20 Questions

Chapter 97

I pull out of the driveway and call Helen to tell her I am on my way. It was hard to leave Hunter looking so sexy in his swimming trunks, but I'm grateful for this break from Tyler. Hunter tried to convince me that Tyler's words were just a product of New York City living, but I'm not buying it. Wherever you call home doesn't give you the right to act like an asshole. I didn't want to bash him to Hunter, he is still his brother, so I'm happy to spend the day with Helen who shares my disgust for him. I know she will feel the same way I do about his inappropriate comments. I shoot her a text to let her know I am here and she tells me to come inside.

Patrick answers the door, shirtless and in gym shorts. I've never seen Patrick so exposed, but I am surprised at how muscular his upper body is. Helen comes bouncing down the stairs and wraps her arms around my neck. All the tension in my body from this morning disappears when I see her. She always puts me in such a good mood.

"How was your morning with Mr. New York City?" she asks and I just groan and roll my eyes.

"That bad, huh?" Patrick laughs.

"I told Hunter last night that Tyler is the devil and I feel the exact same way this morning," I reply.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," he says.

Helen grabs her purse, kisses Patrick and we are out the door. On the ride to the mall, I fill Helen in on the dreadful morning I had with Tyler. Her facial expressions go from shock to disgust to anger and then back to disgust. She gasps when I tell her about him calling me sexy and then whispering that he meant what he said. She is just as appalled as I was when it happened.

"Oh my God. Did you tell Hunter? What did he say?" she asks, completely baffled.

"Yeah, I told him. I expected him to be all pissed off, but he wasn't at all. He just told me that's how men in New York are and that he thinks Tyler was probably just trying to compliment me. I don't know. I was taken aback by his response. It's not what I expected at all. You remember how bent out of shape he got when he found out that I only danced with Peyton?"

"Uh yeah. He was ready to decapitate someone. I can't believe he was all chill about it. That guy really is the devil. If I never have to see him again after the wedding, I will be ever so happy," she says, leaning back in her chair.

"That makes two of us, sister," I agree.

Over the next couple hours, we wander in and out of the stores in the mall. She buys several outfits for work and I get a new wardrobe for the honeymoon. I have heard so many people say that, while they were excited for the wedding, they were more excited for the honeymoon. That couldn't possibly be truer in my case. I can't wait to escape from everything and spend an entire week alone with Hunter in a tropical paradise. I get butterflies just thinking about it.

"How long do you think you all will wait after getting married to have kids?" Helen asks, pulling me from my tropical thoughts.

"If it were up to my parents, we would be conceiving during our honeymoon, maybe even before," I quip, sharing a laugh with Helen. "I honestly don't know. I still want some time with just the two of us. What about you? I know how hard it was losing Asher. Do you want to have more kids?"

"I do, I definitely do. Jenna, there is nothing in the world like being a momma. I miss it so much. No matter how great you think your life is now, just wait until you hold that sweet little baby for the first time and know that you will love them until the day you take your last breath. Honestly, I was scared that I would never get to feel that love again, but then I met Patrick and I knew right away that I wanted to marry him and have babies again. If we get married, I want to have kids right away."