she clearly had to scrape the money together, being a college student. And then, he gave her a special pass, one that gave her access to a VIP section… and after the game, Jackson was supposed to meet her there. He showered after the little interview he always had to give about how nice it was to win or whatever… and changed into his street clothes, heading up to the VIP area where the young woman was waiting nervously, still flustered. But Jackson noticed that Adam had been right, the girl looked at him like just a guy… a guy she liked…
“I thought that guy was playing a prank on me at first… but you’re here, so I guess that I’m not as much of a delusional dope as I thought…” she babbled a bit, and he could tell that she wasn’t used to talking to guys…
Jackson also sensed that someone in her life frequently told her she was crazy or delusional, or dramatic, or even clueless… He didn’t know why. He didn’t know this girl. But he wanted to. Needed to.
He smiled at her, a genuine smile. “Actually, I’ve never done this before… Adam saw me look at you… then you look back… got the feeling there was perhaps something there… and asked if he could pull you aside… Like I said, I don’t do this… so I have no idea why I told him to go ahead… except…” he ran a hand through his brown hair. “I felt something…”
Jackson could swear he saw her breath catch.
And apparently, he hadn’t imagined it. “I felt something too.”
His heart did a little flip, and he found himself grinning. Be cool… play it cool. His brain ordered… but he was too far gone.
“Do you have plans for dinner?”
“No… was just going to pop into the grocery store and buy the cheapest mac and cheese… but I bought a jersey from your friend…”
It should have sounded accusatory, but the tone in which she said the words, and the look on her face was more amused than anything else.
“Why did you buy the jersey? It was just an excuse to talk to you, you know.” Jackson smiled, raising an eyebrow.
“I know… but he told me that half the proceeds go to a literacy foundation…”
As if Jackson couldn’t like this girl any more… she had to go and say that…
“Yeah, they do… but let me buy you dinner…”
“Ok. I’d like that.” Her stomach growled audibly and she blushed. Jackson smiled and playfully offered his arm to walk her out. When she took it, the contact sent a jolt up his spine. Obviously the woman felt it too.
His car was waiting for them, and the girl’s breath caught again. She wasn’t used to this.
Once inside, he told the driver to take them to a casual Italian eatery a few blocks away after asking if she could go for a pizza.
“The answer to pizza is always yes.” She told him.
A grin came over his face. “Smart girl.”
And after a moment, he asked for her name. “I should have asked before…”
She shrugged. “It’s ok. I’m Mollie. Mollie Carrington.”
“College freshman at University of Texas?” he said hopefully.
She laughed. “Yeah. Sweatshirt gave me away. I am over eighteen by the way… I can tell you didn’t want to ask me but needed to.”
Perceptive.
He nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t want to do anything illegal… and I’m just not that kind of guy.”
Mollie looked at him with kind eyes, “I know. I can tell. Can’t explain why…”
Jackson’s breath caught. “Somehow, I know you like science… I don’t know why I think that… but that’s how you strike me.”
Mollie looked a little surprised. “Good work. I’m trying to do a quadruple major… but it might just be a triple… gotta see. Biology, chemistry, and sociology at least…”
Jackson smiled. “So, I’m in the presence of a genius?”
She let out an unladylike, but super adorable snort. “A genius?! Hardly.”
Jackson watched her face flush and her fidget a little with the hem of her sweatshirt…
“Is this the first time anyone’s ever said you’re extremely intelligent?”
Mollie looked embarrassed, “Not in a nice way…”
“Bullied?”
Mollie shook her head. “Not really… but my sister, Madison… she’s never ‘got’ me and why I like academics so much. I mean, she’s smart… she did well in school… but I was always an overachiever by nature, and when Mom died, Madison had to take care of me… she’s seven years older… also went to U of T… I think she resented my love for science and museums…”
Jackson’s heart tugged a little at that. He’d like to have some choice words with Madison… but it wasn’t his place.
At dinner, he had a wonderful time. And honest, he was planning on just getting Mollie’s number and asking her out again, taking her home… but something happened when the moonlight hit her face as they walked to the car. Jackson bit his lip and swore, “Damnit, Mollie- I might regret asking because I know how it sounds, believe me… but I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t ask you…”
“Ask me what?” She asked, as if she hoped she knew the answer, but was afraid she’d misread him. She hadn’t, Jackson suspected.
“Spend the night?” While Jackson had meant what he said, he’d originally been planning on saying, come to my place? Or, come over? But he’d opted for the most ballsy and the most “commitment-like” phrasing option.
Mollie’s face flickered from happiness at being right, to surprise at his word choice.
But evidently, it got her motor running because her perfect face flushed. Mollie bit her lip, and answered, “Yes.”
And within an hour, they were naked in his bed, her releasing a keening cry of pleasure, and him following close behind with groans and curses… none of which had ever been quite so vehement before.
–
Sunlight streamed across her beautiful face. Jackson was normally an early riser, but he didn’t want to leave the bed. He didn’t want Mollie to get the wrong idea, especially when he’d asked her to stay the night.
Luckily, he didn’t have to worry about it very long because the sunlight woke her up and only a second or two went by before Mollie sensed his presence and remembered last night.
At first, she looked embarrassed, but then shrugged it off, especially when she saw he was grinning at her. She was radiant with her hair all mussed and her face all dewy, still apparently in the afterglow of their nocturnal activities…
Mollie laid her head on his chest. “Well, it wasn’t how I originally planned to spend my night… but I admit, it was a lot better…”
Jackson took her in his arms and was about to kiss her when she whimpered that her breath probably left something to be desired. He chuckled and reached into his nightstand for some mints. He let her take one, then took one for himself.
Only then did she relax and after the mints were gone, he pulled her onto his lap, his cock going from stirring to hard at the contact of her soft skin and tight ass, one he’d enjoyed touching last night… he mentally shook the thought away and kissed her. Mollie responded the way she’d responded last night the first time he kissed her… but now, there was a bit more heat, and passion, and tenderness.
