Wait For Me

Summer Nights

It was still only early evening as Grace began yawning out on the porch. "Someone's overtired... All that gossiping on the phone I heard you doing late last night misses." Connie smiled as Grace smirked leaning her head against Jacob's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around the younger Beauchamp as Connie placed her wine glass down on the table.

They'd spent the afternoon having a small BBQ just the three of them as the weather had been so lovely. Jacob had insisted on cooking while the girls relaxed, and it had been a perfect afternoon. She watched as Jacob lovingly ran his fingers through Grace's hair as he did to her whenever she needed comforting and it warmed her heart. He was brilliant with her and it only cemented the thoughts already in her head.

Grace's eyes were becoming heavy as she totally relaxed into Jacob's side. Connie picked up her glass as she tucked her legs beneath herself becoming comfortable. "Sweet cheeks..." "Muscles?" He smiled as she looked up across the top of her wine glass. "The longer you leave her to sleep the harder she'll be to move."

Jacob shook his head as he held the young girl close to his chest causing Connie to arch a brow. "Jealous sweet cheeks?"She scoffed rolling her eyes as she leant back in her chair looking off down the garden. Picking up a cushion from beside him, he placed it beneath Grace's head as he slowly eased himself off the seat so that she was laying down.

Connie's attention was pulled back as Jacob squeezed into the large cushioned chair beside her. He lifted an arm around her shoulders as she settled into his warm embrace, a hand placed flatly against his chest, her legs lifting to rest across his lap. Dropping a hand to her thigh Jacob smiled as Connie looked over at him.

"I can't explain how good this is, being able to come home to you everyday and knowing that you're not going anywhere. Nothing stopping us this time." Jacob caressed her thigh slowly as he spoke. It was easier for them to talk to one another now, but it didn't stop him from wondering how far he should go. "After the accident I never thought we'd get this chance, not like this anyway... Everything with you, it's perfect."

His eyes searched her face until she lifted her gaze to meet his. "You and Grace, you're my world." Connie moved her hand to his, lacing her fingers through his as she held onto it gently. Pushing her tongue into her cheek she tilted her head slightly. "What you thinking Beauchamp?" "We're back to Beauchamp again are we?" Jacob smirked as he leant forwards to pick up his bottle from the table, speaking without much thought. "Well personally I'd rather call you Masters."

Connie's face changed instantly, Jacob seeing the effect his words had had on her. "Con-" "You'd seriously want that?" He frowned slightly before leaning back in the chair again. Both were oblivious to the eyes that had opened slightly to watch them from across the table. "I'd be crazy to not want to call you my wife, and I'm not saying that I want it right now but I'm also not saying no to it." "Jacob, you're rambling." He nodded taking another sip of his drink seeing the amused expression on her face.

"Why are you not shooting me down and running away?" Connie looked down into her wine glass as she waited a few moments to collect her thoughts. Why wasn't she running? "When I decided to take time off, it was because I wanted to be here for Grace. Nothing else, it was all about her." Lifting her head she shook her hair down her back before looking to his hopeful eyes. "But now? Now I'm wondering if I ever really want to go back when life could be like this."

Jacob ran the back of his fingers across her cheek in a caring manner before she continued. "I love you Jacob Masters... And who knows what we'll have ten years from now. Whatever it is, I know it involves you being here with me." It was normally at this point that her chest would tighten, that she'd wish she could take back the words but none of that seemed to come.

Connie looked to the watery look within his eyes before sitting herself forwards so she sat across his legs. Lifting her hands she cupped his cheeks biting her lip. "Stop it, I'm supposed to be the one that cries during these conversations, not you." He laughed gently as he shook his head causing the few tears to fall. "Sorry- Sorry..." "Don't be stupid. I know that none of this has been easy for you, and I've never really taken the time to think about you until now. I tried replacing what we had, forgetting what we lost but nobody was ever enough. Nobody else knows me like you do."

Jacob sniffed quickly hating how quickly the tables had turned. "Here's me with this grand speech about what you mean to me and you've taken it from me." She dropped her head with a smirk as she apologised quietly before feeling his hand beneath her chin lifting her gaze back to his. "I love you too Constance Beauchamp-" He was cut off by the snigering from behind them that Grace failed to hold in.

Their heads turned quickly to see the young girl watching them. "How long have you been listening?" Grace was quiet as she bit her lips nervously before speaking a single word quietly. "Constance?" Her laughter erupted again loudly as she found herself unable to contain it. Jacob struggled to suppress the smile as Grace continued to laugh while Connie pushed her tongue into her cheek. "Bed time. Now."

Grace sat up still laughing as she grasped her stomach as it now ached from all the laughter. "S-s-sorry Mum." Connie stood up shaking her head as she placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Mention it to anyone and I might just decide to give you a hideous middle name." Grace smiled with a nod as Jacob got up. "Come on firecracker I'll take you up-" "I'll do it, and you can clean up this mess because you love me."

Connie smiled sweetly as she tiptoed up, her hands against his chest as she kissed him tenderly. "I'll be up when I'm done-" "Don't bother, I fancy an evening out here." Jacob nodded kissing her once more as she left inside with Grace. Jacob began moving the plates around, sorting out the small mess they had made from dinner.

"Thank you Mum." "What for baby?" Grace shuffled down into her bed as Connie came and perched at the side. "Everything. You're the best Mum in the world, and I know I didn't used to make you feel like that." "Shhh- We've both said and done a lot of things in the past, but we have a future now. You and me... And the idiot downstairs." Grace giggled as Connie smiled smoothing over her hair. "Sleep tight baby." "Love you-" "Love you too."

Closing the door gently behind her she wandered downstairs to a quiet house. Everything was already washed and put away from dinner, and Jacob was sitting with his back to Connie on the decking. Her bare feet barely made any noise as she walked across to him, taking a seat beside him. He passed her a glass silently as she took it with a smile. "I meant what I said. I'm done running, especially from you."

Jacob watched as she stood up holding her hands out towards him. "Where are you going?" "Just come with me..." Taking his hands she pulled him up, a quick glance up to Grace's window confirming the lights were off and she had gone to sleep. She led him to the other end of the garden stopping beneath the large willow tree that draped over the grass providing a small area of shelter.

As they stopped underneath, Connie turned to him, her lips finding his with ease. He responded almost instinctually to her, his hands roaming across her hips and waist as she lifted her hands to begin undoing the buttons of his shirt. Pressing her hands against his bare chest, she slipped the shirt from his shoulders feeling his hands pulling at the material of her blouse before parting as he pulled it over her head, dropping it to the floor. Their lips cashed together again in a desperate frenzy as he stepped backwards with her until her back was pressed to the tree.

Jacob parted from her quickly in order to look at the space around them. Taking her hand he pulled her forwards before kissing her again with more passion than before. Dropping his hands to her thighs, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her up. Slowly moving to his knees, he leaned back until her back was pressed to the grass beneath them, his lips fiercely on hers.

The night was quiet, only the quiet buzz of the city audible in the far distance. The pair continued, distracted and caught up in their own world together. Nothing had ever been perfect, or planned in her life but finally with Jacob she could see herself planning a future and nothing was going to stop them.