Okay. I feel really bad about how long it's taken me to update. To those of you who asked, everybody is finally, finally, finally home and on the mend. Finally. Thanks so much for all your concern and sweet words. :) To those of you who were less kind about my absence, I feel I should let you know that rudeness actually doesn't help me write faster.
Also, this is a little short, but I really wanted to get something posted today, so please accept this as what it is.
Every time I promise to update on a certain day, it bites me in the ass, but I solemnly swear that I will update again as soon as humanly possible.
By the time the weekend rolled around, the cookout had grown to a full-blown party. What started as an invitation for Sue and Charlie, evolved to include Sue's son, Seth, Peter, Jasper, Angela, and Ben. I had steaks and chicken marinating and veggie kebabs assembled and ready to grill. Angela was bringing her famous macaroni and cheese, Peter volunteered to bring the beer, and Sue was bringing dessert.
Jasper was in my back yard, setting up tables for the party. He and I had spent a lot of time together since the night he spent at my house. He was having a hard time adjusting to Alice being gone. The visiting hours at her facility ended at eight o'clock every evening and he and I had fallen into hanging out each night this week. Peter joined us one night for a movie and Angela and Ben came over the next and we had pizza and played an overly competitive game of cards. We kept the conversations light and filled with laughter.
I made a quick sweep through the house, picking up any clutter I came across. The inside of the house was finished other than a bit of work left in the basement, and I had settled in nicely. I was completely in love with my home and I was happy to have people over. I glanced at the clock, feeling pleased when I realized I still had about an hour and a half before people started showing up at three o'clock.
I grabbed a bottle of water and went outside just as Jasper was drilling the last of the screws into the final table. He accepted the water with a grin and wiped his face and neck off with the hem of his shirt. I ogled him shamelessly since he wasn't looking at me, and let out an small but audible sigh as his abs came into view. The man had a sexy stomach. He had a tattoo on his ribs that covered the entire left side of his torso and a perfect, deep V at the bottom of his abs. I looked away quickly, not letting myself get caught up in that train of thought.
"Do you need any help out here?" I asked, loving the way the tables looked in my yard; like they belonged there and that my yard should always hold parties.
"Nope, I'm finished. They look good, huh?" he asked with a small, smug grin.
"I am in love with them!" I said sincerely. My backyard really looked amazing. Jasper had finished with the area around the screened porch and the patio. He had already placed the meandering stone pathway to the pond from the house and was slowly working his way there with the gardening. He had set up five tables- one large outdoor dining table on the patio and some smaller bistro tables throughout the yard, far enough apart that I could maneuver around them easily, but close enough that you could still have conversations between tables.
"Thanks, Jasper!" I said, grabbing and squeezing his hand. He squeezed back and our hands reluctantly parted. "I'm going to take a shower. If you want, you can use the downstairs bathroom to get ready. You brought your clothes, right?"
He answered with a nod and a grin. He disappeared into the guest bathroom and when I heard the shower turn on, I headed upstairs to take my own shower. It was tempting to run my hands slowly over my body, imagining Jasper downstairs, naked and wet. Instead, I scrubbed quickly and got dressed in a pair of shorts and a pretty green tank top. I threw my hair in a sleek pony tail and ran mascara over my lashes. I glanced in the mirror, pleased at my happy reflection smiling back at me. Moving home had been really good for me so far.
Jasper was in my kitchen, filling big blue coolers with the bags of ice he brought over. He smiled a happy smile when he noticed me and started loading sodas into one of the coolers, saving the other for the beer. "You look pretty," he said really casually, but the tips of his ears turned red and he seemed to be focusing really hard on the cooler.
"Thanks," I blushed. I stood awkwardly next to the counter, watching him for a few seconds. Suddenly shy, I wasn't sure what to say. Just as I was opening my mouth to fill the silence with nervous chatter, the doorbell rang. Sighing in relief, I went to answer the door.
XOXOX
The boys all congregated around the grill while Sue, Angela, and I sat around the kitchen table laughing and gossiping. "My god, Bella!" Sue laughed, "That Peter is sexy, huh?"
I smiled widely. "Yeah, he's pretty easy on the eyes."
"I have to say, though, I think Jasper may be even better looking!" she said, looking through the french doors at the guys in question.
Angela laughed and nodded, "Those Whitlock boys are definitely hot. I'll admit I'm a little jealous that Bella gets to see Jasper with his shirt off all the time!"
"It's definitely a nice perk," I said, giggling.
My dad grinned at us as he walked into the kitchen. "What are you ladies laughing about?" he asked as he grabbed a beer. When no one replied, he shrugged and headed back outside.
Sue and Angela burst into laughter and I couldn't contain my smile.
XOXOX
My dad, Sue, and Seth left together around nine o'clock, with promises of another visit the following week. Angela and Ben were straightening my kitchen and Jasper was cleaning the mess we all made outside. Peter wrapped his arms around my arm and pulled me gently up the stairs. "What are we doing?" I asked with a smile as we reached the door to my bedroom.
Instead of answering, Peter's mouth met mine in a passionate kiss. He pulled my body firmly against his, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "I just needed a few minutes with you alone," he finally replied, as our lips parted.
Panting, I looked up at his handsome face and giving myself no time to reconsider or over-think, blurted, "Do you want to stay here tonight?" The grin that covered his face in response was shockingly bright and I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him look so happy.
"Absolutely," he breathed.