Soon, he knew that both of them were wanting to act on their obvious mutual arousal, and he certainly wasn’t going to deny her. Even though he already knew that Mollie wasn’t the type to use him or lead him on; he knew that he’d give her anything he had. He already wanted to give her more than just a good time and pleasant memories…
Jackson forewent his usual routine in favor of making Mollie breakfast in bed and ordering her some clothes for rush delivery so she wouldn’t have to do the walk of shame…
Now, he wasn’t sure why the thought of her doing it bothered him so much, but it bothered him just the same.
But even once the clothes arrived, he didn’t want to let her go and she didn’t seem to want to leave, so he took her to a museum, and out for lunch. Eventually, he had to go to practice, and therefore had to leave her, but he gave her his number. His real number… and made sure she knew that he wanted more than anything to see her again.
That made Mollie grin and blush. “I’m looking forward to it- truly.”
Then, she thanked him for the meals, and the clothes, but she told him that most of all, she appreciated that he was just as kind and considerate as she’d thought he was.
It was sort of a strange compliment, but he knew that she meant it.
Chapter 2
Mollie flopped on her bed in her dorm room back at college, wearing the blue jeans and emerald green off-the-shoulder top Jackson had kindly bought for her. Of course, she hadn’t expected to meet anyone at the football game, much less have dinner with Jackson Burke, the star quarterback… and end up in his bed the next morning…
See, the thing was; Mollie wasn’t that kind of girl… or, she hadn’t been until last night. But when she really thought about all of the interactions between her and Jackson, the less it seemed like a dirty thing, or even a one night stand, even though it kind of was.
But the whole new clothes thing… it was surprisingly tender… as if he didn’t want her to have to leave his place wearing last night’s clothes… he didn’t want her to do a walk of shame… But while there was a part of her that was embarrassed about sleeping with a man she’d just met… a man who was older than her by seven years… and famous for the love of all that was holy- Mollie actually wasn’t ashamed. She’d liked every single moment.
Even after he asked her to stay the night last night, and brought her to his house, he’d suddenly looked a little guilty and told her that he didn’t want to force her into anything. “I was being selfish… I wanted you and blurted out…”
She’d stopped the flow of words with her kiss.
When she was most the way out of her clothes, however, Mollie’d been a little self-conscious. And he’d been perceptive enough to realize that it was because she’d never been naked in front of a man before… never been touched, definitely never had sex. There was a flash of nervousness on his part, and Mollie knew from what she’d read, and observed that while some men got off on deflowering virgins or some crap, most guys were reluctant… and really had to be convinced that the lady was willing and wanted to do it with him.
Jackson didn’t say anything, but his eyes asked the question, and she answered by asking him to go ahead. Since she’d never done anything and hadn’t had any reason to think she would prior to tonight; she wasn’t on the pill, so he took a condom out of his nightstand, and rolled it on. Even just that made Mollie gasp. She’d never seen a naked man… and for her first naked man, Mollie had absolutely no complaints.
His body was remarkable… and she felt completely inadequate, but apparently, by how hard he’d gotten, Jackson didn’t think so.
He kissed her, mouth plundering hers, heat searing between them. And his hands roamed from her neck to shoulders, hips, back, then her butt, which he really seemed to enjoy and got even harder.
“Not to be crass, babe; but you have an amazing ass… So tight…”
She found herself touching his butt and moaning… a sound she almost didn’t recognize. He smiled, kissed her again, his mouth wandering to her neck and then her collarbone… then the hollow between her breasts, lips soon brushing the side of her right breast, eventually finding her nipple and sucking which made her moan. He took his time on both breasts before asking if she wanted a preview of coming attractions…
She hadn’t been entirely sure what he meant by that, which she knew he was aware of with his slow grin. And somehow, that told her everything she needed to know.
“Yes.” She said breathlessly… and he ran a gentle hand over her leg, then to her inner thigh, soon cupping her.
“Still ok, Mollie?”
“Oh yes…” she answered, voice husky.
And only a second or two later, a finger was inside her. She gasped, first in surprise, but then in pleasure. “Mmm.” She moaned and began to (she thought and was actually correct) ride his finger like her life depended on it, which it sort of did… now that she’d met him and kissed him, and seen him naked, Mollie was a goner.
“Oh, Mollie! You’re so wet…”
When a second finger joined the first, she knew he could feel how much she liked it… his appreciative moan at her arousal and cries as she got close to coming undone for the very first time told her that he hadn’t expected her to be this responsive and for her to enjoy it so much.
After her muscles contracted and she’d felt the glorious agony… he let her come down, slowly pulling his fingers out, kissing along her jaw.
“Just getting started, doll.”
When she was ready, he kissed her, scooping her up into his arms, then gently plopping her on the bed and instead of hard and fast, he gently pressed his weight on her, moving on top of her slowly and deliberately. “Last chance to say no, Molls…” his voice was gruff and Mollie knew he wanted more than anything to take her… but he was too good a man not to give her the option to back out- since it was her first time.
The truth was that Mollie didn’t want him to stop. “Keep going… I want it… I want you…”
He moaned, somehow getting harder… he cursed. “Mollie, good god…” he nudged her knees apart to make room for himself. She did her best to help even though her legs felt like jelly and she felt like her loins were on fire, aching for him… Apparently, it was enough because soon, his cock found her opening and entered her inch by inch. All she could think about was getting closer and she wrapped her legs around him, back arching. He moaned. And now he was settled all the way inside her.
“Mmm…” she knew she was smiling stupidly but couldn’t help it… it felt so damn good.
He grinned, kissing her neck, and murmured that the really fun part was coming.
Mollie was at first dismayed when he pulled out a little, but then he thrusted back in, and the way he moved, taking turns moving and thrusting, and she was lost. She was whimpering, but not in protest, in appreciation. And she screamed his name as she shattered beneath him, and hearing her cry was the last thing he needed apparently to come with a roar, cursing and crying out for her.
After they’d both come down off that high, Mollie thought that was it and was pretty much fine with that, not knowing any better… But when Jackson kissed her and asked if she wanted to do it again, she didn’t hesitate. They fell asleep hours later, exhausted. And she woke up next to him the next morning. Breakfast in bed was a surprise, as were the clothes, and the trip to the museum… the lunch afterwards… and now, she was back in her dorm room, cheeks getting hot as she thought about their amorous activities.
