Chapter 17: The Challenges of Love

******Saturday of Valentine's Weekend*****

Parker left Neptune early Saturday morning with all the ingredients she would need to cook dinner for Piz. Within an hour, she was close enough to pick up Piz's station. She wanted to surprise him, so she hadn't called him. Instead, she was going to go to his work and find out the best time to cook dinner for him.

The radio announcer introduced the morning show with Stosh and Skye. It took her a second to realize that Stosh was Piz. Since she'd met him, Piz had been what everyone but Keith Mars referred to him as. His first name obviously fit better with his co-anchor's name. Smiling, she listened to "Stosh" tease his co-anchor about all her disastrous Valentine's dates.

"So what about tonight?" Piz asked. "Got a hot date?"

"Yep. My cousin Shell swears I'll like this one!" Skye replied.

"Why would you agree to a blind date on Valentine's? Isn't that almost guaranteeing a bad V-Day?"

"I'm optimistic. I figure the odds are in my favor this year," she said, laughing.

Parker smiled as she listening to Piz's partner describe the worst Valentine's gift she'd gotten.

"She sounds fun," Parker thought. She was a bit disappointed that Piz didn't mention her as his girlfriend before the music began to play. However, she'd only caught the second hour. Maybe Piz had talked about her in the first.

When she arrived at the station, the producer told her the set would be done in twenty minutes. He pointed out a spot that she could wait until Piz came out. The end of the show was playing over the intercom. It made her proud to listen and hear Piz and know that one of his dreams were coming true. He sounded so natural and confident. She figured it wouldn't be too long before the station would have him on full-time, and he'd be off on the weekends.

A short time later, Piz came around the corner laughing at something the woman next to him said. Parker stared at his co-anchor with interest. Her voice on the radio was very warm and friendly. Parker wasn't sure what to expect. The woman was short and chubby, which relaxed Parker somewhat. She didn't want to be insecure, but she didn't know how she'd handle him spending all his time with someone that looked like Jazmin or Veronica. Skye had shoulder length curly brown hair. The curls gave her an adorable appearance.

"Hi," Parker said, standing up and getting Piz's attention.

Piz looked and grinned. "What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.

"I thought I'd surprise you," Parker replied. "I hope it's okay."

"Of course!" he said. He stepped forward to hug her. Keeping his arm around her, he turned to Skye. "Skye, this beautiful girl is my girlfriend, Parker. Parker this is Skye Buchanan, my co-anchor."

"I've heard a lot about you," Skye said, smiling warmly at Parker.

Parker blinked. The woman radiated a warmth that was surprising. She was very cute. "It's great to meet you. The two of you sound great together. I caught some of the show on the way into town," Parker said.

"When you find a co-anchor you click with it, the job is much easier," Skye said. She blew a curl out of her face. She had brown eyes and a tan complexion. Parker assumed she was bi-racial.

"I bet," Parker said. She turned to Piz. "I know you're at work, but I wanted to get your key and go to your apartment. I brought stuff to fix us dinner. A low-key night."

"That sounds great," Piz said. "I'll be here until five, though. Then Skye's leaving to get ready for her hot date."

"I'm not sure if hot is the word I'd use," Skye said dryly.

Parker smiled. The girl was very likeable. She relaxed more, glad that Piz's new partner was someone she could like.

Piz gave her his key. "Do you remember how to get to my place?" he asked.

"I have it programmed on my GPS," she said.

"Great! I'll text you when I'm on my way," he said, giving her a light kiss. Skye waved goodbye.

Several hours later, she had dinner ready. Piz had texted and was on his way. She turned on his sound system and put on his romance mix, grinning as she did so. He had all his music mixed onto CD's and labeled according to style or genres.

She pulled out her cell while waiting for him and posted a picture of the table she'd set up with the candles. Then she posted her plans: Having a romantic time with the love of my life. It was a bit premature, but she knew the night was going to be great.

When he arrived, he brought her a single rose and a teddy bear. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said before he kissed her.

"That's very sweet. Thanks!" she told him.

Parker presented the table to him, and he admired it. "I can't believe you came and did this!" he said. "I've missed you so much."

It made her happy to hear, and she flashed him a smile. "Well, we were all at the beach with Lily and Richie last Sunday building sand castles. Duncan suggested I come see you since you couldn't come to me," she said.

Piz looked surprised. "Duncan suggested it? Really?" he asked.

Parker nodded. "Yes. I think he's moved on," she said in an effort to be transparent. She tried not to let it show that a part of her was still bothered by that fact. She was obviously a selfish person.

