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Viewing Note: This story should be viewed with the Edwardian Script ITC font installed on your Windows platform in the c:/Windows/Fonts directory. Microsoft Word installs this font automatically.

Editor's Note: Jenny Walker has graciously allowed me to represent her original story No Half Measures on BigCloset. Originally published on BigCloset Classic, this story segment was not migrated over to BigCloset TopShelf. This story segment first appeared on BigCloset Classic on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 03:26 AM. Due to the original story presentation format being unsuitable and unwieldy for most portable devices (each part being over 1 meg in length), the story is now being broken up into single chapters for easier reading. The original Movements will be indicated on their respective chapters. The first chapter of each Movement will retain the original comments and read hits so as to preserve them for the author.

Sephrena Lynn Miller

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Chapter 48
 
 
I'm not sure how long I stood there. I was totally stunned. His words had taken me completely by surprise. I blinked furiously as my mind whirled. I looked down at him. He was smiling with a degree of uncertainty.

"Jon… wow, this is quite sudden…"

He squeezed my hand. "Nicola, I know it might seem that way, but I'm not taking this lightly or anything. I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that being with you means more to me than basically anything else I can think of. I know that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. Yes, we've only just been able to express these feelings to each other over the past few days, but I'm more certain of this than anything: I want you to be my wife. I don't want to wait too long either; we've wasted enough time this past year. I want to be with you… always."

His impassioned speech brought a lump to my throat. I was overcome with emotion at the things he said to me. I felt as if the world was spinning and I didn't know what to say.

Jon slowly stood up and took me in his arms. He spoke gently, "If you're not sure and you want to wait that's fine. If you know for sure that you don't want to marry me, again that's your decision." He paused. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

I smiled at him and raised a gloved hand to his cheek. "Jon, this is just such a surprise. I don't know what to say. How long have you been thinking about this?"

He grinned. "I've thought about it a lot over the last number of months, but have been trying to deny that to myself. Since you told me that you were in love with me, it's been filling my thoughts night and day. I've dreamt about making you mine completely."

I smiled at him and gently kissed him. I felt the tears begin to escape from my eyes. "Yes," I murmured softly.

"Yes?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

"Are you sure?" he said as his body tensed.

I laughed. "I haven't dared to let myself think about this, but deep down inside I know this is what I want. I couldn't think of being with anyone else. I guess this is happening quite fast, but if this is what we both want, then you're right, why wait?"

He smiled and took my face in his hands as he gently kissed me. It was a loving lingering kiss that lasted for several minutes. When we eventually broke the kiss, I grinned at him. "You have a ring for me?"

He laughed and took the ring again from his pocket. "I certainly do. Look, I picked it myself so if it's not what you want…"

"It's gorgeous," I said breathlessly as I looked at it. It was a simple platinum band with a solitaire diamond embedded in it. "Will it fit me?"

He chuckled. "I did happen to check your ring size before buying it."

"How on earth did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Jools had some rings that apparently fitted you, so she let me use them to gauge your size."

I raised an eyebrow. "Jools knew that you were planning this?"

He grinned. "It was the only way I could think of to get the perfect ring for you."

"Does anyone else know?"

He shrugged casually. "Besides your father?"

"No way!" I exclaimed.

He laughed. "Of course he does. After all, I did have to ask him for permission to have his daughter's hand in marriage."

"I can't believe this. What did he say?"

"He was delighted. He wants you to be happy. He's quite a believer in the institution of marriage."

I smiled. "Yes, I guess he is. Wow, I can't believe this."

"Do you want to try the ring on?"

"Do I ever?" I pulled the glove from my left hand and held it out to him. He gingerly slid the ring onto my fourth finger. It was a little tight over the knuckle, but then moved into place. It was a good fit. I turned my hand one way and then another, inspecting the ring from all angles.

"Like it?" he asked softly.

I beamed at him. "I love it. It's perfect." I admired it again before looking up at him. "I can't believe this. We're engaged? We're going to be married?"

