They landed in LA just after 10 p.m. NYC time, which was only 7 p.m. in LA.
He drove them to the townhouse and they went inside. He carried in all their bags, and they set them by the stairs.
"Max, you home?"
"In the kitchen, Mr. H."
He took Jennifer's hand and they went to the kitchen.
She walked up behind Max and kissed him on the cheek.
He turned around.
"Miss Edwards! So wonderful to see you".
He gave her a big hug.
"Great to see you too, Max".
"I made dinner-California chicken salads".
She turned to Jonathan.
"What's a California chicken salad?"
"Grilled chicken on top of a salad. But the salad has alfalfa sprouts, bell peppers, broccoli and artichoke hearts, along with things like avocado, tomato and cucumber".
"That sounds heavenly".
"Jennifer has some new recipes for you to try, Max".
"That sounds great!"
"Can we help, Max?"
"Not necessary, Miss Edwards. I've got it all under control. Dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes".
"Great".
"Darling, how about some wine with dinner?"
"That sounds wonderful".
She opened the wine while he got out two glasses and then she poured them some.
"Cheers, darling".
"Cheers".
He leaned over and kissed her and they took a sip and then took it to the table.
After a wonderful dinner that Jennifer raved about to Max, they went to the living room.
"Darling, let's call the kids".
He nodded and grabbed the phone and called Julie and Sean.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's Jonathan. Can we talk to the kids for a minute?"
"Sure! They are right here".
Jonathan talked to Luke for a few minutes and then Savanna got on the phone.
"Hey, there's someone who wants to talk to you. Hang on one second".
He passed the phone to Jennifer.
"Hello?"
"Aunt Jeffer! Hi!"
"Hi, lovebug. I have some good news for you".
"Are you going to wear the princess dress?"
"Yes, I am. And Uncle Jonathan is going to wear the man clothes. And you get to be in a wedding, with Luke and McKenna, of course".
"Yay! Can I tell you something, Aunt Jeffer?"
"Anything, Lovebug".
"Uncle Jonathan is way better than your friend Greg".
"I agree. And lovebug, Greg isn't my friend anymore".
"Good. He was dopey".
Jennifer chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess he was".
They chatted a little longer, and then Julie got back on the phone.
"So, we are getting married, and the wedding is going to be September 24th. And we want the kids to be in it. Can you take them and have them measured so that we know their correct sizes?"
"Yes, I can do that. And congratulations".
"Thank you! We are very happy".
"Ok, well I need to put the kids down. But we are all so happy that you called. We'll be in touch".
"Sounds good. Talk to you soon".
She hung up the phone and snuggled up to Jonathan.
"Savanna was so excited".
"Yeah, Luke was too".
"No more than me".
"Or me".
She leaned forward and grabbed a bridal magazine about Los Angeles.
She found a list of 100 venues, and circled the ones that she wanted to go look at.
"Darling, are you going to be aggravated with me if I tell you that we need to go see a venue or two every day this week?"
"No. Are you going to be aggravated with me if I tell you that it'd be better to take a day and see 10-15 all in a row?"
"No. What day do you want to do that?"
"How about Thursday?"
"Deal".
She did some more wedding planning while he watched Tv. By the end of the evening, she pretty much had the whole thing planned.
"Honey, do you want to wear pink ties, or do you want to wear soft pastel green ties? It would be you, Max, Luke, and whomever else you have on your side of the wedding party. Plus my father. Your choice is a pink tie and green and white boutonniere, probably with a little pink ribbon, or a green tie, and a pink boutonniere with a little green ribbon".
"Hmm….green tie, I guess".
"Ok. So that means that whomever is on my side is going to wear a green dress and carry pink flowers."
She turned to him.
"Darling, will you call Susan and see if she can come over now?"
"Yeah, I can do that".
He picked up the phone and called her. She said she would be right over.
About 20 minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Jonathan went and opened it.
"Hi, thanks for coming".
"What is this about?"
He led her to the living room.
"Well, we wanted to talk to you about something".
