Under Construction Page 8

  “Hey. Just out of curiosity…”

  “Hum?” Candace replied. Jameson was rubbing slow circles on her belly and it was putting her to sleep.

  “Would you want me to?”

  “To what?” Candace asked groggily.

  “Propose.”

  “Of course,” Candace yawned.

  Jameson smiled. “Good to know,” she said, sensing that Candace was almost asleep. “What would you say if I did?”

  “What?”

  “Propose,” Jameson explained. There was no reply. “Candace?” Jameson pulled up slightly and shook her head. “Of all the times to fall asleep.”

  ***

  “I think J.D thinks your mom is God,” Rick laughed. “Want to see if we can wake them up now?”

  Marianne jabbed her husband. “I need therapy.”

  ***

  “Well, I think you lost your Republican daughter. That sounded like conversion to me,” Maureen laughed.

  “Is that your theory?” Jameson’s father laughed.

  “What’s yours?”

  “Torture,” Duncan Reid answered. Maureen’s eyes flew open. “Safer.”

  “For whom?” she asked.

  “Me,” he said. “I need to sleep.”

  ***

  “Shell?” Jonah asked as his sister approached the small fire that he, Toby, and Doug were sitting around.

  “Yeah.”

  “I thought you were bunking down with Liz for the night.”

  “We came out here to see if you were still awake,” she said as Toby’s wife took a seat between his legs.

  “Why?” Jonah asked.

  “I think Mom killed J.D.”

  “What?” Jonah asked. Toby, Doug, and Liz started laughing. “What am I missing?”

  “Umm. Good thing they can’t procreate if they don’t want to have kids,” Michelle said.

  Jonah’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, God.”

  “More like Oh, Candace,” Liz laughed.

  “Oh no,” Toby chuckled.

  “Oh yes!” Michelle howled loudly into the night.

  ***

  “What the hell was that?” Jameson startled at a sound from the yard.

  “Ask me in the morning,” Candace mumbled.

  “What?”

  “Whatever you are mumbling about,” Candace said. “Ask me in the morning.”

  “I was trying to ask you to marry me,” Jameson mumbled under her breath. “Before you passed out and I was so rudely interrupted by some howling creature.” Jinx chose that moment to jump on the bed and nestle against Candace. “Well, I managed to convince her to get you so anything is possible,” Jameson surmised, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to her lover.

  Candace opened one eye and looked down at her lover. “So easy,” she mused silently, trying not to laugh. She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath, feeling a sense of completion and happiness with Jameson in her arms. “I love you, you lunatic,” she said softly. “Ask me in the morning,” she chuckled.

  THE END

  To Be Continued in Solid Foundations