He chuckled. "You like the idea?"

I thought for a moment and then hugged him tight. "I love it. It just seems so incredible. Last week, I was just existing from day to day, not wanting to think about the future, but now I can't wait. It's like the clouds have cleared and the sun is shining brilliantly."

He pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my head. "I know exactly how you feel. I'm sure it won't all be plain sailing, but I intend to give this my all."

"Me too," I murmured.

We walked slowly back to our condo, hand-in-hand, barely saying a word. I felt as if there was a new spring in my step. I was engaged to the man I loved!
 

*          *          *
 
Back at the condo, we were getting ready to go out to dinner that evening. We had planned to meet the Scots at a sports bar called 'Downstairs at Eric's'. I had chosen to wear a warm black jersey dress. Jon, unsurprisingly, had finished getting ready before me and was sitting on the sofa waiting.

"Do you always take this long to get ready?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

I laughed. "That was quick, buster. You'd better be prepared to wait much longer in future." I smiled primly. "It takes time to look this good."

He chuckled. "You do look fantastic. What do you say we forget the others and you just come and sit by me here? I'm sure we'll think of something to do."

I grinned. "Jon Peters, have you only one thing on your mind?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do. It's you and you alone."

I sat down beside him and cuddled up close. "You say all the right things, but we do have to keep our dinner appointment. After all, I have to show off my ring."

"Bah, fiddlesticks!" he said good-naturedly. "I can't wait 'til we get married and I have you all to myself."

"What? You think you will just keep me locked up at home all the time?"

He laughed. "As long as I can be locked in with you."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. I thought and then spoke up, "Jon, when do you want to get married?"

He looked at me and smiled. "I meant it when I said I wanted to marry you as soon as possible. If you wanted to, I'd be happy to jump on a plane to Vegas tomorrow and make it official. However, I'm imagining you wouldn't want to do it like that."

"You're dead right on that one. Plus my father would hardly approve."

"You want to do this properly? Church, white wedding, the lot?"

I grinned. "I think I do. I'm only planning on doing this once so I'd better make sure it's done right. Do you not want to do it like that?"

He kissed my nose. "Nicola, darling, I'm happy to stand up in front of the whole world and tell them that you are the one for me. I reckon my folks would be happier with a traditional wedding too."

His words made me stop and think. After a momentary pause, I said, "Jon, your family. We have to tell them the truth… about me. Don't we?"

He shook his head. "We don't."

"But Jon…"

"Shush," he said gently. "We don't," he emphasised, "because I already have."

My eyebrows shot upwards. "You've done what…"

He smiled and squeezed my shoulder. "Once I found out where you were and had decided to come and tell you, I realised that if things went well I wanted to marry you. I didn't want there to be anything to stand in the way of that. I went home to my folks and told them that I loved you and wanted to marry you."

"What did they say?"

He shrugged. "They were over the moon. They think you're a beautiful, talented girl and Mum has been nagging at me for years to bring a nice girl home and settle down." He chuckled. "My little brother Mike was quite expressive at his envy of me. He thinks you're just the 'hottest babe around'."

I blushed and grinned. "What did you say?"

He laughed. "Why, I agreed of course." He became more serious. "I knew though that if things were going to move ahead, I'd have to tell them the truth. I wanted them to know from the start. I realise that I was breaking your confidence by telling them, but I hope you don't mind."

"What did they say?" I asked anxiously.

He shrugged. "At first they couldn't believe it. They thought I was pulling their legs. Then, when they realised I was telling the truth, they were shocked. I'm not denying that they found it hard to accept, but I told them I had come to terms with it and that I was in love with you."

"And?"

He smiled. "They'll come round. Mikey helped in his own way. He said that he didn't care if you came from Mars, he'd have you any day. I think he was quite taken with the possibility of having Cara Malone as his sister-in-law."

"They don't hate me?" I asked with concern.

