Kara Lennox - Tame An Older Man

"I didn't know you like to swim," she said, because she couldn't think of anything else.

"There are lots of things you don't know about me, because I've been a workaholic ever since I moved to Phoenix." Wyatt sat on the edge of the pool next to Phoebe. "I'm going to change that. Jane Jasmine says you have to strike a balance between career and personal life."

"Another Jane Jasmine devotee?"

"She's got something. Besides, if I'm expecting you to slow down enough to have a relationship, I'll have to do the same."

"You're not going to let me off the hook, here, are you?"

"No. And I don't want to hear that you're still working on yourself. Since you left L.A., you've had several years of working on yourself. You ought to be damn near perfect by now."

"Oh, Wyatt, we both know that's not true."

"Okay, you're not perfect. Neither am I. We'll work on it. We'll make mistakes and learn from them. We'll fight and we'll make up, and maybe by the time we're my grandparents' age we'll have it all figured out."

Phoebe opened her eyes wide. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I was an idiot for ever thinking a no-strings affair would be good enough for you, for us. We deserve something a little more… settled."

Phoebe had one card left. She had one more obstacle she could throw between them. She knew Wyatt was marriage-shy. He'd freaked out when he thought he was quarry for her husband hunt. But she knew now that the only way she was going to have Wyatt in her life was if she got the whole enchilada. No more half measures. Both of them needed the security of commitment. Besides, she deserved that kind of relationship.

She closed her eyes and said the words she knew might drive him away. "If you're planning on monopolizing my time until we're in our eighties, I expect a marriage license."

"Well, what the hell else do you think I meant? Open your eyes, Phoebe."

She did, and right in front of her nose was the loveliest square diamond solitaire, along with a band holding a row of tiny diamonds.

"I want you to be my wife."

She clasped both hands over her mouth, so overcome she couldn't speak. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started trembling.

"A simple yes or no would be very helpful."

She nodded yes.

He pried her left hand away from her face and slipped the ring onto her third finger. "It belonged to my mother. I was too young when she died to remember much about her, but my grandmother says she was the most loving, generous and happy person they'd ever met."

Phoebe finally found her voice. "I don't de-"

"Don't you dare say you don't deserve it. If you'd rather not wear a ring that belonged to someone else, we can get another one."

"No, no, I'd be honored to wear your mother's ring."

"And you forgive me for laughing at you?"

"If you'll forgive me for being too sensitive and expecting you to read my mind."

"I think I can manage that."

They stopped talking long enough to kiss, and Phoebe swore it was the sweetest kiss she'd ever tasted. She might have enjoyed kissing him like that the rest of the afternoon-with the sun warming her pool-chilled skin and the smell of chlorine and Wyatt's aftershave tickling her nose-but a strange sound nibbled at the edges of her consciousness.

Wyatt must have heard it, too, because he pulled back and looked around.

They were being given a round of applause. Dozens of their neighbors were on their patios and balconies, clapping as if they'd just witnessed a bravura opera performance. She saw Elise and James, Daisy, her mother and Frannie, Jeff, Bill, the college girls-everybody she knew, just about.

She felt her face flaming, but she was laughing, too. "What a story for our grandchildren."

Wyatt seemed completely unfazed. "I love you, Phoebe."

"I love you, too. So much it hurts."

"Then let's take this show somewhere more private and… celebrate."

Phoebe was all for that.

The following weekend, Phoebe was dragged out of a lovely, deep sleep by the sound of strange voices. She opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to remember where she was.

Wyatt's bed.

Oh, how lovely, she thought. It was barely dawn, and neither she nor Wyatt had a thing to do today. Lots more hours to laze in bed. But then the voices came through again.

"Shh! We don't want to wake Wyatt," a woman said. Phoebe quickly realized it was Helen Madison!

"You don't think he'll be pleased when he finds out we took an earlier flight home?" Rolland asked. "We saved him a trip to the airport."

"At six-thirty on a Saturday morning, I doubt he'll be pleased about much of anything."

Her heart pounding, Phoebe punched Wyatt. "Wyatt! Wake up," she whispered urgently.

"Huh?"

"Your grandparents are home!"

"No, no," he said groggily. "I'm not supposed to pick them up until two this afternoon."

"Well, they're here! They must have taken a taxi."

Wyatt woke up all the way. He sat up, glanced at the clock, then out the window, and finally at Phoebe. "They're home?" He had that look in his eye, sort of like a deer in headlights.

"Do you want coffee, Rolland?" Helen asked. "Maybe the smell will wake Wyatt up."

"He doesn't like coffee, dear, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Panic welled up in Phoebe's chest. "What do we do? There's no way I can sneak out."

He put his arms around her and nuzzled her ear. "You don't have to sneak out. My grandparents will understand. We're engaged, after all."

"They told me to be nice to you. They didn't mean this nice."

"Oh, you'd be surprised what they might have meant. They've wanted us to get together for years."

"But not naked! Not in their guest room!"

Wyatt sighed and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "Okay, okay. I'll take them out on the balcony and show them how well I've been taking care of their plants. You sneak out the front door."

Phoebe jumped out of bed and frantically threw on clothes. Wyatt dressed in a more leisurely fashion, a faint smile on his face.

"You're enjoying this!" Phoebe accused.

"You're cute when you're panicked."

She huffed and shoved her feet into sandals, wondering where she'd left her purse. Well, she'd worry about that later.

Wyatt quickly kissed her. "I'll call you in a few minutes to come over for coffee. Together we can share our good news with them."

Phoebe's stomach fluttered. She loved the Madisons like her very own grandparents, but she wasn't sure how they would feel about her taking over their adored grandson.

"They'll be thrilled," Wyatt said, giving her one more quick kiss before exiting the room.

Phoebe listened through the cracked door as Wyatt welcomed Rolland and Helen. She felt warm all over as she heard the love they felt for each other, evidenced in their affectionate greeting. She couldn't wait to be part of this wonderful family. On top of the new understanding she and Olga had come to, she felt truly blessed.

She was so happy, in fact, that she wanted everyone to enjoy the same bliss. But so far Daisy was still alone. Then there were Frannie and Bill. Phoebe knew they truly cared for one another, but Frannie was still nursing her hurt feelings and Bill was certain he'd done nothing to warrant her cold shoulder.

"Let's go out on the balcony," she heard Wyatt say to his grandparents. "The cactus is blooming."

"Which one?" Helen asked excitedly. "The pink or the yellow?"

"Both."

"Did you talk to them?"

"I did, but they didn't start blooming until I got stern with them…" Their voices faded away.

Phoebe took a deep breath, darted down the hall and made for the front door. She realized as she reached for the knob that her keys were in her misplaced purse, but she supposed she could hang out with one of her other neighbors for a while.