She turned and saw Jennifer sitting there.
"Jennifer! I'm so glad to see you!"
She came over and gave her a hug.
"Thanks, I'm glad to see you too."
"So, does this mean-"
Jennifer nodded.
"How wonderful! When?"
"Well, he came to New York last week and surprised me. He proposed again at the top of the Empire state building".
"I'm on top of the world when I'm with her, so it just made sense".
"I love that".
"So, we were thinking, that you have been very instrumental in helping us get the kids away from their aunt and uncle, and also us getting back together and you sat with me while he was in surgery and helped me stay somewhat calm. So, what do you think about being my Matron of Honor?"
"Oh sweetie, I'd love to! Thank you".
She leaned forward and hugged her a few minutes.
"Ok, so we haven't booked anything yet. We are going to look at venues this week. We are thinking September 24th."
"Wonderful. What colors are you going with?"
"Pink, like maybe raspberry, and a soft pastel green. That could change a thousand times between now and then, though".
"Well, I'm sure it's going to be a glamorous affair, and I'm thrilled that you want me to be a part of it".
"We are looking at venues this week. After we pick one, I'm going to work on finding a dress. And the kids that we were watching, they are going to be in the wedding. So, you might have to help Savanna walk back down the aisle. Not like help her walk, but tell her it's time to go".
"Sounds like fun to me".
"Well, thank you so much! We will be in touch".
Jennifer hugged her again, and walked her out.
She returned to the couch and snuggled up to Jonathan.
"Are you going to the office tomorrow?"
"Yeah, but I should be home about 5".
"Great".
"What are you going to do?"
"Well, I need to get my clothes put away. And I need to find a few places out here, like a hair cut place, and a nail shop. And I need to figure out a vehicle".
"What do you mean figure out a vehicle?"
"I mean, I have the Corvette, in a storage unit in New York. But I don't want to drive that every day once I get it back out here. And I need to figure out what I want to drive every single day".
"What did you have in mind?"
"Well, in a perfect world, I would have a gray Aston Martin convertible. But, my budget at the moment is more like a Jeep Wrangler. I'll start looking at the ads tomorrow".
"What about a BMW?"
"I cannot afford a BMW".
"But we can".
"But we aren't married yet, so it shouldn't be a 'we' thing yet".
"Jennifer, if you need something, just ask me".
"I don't want to be the needy girlfriend".
"You aren't, I promise".
"Ok, fine. Let's compromise. What if you go with me to look at a car tomorrow night?"
"Ok, but will you put the BMW back on the list?"
"It's at the top. Blue, convertible, tan leather, fully loaded".
"Deal".
She leaned over and kissed him.
"I'm going to go change for bed, darling".
She got up and took her bags upstairs and changed into her nightgown. She started putting some clothes on hangers in the closet, and some in drawers.
She was almost finished by the time he came upstairs to bed, about an hour later.
She put on a coat of baby oil and climbed into bed.
He rolled on top of her and put his head on her chest.
She started scratching his back.
"Oh, I've missed that for sure".
"Darling, whatever happened with Abby and Mike?"
"They were arrested when they got back to New York. I had some people clean out the house and box up all the mementos and send them to the kids. It's all in a climate controlled storage unit and I've paid for 10 years worth. Sean and Julie took the furniture that they wanted, we sold the rest and the house is now empty and for sale. And the birth mom of the two kids he kidnapped called. She sent me a reward for finding them-$25,000. I donated it to the orphanage I grew up in".
"That's wonderful".
"I like to help them out whenever I can, because they raised me".
"You are so wonderful".
She scratched his back till he was almost asleep, and then he moved up next to her.
"I'm so glad you are here".
He kissed her tenderly, and then made love to her before they fell asleep.
***The next morning***
Jennifer got up with Jonathan, so they could have breakfast together.
She walked him to the door and kissed him goodbye.
"Have a good day honey, I love you".
"I love you too. See you tonight".
She was upstairs and had just showered and dressed when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey it's me. I forgot to bring something in from the car, can you run out and meet me outside to get it?"