He shook his head. "No, not at all. My parents are fairly conservative, but when I told them about everything that had happened to you and what you had been through, they were more sympathetic. When they meet you, they'll realise that we're doing the right thing."

"There's something to look forward to," I said dryly.

"Back to the original question," he said. "When do you want to get married?"

I smiled and leant close against him. "How long do you think it takes to organise a wedding?"

"I have no idea," he admitted.

I thought aloud. "Let's see, it's nearly the end of April. We don't have too much else to do… how about getting married in June?"

He looked carefully at me. "You mean that? You're sure?"

I laughed and squeezed his thigh. "I'm sure. Besides, you're not the only one who is looking forward to… becoming more intimate." I winked coyly.

He chuckled and grabbed me in a bear hug before kissing me. "I can't wait," he murmured.

I sat up straight. "There is one other thing we have to think about, Jon. I do need to tell you about this before we make any more plans. You have to know about this as it will affect you too if we are together…" I went on to tell him about Simon's threat regarding the solicitor and the potential time bomb hanging over my head. He was shocked, but took it all in.

He gave a low whistle. "What are we going to do?"

I shrugged. "I've thought long and hard about it and there's only one real course of action I can think of." I outlined my plan to him and he was evidently shocked again.

He sat in silence for a few moments. "You're sure about this?" he asked.

I nodded. "Can you think of anything else?"

He slowly shook his head. "Not really. Nothing that would work for sure. This is quite a big undertaking though."

"Jon… I'll understand if this changes things. I mean, if you don't want to…"

"Stop right now," he said with gentle force in his voice. "I love you and I'm going to marry you. Nothing, but nothing will change that."

I smiled at him. "I love you too."
 

*          *          *
 
We met my friends at the restaurant and we managed to squeeze ourselves around one table. Eric's was indeed downstairs and was the traditional American-style sports bar. It had a friendly relaxed atmosphere and certainly seemed to be a popular spot. It didn't take too long for my ring to be noticed. Of course that may have had something to do with the way I was flaunting my left hand around.

"Wow!" Barbara exclaimed, as she was the first to notice it. "Is that what I think it is?"

I smiled. "What do you think it is?"

Kirsty grabbed my hand. "That's an engagement ring for sure!"

I laughed and leant up against Jon who put his arm around me. "I guess we've a little announcement to make."

"No way," Kirsty murmured.

Jon nodded. "Yes way. Nicola and I are going to be married."

"Way to go, dude!" Robert held up his hand and Jon high-fived him and then the others guys in quick succession.

I was engulfed in a girl-hug as Barbara and Kirsty practically leapt at me from where they were sitting. For some reason, I found myself in tears again. Definitely tears of joy. There was something about sharing happiness that really multiplied it.

Everyone sat down again and the questions began. "When did this happen?" Barbara asked.

"This afternoon," I replied.

Jon interjected, "It's been on the cards for some time though."

Kirsty gave me a strange look. "When we first met you said there was nothing going on between you and Jon."

I shrugged and smiled apologetically. "We had some… misunderstandings, but that's all cleared up now."

They all added their best wishes for our future together and drank to our health. I happily joined in their toasts, but with a non-alcoholic beverage for my part. I realised that I had to say something else though.

"Guys, I really hate to have to say this…" I paused. "What we've told you tonight is still a secret. I do trust you, but I have to ask you all to keep this to yourselves. Please don't even tell your closest friends. Our friends and family don't know yet, and we'd rather tell them ourselves than have 'The Sun' inform them."

"You've nothing to worry about," Craig said. He looked around the group. "None of us will breathe a word about this, will we?" There was a series of heads shaking.

"Thanks guys, it's been great getting to know you all this past fortnight," I said with genuine sincerity. "I can't believe you're heading home tomorrow."

"Neither can I," groaned Keith.

"I must get your addresses before you go," I said.

"Why?" Robert asked.

I shrugged and grinned. "So I'll know where to send the wedding invitations."

