***The next morning***
Jennifer and Jonathan woke up around 8, and got showered and dressed.
They decided to get breakfast to take with them, to save time.
After swinging by Jennifer's apartment so she could grab some more clothes, they headed to the airport.
They were eating their omelet's after they took off.
"Darling, there are some things you should know about my father. He's very stern, but it's because he's so protective of me. And he isn't a fan of public displays of affection, but that doesn't mean that we can't be a little affectionate. He might not let us stay together in the same room, so be prepared for that."
"Is there some reason I should be nervous?"
"No. He likes to give my boyfriends a hard time though, so don't be shocked if he gives you one".
After they finished their breakfast he took the containers to the trash, and then came back and sat next to her again.
"Darling, have you been to a doctor since your memories came back?"
"No. I called Susan though and she said that based on what I told her, which was everything, she saw no reason for me to come in, unless I was in pain. And I wasn't".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"She also said that your quick thinking of getting me an ice pack before we went to the hospital for my broken nose is what kept the bruising to a minimum".
"Tricks of the trade. When you grow up riding horses, you learn a thing or two".
"Did you ever have a broken nose?"
"No. But I face planted off my horse a few times".
"Darling, how long does it take to fly to your father's?"
"Well, the flight from New York is about 2 hours, sometimes less. And then it's about a 30-minute drive from the airport to the house. That's if we fly into Dulles. If we fly into BWI, it's about the same flight-wise, but it's at least an hour to the house".
She told him all about the house and what to expect.
"How do you want to tell him we are engaged?"
"Well, I guess we can just come out and tell him. I'm not worried, I know he will love you".
She laced her fingers through his and leaned against his shoulder.
They arrived about an hour later, and made their way to her father's house.
"What a beautiful estate".
"You should see it in the snow".
They pulled up front and parked, and Walter came out to greet them.
"Walter, hi!"
"Miss Jennifer, always a pleasure".
"Walter, this is my friend, Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is Walter. He takes the best care of my dad".
"Welcome, Jonathan".
"Thank you, Walter".
They carried their bags in, and she found her father in the living room, reading.
"Jennifer, what a lovely surprise".
"Pa! It's so wonderful to see you!"
"And who do we have here?"
"Pa, this is my friend, Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is my father, Stephen Edwards".
"Nice to meet you sir. You have a wonderful and amazing daughter".
"I couldn't agree with you more, Jonathan. Nice to meet you as well".
Walter appeared and told them lunch would be ready in about 30 minutes.
"Miss Jennifer, I hope you are in the mood for Made-rights".
"Oh, you know I am! I haven't had one of those in ages!" She turned to Jonathan.
"Jonathan, have you ever had a Made-Right?"
"I don't even know what that is".
"It's an old Maryland recipe. You take hamburger meat and brown it with some diced onion and garlic, and mix in some onion soup mix. Make it into patties and cook them, and then you eat them on a toasted bun with some yellow mustard and pickles".
"I see. I'm willing to try them".
"You won't be disappointed, Jonathan. I promise you".
"If you like them, I'll make you some more sometime".
"It's a deal".
"So, Jonathan, how do you know my Jennifer?"
"I met her through some friends".
"Pa, do you remember Caroline, my college roommate?"
"Yes, I do. Lovely girl. Blonde, almost as tall as you?"
"Yes, that's her. So, her husband Patrick was a friend of Jonathan's from the Navy".
"I see."
"We met at their house, at their son's birthday party".
"I see. Was it love at first sight?"
"Not exactly". She grinned at him.
"So, what turned the tide?"
"Well, Caroline and Patrick had their third child. And they asked me to watch the kids one night while they went shopping for their Christmas presents, and then they didn't come home".
"They didn't come home?"
"No, they were killed in a car accident. Patrick died in surgery overnight, and Caroline a few hours later".
"That's a shame".
"So, they left a document that said they wanted us to watch the kids. And we jumped in with both feet. We went from friendly towards each other, to friends, to more than friends".
"I see. Where are the children now?"
"With their aunt and uncle. They are going to be raising them".
Jonathan looked down at her hand and saw that she had turned her ring around.
"So, what plans do you and Jonathan have for the future?"
"Well, he asked me to marry him, and I said yes. And at some point, I am going to move to California where he lives, and write freelance".
"Engaged? My daughter is engaged to be married?"
"Yes, Pa, I am".
"Well, that's absolutely wonderful, sweetheart. Congratulations!"
He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and then he shook Jonathan's hand.
"Welcome to the family, son".
"Thank you, sir".
"Have you two set a date?"
"Not officially".
Walter came and told them lunch was ready.
They all walked into the dining room.
"I grilled some regular hamburgers, just in case Mr. Hart doesn't care for the Made-rights".