Mollie wasn’t sure how long she sat there, but evidently enough time for the alarm she’d set on her phone to indicate game time so she could watch Jackson play. Mollie honestly had never really been into any sport. But her roommate was almost always gone, and Mollie’d realized over the years that there were so many things she’d never done. So, she made a bucket list. Turns out, she’d crossed two or three of them off just last night. She’d gone to a football game. She met a dreamy guy. And she’d also had sex for the first time. And she totally got the hype surrounding it. A pretty big part of her brain was grateful that her first experience with physical intimacy was with someone a few years older. He knew what he was doing… but not in a showy way… and he wasn’t pushy- although she suspected that if he thought she could handle it, and would like it, he might be rougher… But that was just a vibe she’d picked up. It wasn’t that he held back, it was more that he knew what she wanted and needed-instinctively.
She watched the game, surprisingly riveted. And while she knew enough to know that Jackson was good at his job, he was on fire tonight. When her roommate, Allison saw Mollie watching football, she scrunched up her forehead, puzzled. “Huh… You like football?”
“I do now. I went to a game last night, and it was interesting… I had a good time.”
Allison noticed Mollie’s clothes. “You’re wearing new clothes…”
“Yes.”
When Mollie didn’t answer, Allison rolled her eyes, knowing she wasn’t going to get anything out of her.
And, she went into the bedroom area of the dorm, probably going to change into pajamas and study as usual. Mollie was done with her schoolwork and finished watching the game. The RedHawks won again, and she sent Jackson a text, “Good game!” with a smiley face and a football emoji.
He didn’t respond for a while; she hadn’t expected him to. But when he did, he wrote, “You watched the game?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I didn’t think you were into sports.”
“Normally, previously, no… but I enjoyed last night’s game… and tonight’s game. And the game is important to you so…”
He sent back a smiley face. “You’re so sweet. Oh, get this; even though Adam didn’t tell a soul about our date, (which I know because he’s not a snitch) my teammates apparently can tell I, as they said, ‘got it on with some hot chick’…”
Mollie nearly choked on the diet Coke she was drinking. “If they didn’t see me, they can’t possibly know if I’m hot or not… to tell you the truth, I look in the mirror every day and am not sure…”
A silence of about five minutes. Mollie thought that maybe he was busy or something… but when he sent a message back, he said, “Wasn’t sure how to respond to your message… it surprised me that you look in the mirror and don’t see the beautiful woman I saw last night and this morning… I guess it just made me sad… but as far as my teammates, they just assume that any girl I date will be hot… I have never made such a claim of course… but they’re guys… and I’m a guy… I don’t know.”
Mollie’s breath caught. She’d meant her comment from before as cheeky, but it didn’t compute that way apparently. The thing was, if she were to be honest; his words and her own feelings were closely aligned. But she was happy that he found her attractive.
“Thanks, I needed that.”
He sent back a smiley face, and then, “And you’re also hot. I didn’t want you to take what I said about my teammates the wrong way.”
“I didn’t, but thanks for the clarification.”
To her surprise, her phone rang, and it was him… Jackson had called her.
“Hello.” Mollie said, warmly.
“Hi, Molls… I’m coming home from the game and just wanted to actually hear your voice. It’s strangely comforting…”
With statements like that, they nearly sucked the breath right out of her.
“Hopefully this doesn’t sound too weird, but; it feels like we’ve known each other for a lot longer than a day.”
He chuckled a little. “No, it doesn’t sound weird. I’ve been thinking that since this morning… perhaps even since last night… We were so comfortable…”
“Yeah, we were… and even now, just chatting on the phone feels normal, like we always do this even though this is the first time.”
“You’re right.” He said, his voice low. She heard a car door open and Jackson say something to the driver, then heard footsteps, presumably to his front door, which she knew was solid oak because she’d seen it.
And Mollie knew the sound of the security system being deactivated and heard the slight echo in the foyer, keys clanking in the dish he kept by the door.
And after a few seconds, Mollie heard him walk to the kitchen. She could picture it. His kitchen was impressive. And finally, he spoke again and it hadn’t occurred to Mollie that Jackson had been lost in thought the entire time he’d been going about the process of getting into his house after the game. But she was aware of it when he spoke next. “Mollie, I realize that this is all a lot– especially so soon… but it’s good, you know?”
Her heart soared and then plummeted, and then rose again. “Yeah… it is good.”
“No buts?”
“None. Unless you count our own.”
He laughed heartily. “You’re feisty. I like that.”
She could hear his refrigerator door open, and she presumed he was getting out a beer.
And she heard the soft clank of a glass bottle against the granite. She liked the sound, liked knowing that he was comfortable enough with her not to hide his routine from her.
“So, not to sound clingy… or to ask for too much…” she kept herself from adding ‘but’ which was hard because ‘but’ didn’t always mean something bad… she opted for a different word with a similar meaning. “However… I’m a girl, so I have to ask, even if it doesn’t end well…”
Mollie could swear she heard his breath catch. But she forced herself onward.
“What are we?”
A long pause which seemed like an eternity passed between them, and she heard his beer bottle clank gently on the granite… Finally, he spoke, and his voice was low, and perhaps a bit emotional.
“We’re dating… boyfriend and girlfriend… lovers…”
Mollie breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh thank god!”
He let out a low chuckle. “You’ve got some guts, Mollie Carrington! More than me I’m afraid. I was dying to ask what you thought we were, and I hadn’t quite gotten up the nerve.”
“Well, at least you weren’t refusing to make a decision…”
“No, I most certainly am not.”
Something about those words made Mollie’s heart flip and before she could say something stupid, he said, “How would you like to have breakfast at midnight? After all the fun of the past day or so, I have a craving for pancakes and for you.”
She laughed. “Ok. I’ll come prepared then.”
“Pajamas and an overnight bag with fresh clothes?”
“Yep.”
