Chapter Two

"Scout!" Darry called across the yard to me.

I excused myself from the conversation I was in with Kathryn's cousins, and walked over to my brother.

Darry held a half empty flute of champagne in his hand. He threw his arm over my shoulder then slipped me into a playful headlock. "Owen said you have to leave for dinner, but I wanted to talk to you first."

I laughed and looked up at my brother who seemed to be drunk with alcohol and happiness. "Okay, what's up?"

Darry let me loose from his arm noose as he escorted me to the driveway away from the guests. When we were alone he stood back and looked at me with a grin, but said nothing.

I laughed at the moment of awkwardness. "Darry, are you okay?"

Darry smiled, "You know … I want to have a daughter, and I want her to be just like you!"

My heart pounded with happiness from the kind words. "Awe! That is so sweet."

"I mean it, Scout. I cannot believe how strong and wise you are. After everything you have been through, you never give up."

"You never give up either."

"Yes, I did. When I lost faith in myself," Darry sighed and wouldn't look me in the eye. "I wanted to take the easy road and keep you at Ashford. I forgot how much you love all of us. I ignored what was important in life, but you didn't, and come hell or high water you were going to fight with anyone for what was important to you. That's why you're here… why I wanted you home. I can't start a family of my own and not have you here to share that with me." Darry stepped forward and hugged me tight with one arm, nearly smothering me into his chest. "It means so much to me that you are home and with the Ottavi's wedding gift… Sissy, can you believe all this? This new house is really going to change things for us, all of us."

I turned my head to answer him as my cheek pressed against his tuxedo shirt. "Sure will, Darry."

"Are you happy?"

I paused a moment. "Honestly? Yeah. I'm probably the happiest I've been in a real long time."

"Me too, Sissy." Darry leaned down and kissed the top of my head before letting me go.

"Scout, are you ready to go?" Owen called out as he walked up the driveway with his car keys in his hand.

Darry grinned from ear to ear and announced. "Yeah, she's ready!"

Then he seemed to be channeling my father as he stepped towards Owen and spoke to him in a fatherly tone, "You listen up young man. I want you to be sweet and respectful tonight, and have her home by curfew or you'll have me to deal with! Understood? "

Owen laughed at my brother's idle threat. "Okay, but any more glasses of champagne and I think Kathryn will have to do your fighting for you."

Darry grabbed the young man in a hug causing some of his drink to splash out over the side of his glass. "Owen! Thank you for all you have done for my kid brothers and Sissy and me. It's gonna get better real soon, don't you think?"

Owen wiggled out of the hug, stepped back from Darry and grabbed my hand. "Yes sir. New house, new neighborhood, new baby. Who could ask for anything more."

"Hey! Where do you think you are sneaking off to?" Kathryn called out as she and her parents came around the corner of the house to join the three of us in the driveway.

"It's time for Prom." I said with a grin.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Ottavi called to her husband. "Hurry and get the camera, the kids are leaving for the dance."

Arthur laughed. "The camera? We have a professional photographer today, we don't need our camera. Wait just a moment, Scout!" Mr. Ottavi walked to the backyard.

Kathryn stepped towards me and hugged me one last time before she smoothed out my hair with her hands and smiled. "I am so happy you are back in Tulsa. Your brother is just a bear to deal with when you are not here to charm some sense into him."

Before I could answer Casey's voice called out from behind Kathryn. "You weren't planning on sneaking out without saying goodbye, were you?"

I looked behind my sister-in-law to see the whole gang coming to join us.

"Yep!" I answered my friend in jest.

"Not without a hug you weren't" Two-Bit declared before he grabbed me and Owen into one big hug. "Ya'll have fun tonight, and no making any babies. Ya'hear me?"

Owen and I blushed.

"Yeah, don't be acting like ol'Darry and Kathryn," Sodapop said with a grin.

"No worries, I'll be on my best behavior." Owen assured my brother.

"It's not you were are worried about." Steve joked and gave me a little punch in the arm.

Mr. Ottavi and the photographer joined us in the driveway as Mrs. Ottavi announced, "one last picture of the Curtis family!"

My brothers and Kathryn crowded around Owen and me for a few photos. Mrs. Ottavi made one final announcement, "Now everyone! Come on, all the gang!"

I laughed at the older lady calling all of us, in our fancy clothes, a gang. Everyone crowded together and said 'cheese' on cue.