"Thank you, Walter".
Jonathan took one bite of the Made-Rights, and declared them to be a hit.
"We are going to have to introduce Max to those".
"Yeah, we will".
"Who is Max?"
"Jonathan's version of Walter".
After a nice lunch, Jennifer went to help Walter do the dishes.
Jonathan and Stephen went into the living room.
"Son, I just want to tell you that it's beyond obvious to me that my daughter loves you. As long as she's happy, I'm happy."
"I promise you, I will do whatever I can to make her happy. She means the world to me".
"I'm glad to hear it, son".
Jennifer came back and joined them again.
"Want to go riding with me?"
"Certainly".
"Ok, we should probably change first".
"Jennifer, Walter got your room ready for you, and the guest room ready for Jonathan".
"Ok, Pa".
They went upstairs and she showed him where his room was.
"The bathroom is at the end of the hall."
"Want to sneak over here tonight?"
"We'll see".
She kissed him a few times and then went to her room to change.
She emerged in some jeans and riding boots and a pink short-sleeved top.
He had on jeans and green polo.
"You ready?"
"Ready".
They walked hand in hand to the stables.
"You can get your own horse, or you and I can double up".
They walked into the stables and selected their horses.
Jennifer was riding a dark brown horse named Starlight. Jonathan selected a light brown horse named Spartan.
She showed him the entire estate, and took him down trails she used to take as a kid. She took him down through the blackberry groves, and then along the edge of the property and back up to the stables.
They brushed their horses in the paddock, and then took them to their stalls.
They walked back to the house, and went and sat on the porch swing on the back patio.
"Darling, I forgot to tell you, we usually dress up for dinner".
"I can handle that".
"Darling, when do you have to go back to California?"
"If we fly back to New York day after tomorrow, I can probably spend a night or two in New York before flying back".
"So, I could probably go with you".
"I won't go without you".
She leaned up and kissed him.
They got up and went inside to get ready for dinner.
Jennifer put on a purple wide-strap sleeveless sundress, and some gray stacked flip flops.
Jonathan put on khaki pants and white button down shirt.
Dinner was Walter's crab cakes, grilled vegetables, and shrimp cocktail.
"Walter's crab cakes are legendary, darling. He won a cooking competition with them when I was a little girl".
"They are absolutely delicious".
"Did you enjoy your ride today?"
"Yes, we had a wonderful ride."
"Sir, you have a very gorgeous homestead".
"Thank you, son. We enjoy it".
Jonathan and Stephen started talking about history and war stuff, and Jennifer checked out. She cleared the table, and helped Walter with the dishes and then brought them all coffee.
They moved to the living room and Jonathan and Jennifer sat on the couch.
Her dad started showing her some of the art pieces he had catalogued, and then he and Jonathan got into a discussion over how art is revered around the world.
Around 10 p.m., Stephen announced he was going to bed.
"Are you two planning on staying tomorrow night?"
"Sure, if you'll have us".
"Of course, my sweetheart".
"Goodnight Pa".
"Goodnight Mr. Edwards".
"Stephen, please. Goodnight, see you in the morning".
Jonathan and Jennifer stayed up a little longer on the couch.
Jennifer got a calendar out and started looking at dates.
"Darling, I've been thinking about the wedding, and I want to tell you something, but I don't want to upset you".
"What is it?"
"So, with everything that comes along with planning a wedding, I don't think we will have enough time to get everything planned by August 18. I think we should move it back some".
"Oh, darling, I'm not going to get upset by that. I was actually thinking the same thing."
"You were? Well, when did you have in mind?"
"September 24th."
"I like that. But is one more month going to be long enough?"
"I think so. We just have to decide what kind of wedding we want, and start booking things. And I need to get a dress, and we should probably call the kids and tell them the new date".
"We can do all those things. We can do whatever you want".
"I think I want it to be small, just you and me up at the altar. And I know this is going to sound strange. But do you think Susan Kendall would want to be in the wedding? I mean, she has been instrumental in helping us get back together. She sat with me the day of your surgery and helped me stay calm, and then when you didn't remember me, she was helping me through that as well."
"I'm sure she would be happy to be in the wedding, darling. We can ask her when we get back to LA".
"Seems so weird to be getting married without Caroline".
"I know. Patrick would be my best man as well".
"We should have a table with their pictures on it, or something. I mean, if it hadn't been for them…"
"I couldn't agree more".
They finally decided to head to bed about an hour later.
She kissed him goodnight in the hallway outside his room.
"I love you".
"I love you too. Want me to sneak over to your side of the hallway?"
"Surprise me".
She kissed him again and then headed to her room.
She was in her nightgown and had just climbed in bed when he came across the hall.