Kirsty spluttered, her mouth half-full of wine. "You're serious? You're not having us on?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, the more the merrier." I looked up at Jon. "You don't mind?"

He grinned. "I don't care who's there as long as you are," he said to me.

The others made gagging noises and we all laughed. We enjoyed a simple yet tasty meal. The conversation was good and the laughter was flowing. At the end of the meal, I saw Kirsty speaking to the headwaiter about something. She was nodding in our direction and I became instantly suspicious.

True enough, a few moments later my suspicions were realised. The D.J., who had been playing soft rock songs all evening, stopped and made an announcement. "Folks, it seems we've got something of a celebrity in our midst. A British singer, with whom you may be familiar, is dining with us, Cara Malone." From the ripple of noise that spread around the room, it seemed that some people did recognise my name. "I was just wondering if the lovely lady might want to share a little song with us."

I shook my head and gave Kirsty a mock-glare. The D.J. had a radio-mike in his hand and walked over towards me. "Miss Malone, would you care to take the stage?"

I smiled. "Oh I don't know that I could. I don't have my band with me."

"This looks awfully like your guitarist beside you," the D.J. persisted.

Jon chuckled. "If only I'd brought my guitar."

The D.J. clicked his fingers and a waiter brought a semi-acoustic guitar out and set it on the little stage. "Will that do?" he asked.

Jon looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged and laughed. "What the heck!"

There was a round of applause as Jon and I, hand-in-hand, headed for the mini-stage. Jon gently strummed the guitar and of course had to tune it to his liking. There were two high stools on the stage and we took one each. I pulled the microphone from the stand and smiled nervously. "Well, this isn't quite what I was expecting. My name is Cara Malone and I'm sure most of you have never heard of me." The protests from the crowd suggested otherwise. I laughed. "Anyway, we'll do a couple of songs and I hope you enjoy them. This first song is all about the fear of telling that special person in your life what you feel about them. Don't let the fear stop you from maybe missing out on the greatest love you might ever know." I looked over at Jon and he grinned at me. "Just tell them, all you have to do is 'Simply Say'."

Jon took his cue and began to gently pluck the introduction. As I sang the song, it was as if I were singing it properly for the very first time. I wasn't looking at the audience, I had eyes for only one person and he held my gaze all the way through. At the end of the song, the audience cheered and roared.

"Thank you so much, you're very kind." I smiled and pushed the hair back from my face. "This next song is another romantic one, I'm afraid. It's called 'Forgotten How to Love' and it's a reminder that we can get so caught up with the hustle and bustle of life that we can miss what is really important. Sometimes we don't realise it until it's almost too late."

Jon started us off again. There was something pure about the simplicity of the two of us sitting there — him playing, me singing. For me, it was as if the rest of the room faded into the background as I again sang to the man I loved:
 
 

"Oh teach me how to love  Unleash your wondrous charms  Want to laugh and cry,  To soar and fly  Up onto Cloud Nine  And know you're mine  Hold me in your arms,  For I, I'm remembering how to love."

 
 
At the end of the song, I slowly leaned towards Jon and smiled shyly at him. He grinned and leant towards me. Our lips met. We held our kiss for a few seconds and then broke again. The audience went wild and were roaring and whistling furiously. "Thanks so much. I'll not interrupt your evening any more. Good night."

As we walked from the stage, again hand-in-hand, there were calls for an encore, but I decided it was better to leave them wanting more. The D.J. thanked us and kindly gave us a good plug for our album. When we sat down, the others congratulated us.

"Nicola/Cara whatever, you were fantastic," Barbara gushed.

I laughed and waved a hand at her. "Now stop that, you'll give me a complex."

Craig spoke with a wistful-sounding voice, "You two are great together. It's so obvious you're meant for each other."

I patted his hand and smiled. "Thanks Craig."
 