"Yeah, when are you going to be here?"
"In about 1 minute".
She ran down the stairs and out the front door and out to the parking lot.
He was sitting in the parking lot, in a brand-new Blue BMW convertible with a red bow on it.
He climbed out of the car and brought the keys to her.
"For you, darling".
"Jonathan! You shouldn't have!"
"I wanted to. You deserve it".
"Thank you, darling".
She threw her arms around him and kissed him.
She ran back inside and grabbed her purse and then took the keys from him and they took it for a spin.
They drove down the street and up into the canyon, and then back down.
"What a darling little neighborhood. I love these houses".
"Yeah, they are nice, aren't they?"
She drove him back to the dealership, and dropped him off.
"Thank you, darling".
She leaned over and kissed him.
"I love you, see you tonight".
"I love you too".
She headed back to the townhouse and parked, and took the bow off her car.
She organized her closet all day, and then Jonathan got home at 5.
"Darling?"
"Up here".
He came up the steps and found her in the bedroom.
"Hi. What are you up to?"
"Organizing my closet. Hi darling".
She kissed him and hugged him a minute.
"What do you want to do tonight?"
"Can you take me to the storage unit? I didn't get all of my things out of there when I moved last time".
"Sure, we can do that".
He changed clothes and she finished organizing her closet, and then they headed to the storage unit.
"Do you know what you are looking for?"
"Yeah, I think so. Shouldn't take me too long".
He pulled them up right next to it, and then unlocked it for her.
He turned on the light, and she immediately found it.
It was the teal box that Caroline had left her.
"Darling, I'm sorry-I thought you opened that a long time ago. I would have made sure it was at the house if I knew you hadn't".
"No, that's ok. I wasn't ready to open it. I'm still not, but it's been bugging me, so I need to".
She got it and put it in the backseat and then grabbed a few more things, and they headed back to the house.
They picked up a pizza along the way, and headed home.
Max was in the kitchen when they got home.
"Hey you two, I was just about to start dinner".
"No need-we brought pizza".
"Well, I brought pizza. Jennifer ordered a side of cardboard for herself".
"I did not. I simply asked for cauliflower crust, olive oil base, and non-dairy cheese with lots of veggies".
"That ain't pizza, Miss Edwards, that's veggies with a bunch of veggies and fake cheese on it."
"Exactly. I tried to tell her that".
"Darling, you aren't the one who has to fit into a dress in a couple months".
"No, I won't. But you will look gorgeous in anything, darling".
He leaned over and kissed her.
"I know, because I plan on eating super healthy between now and then".
After dinner, she took the box to the coffee table and opened it.
There was a note on top.
"Sweet Jennifer- I saw this in the window one day and immediately thought of you. I don't have a clue who you are going to marry, but I hope that when you do, you will wear this dress. I imagine that Savanna will be in your wedding, somehow. She loves you so much, but not nearly as much as I do. I know it seems weird, but I splurged and I got this for you-just consider it a wedding gift. You are my best friend and you deserve to have nice things. I just know in my heart, that you will one day find your prince, and he will give you everything your heart desires. You are such a blessing in my life, and to my family, we couldn't make it without you sometimes. Just always remember how beautiful you are, and how loved you are and should be.
Love, Caroline.
P.S.-Patrick just introduced me to one of his friends. I think he will be perfect for you. They served together in the Navy, and he's tall, dark, and oh so handsome. His name is Jonathan. I'll have to set you two up sometime".
Jennifer wiped the tears away, and opened the tissue on the box.
She could see it was a wedding dress and veil.
She put the top back on the box, and went to the bathroom to get a Kleenex, and came back out.
Jonathan was coming into the living room from the kitchen.
"Darling, what is it?"
"I opened the box."
"And?"
"And, there was a letter in it from her."
She got it and let him read it.
"Make sure you read the bottom".
"That's amazing".
"I think she could tell that we were supposed to be together".
"I think so too."
"If I hadn't been so stubborn-"
"You weren't stubborn. You were cautious. And you had every right to be".