"Hi".
He climbed in bed with her and wrapped his arms around her.
"If my father comes in here, we are talking about the wedding".
"We could always tell him we are planning for the honeymoon".
"Jonathan! We will not".
She snuggled up to his chest and started playing with his chest hair.
"Besides, I don't think we need any help in that department".
She kissed his chest and rested her head on his shoulder.
He held her till she fell asleep, and then eased out from under her. He covered her up, and leaned down to kiss her.
"Goodnight, my darling".
He went back to his room.
***The next morning***
Jennifer woke up first, so she went across the hall to wake him up.
"Good morning, darling".
She leaned over and kissed him a few times.
"Morning. Sleep well?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Yeah, I did. But not as well as I'm waking up".
He kissed her a few more times and then she went to take a shower.
After they were both ready, they went downstairs for breakfast.
Walter had prepared his famous lemon ricotta pancakes, bacon, and fruit salad.
"So what do you two have planned for today?"
"Well, I was hoping we could go riding again, if Jonathan wants to. And then I guess we can do whatever he wants, if he wants to do something else".
"Riding sounds fun. I'm up for that".
She smiled at him.
After a nice breakfast, Jennifer and Jonathan helped with the dishes, and then headed to the stables.
"You know how yesterday we took two horses?"
"Yeah".
"Let's double up today".
"Ok".
This time they chose Passport, a light champagne colored horse.
Jennifer rode in front, and Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist.
"How fast do you want to go?"
"As fast as you do".
"Good. Hold on tight".
They rode fast through the pasture and down a few trails, and back through a grove to trees to a very old barn at the very back of the property.
She pulled the horse up to a trough, and Jonathan jumped down, and then helped her down. She tied the horse up to the iron bars on the side of the barn.
She turned the hose on and filled the trough, and then showed him around the barn.
"What is this?"
"Well, it was originally here because my father wanted to add more horses and cows to the farm. But, instead, he sells the hay that he cuts to the neighbors, and they store it here."
She started to climb up a ladder up into the loft. Jonathan followed her.
"I used to come up here as a kid sometimes, when I was angry. I would get my horse, ride out here and just escape."
She pulled out a couple old horse blankets and spread them out.
"I used to ask my dad to remake this loft into a living space for me, but he said no every time. I just thought it would be so cool to have a loft bed and a loft living area".
"Yeah, that would be cool".
They snuggled for a little bit, and had a pretty hot make out session.
"We should probably head back to the house".
"We can stay out here a little longer if you want to".
"My father might come looking for us".
"Won't we hear him if he does?"
"Maybe…maybe not…."
She kissed him again and then started folding up the blankets.
They climbed down, and then went and mounted Passport again.
She took him back a different way, past the pond and the boat house, and down behind the guesthouse.
"What is this?"
"It's an old guesthouse that we never use anymore."
She took the horse around to the back of the guesthouse and dismounted and tied her up.
There was a large hammock on the back patio of the guesthouse.
"This is my second favorite spot here".
"I see".
They settled onto the hammock swing and got comfortable.
"Darling, do you think maybe we could get some horses in California and keep them nearby wherever we live?"
"I have some horses already. I have a ranch and there are horses and stables there".
"Oh wonderful!"
"I promise I'll buy you whatever horse you want".
She rolled on top of him and hugged him and kissed him.
She settled onto his chest.
"I missed you last night".
"Yeah, it was weird to sleep alone. But darling, if your father caught us-"
"Max would have heard him yell all the way in California".
She started kissing his chest.
He rolled her off him and positioned himself so they were facing each other.
"Darling, there's nothing more I want in the world than to be with you right now. However, I would never forgive myself if I caused any strife between you and your father. So, I think we should wait till we get away from here".
"Good point".
She got up and untied the horse and he mounted the horse then helped her up.
They rode back to the stable and put the horse away.
They walked back up to the house, hand in hand.
They came inside and Walter told them that her father had gone to the gallery for a couple of appointments and they would be having a late dinner when he got back.
"Thank you Walter".
She turned to Jonathan.
"I want to show you something".
She took his hand and led him to the garage and took the tarp off an old car.
"This is my-"
"66 Mustang convertible".
"-first car".
"This was yours?"
"Yep. I wasn't allowed to have a car in boarding school, so I kept it at my friend's house and drove it on the weekends".
She grabbed her dad's gas can and filled the tank.
She grabbed the keys off the hook, and got in the driver's seat. It started right up.
Jonathan opened the garage door and climbed in the passenger seat.
"Want to go for a drive?"
"Sure".
She drove him through the town and showed him the local hangouts from when she was a kid.
"This is a beautiful city".
"Yeah it is, isn't it?"