The gang separated and Ponyboy gave me a final hug. "Even if you can be at home. I'm glad you are back."

"Thanks Pony." I said. "I'll be by the house as soon as I am allowed to. You keep it all picked up till I get there, you hear?"

"Yeah, I hear you." Pony laughed a little.

"Come here, Sissy!" Sodapop, who had also had a bit too much champagne, wrapped his arms around me into a hug and lifted me off the ground. "You better behave! I'm serious about only having one pregnant sister at a time!"

"Soda!" I scolded him for insinuating I may be misbehaving that badly this evening. "I already told you, I'll be good. I just got home and I aint fixin' to get sent away again."

"Leave her alone, Little Buddy." Darry told my brother then pulled Owen and me aside. Darry stared at Owen and I for a moment before he spoke. "Take good care of her."

"I will, and I will have her back by curfew." Owen agreed with an assuring grin.

"No. Not just tonight. I mean for you to take good care of her for the rest of her life. You need to look after her. Don't let me down."

Owen's face was serious as he spoke to my brother. "Yes, Sir. I will, I promise to do whatever it takes to keep her happy and safe."

Darry reached up with his free hand and grabbed Owen affectionately by the back of the neck. "I know you will. You're a good man. I trust you."

The strong show of emotion from my brother brought a tear to my eye and I couldn't help but hug him again. "I love you, Darry. Congratulations on everything!"

"I love you too, Sissy." Darry hugged me back and cleared his throat as he let me go. "Okay, you kids go on now. Have fun! Be good!"

Darry, with the gang behind him, stayed standing in the driveway keeping watch over the two of us until Owen and I waved goodbye from the car.

Owen drove away from the Ottavi's neighborhood, smiling from ear to ear. "This day has been amazing, almost unreal if you think about it, and it's only half over!"

"I know, it seems like days have passed since I was at Ashford."

"I can't believe we left there for a luncheon and ended up at Darry's wedding."

"You're telling me! The only thing that would have shocked me more is if I ended up at my own wedding!"

Owen laughed with me.

I asked, "Did you have a good time?"

Owen sighed, "I had the best time! It was an honor to be a part of the wedding and the announcement and everything. I really love being with you and your family. You are really lucky to have great brothers. They love you a lot."

"They love you," I looked at the new ring on my finger, "and someday they are going to be your brothers too."

"I feel like they already are."

A moment of silence passed before I spoke the thoughts on my mind. "Wow! I can't imagine what it would be like to have so much money that you could pay for a wedding and a house as a wedding gift in the same week!"

"That would be incredible."

I thought about the group of girls from Ashford who formed the Wealth Bachelors Club and what they had said about my boyfriend's wealth. "From what I hear you already know."

"What are you talking about?" Owen questioned me from the driver's seat.

"Lacey says you have a million dollars in your bank account."

Owen cracked up laughing. "I hope you didn't believe her, because that's a lot of money!"

I didn't respond.

Owen knew I believed her. "I'm not saying that I don't have a lot of money. I just don't have a million dollars."

"Why would she think that you did?"

"Cause she's crazy!"

We both laughed at his comment then I looked at my new ring and asked sweetly. "I am promised to marry you someday, so … do I get to know truth?"

"The truth about what?" Owen played coy to tease me.

"You know what I am talking about!"

Owen answered, "The Jasper family business, my father and grandfather are probably worth over a million dollars, but not me."

"So, someday you will be worth a million."

"Maybe someday, but right now I have to work for it like everyone else. Of course, I get paid more than any other employee, but my family doesn't believe in just giving their heirs everything without high expectations."

"But there's no one else to inherit it, so frankly Lacey isn't wrong."

"True, but let's say I have a son someday, my Dad could change the Will and have it all go to his grandson. Also, if I didn't work and show interest in the company they could just sell the company and enjoy the cash for themselves."

"But when they die you would get that cash so what's the difference?"

"If I was a bad kid … there would be no guarantee I would inherit anything, property or cash. They could give all the money to charity and leave me broke. If I was bad, which I'm not, so…" Owen paused a second for thought. "I actually will be worth a million dollars someday, but I have a long way to go."

"If it's okay for me to ask, how much are you worth today?"

Owen stayed modest with his answer. "Let's just say... If I married you today I could easily buy you a new car, move you into a big house, and pay a maid to clean it for you."