He laughed a little. “I can’t tell you how nice it is that you’re spontaneous. I mean, I know one can’t always be that off-the-cuff… for instance, I know weekdays, for both of us, school and work will demand our time and energy… but it’s nice to know that the woman I’m crazy about beyond all logic or comprehension just wants to spend time with me- even on weird midnight breakfast dates…”
Mollie smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “Believe me, this is thrilling. I mean, I never go anywhere. I basically go to school and out for pizza or Chinese or Thai food, or a burger… and head back to my dorm to do homework and read… perhaps watch a documentary or a Friends rerun…”
“I’m glad you chose to go out last night. And not just because of the fact that we slept together… I want to make that clear. It was amazing… I just don’t want you to think that my intention was to use you… all of it with us is good… and it baffles me because while I have been on dates, and had relationships; none of which were so easy-going and felt right…”
“I know you weren’t using me. I think if you were, you would have been a lot pushier and been more focused on yourself… but you let me set the pace, and I felt understood… like you knew what I needed, wanted… and our conversations, and the breakfast in bed… all of it… was great. Fantastic. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a sense of rightness and oddly enough, ‘home’ as I felt with you.”
He sounded a little surprised at the last part, “You’ve never felt at home anywhere?”
Mollie took a breath, feeling vulnerable. “My mom was addicted to drugs and alcohol… it caused my dad to leave… and then she overdosed… died. I found her there at the kitchen table… cold and dead. My sister moved back home and took care of me because I was thirteen and she was twenty. But she did it out of obligation… perhaps there was a little genuine affection in it… but not much. I know Maddy resented it… and still does… so being at home wasn’t like being at home. And dorm-life isn’t like home.”
She’d surprised herself by being that open with a man she hardly knew. When he spoke, his voice was soothing and gentle. “You’ll find it, Mollie.”
“Find what?” her voice was small.
“Home… “
Her breath caught. Mollie wasn’t sure what to think was going through Jackson’s head. And she was terrified to ask. There was silence for a while, and as if sensing why she hadn’t said anything, Jackson cleared his throat.
“I already know you’re my home, Mollie… the hours that you spent here, I’ve realized have been the best hours of my life… and I know we just met and that you’re in college, and I’m twenty-five… with a crazy job and public profile… but I want you in my life. And my greatest joy, will be to make you happy and safe, and loved…”
Mollie’s heart was pounding. “Loved?” she sat up… tears coming to her eyes.
She heard him curse on the other end and thought she’d just blown it…
“I knew I shouldn’t have blurted that out… but I did it anyway… I’m sorry, Mollie…”
Panic coursed through her. “No… no… that’s not what I meant when I repeated what you said…”
She heard him suck in a breath.
“Jackson, I was touched, and surprised… but not mad or disappointed… I’m happy… I can’t believe you love me… you really love me… I could burst I’m so excited…”
Her voice was high and perky, and tears were flowing freely down her face.
“So, I didn’t just break us…”
“Of course not. I think you just cemented us…”
She heard him sigh relief. And she realized that she hadn’t said it back… her brain was still processing her shock… but she knew how she felt, so she told him breathlessly, “I love you.”
–
Chapter 3
Jackson wasn’t entirely sure what made him realize what had been brewing in his mind and heart about Mollie… but when he all but told her he loved her… he was struck with an odd sensation… a fear that maybe she didn’t feel the same way. Jackson was promptly saved from this line of thought by her telling him those three little words.
Another thought hit him. He recalled what he’d said about home… and even though it was absurd, this was moving too fast, he wanted to ask her to move in… he didn’t want her to ever leave.
The thing was, even if they’d been dating for months or over a year, Jackson somehow didn’t want to reduce her to a roommate… but Mollie was eighteen… in college… and she’d mentioned grad school… possibly going for her doctorate… She’d be in school a lot… and he knew he’d be away with the team for games… but still… Jackson kept trying to force the thought of wedding bells out of his head.
And when Mollie arrived at his place, he found those thoughts running rampant…
She must have sensed his thoughtfulness and bit her lip. “What’s up?”
He ran fingers through his head. “I shouldn’t say this… because it’s crazy and we just met each other… and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you… but…” he looked at her face, which was stuck between curious and some other emotion… he couldn’t place it… but it was one of the pleasant ones.
When he didn’t say anything, Mollie stepped closer to him, running a soft hand along his jaw.
“I won’t judge you. I just want your honesty. I know this is new, and scary… and I’m aware of the fact that we shouldn’t be so much to each other yet… but I don’t regret it. I’m in this… even if it gets hard… and I know it will. Our lives are hectic and busy, and important to us… I want to work at a lab and have my own team… saving the world one vaccine or medicine at a time… and you want to play football and bring joy and excitement to fans and spectators… and you want to use your millions of dollars to improve the community.”
When Mollie said that, it occurred to Jackson that she must have read about that online… and while he normally did it anonymously because he didn’t want to make a show of it, didn’t want attention… somehow, he was happy Mollie knew.
He remembered that even though she didn’t really have the money last night, Mollie’d bought the jersey so she could donate money to that week’s charity.
If Jackson were to be honest, he was already half in love with her by that moment, and this pushed him over.
Suddenly, he decided to go for it.
“Marry me.”
Her breath caught. For one horribly painful and exhausting moment, he thought she’d say no, but she took a step closer. “Yes.” Her smile became brighter, and she repeated the beautiful word as she kissed his jaw, his cheeks, then his lips.
He kissed her back but realized that there was something this moment usually had, and he wasn’t prepared… she saw his frown and her lip trembled.
“You having second thoughts?” He hated how small and hurt her voice sounded.
“No. Of course, not… I was just thinking that I don’t have an engagement ring…”
Mollie looked happy and relieved. “You scared me…” she put a hand to her heart, but then said, “I don’t need that… and I would hope you didn’t have an engagement ring lying around, especially not before yesterday…” she raised an eyebrow, trying to look firm, but really just looking adorable.
He laughed. “You’re too easy on me, but I’m grateful… and no, I don’t have one lying around… never been even remotely close to wedding bells until you turned my life upside down.”