He hugged her and held her.
"So, what's in the box?"
"She bought me a wedding dress".
"How sweet".
"She was the best".
She started crying again, and a few minutes later, she took the box upstairs, just as Max was coming in from the kitchen.
"Miss Edwards ok?"
"She's missing her best friend, the kid's mom. She opened the box that she left her today, and it upset her".
"Oh, geez. I hate that for her".
"Yeah, me too".
He heard the shower start, and decided then to go up and check on her.
He was sitting on the bed when she came out of the bathroom.
"Want to watch a movie?"
"Sure. Did you bring that thing from New York?"
"Yes, I did".
"Wonderful".
They went downstairs and made some popcorn to snack on while they watched the movie.
"Darling, when do I get to see the dress?"
"When I walk down the aisle. And not a second sooner".
"Do you like it?"
"I tried it on, and it fits perfectly. It's a little more risqué than I probably would have chosen for myself, but I can have it altered and she was right, it looks amazing on me".
"I see. So, does this dress mean I have to wear a tux, or a nice suit or what?"
"I think a nice suit would be fine".
"Got it".
They got comfy under the blanket and turned on a movie and took turns feeding each other popcorn.
About halfway through the movie, a storm came up and knocked out the cable.
"Well, I guess that's it".
She took the empty popcorn bowl to the kitchen and washed it, and put it in the dishwasher.
She went back to the living room and rejoined Jonathan, who was folding the blanket.
"We're going up, Max. See you in the morning".
"Goodnight folks".
"Night Max".
They headed upstairs and climbed into bed.
"Darling, what would you say if I told you I wanted us to start working out and running together?"
"I would say I have a better workout in mind for us".
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, really".
He turned out the light and made love to her a couple times, and then they fell asleep together.
***Thursday***
Jonathan had taken the day off work, so that they could go house hunting and venue-hunting.
They left the house around 9, and started driving towards their first listing.
"This house is a two-story brick, craftsman style home. 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, patio and pool in the back".
"Craftsman style? Do we really want a craftsman style home?"
"Why not? It sounds charming".
"I've never liked Craftsman style houses".
"Let's just give it a try, shall we?"
He finally agreed, and they drove by it.
"Paint is peeling off, roof needs new shingles, and the bushes are overgrown".
"So, we will hire a painter, a roofer and a landscaper".
She wrote down the number of the agent, and took a picture of the house.
They drove to the second one, which was a Cape Cod style house in a very nice neighborhood, and parked out front.
She handed him the listing, and he read it and handed it back to her.
"The backyard on this one isn't very big. And these houses are a little too close for my liking".
She wrote the agent's number down and took another picture, and they headed to listing 3.
She read him the listing while he drove.
"3 story modern-style house with 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, double master, one up, one down, spacious backyard with large pool and detached hot tub, large entertaining patio, eat-in kitchen, with separate dining rooms."
She flipped the page over and saw the layout.
"This house is spacious, except the closets aren't big enough and the bathrooms in the master don't have a tub."
He pulled up and parked.
"I love this house. Let's make an appointment to see the inside".
"Oh, darling. I don't like this house. It's dark, and uninviting, and the windows are small."
"So? We'll hire a painter, and a redecorator, and get new windows".
She sighed, and wrote down the number and took the picture.
They headed to listing 4.
"This is a Tudor style house, 6 bedrooms plus a bonus room, 4.5 baths."
She flipped it over to look at the layout.
"All the bathrooms have tub showers, and the backyard is a little bigger, but has lots of trees".
As soon as they parked, he shook his head.
"I don't like it. This doesn't feel like a home to me".
"Well, we can at least make an appointment to check it out".
He made a face at her.
"What is that look for?"
"I don't want to check it out".
"Well, I do".
"Why? This isn't the house for us".
"How can you say that? You haven't even seen it yet! Not on the inside anyways".
"I don't have to see the inside to know I don't like it".
She wrote down the agent's number and took a picture anyways.
They headed to the last listing, and parked.
She handed him the flyer.
