Digging up old memories

Chapter 23

Lisbon's POV

Jane's here. Why is Jane here? She's not ready to see him and deal with this. She still needed time – but time was up it would seem because by the look on his face, he'd figured it out – it's not like she could hide it anyway.

She saw him stop in his tracks and the color drain from his face.

"You okay there, Jane?" said Wayne laughing mirthlessly.

Grace bumped into him with the meat tray for the grill.

"I need to sit down," he said as he stared at Lisbon.

"We were surprised too," said Wayne. Teresa saw Grace catch on to the situation as her eyes went wide. "Oh – Um – Oh, huh... Wayne... can you come inside and help me with the meat?"

"You have it right there in your hands," he said chuckling.

"Get in the house now," said Grace giving him a stare down.

"Okay, okay," he said. Then he slapped Jane's shoulder. "The old ball-and-chain needs me in the kitchen, I'll be back. Want a beer?"

Jane nodded in stunned silence.

When the Rigsby's were out of earshot, Jane got up and walked over to her and stared at her wordlessly... his eyes were roaming over her and his hand stroking through his hair repeatedly. She couldn't get any words out either.

"It's mine?" he said gently.

She nodded affirmatively.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

She started to cry and nodded again – her words trapped in her throat.

"When?" he asked.

She tried to stop crying so she could talk. Finally, she gave up and croaked out, "Next week... I was going to fly into Austin. I just needed time you know... to figure out how to spring this on you and prepare myself for rejection if you didn't want us."

She didn't know what she was expecting in that moment, but he surprised her. He pulled her close, cupped her face and kissed her.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry," he said. He called her sweetheart. She thought she hated that endearment, but when he said it, she thought she'd melt into a puddle.

"I'm sorry too," she said.

"No. You have no reason to be sorry. I'm an ass. I never should have let you get on that plane to D.C. I was just so scared. But I'm not anymore – I've been the biggest idiot. I want it all... with you. I love you, Teresa!"

"I love you too! So much!" she said through tears.

He started kissing the tears on her cheeks, thenback to her lips.