Hahahahhahahaha Mother In Law

Toyin223:
Hahahahhahahaha Mother In Law

Lol

Lol..this woman eh. At least she's better than all these troublesome mother-in-laws

like I seriously love this mother-in-law. Planning a wedding without the couple.

Chapter Ten


“Mother, have you gone stark, raving mad?” Jason had difficulty keeping a rein on his anger. “How can you set a wedding date and hire caterers when I haven’t even mentioned it to Gift? This is insane.” He rubbed his face, wondering if he’d imagined this entire fiasco.
“Your father warned me you’d be angry, but, Jason, I know you. Once you and Gift decide to marry, you won’t want to wait two years.”
“Mom, I don’t suppose it dawned on you that there are other places we could have a wedding reception—if we were actually having one. The yacht club isn’t the only venue in this town.”
“Frankly, no, it didn’t occur to me,” his mother returned calmly. “Since we’re just going to have one formal wedding in this family, we’re doing it up big, and the yacht club’s the best alternative.”
Jason could see he was losing ground. “Let me talk to Dad.”
“But, Jason—”
“Mother!”
“All right, just a minute.”



That minute seemed to take an hour. By the time he had his father on the line, Jason was as angry as he’d ever been. The instant he heard Eric pick up the receiver, he shouted, “Has Mother gone crazy? Have you? How could you let things go this far?”
His father chuckled, apparently amused, something Jason most definitely wasn’t. “I agree with you,” his father said breezily, “your mother has gone a little crazy.”
“Dad, listen, I know you and Mom mean well, but I refuse to let you run my life. Scheduling the reception, talking to florists, I can’t believe you’d allow Mom to do all this without talking to me first.”
“Don’t forget, she’s involved Taylor and Christy, as well. That’s when I thought she’d stepped over the line. You haven’t even asked Gift to marry you, and Elizabeth’s got your sisters choosing bridesmaids’ dresses. By the way, I don’t suppose she told you about the honeymoon? Two weeks in Hawaii—it’s our wedding gift to you.”
Jason clenched his fist at his side and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. It didn’t work. The situation was absurd. And he was beginning to see that his father was in on this nonsense. “Two weeks in Hawaii…Taylor and Christy choosing bridesmaids’ dresses. You’ve both gone off the deep end.”




“To your mother’s credit, she didn’t intend for this to happen. It just did. I know you’re upset now, and to be honest, I don’t blame you, but once you get used to the idea, it doesn’t sound so ludicrous
Get used to the idea, Jason mused. He felt like he was in the middle of a nightmare. “You honestly think I should agree to this…this outrageousness?” He could barely speak.
“Answer me this. Are you in love with Gift?”
“Yes.” That much was a given—he’d already told his parents so.
“Do you intend to ask her to marry you?”

EvaJael:
Lol..this woman eh. At least she's better than all these troublesome mother-in-laws

For your mind ba

mhizgap:



For your mind ba

Lol

Precious111:
like I seriously love this mother-in-law.
Planning a wedding without the couple.

But precious, how would you feel if your wedding is planned before you know about it.

His dad knew the answer to that, too. “Yes…eventually, in my own time and my own way.”




“If you’re planning to marry the girl anyway, then what’s the problem?”
“I wasn’t going to do it in three weeks!”
“Three weeks, three months, what’s the difference?”
Jason couldn’t believe it. His father was talking pure craziness.
“I realize your mother and I went about this wrong, but after what happened with your brothers and sisters, all I ask is that you cut us a little slack.”





“A little slack,” he snorted. “Marriage is a serious step. A man doesn’t make that kind of decision one minute and march up the aisle the next.”
“I used to feel that way myself, but it’s pretty much what happened with Taylor and Russ, as well as Christy and Cody. They made up their minds, then went right ahead and did it.”
“All right, all right,” Jason muttered, willing to concede the point. Their weddings were spontaneous, to say the least. Same for Rich and Paul.
“I agree, marriage is a serious step,” his father went on calmly, “but if you’re in love with Gift and intend to marry her anyway, I don’t see the harm in your mother getting the ball rolling.”
The ball rolling. She’d started an avalanche. “Don’t you think Mom’s just a tad premature?”