"Is he seeing someone?" Piz wondered.

"Yes. A girl on the soccer team. I met her," she said, not explaining. She was trying to be happy for Duncan. It was the least she could do.

"Good for him," Piz said, glad that he wasn't going to have to worry about Duncan Kane sniffing around his girlfriend anymore.

They sat down and had dinner, catching up on each other's life. When dinner was over, Piz stood and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

"I'd love that!" Parker said. They danced to one song and kept dancing when the song was over and another began to play. Then his phone rang.

"Sorry," he said, pulling back and reaching into his pocket for his phone. He frowned. "It's Skye. I'm not sure why she's calling now. She's supposed to be on her date."

"Answer it. Maybe something happened," Parker said.

Nodding, he answered the phone. "Hello, Skye," he said.

Parker watched him as he frowned and grew concerned. "Are you okay?" Piz asked her.

Parker could tell from his demeanor and replies that something was wrong.

"I'll be there soon," Piz said and then hung up. He turned to Parker. "Babe, I'm sorry, but I'm going to need to go pick Skye up. The date she was set up is a real sleaze. Her cousin Shell isn't answering her phone, and she's stranded."

"That's okay," Parker said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Nah. I won't be long. She doesn't live too far from here," Piz said. "I'll be back soon."

Parker nodded and watched him leave. Then she figured she'd clean up. She waited an hour. Then Piz sent her a text. Sorry. Skye's really upset. I'll be home soon. Parker sighed. She didn't fault Piz for being so chivalrous. However, the night wasn't going exactly as she planned.

When he came home an hour later, she pretended that she didn't mind at all. It was Valentine's Day, and she wanted the night to be special.

*****Back in Neptune*****

Jason had thought it'd be romantic to take Daisy on a short cruise along the coast. So he'd gotten her favorite dishes from La Casita in San Diego and borrowed the Echoll's yacht that Logan said no one ever took out much. Not knowing anything about boats, Logan had even loaned him the guy who took care of his yacht to drive the boat for him. Everything was perfect. He had a hand-engraved heart locket in sterling silver with the words Keeper of my heart engraved on the back. It had cost around $100. He'd lavish her with diamonds one day, but the gift seemed appropriate for Valentine's Day. They had just gotten back together, so he hadn't want to go too overboard.

She'd been quite pleased with everything. She'd gotten him her favorite bottle of cologne for men—a scent he'd liked. The night had gone exactly as planned. However, he hadn't anticipated his rolling stomach thirty minutes from shore. He did his best to hide it.

Daisy stood at the edge of the boat, looking out at the setting sun, sipping a glass of wine. Jason's arms were surrounding her. It was perfect.

"This was a wonderful idea, Jason," she said, relaxing against him.

"I'm glad you think so. I wanted to be alone with you, and I didn't want to repeat last weekend at the hotel," Jason said, kissing her cheek as they watched the sun set.

"It's so beautiful," she observed with a contented sigh.

The captain brought up the heated food and set it out on the table in the center of the top deck. "Sir, your dinner is ready," he said.

"Thanks," Jason said. He had told the captain to take them out far enough so that it appeared as if they were all alone. As his stomach rolled, he wondered if he should suggest they stop moving.

Daisy noticed his grimace. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"I haven't spent much time on boats," Jason admitted.

"Well, I have. My stepdad takes us out on one most summers," Daisy said as they sat down.

Jason didn't want to mention his queasy stomach, hoping it'd settle once he got used to it. However, half-way through dinner he couldn't hide it anymore. "Excuse me," he said hurriedly as he ran to the side of the boat and heaved up the small amount of dinner he'd consumed.

Daisy watched in dismay as her lover chunked his cookies over the side of the boat. When he finished, he turned to her, a grimace on his face. "I can't believe this!" he grumbled.

"Are you sick or is it the boat?" Daisy asked, trying not to smile. She'd never seen him sick. It was fascinating to see a side of him that showed him so vulnerable.

"The boat, I think," he said. "I wasn't feeling bad until the boat was in motion."

"You didn't know that you were prone to sea sickness before you planned this romantic cruise?" Daisy asked, smiling. She handed him a glass of water.

Jason looked sheepish. "Well, I can't say I've ever spent much time on a boat on the ocean. Lake Michigan isn't quite the same thing. The water doesn't move much," he said.

Daisy laughed. "We should head back to shore. I'll take you home and tuck you into bed," she said.

Jason sighed. "I guess so. I'm sorry. Not exactly the romantic evening I planned," he said in disgust.