Her smile was grateful. Jackson had an idea then.
“You know what… I might not have an engagement ring lying around, but I have something which can probably do the trick until I can get you a real one…”
He bridal-carried her with a slow grin, bringing her into the game room which held his pool table and most of his football memorabilia.
Jackson set her down on the rarely-used pool table which had been there before he moved in. And he looked around the shelves, finding the case he wanted. And he presented her with his most prized possession, his first Super Bowl ring.
Her blue eyes were huge with surprise, but she got a giddy, appreciative look on her face and he knew she wasn’t going to say no. She knew the importance of what he was doing… what he was giving her… it was a gesture… not just a solution to the fact that he’d proposed to a girl without having a ring.
He knew that Mollie didn’t care in the least about shiny things, and he didn’t need to do this; but Jackson wanted to show Mollie that he was serious, and he wanted to let her know that even though this was the very definition of love at first sight… instalove… that it was no less real.
Even though Jackson knew the ring would be far too big on her, he slid it on her left hand’s third finger.
He heard an audible gasp and saw her happy smile.
Jackson bent his neck a little, kissing her sweetly, tenderly as he knew how. Her eyes glittered.
It seemed to surprise her when he slipped the ring onto her thumb, which could hold the ring better until one of them could find a chain.
“Actually, I have a chain… it’s not this fancy… but it’s a chain, nonetheless. I’d rather wear this on it than the charm I have on the necklace currently.”
“And what is that?” He asked, curious, picking her up again, and depositing her in the foyer next to her bag. It’d been unnecessary, but they both got a kick out of it.
She took the necklace out of the bag and he saw the charm was of a microscope.
He chuckled, charmed. “If I steal this, will anyone besides you miss it?”
“No. I bought it.” She looked amused. “Go ahead. It’s not even real metal… but I sense that it doesn’t matter…”
Jackson kissed her and winked. “Right.”
And he pocketed the little charm, sliding the ring onto the chain.
He planned to get started soon on making the breakfast since it was about eleven, but then his doorbell rang. He frowned. Mollie instinctively made herself scarce- not because he thought she was ashamed of her or anything, just to give him privacy. She took her bag into the bedroom and shut the door but didn’t quite shut it all the way since the door was heavy and probably, she wanted to be able to hear if the person left, or if voices were raised… or whatever would clue her in enough to be prepared.
When Jackson looked through the peephole, he saw it was his mother.
He quickly opened the door for her.
“Sorry to barge in on you so late, son… but I saw this at the grocery store and just thought I’d let you see it… in case something needs to be done… or in case, well… you’ll see.”
Dread seeped in, but he looked at the tabloid she held out. There was a picture of him with Mollie at the museum, and they were arm in arm. The headline was, “Quarterback in love at last?”
He coughed.
He hated tabloids, but even though this one made a lot of assumptions about his life and who the girl in the picture was, surprisingly, they weren’t too far off the mark.
Jackson ran a hand through his hair. “Well, Mom… this tabloid is pretty correct… I mean the article is only about twenty percent true… but the title is true, and the picture isn’t fake.”
His mom looked shocked, but elation flickered on her features. “You’re in love?! Oh, baby that’s fantastic! Who’s the girl and when can I meet her? She’s absolutely adorable by the way.”
Jackson didn’t want to scare Mollie, but then he realized that he’d told her he loved her just over twenty-four hours and then asked her to marry him…
“Her name is Mollie Carrington… she’s a little young… and way too good for me… but she doesn’t seem to see it that way.”
“Just as long as she’s not a minor… but I know you know better…”
“Yeah, I do. Actually, she’s here. She just went in the bedroom to give me some privacy.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your date… although it’s a little late.” She raised an eyebrow but with a smile that told him she knew why the date was happening so late at night.
He chuckled. “Mollie probably won’t care… in fact, she’ll probably be ecstatic.” He kissed his mom on the cheek and walked over to the bedroom and rapped on the door.
“Everything ok?” She asked.
“Yeah, babe… It’s actually my mom…”
“Should I leave?” she asked, coming to the door.
“Hell no. She wants to meet you.”
“She knows I’m here? It’s after eleven… do you want her to know I defiled you last night and that I was planning on doing it again tonight?”
He laughed in shock. “This isn’t Victorian England, Princess. My mom’s a good egg. Now get your perfect, tight little ass out here and meet your future mother in law…” he said quietly. “Let me tell her the last part… but I’m going to do it.”
Mollie walked out of the room, and he kissed her before ushering her into the living room where his mother was smiling and had poured herself a glass of water.
She stood when she saw Mollie- as if she were someone special… someone to be respected… which she was.
To Mollie’s further surprise, it seemed (even though Jackson was more just amused because he’d known how his mother would act)- Sylvia Burke wrapped Mollie in a warm embrace, and when she saw the Super Bowl ring around Mollie’s slim neck, her grin got wider.
“Do you have something else to tell me, Son?” She looked at Jackson.
A little sheepishly, he looked at her. “Mom, this lovely young lady has agreed to marry me… I asked a bit off the cuff, so I didn’t have a ring…” he gestured towards Mollie’s necklace.
His mother looked amused, but also elated.
Seeing the complete and utter joy on his mother’s face, Mollie smiled. “I’m so glad you’re glad… He’s told me so much about you.”
Jackson had told Mollie a lot about his folks. Especially how they’d always supported him.
“Hopefully good things.” His mom answered with green eyes flicking back to him.
“Very good things.” Mollie smiled.
And his mom proceeded to ask Mollie all about herself. Then she asked about how Mollie met her son… and Jackson expected her to be a little wary about the relationship since it was so fast, but instead, she looked charmed.
Before she left, she told Mollie that she was welcome to come to Thanksgiving dinner with them. And she smiled. “I’d love to.”
And his mother told him with a soft voice and a huge grin, “Good job, honey. She’s so perfect.”
Jackson knew it too.
It was really late now, but the both of them were rather hungry still, so he asked if she wanted to just eat the leftover pizza from the previous night and he’d make her breakfast in the morning.