“Perhaps,” his father agreed amicably enough. “But you can’t really blame her for that. She got caught up in the excitement of the moment. Once she talked to the yacht club, everything sort of fell into place. It makes sense once you analyze it. You’ve been a bachelor a long time, Jason. If you’re as serious about marrying Gift as you claim, my advice is, just do it. If you wait, you might talk yourself out of it.”
“Do it,” Jason echoed. “You make marriage sound like taking up an exercise program.” He could see he wasn’t going to make any more headway with his father than he had his mother.
“Think about it, all right? That’s all I ask.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?”



“Gift might say no.”
His father laughed. Gift's as much in love with you as you are with her. She’ll marry you in a New York minute and we both know it.”
“But, Dad…”
“Just think about it overnight. That’s all your mother and I are asking. If you decide you’d rather not go through with this, then phone us in the morning and we’ll put a stop to everything.”

“I don’t need to sleep on this,” Jason argued.


“I can tell you right now that I’m not going to agree. I’ve never heard anything more absurd in my life. A wedding in a few weeks! I was thinking more along the lines of two or three years!”
A heavy silence followed his words. “Then you must not be as much in love as your mother and I assumed. Give us a call in the morning,” his father said and hung up the phone.




Jason was too furious to stand still. He paced his living room, jerked his baseball cap off his head and slapped it against his thigh. He tried to smooth out the crease in the bill, realized he couldn’t and tossed the hat on top of the television.
Earlier that evening, he’d been talking to Gift about this very thing—people manipulating and controlling others. Well, he wasn’t about to fall prey to it now. Especially not with his parents.
If he allowed his mother to schedule his wedding, there was no telling where she’d stop. The next thing he knew she’d be meddling in all his personal affairs. She’d be deciding when it was time for him and Gift to have a family.
He drew in a deep, calming breath to clear his head.
His assessment of his mother was unfair, he told himself a few minutes later. His parents hadn’t interfered in his brothers’ or sisters’ marriages. From what he understood, they’d suggested Leah and Paul get married, but that was common sense. Leah and Paul should have seen it themselves. He knew his parents had debated long and hard about confronting them and had done so reluctantly, after much soul-searching.




But arranging his marriage to Gift was an entirely different matter. They’d stepped over the boundary there—although…although he did understand how easy it must have been to get caught up in the heat of the moment. Getting the date at the yacht club had set everything in motion, and before either of his parents were aware of it, they’d planned the whole wedding.
As he recalled from his dinner conversation the day before, Jason had told his mother that Gift would welcome her assistance in planning the wedding. She’d done a bit more than suggest what type of flowers to use in the bridal bouquet, however.
No, it was out of the question.
Jason flatly refused to be a pawn. When he was ready to marry Gift he’d…
Married. He and Gift.





He needed at least a year just to get used to the idea. A man his age didn’t surrender his freedom without plenty of serious thought.
Then he remembered the phenomenon of holding Gift in his arms, of loving her, and the simple pleasure he found in spending time with her. He tried to imagine what his life would be like without her and discovered he couldn’t. So his belief that he wasn’t ready flew out the window.
But marriage, he told himself, would take away his freedom. He’d never watch another game on TV again without feeling guilty—a wife would make sure of that. Women nagged and controlled, didn’t they?
Gift was a woman, but she wasn’t like the others he’d known. She’d been controlled and manipulated herself; she’d fought against it. Jason couldn’t in all honesty believe she’d try the same tactics

Once again his argument wouldn’t hold.
All right, maybe there were more things to consider besides his freedom. But here, too, he was losing ground. He’d found freedom in Gift, freedom to be himself, freedom to look toward the future.
Gift wanted children.



Another contentious issue. Children. Carrie had said as much the day she’d stopped by his office to bribe him to take out her mother. If he married Gift, he might as well accept that a year or so down the road they’d have a baby.
So? Wasn’t that what he wanted?
He hadn’t thought much about a family until recently. He vividly remembered the sensations that had overwhelmed him the first time he’d seen Gift holding Jeremy. Watching her play with his brother’s son had left him breathless. Of course, being hit by a fast-moving Frisbee might have contributed to that.