She drove them to one last place. She drove them down a dirt road, till they came upon a dead end.
She pulled to a stop and parked, and put the top up.
She turned the car off and then turned around and flipped the back seat till it was flat.
"I didn't know the 66 mustang could do that."
"A little something I had put in when I had to replace the seats".
"Why did you have to replace the seats?"
"Let's just say a cigarette burn started it".
"You are so mysterious".
She climbed into the backseat and he climbed after her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"We are away from the house, Jonathan".
He chuckled and kissed her.
"You are so clever".
She kicked her boots off, and then shimmied out of her jeans.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him.
He ran his hands up her back and unfastened her bra, and moved his hands around underneath the band to squeeze her breasts.
She reached down and undid his belt and pulled it off him, and then undid his pants.
He pulled her shirt up and kissed her breasts as he pushed her shirt up and over her head.
She pushed her bra to the side, and then pulled his shirt off him.
He kicked his boots off, and leaned down and started kissing her neck.
"You are so beautiful".
She nibbled on his lip as she kissed him back.
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet and pulled out a condom. He quickly put it on and then shrugged his jeans and underwear the rest of the way off his legs.
She shimmied out of her panties, and brought her knees up.
He cradled her face with his hands as he entered her, and she began to lift her hips in response to his.
She gripped his shoulders as he thrust in and out of her, and kissed her neck in a few places.
"Faster, honey".
He picked up the pace and grunted as his hips rocked into hers time and time again.
"Oh….god….Jenn….iff…..er…."
He let out a low, visceral moan as they found mutual release.
She wasn't loud, but she wasn't quiet, and neither was he.
They held each other afterwards, and shared some sweet kisses.
"I could never love another woman like I love you".
"I love you too, darling".
He rolled off her and they got dressed again.
When they got back in the front seat, she opened the glove compartment and handed him a small trash bag. He put the condom in it and the wrapper and they stopped by a gas station and tossed it in the trash can.
She let him drive home and they held hands the whole way.
"This has really been a fun day".
"Yeah, I've enjoyed it too."
He pulled the mustang into the garage, and she put the top up and then covered it with the tarp again.
They walked inside and found Walter cooking dinner.
"Dinner will be ready in about an hour and a half, Miss Jennifer. Your father should be home in about a half hour".
"Thank you, Walter".
"Smells great, Walter".
"Another one of Miss Jennifer's favorites. Ginger soy chicken, brown rice, and easy cheesy zucchini casserole".
"Oh yum! Thank you, Walter!"
They headed upstairs and got ready for dinner.
Jennifer came downstairs first, and Jonathan found her on the couch a few minutes later.
"I'm not going to want to leave this place tomorrow".
"I can see why".
"Is the Penthouse ready?"
"Yeah, I think so. We can go check it out when we get back to the city".
"Yeah? That sounds like it could be fun".
"Almost as fun as last time".
He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, and she rubbed her fingers on his cheek.
"The living room is not the place for that".
"Pa, it was just a kiss. And besides, we are engaged and I'm 30 years old".
"And this is my house".
"Fine".
"Did you two have a good day?"
"Yes, we did. We rode Passport, and then we took the mustang out for a ride through town".
"She still works, huh?"
"Yes. Fiona is still running very well".
"Well, I am going to go change for dinner. I will see you two in a few minutes".
Jennifer dug out the photo album under the coffee table and started flipping through it.
Jonathan had his arm around her.
"This was my mother. I was about 5 years old in this picture. Taken right out front".
"She was very beautiful. You look just like her".
"Thank you".
She turned the page.
"And this is me with my very first horse, Sweet Sue. I got her for my 7th birthday. We had other horses before her, but she was the first horse that was all mine".
"She's very beautiful. Palomino?"
"Arabian. She had a good life, but she broke her leg when I was just out of college, and had to be put down".
She turned the page again.
"And this is when I turned 16, and Pa surprised me with Fiona, the convertible".
"How did she get the name Fiona?"
"Well, I don't remember, really. I think my roommate at boarding school must have named her that".
Stephen came back in the living room then.
"Ok, let's eat".
"Pa, how did things go at the gallery?"
"Splendidly. I closed four deals today on art sales".
"Wonderful!"
They sat down and Walter brought their dinner in.
"I always know when my daughter's in the house. Walter cooks her favorite meals".
"Pa!"
"I'm kidding, my sweetheart".
Jonathan practically inhaled the chicken, and declared that Max was going to have to learn the recipe.
"I agree."
"Sweetheart, can I interest you in some poker after dinner?"
"You may. I need to brush up".
Jonathan turned to her.
"You play poker?"
"I've played once or twice".
She gave him a sly smile.
"Son, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into".