 
At the end of the evening, there was a mega-round of hugs and kisses. We said our goodbyes and there were a few tears, well from the girls anyway. Jon and I walked back to our condo, his arm around my shoulders. We had decided to head back to Denver and get the next plane back to the U.K. It was time to re-enter the real world.
 

*          *          *
 
As we approached Cardiff, I began to fidget more and more.

Jon noticed and chuckled. "Nervous?"

I laughed. "Yeah, too right I am. I've never ever brought a girlfriend home to Dad, let alone a boyfriend… or even a fiancé."

He grinned. "Worried that I might not be up to scratch?"

I shook my head. "No chance of that. At least he's already met you. I shouldn't even be nervous since you told him what you were planning, but I can't help it."

We had landed in Gatwick the previous morning and had each gone to our own houses to get some rest. It had been so strange to be apart from Jon after having spent so much time with him. The way my heart ached for that short time that we were apart only served to confirm that what we were doing was right. I'd received a near-royal welcome from Gareth and Mrs. Pantridge. I had been evasive as to what I had been doing. I simply told them that I had been enjoying a relaxing holiday in the Rockies.

Jon had picked me up early that morning. With it being a Saturday, we expected to find my father at home. Jon pulled into the drive in front of my father's house. He leant over and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Ready?"

I nodded and we got out. Before we even got to the door, it swung open and my father came rushing out. He threw his arms around me and nearly knocked me off my feet. "Nicola, honey, are you OK?"

I could hardly breathe. Eventually he loosened his grip on me sufficiently for me to draw breath. I chuckled. "I'm fine, Dad. Pleased to see me?"

He shrugged with some embarrassment at his display of emotion. "I missed you and I was worried about you," he said. He turned to face Jon and extended his hand. "Hello again, Jon."

"Hello sir," Jon replied politely, shaking my father's hand.

We went in and sat down in the living room. For a few moments we sat there in an awkward silence. My father gave a wry grin. "I'm assuming that there's something you have to tell me, given the way you're holding each other's hands and from that little something I see sparkling on your finger, Nicola."

I blushed and smiled. "Yes… Daddy… Jon and I are engaged to be married."

He sat for a moment without speaking. He nodded slowly and smiled. He got up and walked over to me. I stood with some uncertainty. He hugged me tightly again and murmured, "Congratulations." He loosened his hold on me and held my elbows. "Are you happy? Are you sure about what you're doing?"

I nodded. "Yes, I've never been happier and I'm absolutely sure this is what I want."

He took this in and grinned. "Good." He turned to Jon and after a somewhat stiff handshake, he awkwardly hugged Jon. "You take good care of her, son, do you hear me?"

"Yes sir, I will," Jon assured him.

My father chuckled. "It seems that after losing a son, I'm to get a replacement by marriage and I've gained a beautiful daughter too."

After a short phone call to Claire, my father informed us that she was driving up immediately. All he had told her was that I was home. Apparently she hadn't known about Jon's full intentions.

Her arrival after lunch was like a whirlwind striking the house. She rushed in and hugged me fiercely. I felt sure that my body was going to be broken in two with all this hugging. As girls do, she immediately noticed the ring on my finger. My sister was too sharp to have to even ask what the explanation was, she knew. She squealed and hugged Jon and I. The look of surprised fear on Jon's face was priceless.

After she calmed down and had extracted as much of the details from me as I was prepared to share, she turned the topic of conversation to another item.

"So Nicola… you're now complete?"

I knew what she was asking. I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am. It's all done. I feel good. I do have one question for you Claire."

"What?"

"Do you fancy being a bridesmaid?"

Her response was predictably over the top.
 

*          *          *
 
We spent the rest of the day with my father and Claire. That night, Jon stayed with us. I bunked in with Claire and Jon took my room. On Sunday morning, we all went to church. I think Jon felt a little uncomfortable, but Llandaff Methodist was a welcoming little fellowship and he soon began to relax. My father was proudly telling anyone that would listen that his youngest daughter was engaged to be married.

