Flowers In The Park Ch 07

Looking up at him, she smiled and said, "I had another great time. Will there ever be a time when our time together isn't special?"

He replied, "Not if I have anything to do with it. Be careful while you're gone and don't forget find some time to send me a message or two when you get a chance."

"I promise you I won't forget about you. I'll probably not stop thinking about you!"

They kissed one more time, and then Alex went inside. She headed straight to her bedroom to begin her packing for her trip. As she got clothes out of her dresser and closet, she realized her heart was still racing following his hug and kiss, and as much as she was excited to see her family again, she knew that she'd rather be here - or anywhere - with Wes.

Alex was about an hour into her drive home when she realized just how much she was going to miss Wes this weekend. She found herself wondering what he was doing at that moment. Since it was a Friday afternoon, he was probably wrapping up his work at the city engineering office, getting ready to head for his apartment. She wished she could be there to greet him, and maybe even go for a quick afternoon walk around the lake at the complex.

The last time she made this trip back to see her family was two weekends ago. They had become a treasured safe haven from the world following her breakup with Anthony. Back then, she knew the only thing keeping her in the city was her job as an elementary teacher, and she had even entertained the notion of moving back closer to home, going so far as to submit a teaching application and resume to the school district in her hometown.

She had enjoyed city life, because it gave her an opportunity spread her wings as a teacher and young adult in a new and exciting place. But that was before her fiancé had cheated on her, causing her to cancel their wedding. Now the city had reminded her of the pain she was still experiencing more than two months after. She had been afraid to venture out on her own, so meeting new friends wasn't happening. She left her apartment to go to work, or for the occasional shopping trip, or to go to the park on Sunday afternoons. Otherwise, there was no living going on, and certainly no joy.

Visiting her family had provided her with the strength she needed to continue. But that was before this past Sunday, when a precocious little three-year-old named Wesley Walker Watson had handed her a sprig of wildflowers, telling her that "a beautiful woman deserved beautiful flowers." And that led to meeting Wesley's handsome father Wes, who in less than a week had turned her outlook on life completely around.

Now as she drove closer to home, she was driving farther away from Wes. She loved her family, and always enjoyed going back to visit them. But she was fighting the urge not to turn the car around and head back to the city, and back to her man.

She chuckled - "her man" wasn't something she had planned on thinking. It was much too soon for him to be called that. But she couldn't kid herself, she liked thinking he was her man. She wondered if she would be this infatuated with Wes if she hadn't had two months of misery before meeting him. If he had met her before she had fallen in love with Anthony, would she be having the same feelings for him after less than a week that she was now?

Then she realized she couldn't compare the two situations. It really didn't matter that she was falling so hard for him in such a short time. He was providing her with a reason to smile again. She was coming back to life, and Wes was the reason. So...why shouldn't he be thought of as "her man?"

******

Alex pulled into the high school football stadium in her hometown at 6:45 p.m. She quickly found her mother, sitting in her usual seat - the same seat she had sat in for years. Mom greeted her with a hug, then turned back to watch the warmups on the football field. Alex looked down on the field and saw #24, her brother Aaron, a junior in high school. Aaron was a wide receiver and defensive back on the team. Alex also spotted her sister Ana (short for Anastasia) standing with the other cheerleaders on the track in front of the stands. While Aaron would not break his focus on the pregame to look up for her, Ana did, and when she spotted Alex, she waved a pom-pom at her.

Alex turned to look up to the back of the stadium, to where her dad's spot was. He was so loud at football games that the rest of the family had given up trying to sit with him. He was heavily into football, especially since his only son was playing. Alex waved up at him, but it took him a few seconds to spot her. When he did, he waved and smiled back.

Alex sat down and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She sent Wes a quick message -

"Made it to the stadium, game about to begin. How was your day?"

She sent it, and then chuckled to herself once again about how much that message was like one an old married wife might send to her old married husband. Just as she was about to put her phone away, it buzzed with a reply.

"Glad you made it. Go Wildcats! Day was boring, but had to stop at the store for something special."

That raised her curiosity level, so she responded right back,

"What did you get?"

She wanted to wait for him to respond, but the band began playing the National Anthem, so she put her phone back in her pocket and stood with the rest of the crowd. Then it was time for the coin toss, followed by the band playing the school fight song, which took her back to the times in high school when she was cheering in the same spot where her sister was now.

It was the tradition in her school that the crowd stayed standing until after the kickoff. After that, she finally had a chance to sit down and dig her phone back out, seeing that Wes had replied. It was a short message -

"Five pounds of M&M's."

Alex laughed, and quickly replied,

"I hate losing any bet to Lori!"

It was just a few seconds before Wes answered -

"I promise I'll make this the best bet you ever lost!"

That message sent a tingle through her body, and she recalled the kiss she and Wes shared the night before where he had brushed his hand lightly down her side. Her face was beaming with that memory and with this latest message and as she replied,

"I'll hold you to that. I miss you!"

Before Wes could answer back, she heard the loud voice of her mother over the sounds of the game below. "Alexandria!"