Mollie laughed. “Sure. I’m game.”
Jackson grinned. “You’re not pissed that my mom interrupted our midnight breakfast?”
Mollie laughed again. “No, of course not. I still get food… and breakfast tomorrow… but that’s not the important thing… What’s important is that I got to meet your mother and we hit it off, and she knows we’re in love and getting married… and you weren’t afraid to tell her, which means she’s as amazing as you said she was… I mean, I couldn’t be happier…”
Her big blue eyes were warm and sparkling. Jackson kissed her and held her close to him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
–
When Mollie arrived back at her dorm sometime after lunch, her surprise was evident upon seeing that her roommate had let Madison into the room, and apparently left.
And Madison looked pissed. She held up the same tabloid article Jackson’s mom had found.
There was an extra jolt to the accusatory stare from her sister due to the fact that Mollie’s guard had been down. She was wearing the ring on a chain around her neck and since it was in commemoration of an event and meant for a man’s fingers; it stood out. Didn’t help that she was wearing a sundress. So, the ring was on display.
“You’re in a relationship with a football player?! And you’re wearing…” her blue eyes went wide and frantic. “A Superbowl ring around your neck… What the hell is going on with you?!”
Mollie had no words for a moment, but eventually, she took a breath. “Maddy, sorry you had to see it in a tabloid… but I only found out about the article last night…”
Madison waved this away as if she didn’t really care how she found out… which meant her anger was more indignance that her younger sister had something interesting in her life for once.
That thought clawed at Mollie, but she forced herself to put the thought aside.
“He went to our college…”
“Yes, I know. He’s my age. He was in my graduating class. What does this have to do with anything?”
Mollie groaned, and told her sister pretty much everything… except the sex stuff.
Mollie was aware of how bits and pieces of the story sounded a bit off-the-wall or crazy, but it was the truth, and she was nothing if not honest.
As soon as she finished her story, Madison looked absolutely stunned.
“Engaged? You’re engaged?”
“Yes.”
“Mollie, you just met this guy… how do you know he’s not just using you?”
If Madison were any other sister, this could be considered sisterly affection and caution… advice… but Madison was not like other big sisters… She had an angle.
Mollie’s stomach churned.
“He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever met, Maddy… As soon as our eyes locked, I knew he cared. And conversation is easy with him… there’s a sense of coming home… and we’ve been surprising each other with how honest and open we can be when we’re comfortable… He understands me and I understand him. I know we’ll be able to both challenge each other and comfort each other… There were so many points in our acquaintance that if he were just some douche bag, or just a guy looking for a good time; he could have just told me and I would have understood. I may not have liked it, but I wasn’t expecting anything. However, he went above and beyond without trying too hard. Sounds weird, but it’s true.” She said.
Madison looked fairly unruffled by her sister’s speech. She almost looked like she was going to berate Mollie; but just as she was opening her mouth; Mollie’s cell phone buzzed with an incoming call.
Upon looking at it, Mollie was thrilled to see that it was Jackson’s mom. Last night when the kind woman had gone home; the two of them had exchanged numbers. Mollie couldn’t describe how little she wanted to have the conversation she’d been having with her sister. She wanted whatever Maddy was going to say to never be said.
So, she accepted the call.
Madison’s blue eyes flashed in anger, but Mollie ignored her.
Mrs. Burke was inviting Mollie to come to the house and have a bite to eat; then go to the game.
“I’ll be there.” Mollie smiled.
“Ok, wonderful, dear! I’ll text you the address.”
And sure enough, as soon as the call ended; a text message was soon to follow with an address about halfway between her place and Jackson’s which was interesting to Mollie. She didn’t have a long time to think about that however, because after shooting back a “Thanks” with a smiley face emoji, Mollie felt her sister’s eyes on her.
Mollie took a breath and Madison ground out, “Who was that?”
“That was Jackson’s mom. She invited me over for dinner and to the game tonight.”
Madison looked stunned, and obviously, she wasn’t happy. But, Mollie didn’t particularly care about her sister’s feelings about her relationship with Jackson… and she also knew that her sister would never understand .
Apparently not knowing what else to say, Madison turned on her heel and left Mollie standing in her dorm room in relief, but admittedly, a little bit of shock. The reason for her shock was that Madison had given up… or at least retreated. Normally, Madison would keep beating a dead horse until she got what she wanted. This time, she was forced to give up. Mollie just wondered how long it would be before Madison came barging in again and lashing out, planting landmines for Mollie to step on at the most inopportune times.
When the door was shut, Mollie took a deep breath, and took a seat on the bed.
To clear her head, since there was still a bit of time before she had to get changed to have dinner with the Burke’s; she read for a while.
–
Mollie arrived at the Craftsman-style house on a quiet cul-de-sac and could already tell that she was going to feel at home here among these people. It wasn’t a huge house, but comfortable, and attractively groomed… there were flowers in front and a porch swing, and an American flag flying from the porch.
She knocked at the front door, which had a wreath for fall on it. She grinned and was pretty sure the handsome older man was Jackson’s father because they had the same hazel eyes and chiseled jaw.
He looked elated to see her on the other side of the door.
“You must be Mollie! Come on in. My wife has been gushing about you since last night, and when I spoke to my son on the phone a while ago, he told me to tell you that he loves you…”
Mollie smiled, coming in. “Thank you… I love him too.” She knew she had a dopey adoring face at the exchange, but Joseph Burke grinned.
“You know, he’s never invited a girl to the house to meet us before… I know that technically my wife invited you, but she’d asked him if he was ok with it, and he said, ‘of course’.”
Mollie smiled. “I got the feeling that he’d be ok with it.”
“I’d hope so since you’re going to be our daughter in law.”
Dinner ready shortly after Mollie arrived and she was thrilled to find that the meal Jackson’s mom had cooked was chicken and dumplings… one of the foods she’d only had at Cracker Barrel and at her grandmother’s house before her death when Mollie was eight.