After the service, Jon and I took Nathan aside and I asked him if he would do us the honour of conducting our marriage ceremony. He initially showed some reluctance and expressed concerns regarding the legality of our proposed marriage. I could understand this. I assured him that if he took things at face value, there was no legal contraindication to us proceeding. He was somewhat reassured and began to come round to the idea. The date was set for Saturday the twelfth of June and Nathan confirmed that the church was available.

After church, Jon and I set out for Merthyr Tydfil. This strange-sounding little town in the north of the Taff Valley was about a forty-five minute drive from Cardiff. It was also the town in which his family were currently living. Jon's father was the headmaster of the local comprehensive school, which had a name that, despite my Welsh heritage, I could barely spell let alone pronounce. We had arranged to join them for lunch and to spend the rest of the day with them.

I was nervous, incredibly nervous. Jon commented on my fidgeting as I sat in the passenger seat beside him, but there was nothing I could do to stop myself.

"I can't help it," I complained. "What if they hate me? What if they think I'm disgusting, taking their son from them and so on?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Firstly, they will think no such thing. Yes, sure they may be a little uncomfortable at first, but when they meet you; I know they will like you. Secondly, if they did take such exception to you… then it's their loss and we'll carry on regardless. Relax, it will be fine."

"How do I look?" I asked distractedly as I checked myself out in the vanity mirror. I was wearing a simple red dress that came to just above the knee.

"You look gorgeous, trust me."

I grinned at him. "I think you're biased."

He chuckled. "You've got that right, but I'm also correct."

We pulled up outside Jon's family home and as I got out of the car, I thought I was going to be overwhelmed by the apprehension I was feeling. This was worse than going on stage before thousands of screaming fans. Jon sensed my discomfort and gently took my hand and held it in his as we walked to the front door.

After one ring of the doorbell, the door opened. It was Mrs. Peters. I hadn't seen her for years. As a child, before Jon's family moved away from Pembroke, I had often visited their house to play with him. I still recognised his mother. I had always liked her as a child.

She looked a little flustered but gave us a nervous smile. "Oh hello, Jon. This must be… Cara?"

I gave her the best smile I could manage. "Hello, Mrs. Peters."

"Call her Nicola," Jon said. "She's not on stage now and she prefers her real name."

"Alright then, Nicola," his mother said. "Err… come in, both of you."

We followed her in and were shown into the sitting room. Jon's father, a tall thin balding man with a salt and pepper moustache, stood up from where he had been sitting. He moved awkwardly towards us.

"Jon," he said, shaking his son's hand.

"Dad, this is Nicola, my fiancée," Jon said, looking him in the eye.

His father flinched a little at Jon's words, but regained his composure. He turned to me and gave a half-smile. "Nicola, it's a pleasure to meet you. Jon has… told us so much about you."

I resisted the urge to wince and managed to give a wan smile. "Hello, Mr. Peters." We shook hands awkwardly.

"Now, why don't we sit down? Dinner will be ready shortly," Mrs. Peters said cheerily.

We sat and there was silence for a few moments. Jon's mother spoke into the void. "So… you're getting married?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, Jon asked me to marry him when he came to see me in Colorado."

She nodded and I saw her face twitch a little. "Yes, he had told us about his intentions. I'm assuming you said yes… you really love Jon, then?"

"Mum," Jon protested.

I put a hand on Jon's arm. "It's OK." I turned back to Mrs. Peters and regarded her honestly. "Yes, I love him more than I can say. I've been in love with him for about nine months now, but we were only able to admit this to each other recently."

I noticed Jon's father's eyes narrow a little. I continued, "I know this must seem very strange for you, but I want to assure you that I'm not here to steal your son or to do anything strange. There are a few things that I am sure of: one is that I am a woman, and another is that I love your son. When I was… when I was held captive recently, the thought of telling Jon how I really felt about him and the possibility that he might feel the same way was one of the few things that kept me going." My voice trailed off and Jon squeezed my arm.