Okay, so he wanted children. A man didn’t marry a woman without giving the prospect some consideration. Since he was well past thirty, and fast approaching forty, he should start thinking along those lines soon. Gift was nearly thirty-six herself, and he knew it was safer for a woman to give birth before the age of forty.
Which meant he had to throw out his idea of waiting two or three years to get married. If he was serious, and he was, they should do it soon.
But three weeks was too soon….





He’d sleep on it, Jason decided, take his father’s advice and give this whole wedding business some thought. But he could say right now, that on general principles alone, he was against it.
An hour later, after tossing and turning and wreaking havoc with his bedsheets, Jason knew. Knew it from the way he couldn’t keep his hands from clenching. Knew it from the way his stomach tensed.
He was going to marry Gift Weston. The wedding was already scheduled.
Gift didn’t know what was wrong with him.





Jason had fidgeted all through dinner, although dinner had been his idea. He’d called her early that morning, before she’d left for work, and invited her out.
The invitation had sounded offhand, spur of the moment. Or that was how he’d apparently intended it to sound. But Gift wasn’t fooled. His voice had tensed as though he wasn’t sure she’d say yes—which was ridiculous. Surely he knew how crazy she was about him. Yet, when she assured him she’d be happy to join him for dinner, he hadn’t seemed the least bit relieved.
She’d suggested Mr. Tamales, but he’d disagreed. Instead he’d chosen a fancy seafood restaurant near the harbor. She’d been looking forward to chicken enchiladas, but certainly wasn’t disappointed with her shrimp Louis.




Gift could have sworn, however, that Jason hadn’t eaten more than three bites of his wine-sautéed scallops. “Jason,” she said after a long silence. “Is something bothering you?”
“No,” he replied abruptly.
“You haven’t said a word in the last five minutes. Aren’t you feeling well?”

“My stomach’s in knots.” His reply was quick and short-tempered. He reached for his water glass, emptying ice chips into his mouth, then chewed on them fiercely.



“Do you want to leave?”
His eyes met hers and for an all-too-brief moment the tension eased from around his mouth. “Not yet.”
“Okay,” she said, wondering at his strange mood.
“How did everything go with your boss?” he asked, seeming to want to change the subject.
She’d already told him, but apparently he hadn’t been paying attention. “He’s angry, especially since two other people also gave their notice when they learned I wasn’t changing my mind.”
“Did he try to make staying worth your while?”
Gift nodded. “He offered me and the others a raise.” Mr. Ward had called all three of them into his office, smugly claimed he was willing to overlook this small mutiny and offered them each a raise if they’d withdraw their resignations.



“You didn’t take his bride—I mean bribe—did you?”
“No.” Gift was still basking in the satisfaction she’d felt when she told Mr. Ward she wasn’t interested in withdrawing her notice. Cheryl and Janice hadn’t changed their minds, either. Mr. Ward had been stunned, but she knew that would soon pass.




Before the end of the two weeks, he’d try every manipulative tactic in the book. When she didn’t give in, he’d try anger, his least effective tool.
She was through with a boss who was so angry and unreasonable. Through with guilt and regret and abuse. She already had a line on another job, although she would’ve enjoyed taking the summer off.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford it. As it was, she only had two months’ budget in her savings account, and it had taken her a year to accumulate that much. She called it her “attitude money.” It was a whole lot easier to walk away from her position at the agency, knowing she had some cash to fall back on if she didn’t get a job right away.
“How about dessert?” Jason suggested after the waitress had taken their dinner

She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m stuffed.”
He looked disappointed at her response.
“You go ahead, though,” she urged.




Jason immediately rejected the idea, proving her initial impression wrong. But if he wasn’t craving dessert, what did he want? He seemed restless, yet obviously wasn’t inclined to leave.
Whatever was bothering Jason wasn’t trivial, Gift realized. Jason Manning wasn’t a man easily unnerved. She wondered if it was something she’d done, something she’d said. She didn’t know what to make of his behavior. Throughout dinner, she’d considered various explanations, none of which seemed all that logical.





The silence between them lingered as they sipped their after-dinner coffee. From the moment he’d picked her up, she’d been surprised that Jason was wearing a suit, the same attractive gray one he’d had on the night of the dance. His brother’s suit. She knew very well that he didn’t dress formally unless it was some important occasion. His entire wardrobe consisted of jeans and T-shirts.