There was a slight stab in her chest that she didn’t know the first thing about cooking other than Mac N Cheese, frozen pizza, pasta, eggs, and grilled cheese… and well, soup…
While Mollie didn’t like to feel vulnerable, and she didn’t particularly want to admit that she didn’t know how to cook to her fiancé’s mom… once she’d tasted the homestyle goodness, she bit her lip and asked Sylvia in a small voice, “Do you think you could possibly teach me to cook some things?”
Last night, Sylvia, herself, and Jackson mostly talked about how she and Jackson met… and about what she was studying in school… she hadn’t gotten the chance to ask about Mollie’s family… and Mollie hadn’t felt ready. Heck, she still didn’t.
But it was like a band-aid…
Sylvia beamed at Mollie’s question. “I could definitely manage that, dear.”
They began talking about recipes and various kinds of food, especially things she liked, and things Jackson liked…
“Did you mother have a special dish? Or your father? Something you liked?” Joe asked, looking at her.
“My dad only grilled and occasionally made eggs… my mom would occasionally make a casserole… but mostly, it was mac n cheese, soup, frozen pizzas, and TV dinners… and when my sister and I were old enough to use the stove, she never touched it again… she was usually” Mollie took a deep breath, afraid that her past would color her future, ruin her chance at happiness. But when she saw the looks on the faces of the Burke’s, she could tell they were concerned about her.
So, she pressed on. “My mom was a drug-addict and an alcoholic… an abuser of prescriptions… and she died of an overdose when I was thirteen. Found her head on the kitchen table- dead when I came home from 8th grade… My dad was long gone by then… he split when I was eight… because of the drug use… couldn’t take it anymore… Maddy moved back home from college to help… and she raised me essentially.”
They looked at her, not with pity or with embarrassment… they didn’t judge her. They looked more concerned than anything else.
Sylvia seemed quite surprised when Mollie started to clear her plate after dinner and immediately rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher, along with a newly-rinsed set of silverware and her glass.
“You didn’t have to do that, dear, but thank you.” The woman smiled.
Mollie nodded, “You’re welcome.”
–
Chapter 4
Seeing Mollie sitting alongside his parents as if she truly belonged there (which she did) made Jackson unfathomably happy.
Mollie seemed perfectly at home with his folks at the game. Later on, when he learned that Mollie wanted to learn how to cook, he raised an eyebrow, smiling at her. “I bet that earned you major brownie points. But I don’t want you to force yourself to cook if you decide you don’t enjoy it. This isn’t the 1950s.”
Mollie knew exactly what he was trying to say, and even though he knew he hadn’t exactly expressed the sentiment well; it was something; and his Mollie understood him enough to know that he was simply looking out for her. He could tell from the look on her face.
After the game, Jackson was tired, but he made sure to give his parents a hug and Mollie a kiss, thanking them for coming to support him. Originally, the plan was going to be for his folks to take Mollie back to their house so she could get her car and drive it back to the school, but he waved this away, “I’ll do it. She’s my fiancée after all. Plus, I just want to spend some time with her.”
His folks smiled knowingly and relinquished her.
Once Jackson and Mollie were in his truck, he kissed her tenderly. “I missed you.”
“It was only a few hours, but yeah- I missed you too… it sucks that I have school all week and that you’ll be traveling with the team…”
Jackson nodded. “Yeah… I never thought it’d happen… I always thought people were just making this part up for dramatic effect… but no.” He blew out a breath. “They weren’t wrong. I’m not looking forward to being without you.”
Mollie laid her head on his shoulder. “I feel the same way.”
They sat there for a few minutes in silence, and he told her that he should really get her back to her car, but he didn’t want to.
Somehow, watching from his truck as she drive back to the college dorm, Jackson felt his heart crack a little. This was going to be hard. He supposed that after some time, it might not hurt quite as badly, but yet; somehow he knew it would always tug at his heart- being away from her.
And he knew what he had to do. He knew he had to put a ring on it as soon as possible. Of course, this was somewhat hasty, and more than a little rash. Jackson felt a stab at how selfish he was being… Mollie was not even nineteen. She was in her first year of college for heaven’s sake! She was too young to be saddled to one man for the rest of her life.
But instinctively, from spending time with the woman he wanted to marry; Jackson knew that Mollie was the type of woman who wanted more than anything to find the man she wanted and not play around… she didn’t want to wait ten years before going for the dream. The thing was that she knew she loved him. Mollie wasn’t afraid to find her happy ending and put her all into get it.
As Jackson drove back to his place, he thought about Mollie and how in just a weekend, she’d completely turned his life upside down, and how elated he was to have the “chaos”. It was the best kind of change and shake-up.
It was rather late when he got home, and so he was a bit confounded by a call from Jerry, the head coach. For a moment, Jackson thought maybe he’d done something wrong, but the game was a good one. The man couldn’t have much, if anything to complain about.
When Jackson picked up the phone, however, he got a practically giddy Jerry, and not an angry one.
“Great game tonight, Burke… but that’s not what I want to talk about.”
“Thanks. What do you want to talk about?” Jackson asked, popping a top off a bottle of beer.
“Your girl… the one with your folks in the stands, wearing what looks suspiciously like one of your Super Bowl rings… there has to be a story there… besides, that tabloid picture is real.”
Jackson took a breath, sipping the beverage in his hand and gently setting it down on the countertop.
“It probably sounds crazy, Jerry… but I saw her at Friday’s game.” He told the story. “We hit it off… and I took her out to eat.”
“Does your young lady have a name, Burke?” Jerry prodded.
“Mollie. Her name is Mollie Carrington, she’s too good for me, too young, too smart… but it seems that doesn’t matter to either of us.”
Jerry chuckled in a victorious way. “I knew it. You fell in love at first sight!”
Jackson felt the slightest bit weird and embarrassed about sharing this kind of thing with another man; even if it was Jerry; his coach and friend…
“How did you get that idea?” He said, a bit testily, even though it felt irrational.