I saw his mother's expression soften a little. She spoke gently, "Jon told us about what you went through. It sounded awful. You've been through quite a lot, even leaving aside your kidnapping, and although I find much of it hard to understand, I admire your fortitude."

"Thank you," I said and flashed her a warm smile.

She gave a half-laugh and shook her head. "My, this is so strange. Jon, this… girl… obviously loves you, do you feel the same way?"

I looked up at Jon. He grinned at me and slipped his arm around my shoulders. "Mum, you have no idea how much I love her. I can't believe the feelings I have for her. I used to ask you how I would know when love was the real thing. You used to tell me that I would just know, remember?"

She smiled. "I remember. You were always frustrated when I said that."

He nodded. "I was, but you were right. I just know: Nicola is the one I love and I couldn't think of living without her."

Jon's father spoke up, "I can't get my mind round this. Can't I just pretend I don't know what you told me about her and take things at face value?"

"What do you mean, Dad?" Jon asked.

He sighed. "She's a beautiful woman, there's no denying that. You two love each other and want to get married. If I think about this too much, it will drive me round the bend. You love her and she loves you. I want you to be happy, son, and if this girl is the one that you think will bring you that happiness… well, that's good enough for me." He paused and grinned at me. "Welcome to the mad Peters family, my dear."

I smiled at him and, following a strange impulse, got up from where I was sitting and walked over to him. He stood up, looking a little puzzled and I opened my arms. He chuckled with embarrassment, but opened his arms and we hugged gently. "Thank you, Mr. Peters."

He shrugged. "You're welcome, Nicola. I may be an old-fashioned man, set in my ways, and your story may be the strangest that I've ever heard, but who am I to deny you two the joy you're obviously finding together?"

I turned to Mrs. Peters who stood up and smiled as she opened her arms. "Come here, Nicola."

She hugged me warmly and I reciprocated. I blinked hard and felt a few tears escape. "Thank you so much," I murmured.

Jon joined in the round of hugs and we had all just regained our composure and sat down again, when we heard the front door opening.

"Ah, here comes trouble," Jon's father remarked good-humouredly.

The sitting room door opened and a young man breathlessly asked, "Is she here yet…" His voice tailed off as he saw Jon and I sitting together.

He grinned bashfully. "Uhh… that's a yes, then."

I smiled and stood up. "You must be Michael, I presume?"

He stood there, rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on me. "Uhh… yeah, call me Mike."

I walked over to him and opened my arms. "I'm Nicola Evans, your soon-to-be sister-in-law."

He looked dumbfounded, but managed to open his arms for me to hug him. I planted a little kiss on his cheek. "It's great to meet you at last," I said with a coy smile. "Jon has told me so much about you."

"He has?" he said with bemusement, his face colouring.

Jon spared him further embarrassment. "Good to see you, little bro."

The brothers hugged and I saw Mike give Jon a subtle high-five as he winked.

Mrs. Peters turned to me. "Our Michael has quite a high opinion of you, Nicola."

"Mum," Mike protested. He shrugged awkwardly and murmured, "I just said that Jon had all the luck."

Mr. Peters chuckled. "I think I remember words to the effect of 'how come my brother gets to marry the most gorgeous girl in the country'."

Mike raised a hand to his eyes and groaned. Everyone laughed. I put a hand on Mike's arm and he almost jumped at my touch. "Thanks, Mike," I said. "I think you've exaggerated a lot, but I'm flattered."

Jon slid his arms around me. "Exaggerated? Nah, he's just telling it as it is." Jon turned my face to his and planted a soft kiss on my lips. I was shocked at this display of affection in front of his family, but I think that Jon wanted to show them the depth of our feelings for one another.

"If you two can prise yourselves apart for a moment, perhaps we could eat dinner," Jon's mother said dryly.

I felt a little more at ease, and the conversation over dinner was more relaxed. I was aware of Mike stealing surreptitious glances at me when he thought I wasn't looking. I tried not to smile. Mrs. Peters, having gotten over her initial discomfort at meeting me, had slipped into true mother mode: she was dying to know what plans we had for the wedding and insisted that we keep her in the loop.