"It's okay. It was nice, and I've never got to take care of you before. Here's my chance," she told him.

They gave the captain orders to head back to shore. As soon as they got back in the car, leftovers in the backseat, he began to feel better.

"Next time, I'll plan things better," he said with a rueful smile. Daisy didn't mind. It was just nice being with him again. She'd missed him more than she'd realized.

He drove them back to his place. Daisy insisted she wanted to care for him. He hadn't seen this side of her and was interested in seeing her nurturing side.

When they got to his place, he saw the remains of dinner on the table. However, Eli's car hadn't been parked in their guest parking spot. His sister's light was off, so he assumed she was with Eli somewhere. He and Daisy went to his room. In the middle of the night, Daisy got up to get a drink of water and saw Jazmin in the kitchen putting away food and cleaning up.

Frowning, she asked Jazmin, "Hey. We weren't sure you were here. Eli's car wasn't outside. Did you have a nice dinner?"

Looking sad, she shook her head. "No. Eli left and didn't even eat," she shared.

"What?" Daisy asked in surprise. Jazmin and Eli didn't fight. Eli worshiped the ground she walked on.

"He got caught up on a job and was late. Joseph was here. Eli didn't like that I shared some of the lasagna with Joseph and was an ass," Jazmin explained. "I went into my room. Instead of talking to me, he just left."

Daisy and Jazmin weren't close, but she couldn't refrain from offering advice. "You got upset with him because he had a problem with you eating dinner with your ex on Valentine's? An ex who got you pregnant and caused you to miscarriage?" Daisy asked.

"I wasn't eating dinner with Joseph! I was eating with Eli or would have if he'd been here! He told me to eat without him, and I tried to wait. I waited over an hour," Jazmin said.

"But why did you end up eating with Joseph?" Daisy asked, puzzled. "I'd kill Jason if he had an ex and was eating a dinner he'd prepared for me with her. I wouldn't care how late I was. There's just some things you don't ever do."

Jazmin sighed and threw down the dish rag. "It wasn't like that! I don't want Joseph here. That's on Jason. Joseph's date cancelled, and he was just keeping me company while I waited on Eli," she said.

"Maybe so, but you have to know how it would've looked to Eli," Daisy said.

"Either Eli trusts me or he doesn't," Jazmin said annoyed.

"I'd never trust anyone that much! Not on the most romantic holiday of the year especially," Daisy replied.

Jazmin hated to admit it, but she knew Daisy had a point. "But why did he leave? He didn't have to leave," she said, her eyes filling.

Daisy felt out of her depth. She didn't want the responsibility of trying to comfort a girl who'd tried to commit suicide a few months earlier. A girl she didn't even like most days. "Would you like me to get your brother? Our plans went sideways, too, so he won't mind," Daisy said.

Jazmin shook her head. "No, I'm going to bed," she said. Then she did exactly that.

Concerned, Daisy went back to Jason's room and woke him up. She explained to him what Jazmin had told her.

"I didn't mean to upset her," Daisy said.

"No, this is my fault. Joseph needs to go. This was bound to happen sooner or later," Jason said with a sigh. "Eli is afraid of pushing too hard with my sister, so he probably left because he was unsure or because he was afraid of upsetting her even more with his anger at Joseph."

"I kind of got the impression that she took up for Joseph over his presence," Daisy said.

"That would really piss off Eli" Jason said. He got out of bed and put on a t-shirt. He leaned down to kiss Daisy. "Thanks for trying to help her and for waking me. She's gotten in the habit of keeping too much to herself lately. It's not good for her."

He went to her room and knocked lightly before opening the door. "Sis, are you up?" he asked, letting the light from the hallway illuminate the room. She sat up.

"Yes," she said.

He sat down on her bed. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. He could tell she'd been crying.

"I guess. Eli and I had a fight," she shared. "I think I messed up. He brought me flowers, and I didn't even thank him."

"So you'll thank him tomorrow or rather in a few hours," Jason said with a rueful smile.

"Did Daisy tell you what happened?" she asked. He nodded. "I didn't mean to upset him by feeding Joseph. But his date had canceled, and he asked me for some lasagna. I didn't see the harm. He was being pleasant for once."

"I'm going to talk to Nico. Joseph can stay with him or get a hotel," Jason said. "This was inevitable. I'm sorry that I put you in this position."

"Dad did," she said, excusing him.

"Maybe so, but as Eli pointed out, I didn't protest much," Jason said. "I guess I kind of like Joseph not being such an ass all the time. I've missed him."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jazmin said. "Then I feel guilty for feeling that way. I mean, I don't want him like that in any way. The thought of being with him romantically makes me physically ill."