"Wow! I think I have about three dollars to my name!"

Owen laughed, "Save your three dollars because as long as you're with me I'll be paying the bills."

I smiled and grabbed my date's hand. "What do I have to do to pay you back?"

Owen grinned slyly as he copied Mr. Ottavi's words from earlier in the day. "Scout, I'm not a bank."

"Fine," I jokingly rolled my eyes at his cleverness. "So, we are meeting everyone for dinner at the Club?"

"First, we have to stop by my house so my parents can take pictures, then dinner, then we are going to Prom and after that we are going to stop by Kirby's house for a little after prom party."

"Not the kind of party I could get into trouble at?" I asked.

"I don't know." Owen joked, "You seem to be able to get in trouble just about anywhere."

"Well, tonight it's your job to keep me out of trouble."

"That sounds like a lot of work!" Owen said as he turned onto an unfamiliar street and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

I looked out the window. "Where are we going?"

"Hold on, you'll see."

I tried to grab the piece of paper out of his hand.

"Hey, act like a lady!" Owen teased as he moved the paper out of my reach and pulled to a stop in front of a craftsman style bungalow. "There it is."

I looked at the baby blue bungalow trimmed out in white paint. It had a detached garage and a white picket fence outlining the backyard. On the sprawling porch was a white wooden porch swing. I looked at Owen for clarification.

"This is Darry's new home. You're the first in your family to see it. Darry and Kathryn haven't even seen it."

My mouth dropped open in surprise then widened into a smile. "It's adorable! I am so happy for them!"

I threw open my car door and in my formal gown crossed the street to stand on the sidewalk in front of my brother's well deserved good fortune.

Owen followed me across the street and stood by my side. "I am happy for all of you! This is just what the Curtis family needed, a new beginning."

I stood on the sidewalk gazing happily at the new home.

Owen stepped behind me and wrapped both of his arms around my waist. He nuzzled his cheek close to my ear and told me, "when we get married I'm going to give you a house twice as big and twice as beautiful and we're going to have kids and we'll go on vacations, not like my parents do. We'll take the children with us to places like Niagara Falls, go see Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon and maybe even go visit Disneyland in California!"

"You don't have to buy me a house any bigger than this. It's perfect." I marveled at the home which looked similar to my parent's home other than the dormer windows in the roof for the second floor bedrooms.

Owen chuckled a little, "Actually, I won't be buying you a house ... I kinda already own one."

I turned around in surprise to look at Owen, "What do you mean, kinda?"

"A few years ago my grandfather's home was put in a trust for me. When he moves out or passes away. I take ownership. I should take you there to see the place, you'll love it. It's huge. Four bedrooms, massive front porch, beautiful woodwork. It was his first funeral parlor, but it's been just a house for as long as I've been alive." Owen said nonchalantly then changed the subject. "So how many kids do you want; two, four, six or eight?"

I giggled at his silliness. "Why can't I choose one, three, five or seven?"

"Because ... you're a twin. I'm a twin. So no doubt we'll be having twins."

"That's not how it works. There is no biological evidence that says all twins only give birth to twins."

"Well ... it's my dream of the future, and we are having twins so tell me how many you want."

I giggled again, "total children or sets of twins?"

"Total, but it has to be an even number."

I laid my head back against Owen's chest and looked up at Darry's new home. "Honestly, I have never thought much about it. I know I want to have more than one, but after that I guess it all just depends on how many you want."

"I want four. Just like your family." Owen said matter of fact.

I spun around and wrapped my arms around the waist of my possible future husband. "Alright then, if you are paying the bills, four children it is!"

"Scout, I love you more than anyone in the world. I promise you, we will build a life together." Owen cradled my head in his hands and passionately kissed me on the neighborhood sidewalk where everyone could see before he told me. "You are my forever!"

I felt a warm flush of happy emotion surge through my body. I grabbed Owen's hands in mine. I squinted in the late afternoon sun. "Sometimes I feel like you can give me everything, but I can't give you anything back."

Owen closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the top of my head and paused in thought before he spoke. "After Oliver died ... I really couldn't find myself truly caring about another person ever again. You don't understand how you changed that." Owen lifted his head and looked me in the eyes, "Scout Curtis, you turned my world upside down, and you gave me my life back."

"I do truly love you, Owen Jasper."

"I know, that's the best part!"