Jon and I set out for London after tea. I felt a lot happier and the earlier tension had faded. I curled my legs underneath me on the seat and lay back.

"I think that went well," Jon said.

I grinned. "It did. At first, I thought it was going to be awful." I paused. "Your folks are good people."

He chuckled. "Of course they are. They raised me, didn't they?"

I swatted him lightly on the arm. He laughed and continued, "Mikey has such a crush on you. He was practically green with envy."

"Jon!" I protested. "You shouldn't embarrass him, and me, like that."

He shook his head. "I'm enjoying it. Mikey always used to go on about how his girlfriends were far prettier than any of mine and how he was the good-looking one in the family." He grinned. "I think I've shut him up forever now."
 

*          *          *
 
The next morning, Jon picked me up and we drove over to Jools' place. I hadn't spoken to her since we had arrived back in the U.K., as I wanted to surprise her in person.

She opened the door. "Cara!" She flung her arms around me. "It's so good to see you again. I was beginning to think that you would never come back from wherever you were."

We went upstairs and sat down on the sofas. "So what have you been up to all this time?" Jools asked.

I grinned and waved my left hand airily. "Oh this and that, you know."

She spotted the ring and gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

I looked at the ring as if seeing it for the first time. I feigned confusion. "I don't know - do you want to take a closer look?"

She scuttled over to sit beside me and took my hand in hers. She looked up at me and then to Jon. "Well?"

Jon grinned and slid his arm around my shoulders. He said, "Jools, are you doing anything on the twelfth of June?"

She smiled. "No, do tell me why though."

"Nicola and I are getting married and we were hoping you would be able to join us."

Jools squealed and practically jumped on top of both of us. She put her arms around us and pulled us close to her. "Is this for real? This is awesome. I knew it. I knew you two were made for each other."

I laughed. "Yes, Jools, as much as it pains me to say it, you were right… again."

She kissed me on the cheek and looked into my eyes. "Are you happy?"

I beamed at her. "You have no idea."

We talked about how Jon had found me and gave her the censored version of what had happened. She drank it all in and kept prompting for more and more details. I told her about my surgery and she nearly flipped again. I thought for a moment that she was going to ask to see the results, but I think she caught herself just in time.

Jools filled me in on what she termed the comparatively boring details of my career — the things that had happened whilst I was away. U.S. sales of my album were steady and, although it hadn't taken the States by storm, it had certainly made an impact. Sales in the U.K. and Europe had been pleasing and the financial benefits were certainly nothing to be sneezed at.

Jools winked slyly. "You poor little lovebirds. However will you manage to pay for your wedding with the paltry joint income and assets you have?"

I laughed and tickled her. "I've a more pressing concern regarding the wedding."

"What's that?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Claire's agreed to be my chief bridesmaid. Jon's brother, Mike, is going to be best man, and we're going to ask Brian to be Jon's groomsman. That means that we need another bridesmaid…"

Her eyes widened and she looked like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Eventually she managed to squeak, "And?"

I grinned and put her out of her misery. "Jools, would you be a bridesmaid for me?"

Her earlier reactions to the news I had already told her paled into insignificance. She jumped all over me and hugged me furiously.

I managed to fight her off. "I take it that's a yes, then?"

She laughed, tears rolling down her cheeks and said, "I'd be honoured."

She managed to calm down and we sat down at the table to enjoy a cup of coffee.

"Ca… Nicola," she began. I had told her about my preference of names. "If you are organising a wedding it will be a big undertaking. I was thinking that you might need some help. Say from someone who has a certain flair in the realm of organisation…"

I laughed. "Jools, like most things in my life, I couldn't imagine how I could do it without you."

Jon winked and with a sly grin said, "There certainly are things you will be doing without her." He nuzzled on my neck and then looked up and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

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