Chapter 20
As the plane began to circle, Richie rubbed Jesse's back. She was asleep with her head in his lap. “Baby, wake up.”
“Mmmm, don’t wanna.”
“We’re getting ready to land and you’ve got to set your seat up, sweetheart.”
Jesse sat up, stretched, and looked around. All of this – first class seats, traveling to LA – was new to her and she hated that she was so tired that she couldn’t enjoy it. Shortly after take off, she’d fallen asleep and Richie had left her alone.
“What time is it?”
Richie looked at his watch. “Almost nine.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re headed to my place so you can sleep some more.”
“I’m hungry, Richie.”
“Okay. I’ve got some stuff in the refrig that I can fix you breakfast.”
“When is Ava’s game?”
“All day tomorrow.” Richie reached over to take her hand in his. “Heather invited me to dinner tonight with her and Jack.”
“Oh!” Jesse’s disappointment showed in her voice and her expression.
Richie gave a soft laugh and pulled her hand to his lips pressing a kiss to the back. “You really think I’m going to leave you alone?”
“She invited you, not me.”
“She invited me before I met you. I called her yesterday while you were sleeping and told her about you. She’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“I don’t know about all this, Richie.”
“About what?”
“Meeting Heather and Ava. Being here with you.”
“Come on, Jess…talk to me. You can’t hold back on me.”
“I’m scared, Richie. Your world is so…..”
“Public?”
“Yeah. What if I don’t do the right thing or say the right thing or wear the right thing?”
“Baby, the one thing I’ve learned is to be myself because no matter what I do, they’re going to write what they want.”
“And Heather?”
“She’s going to love you, Jess.”
“Even though I’m half your age and with you?”
“Jesse, Heather and I are friends now and if I’m happy, she’s going to be happy for me. Besides, you aren’t dating Heather. Why do you care what Heather thinks?”
“She’s your ex-wife.”
“That’s right, she’s my EX-wife. Baby, just relax. If I was worried about Heather, I wouldn’t be introducing you to her.” Seeing her starting to say something, he put his finger on her lips and said, “Ava is going to love you too!”
Jesse gave a deep sigh and looked out the window as the plane made it’s descent into a world that was far different from what she was use to. Richie didn’t seem to be concerned and he was trying his best to soothe her fears. She loved him for that but it didn’t make it any easier. What if Ava hated her? Would Richie dump her to make his daughter happy? If they got married, would Ava think of her as the evil step-mother? And would she be jealous of Stevie? God, there was so much more to this relationship than she had really thought about and now she was about to come face to face with it.
With the plane at a complete stop, the light went off and passengers began to gather their things. Richie stood and got their carry-on bags. Extending his hand, she took it and he pulled her up into his arms.
“Jessica.” He stopped, his eyes clouding with tears as he gazed into her blue-gray orbs. There was so much trust in them…trust in him to protect her, to take care of her. He knew in his heart that she was the one for him.
“What’s wrong, Richie?” she asked when he didn’t say anything else.
“There isn’t anything wrong…I was….I wanted to tell you…” He wanted to tell her ‘I love you’ but the words wouldn’t come. He didn’t want to scare her off and after Heather had left him, he’d sworn he’d be more careful about telling a woman he loved her so soon in a relationship. That was what had caused the only other long-term relationship he’d had since Heather break up…his inability to say ‘I love you’.
She smiled and said, “Me too.” She knew what he had wanted to say, had tried to say, and it was okay that he couldn’t say it just yet. She felt the same way. With that one unsaid sentence, her fears were gone and she was ready to face his world.
Holding hands, the couple left the plane and made their way through the airport. They were so wrapped up in each other that they missed the photographers snapping pictures.