Startled, she turned to her mother. "Oh, sorry. I was messaging a friend." She stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

Her mom replied, "Friend, huh? Is there something you haven't told me yet? Does that friend have anything to do with the smile that was plastered all over your face?"

Alex blushed and looked down. "Maybe...okay, yes it does. But I don't really want to talk about it here. There will be plenty of time later for me to update you with what's going on in my life. Shall we watch the game?"

Her mom laughed. "I know I'll be watching the game. I have a feeling you'll be watching your phone more!"

Alex didn't respond, but she knew that her mother was right. She got her phone back out one more time, to answer Wes.

"Busted - mom knows I'm messaging somebody. I miss you too. And you'd better make losing worthwhile for me!"

After the game (a victory for the home team!), Alex followed her mom and sister back to their house, while her dad and Aaron left separately. As Alex walked up to the front porch, she smiled, loving the familiar feeling of the house she was raised in. The late fall weather was very chilly, so she knew there wouldn't be an opportunity to enjoy the old porch swing, which was one of her most favorite places on earth. Instead, she went inside to get warm, and to face the grilling she knew would be coming from her mom and sister.

Her mom was in the kitchen, heating water for hot chocolate. Her sister had gone to her bedroom to change out of her cheerleading uniform, so until she returned, Alex knew she had at least a brief reprieve from the questions they would ask her. But instead of being nervous about sharing the details of the new man in her life, she was actually looking forward to it. If he couldn't be here with her, at least she would enjoy talking about him.

Mom brought the hot water to the table, as well as three mugs and some marshmallows. Her dad and Aaron would spend the next hour going over the football game in the living room, something they both seemed to enjoy, especially after a win. That gave time for the girls to talk about the more pressing issue.

Her mom started the questioning. "Okay, Alex. Let's hear it. Who is he?"

Alex put an incredulous look on her face, which the others knew right away was fake. "What do you mean? Maybe I was messaging my best friend from work!"

Her mom shook her head. "Don't try to hide this from me. Moms know. You wouldn't have been smiling like a kid in a candy store if it had been your best friend."

Ana was grinning, enjoying not being the center of her mom's attention for a change. Alex waited for a few seconds, and then started telling her story. "His name is Wes. We met last Sunday. He's tall, handsome, and extremely nice. We have really clicked since we've been spending quite a bit of time together. And as we were getting to know each other, we discovered we both live in the same apartment complex!"

Alex was expecting some kind of response from that, but none was offered, so she continued. "He's a very nice man. I think he's probably a little younger than I am. He's a small-town boy, in a town that is three hours north of the city. He's a public works engineer, so he must be smart. I feel so relaxed around him. Being with him has replaced the anger and sadness I've felt for the last two months."

Alex paused, and her mom reached out to grab her hand. "That's the best news of all, Alex. I'm really very happy for you. I know that you'll be careful, but if he's making you happy, he's already a great guy in my books!"

Ana spoke up next. "So where did you two meet?"

Alex blushed, knowing this next bit of information would surprise them. "Well...I was in the park last Sunday afternoon, just to get out of the apartment for a while. It turns out that someone introduced the two of us - and that someone was his adorable three-year-old son."

Silence, followed by, "He has a son?"

"Yes and he's the cutest, most well-mannered kid I've ever seen." She proceeded to tell the story of how Wesley had brought her the wildflowers and then insisted they walk back to their cars holding hands. Her mom seemed to be unable to hide her surprise at Alex's revelation, but Ana was clearly tickled.

"Alex, I think that's cute!" She turned to her mom and said, "I guess that will make you a grandma then - Granny Judy!"

Both Alex and her mom yelled out, "ANA!" at the same time, but Alex couldn't help but giggle at the thought of making her mom an instant grandma someday. She finished the story of how Wes became a father, mentioning the fact that he hadn't been on too many dates since because most women in their age group weren't too interested in a two-for-one deal.

Her mom looked at her and asked, "What do you think about this? Are you ready to date a man that already has a child?"

Alex knew this would be one of the easiest questions to answer. "Of course! He seems like he's a good enough man that even if he had more kids, I would want to be with him. I've only been with his son that first day, but he was so well-behaved, and it was easy to see how much his dad loved him as we watched him play. After being with him this week and talking about Wesley, it only confirms to me that he's a wonderful father."

Just then, her dad and brother walked into the kitchen. Ana could hardly contain her glee. "Guess what, guys? Alex has a boyfriend, and he has a three-year-old son!"

Their mom glared at Ana, but it was quickly overshadowed by the excitement both her dad and brother conveyed to her. Her dad came over to give her a hug and said, "If he makes you happy, then I'm good with it, and I know you'll handle this well."

Alex replied, "Thanks, dad. Right now, he's the best thing in my life - well, after my family of course!"

Dad said, "We know you love us. But make him be the best thing in your life, and if it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

The boys sat down at the table, and they all talked together for a few minutes, before Ana headed to her bedroom to get rest before she played in her regional volleyball tournament the next day. Alex realized she was tired as well, and so she hugged everyone and headed up to her old room, to try to get some sleep as well.