Jason snickered. "I'm sure he'd love knowing that!"

Jazmin smiled. "Well, it's true. But before he was my boyfriend, he was my best friend. That's what I miss," she said.

"He was mine, too," Jason reminded him. "But Eli will always hate him. You get that, don't you? Eli and Joseph will never be friends."

"Veronica told me that Eli and Logan were enemies once, too. Now they're good friends," Jazmin said.

"It's not the same thing at all," Jason said. "In Eli's mind, Joseph isn't any better than David. He betrayed you, broke your heart, physically hurt you, and killed your baby. If Eli could end his life, he would. That's how much he hates Joseph."

Jazmin grimaced. "When you put it like that, I'm reminded of how much I hated him, too," she said.

"But that's the worst part of Joseph," Jason said. "He doesn't know the friend who protected you from bullies. The friend who stayed up all night helping you search for your cat that ran away when you were ten."

Jazmin smiled. "I'd forgotten that," she admitted.

"It's not fair of us to expect Eli to be anything but what he is. He's loyal and extremely protective," Jason said. "He will never be okay with anyone who's hurt you. That's just who he is. I wouldn't want to change that about him."

"Me either, but I hate fighting," Jazmin said.

"I know. So does he. That's why he's tolerated Joseph," Jason said.

"So what do I do? He didn't even say goodbye. He just left!" she said, her anger over that still evident.

"There's one thing I know. Eli will forgive you damn near anything," Jason said, smiling. "I'm sure he's up kicking himself right now."

"Thanks," Jazmin said. "You should get some sleep. Daisy said your plans kind of went sideways, too. What happened?"

"Turns out that a yacht on a lake is not the same as one on the ocean," Jason said with a sheepish smile. "I threw up in the middle of dinner."

"Ouch!" she said with a sympathetic wince. "Talk about killing the mood!"

"You'd think," Jason said smugly. "But after some gum, tooth brushing, Listerine, and a shower, she got over it!"

Jazmin laughed, glad to see him happy. "Well, I'm glad," she said.

"Technically Valentine's not over until Monday, so you have time to salvage yours," Jason said. He kissed her on the cheek and bid her goodnight.

Jazmin felt much better talking to him. She closed her eyes and went right to sleep. The next morning, she woke early, determined to mend the gulf between her and Eli. When she was in the shower, there was a knock on the bathroom door. She couldn't remember if she locked it or not.

"I'll be out soon," she called.

"It's me," Eli said. "I'll be in your room."

She quickly turned off the shower and got out. Wrapping her hair in a towel and drying off, she grabbed her robe. Then she hurried to her room.

He got up from her bed as soon as she entered the room. She shut the door. Their eyes locked.

"I'm sorry!" they both said at the same time. Jazmin smiled as he came toward her.

"I'm the one that needs to apologize," Eli said, taking her hand. "I didn't mean to ruin your dinner."

"I'm sorry for not running Joseph off," Jazmin said. "I didn't mean to upset you. I hope you know that I never choose to hang out with him. His date cancelled, and you were late. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"It wasn't," Eli said. "I overreacted. I felt guilty for being late. I'm sorry."

"Why did you leave? I was waiting in here for you," Jazmin wondered.

Eli looked guilty. "You were? I didn't know. I didn't want to push you or make you think I just want sex from you," he said.

Jazmin groaned. "We're both so dumb! I was waiting for you so we could be together."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Eli asked, wanting to know for sure.

Jazmin smiled and took the towel off her head, drying the ends so they didn't drip. "I meant that I didn't want to keep living in the past and let what David did ruin my happiness," she said. She grabbed a brush off her dresser and began to brush out her hair.

"That's not going to happen. I thought we were happy. I'm happy," Eli assured her. "Outside of that jackass Joseph being around. I'm okay with slow, Princess. You take as much time as you need."

Jazmin smiled and put down the brush. "I love you, Eli," she told him, moving closer.

He smiled back, glad she wasn't upset with him anymore. "I love you, too. Always," he said, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. He blinked in surprise when she opened up her robe.

"I want you to love me again," she said, putting her arms around his neck and gazing into his eyes.

"You mean…"

"Sex, Eli. I want to have sex with you," she said, as plainly as she could. Then she pressed her naked body against his and kissed him the way she hadn't in a long time.

Eli's head was spinning as he returned her kiss. Although his hands automatically moved over her naked flesh, he was nervous. However, she broke off the kiss and stepped away. Then she went over to her bed, throwing a seductive smile at him. "Are you prepared to give me what I want?" she asked.