Jerry laughed again. “Please. Since I’ve known you, you’ve been seen with a lot of women, but it never seemed like they were anything more than a short fling, or a date to a gala… You were rarely ever seen with the same woman twice. And with this girl, Mollie, she’s been to two games, one of which with your parents for Pete’s sake! You’ve been spotted several times by paparazzi walking with her, holding hands… kissing… And I saw the adorable way you opened the door for her…So don’t try to keep this from me, Burke. What’s the deal with you and this girl?”
Jackson took a long pull of the beer and groaned. But then he just realized that Jerry wasn’t going to give up so Jackson might as well resign himself to explaining everything.
“Yes, I love her. I knew it right away. Even though it’s early, and she’s young- we’re on the same page. I asked her to marry me, and she accepted… and since I didn’t have an engagement ring; I gave her the only kind of ring I could at the time…”
Jerry was evidently smiling on the other end of the call. “That’s adorable. I’ll want to meet her some time.”
“I’m sure you will. I’m planning on bringing her around.”
“Good. And the wedding bells, do you suspect they’ll be ringing soon?” Jerry prodded once again.
“Geez, Jerry! You’re nosy. But, yes. The thing is; we all know football and any sport is a dangerous one. One injury could derail your entire career, or life… and even making it to practice isn’t a guarantee… Mollie deserves to be notified if anything happens to me. And I want to be notified if anything should happen to her… plus, despite the fact I have friends from high school, college, the team… I still go home to an empty house every night when I’m in town, and having Mollie there felt so normal… and right… as nice as the house is, it needs a woman’s touch.”
Jerry chortled. “Yes, it’s a bit cold and modern… I’ve been there.”
The banter went on a minute or two before they hung up, Jackson knowing he should get some sleep.
Surprisingly, sleep came quicker than usual and despite the ludicrous hour he had to wake up at to make his flight to the next city, he felt awake and rested.
When he was able to use his phone, Jackson texted Mollie and his folks. He knew Mollie was in class, so he didn’t expect her to answer right away… but just the simple action of texting her to let her know that he was thinking of her and would let her know when he’d landed at the airport felt like something couples did in relationship.
At the end of the hour, he received a return text from her. “Just finished my Biology class, getting ready to head to Sociology… Apparently some of my classmates saw the tabloid cover, so I’ve been a bit of a celebrity on campus, which is weird. But no one has been mean or disrespectful, and I promise I won’t get a big head.” She sent a smiley face emoji.
A part of Jackson felt a bit bad for thrusting Mollie into the spotlight. But, Mollie was level-headed and didn’t have a mean or vain bone in her body. She wasn’t the type to let it go to her head, and she wasn’t the type to seek the spotlight.
Jackson was surprised over the next few months that whenever Mollie was with him at any of the football galas or parties- how it seemed to rub off on the guys on his team. Guys who used to be two-timing-jerks took a page out of their book and began to see the error in their ways.
One of the things Jackson hadn’t thought about when falling in love with Mollie- and asking her to marry him was the fact that football wives and girlfriends were often targeted a lot by the media. They would constantly snap pictures of them at the supermarket, or out with their girlfriends or whatever. Another thing was that they tended to try to sign different women who were involved with celebrities to be on some of their stupid reality shows. Mollie was dealing with it rather well, but Jackson knew it wore on her a little.
After all, she was a student. She wasn’t always ready for people to be snapping pictures of her, critiquing her choice of wardrobe. One day, he came into town and Mollie seemed incredibly agitated, and this was only three weeks from their wedding day. That simple fact terrified Jackson. He feared that whatever was irritating Mollie would somehow spell disaster for the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Tentatively, Jackson set his bag on the floor of his house and walked over to her.
Mollie wore distressed skinny jeans and a maroon pullover-sweater. Her hair was in a messy bun, but it seemed as if she’d started to attempt a more complicated style and got interrupted just after starting.
His girl could barely look at him, which Jackson knew spelled trouble.
For a second, he thought she was mad at him, but they hadn’t been in a fight, and they’d just talked the previous day. Mollie was in good spirits and nothing seemed to be on her mind other than excitement at seeing him, and possibly nerves about one of her classes.
Jackson was about to ask her what was wrong, but Mollie blurted out, “Before you say anything, know that I didn’t agree to it, and I don’t want to do it… I have enough on my plate and I wouldn’t want to do it anyway. Plus, you wouldn’t like it… but they’re pushing me so hard to do it and it’s driving me up the wall.”
“Mollie, I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. Come sit down and talk to me, babe.”
A little relief, but the slightest amount of guilt and skepticism washed over her face.
He kissed her cheek once they were sitting on the brown leather couch in the living room. “Now, tell me what’s got you so upset, darling.”
Warily, she cleared her throat.
“I keep getting approached by this producer for some reality show called Real Housewives: Sports Wives Edition… they want me to be on their program… I’ve said no multiple times. For one thing, I’m not married to you yet. And two, I’m certainly not marrying you because you’re a celebrity. I’ve accepted it, yes. And I don’t begrudge it. I just am not a media-seeking diva. The man I love just happens to be a star quarterback, and I would love him no matter what he did for a living.” She took a deep breath.
Jackson pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. “I appreciate that. If you don’t want to be on the stupid show, and you’ve told them you don’t want to be on it; then I’d suggest you call Terri Peters; she’s my attorney. I’ll give her a heads up that you’re calling. And you can explain what’s going on… she’ll speak to the people at the show and make it so that they stay away from you.”
“That won’t make you look bad, will it?” Mollie asked- a little sheepishly.
“Why do you ask that?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just thought they’d expect me to be compliant and do whatever they want. And because I’m not being that girl; they might think you’re marrying a bitch.”
Jackson tried and pretty-much failed to disguise a chuckle as a cough, but it didn’t much matter.
“Mollie, hon- you’re polite as they come, and dealing with the lawyer is the grown up thing to do, especially when you’ve been civil and asked them to stop bugging you… That should be enough for them… but since it isn’t, you’ve been forced to take action. Sure, they might be annoyed for a while, but I think watching us go about our daily lives would be extremely boring. When some time goes by and there hasn’t been any squabbles or cheating scandals; they’ll realize that we were right.”
Cindy Says: Let's Brainstorm 