Before she closed her eyes, she sent a message to Wes -

"They haven't met you yet, but my family already likes you. I must have done a good job of selling you to them!"

Just as she was dozing off, her phone buzzed with his reply.

"Nice to know you had good things to say about me! I miss you! I need Sunday to get here!"

She messaged back,

"Me too, on both of those! Goodnight."

******

Saturday was another good day, as her family watched her sister's volleyball team playing in the regional volleyball tournament. Ana's team made it to the final match but could not overcome the top seed in the tourney. It was Ana's last high school volleyball game, so there were lots of tears going around when the tournament concluded.

The family went to church on Sunday morning, followed by the traditional noon family dinner. Everybody pitched in to help get it ready, and it was one of Alex's most favorite family ritual. There were more questions about Wes and his son, but they were lighthearted, and her family could tell that she was very happy with Wes. They loved seeing the new Alex that was smiling so much.

But Alex was ready to get back to the city. She had packed her bag before church, so when the meal was done, she was excused from any of the clean-up chores and headed to her car. As anxious as she was to get back, she was leaving a couple of hours earlier than normal, but her family knew why. Before she got in her car, they came out to hug her. Ana asked her to send them a picture of Wes and his son, so Alex promised she would try to get one for them.

She messaged Wes that she was leaving, and then she got on the road. She stopped about halfway for a restroom break and to get a drink. The three hours crawled by, until finally in the distance she could see the buildings of downtown in the city. She wove her way through the highways and streets, pulling into her apartment complex in just under three hours.

She parked her car and looked up, and her heart started racing. Standing at her door was Wes, holding flowers in his hand. He walked to her car as she was getting out. They shared a brief kiss, and he handed her the flowers, saying, "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman! May I carry your bag in for you?"

"But what about the bet? If you step into my apartment, I'll have to pay Lori tomorrow."

Wes smiled, and pulled his other hand from behind his back, where he'd been hiding a sack. "Five pounds of peanut M&M's? Let's go!"

Wes took her bag, and Alex put her arm through his as they walked up the sidewalk to her front door. Alex opened the door and Wes followed her, and as soon as the door was closed, Wes dropped her bag, took her flowers and M&M sack from her, set them down, and proceeded to wrap her up in a tight hug, bending over to kiss her. Alex felt the passion in his hug and began running her hands under Wes' coat. The kiss went on for several seconds before Wes stood up and looked down into her eyes.

"They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. That was the longest weekend of my life, but it's true - I missed you so much and now that you're back where you belong, I don't want to let you go!"

He helped her out of her coat, and then ripped his own coat off quickly, tossing it on a chair close to the door. He grabbed Alex again and once again they kissed, pressing their bodies against each other without the hinderance of their coats. His hands slid down her back until they reached the upper swell of her ass, tightly compacted in the yoga pants she was wearing. Alex knew her heart was about to beat out of her chest through all of this. All she could think about was being in this man's arms, and she never wanted to leave.

Wes broke the kiss and straightened up again. "I'm sorry to be so forward, Alex, but honestly, this was a horrible weekend without you. I hope I'm not pushing you too fast, but I'm very much enjoying this."

Alex wrapped her hands around his waist and pulled him closer. "I was worried that this might be too fast for you. I know you said you wanted to make sure we didn't take it too fast. And I can't believe it's just now been a week since we met, but honestly, it's been one of the best weeks of my life, and I'm very much enjoying this also!"

Wes thought for a moment, and said, "Alex, this is different than my one-night stand with Wesley's mom. She is a beautiful woman, but not like you. And that was fueled by the illicit nature of two kids who had too much to drink, sneaking away without any rational thought to enjoy the carnal high the moment presented. This is completely different. I'm ready to make a long-term commitment to you - hell, I was ready about an hour after you left to go home, and I realized just how long the weekend was going to be without you.

"I'm hooked, Alex. I'm falling hard for you - in fact, I've already fallen for you. You are the kindest, most beautiful woman I've ever met. And it seems you're giving Wesley and me a chance. I would be a stupid fool to mess this up now. I would do anything to make sure you are never put in pain like you were before."

A tear rolled down Alex's cheek, and Wes reached up to brush it away before giving her another soft kiss. She looked up at Wes and smiled. "I love everything you are saying to me, and I'm so lucky that your wonderful son got us together, so the least I can do is be with his dad to show how much I appreciate what he did."

The continued hugging, and then Alex said, "Want me to show you around my apartment? I thought I'd show you the bedroom first."

Wes grinned. "I'd love that - I have a feeling I want to get to know your bedroom very well!"

Alex pulled away from Wes and grabbed his hand, leading him to her bedroom. As he followed, Wes looked down to see what he could only feel with his hands before. He couldn't help himself as he reached out to give her ass a little swat. Alex jumped and turned to look back at him, grinning.

"Find something you like back there?"

As they went through her bedroom doorway, he replied, "Yes...yes I did!"