"Neoclassical, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, large backyard with pool and spacious patio. Walk-in closets in every bedroom, extra large shower stall and separate soaking tub in the master bath".
He turned to her.
"Let's make an appointment to see this one".
"No, I don't want to".
"Why not?"
"It doesn't look right to me. I don't like the color outside, and I don't like the style".
"Jennifer, you are the one that selected the listings, not me".
"I know that. But I don't like it."
"Well, I do".
She wrote down the number and took the picture and then he drove them back towards the townhouse.
"So, what do we have? 3/5 houses that you didn't like and won't consider."
"Jennifer-that's not fair".
"That is fair. Facts are facts, Jonathan. The facts are that at 3 of the houses you said you didn't want to even see the inside".
"Well you weren't exactly gung ho about every house either".
"No, but at least I kept an open mind".
"How do you know I didn't?"
"If you had, we'd be making 5 appointments to see 5 houses. But we're not".
"We are buying a house, Jennifer, not an outfit, or a book. It's not like we can just return it if It's not right".
"I understand that, but we have to find a place to live".
"We have a place to live. This isn't a life or death situation".
"Oh, I get it. You don't want to leave the townhouse. You didn't want to buy a house with me at all".
"That's not true. I took the day off of work, didn't I? I went with you, didn't I?"
"Yes, it is. You were just placating me. You have no intentions of buying a house with me at all. And if we cannot find a house, then we have no reason to find a venue".
He pulled them into the townhouse and parked and she jumped out and went inside.
Max was sitting on the couch.
"Hey, how was the-"
Jennifer stormed up the steps and slammed the door.
"-house hunting?"
Jonathan came in right behind her.
"Don't ask, Max".
He went to the kitchen and grabbed himself a beer and took a long swig.
He went and sat outside on the patio and drank his beer. Jennifer stayed upstairs about 30 minutes and then came downstairs. She made a grocery list and then headed to the grocery store.
Max finally went outside and sat next to Jonathan.
"Miss Edwards just got in the car and took off".
"She's a grown woman, she can do whatever she wants".
"So, I take it you two didn't find a house?"
"Oh we found some. Just not one we could agree on".
"Give it time, Mr. H. Sit down and talk to her, and together you guys make a list of what you want in a house and what you don't. And then you look for a house that meets the list".
"That's a good idea. I just hate that we had a fight while we were house hunting. I mean, we are supposed to be planning for our future, not fighting".
"So apologize to her. Tell you are sorry and that you love her and you want to work this out".
"You think that'll be enough?"
"I do. She loves you, Mr. H."
"You're right. Thanks, Max".
He was sitting on the couch when he heard her come in.
She carried in 30 grocery bags all by herself.
"Here, let me help you".
"No thank you, I've got it".
He shut the door behind her, and then went to the kitchen.
He silently started taking the groceries out of the bags while she put them away.
After she was done, she poured herself some seltzer water and went out to the patio. He gave her a few minutes and then went out there and sat next to her.
"I'm sorry", they said in unison.
She chuckled. "You go first".
"I'm sorry that you feel like I don't want to buy a house with you. That's not true. I want more than anything to buy you the house of your dreams. But darling, I want to love the house we live in too".
"I understand that. I don't want to live somewhere you aren't happy. But darling, you didn't give some of the houses a chance."
"I know that. And you didn't give the one house I actually did like a chance. So, either we are going to have to compromise, or we are going to be stuck in this townhouse forever".
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I want us to call a real estate agent. Let them find the houses for us, and we can go from there".
"Ok, we can do that".
She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry I said you weren't being open minded. I should just be grateful that you even went looking at houses with me".
"Darling, we are both at fault here. Let's just call it even, ok?"
"Ok".
She leaned over and kissed him, and then rested her head on his shoulder.
"Darling, have you ever lifted weights?"
"Not seriously, why?"
"Because you could win a gold medal in door slamming".
"Jonathan!"
"I'm kidding." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
They stayed out there a little longer, and then went inside.
"Ok, darling, let's call a real estate agent".