Eli nodded and kicked off his shoes. It'd been months since they'd had sex, and he didn't want to mess it up. He went slowly as he undressed, determined to stop if she showed any sign of wariness. But she didn't.

He made careful, sweet love to her. Never rushing, always gentle, he surrounded her with his love. Nothing about his touch reminded her of David's brutality. Jazmin lost herself in him, keeping all dark thoughts out of her mind. They finally had their perfect moment.

******Wallace and Thea******

Wallace was so nervous. It wasn't like him, but he wanted so badly for tonight to be perfect. He and Dick had each planned the perfect night together. They'd went shopping for the perfect Valentine's gift. Naturally, Wallace didn't spend nearly the amount that Dick did. He'd rejected Dick's generous offer to loan him the money. Somehow Wallace knew Thea would not approve. His mother assured him she would like his gift even if it didn't have the pricey tag to go with it.

He picked her up wearing a suit and tie. "You look amazing!" he told her. She had on a dark green dress that showed off her generous cleavage. Her hair was pinned up with a matching green clip of some kind.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks. You look very handsome," she said.

He took her hand and walked her to the car. "So where are we going?" she asked.

"To your favorite Greek restaurant in San Diego," Wallace said.

"That sounds perfect," she said, pleased.

"I have a surprise for you when we get there," he told her as he opened up his car door.

She got into the car. "The flowers you gave me yesterday was more than enough, Wallace," she said as he started the car and pulled onto the road.

"I'm glad you liked them, but I have something else planned. Something that'll show you how much I love you," he said, smiling warmly at her.

"I already know how much you love me," she said, happiness filling her. He was so good to her.

It didn't take long for them to get to the restaurant that was a short drive from Neptune. He pulled into Café Athena.

"So is this your favorite because it's named after you?" he asked.

"When I was little, I thought that. It was the place my grandparents always chose because they knew the owner. Alexi's Greek Café is also a good one," Thea said.

"Let me get your door," he said. Getting out of the car and walking around to her side.

She smiled as he, opened the door and held out her hand for his. They strolled into the restaurant hand in hand. "You know, you're the only guy not related to me who's ever been here with me," she shared.

"I like being your one and only," he admitted. Wallace never considered himself possessive, but knowing he was her first in everything maybe him want to be her only even more.

When they went inside, he scanned the restaurant until he found who he was looking for. He tugged on her hand and led her to a table.

Thea's eyes widened in surprise when she spotted her grandparents. "Why are my grandparents here?" she asked, confused.

"Because I invited them," he said, grinning.

"Why?" she asked.

"It'll be clear soon," he said.

"Well, I'm not sure having them here will ensure the romantic evening you were hoping for," she said. Then she turned to the table, greeting her grandparents.

"Hi!" she said. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Your young man insisted on us coming here," her grandmother said, smiling at him.

She and Wallace sat in the chairs across from her grandparents. "Well, it's a surprise, but it's always nice to see you," she told them. Greeks valued family, so it warmed her to know that he got that about her. Including her grandparents in his special surprise meant a lot to her even if she wasn't sure what the surprise was yet. The fact that he wanted them there spoke volumes.

"I invited them because I wanted them to know how much you mean to me, how much I love you," Wallace said, taking her hand.

Her grandmother beamed joyfully. "How sweet!" she said, clapping her hands together.

"I love you, too," Thea said softly, squeezing his hand.

Wallace couldn't wait until after dinner to give her his gift, so he reached into picket and pulled out a box. "I wanted your grandparents here because I wanted to promise them something. I wanted to promise you something," Wallace said. He opened the box. Inside it nestled a gold-plated ring with a small diamond drop in its center. "I wanted to promise that I will love you until the day I die. I wanted to promise that as soon as you finish school, I want to marry you and make you my wife. I wanted to give you this promise ring as a symbol of my commitment to you. I hope you'll accept it and what it represents."

The grandparents beamed in happiness as the scene unfolded.

Thea had trouble believing what was happening. She knew he cared about her, but she hadn't suspected he had planned such a gift or gesture. His words were so beautiful. It overwhelmed her. Her hand brushed the tears his words invoked. "I would love to marry you someday," she told him. "I can't imagine that there's a more perfect man out there than you."

Wallace beamed at her and put the ring on her finger. Then he kissed her. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, leaning his forward against hers a moment.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said, her eyes shining with happiness. She had her perfect Valentine, and she was never going to be a part from him.

******Chapter End*****