Finding My Forever (Beaumont 3)

“You love me?” his voice is tender, questioning.

I smile and nod, not realizing he can’t see me. “I should’ve told you before you left. I’m an idiot.”

“Well I won’t argue with you, but you’re my idiot and you’re fucking sexy and beautiful and I miss the crap out of you already.”

I start to laugh. My husband, the poet. “You have a way with words, Jimmy. Speaking of… I listened to the song.”

“Hey! That’s for the Little One. If you wanted a song you should’ve asked for one. Don’t deprive my child of me while I’m gone you evil wench.” Jimmy’s laughing so hard he snorts, causing me to snort as well. We make a great pair.

“Little One?”

“Yeah,” he says softly. “You’re my Sweet Lips and that’s my Little One. I can’t wait to meet our daughter, Jenna. I can’t wait to hold your hand and help bring her into the world.”

“Me too. I love her nickname.”

“Good because I’m going to use it a lot.” I love that the names he’s given us are unique and not common. I can see him saying Little One at the park and our little girl come running because she’ll know it’s her daddy calling her.

“Thank you,” I say when he’s calmed down. “Thank you for loving me and our baby.”

“You make me feel whole, Jenna. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We talk until I’m yawning. He sings me to sleep, making me wish we had these moments inside the apartment and not on the phone. Jimmy being gone right now is the most unbearable thing I’ve had to deal with in a long time.

SATURDAYS are busy at the shop. Josie has tried to make me take a leave of absence, but I told her she’d need to fire me if she didn’t want me around anymore. When I said that, she got tears in her eyes and shook her head. I’ve been with her for a long time now, I can’t imagine not working with her. I like to think of myself as one of the catalysts that got her and Liam back together. If I hadn’t shown her the flyer and encouraged her to go to Los Angeles who knows what would’ve happened?

I can tell you this: there wouldn’t be a Harrison and Katelyn, no Jenna and Jimmy and that is far too depressing to think about.

I’m a cliché, I’ve realized. I married into a rock band. First Josie, then Katelyn – even though she’s not married, she’s his wife – and now me. The writing was on the wall if you think about it. It was only a matter of time.

Katelyn and Aubrey are working today as well. Josie mans the flower shop while Katelyn is in the coffee shop. Aubrey and I move back and forth between the two, depending on which side is busier. The older patrons, the returning customers, have learned that they can get lunch and order their flowers all in one sitting. It’s an oddity, really, but it works.

In the corner, we have a young kid playing his guitar. Liam booked gigs before he left. He didn’t want Josie to have to worry about it and didn’t want the newly established music scene to think she wasn’t catering to everyone. This one is good, a little sweet on the eyes. He’ll go far I’m sure.

I walk to my next table with my order pad ready. “Hello, what can I get for you?”

The customer is hidden behind a newspaper, covering his or her features. I can’t really lean up on my tiptoes because that would be considered rude so I wait.

The newspaper ruffles and the customer – a man – speaks in a low, hoarse voice. “Coffee, black.”

Typical businessman. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No,” he says barely looking over his paper. His hat is covering most of features so I can’t see what he looks like. “Fucking fat,” he mutters. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep the slurs from escaping. Sexiest pig.

“Jenna?” I look over at Katelyn. “Jimmy’s on the phone. Says it’s urgent.”

I roll my eyes. He knows I’m working. I can’t imagine what would be so urgent. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back after I find out what my husband wants,” I say in a snotty tone. That’s right, asshole, I’m married.

I pick up the phone and say hello.

He laughs. “Hi Sweet Lips. I missed your voice so I wanted to say hi.”

“I’m working, Jimmy. I just left a customer at table, although he called me fat.”

“Fuck that, you’re fucking sexy and I miss you.”

“I miss you too. Skype tonight?”