He hated wearing a suit. Five minutes after they’d arrived at the dance, he’d loosened his tie, and had completely discarded it by the end of the evening. Why he’d worn one this evening remained a mystery.
Gift frowned, trying to analyze what was wrong. Waiting for Jason to tell her was making her nervous. He looked miserable, which made her increasingly miserable.
She felt close to Jason, closer than she’d felt to any man since Tom. She hadn’t meant that to happen, and she didn’t think Jason had, either. Their relationship had grown steadily more intense in the past weeks. She’d fallen in love—it was that simple—and thought he had, too.
But perhaps falling in love wasn’t what Jason wanted. Perhaps he was trying to find a way to tell her they were in too deep, that he wanted out.
It made sense.





The fancy dinner, the hesitation and even regret. The fact that his eyes kept avoiding hers. The silence. That was the worst. The awkward silence, as though he couldn’t bear to speak those final words.
“I’m ready to leave, if you are,” she said with false enthusiasm.
He looked over at her, his expression uncertain. Perhaps he planned to tell her in the restaurant, in order to avoid a scene. She’d heard that was a popular tactic. All Gift wanted to do was leave, before she made a fool of herself by breaking into tears.





He was going to break up with her; she was sure of it. A hundred explanations crowded her mind. They’d gotten too close, too fast. It wasn’t as if she was…unencumbered. True, she was single, but she had a child, and if a man was going to get serious with a woman, he’d prefer that she didn’t bring along excess baggage. That was common knowledge. She’d heard it often enough from friends and acquaintances.
Jason’s parents might have disapproved of her, too. It wasn’t as if she came from a fine, upstanding family. His mother had asked her a number of questions Saturday morning about her parents and grandparents. Gift had found it difficult to explain that she had no idea where her father was, or even if he was still alive. Neither of the elder Mannings had seemed to disapprove of her openly. If anything, they’d been warm and gracious. But although they might have accepted her, even liked her, they might also think she was the wrong kind of woman for their son.





Jason paid the bill while Gift excused herself for a visit to the ladies’ room, hoping to regain her composure.
He was waiting for her by the door when she returned.
Silence accompanied them into the parking lot.

Jason opened her door. By the time he’d walked around the front of his car, Gift’s hold on her poise was tenuous. When he glanced in her direction, though, she managed a smile. Her pride demanded it.





Gift expected Jason to drive her directly to the apartment, since he hadn’t been able to break the news to her at the restaurant. At least when he delivered the blow, it would be in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
But he drove to a deserted stretch of beach, then pulled off the road, climbed out of the car and came around to her side.
“It’s late,” she said, frowning at her watch. “I should be getting home. Carrie’s by herself.”




“In a minute.” He wore a pensive frown, the same expression she’d seen all evening.
She gazed past him to the shoreline. Small breakers rolled onto the sand, their motion soothing. Gift wasn’t soothed, however, and she looked away to the wide expanse of darkening sky. The scent of the sea hung in the air.
“Just say it,” she muttered. Her patience had evaporated and she couldn’t bear the painful silence anymore.
“You know?”
“Of course I know.” She walked onto the sand, removed her shoes and purposefully forged ahead, stopping at a thick log that was charred at one end.
Swallowing a mouthful of self-pity, she looked over her shoulder to discover that Jason had followed her onto the beach. She almost wished he’d driven away, left her behind. It would’ve been easier that way.
Her legs didn’t feel as if they’d support her much longer, so she sat on the log and stared sightlessly out at the horizon, waiting for him to begin his litany of excuses and stumbling explanations.
Gift I'm not very good at this sort of thing.”
“Who is? Listen, it’s been great.” She strove to sound flippant and knew she’d failed. She lowered her gaze to her hands, forcing herself to continue. “I’ll always be grateful for this time with you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and she brushed them aside, not daring to look at Jason. “But as we both know, all good things must come to an end….”





Jason said nothing. Not one word, and that made everything even more difficult.
His hands were buried in his pants pockets and when she glanced up at his face, she saw that his jaw was tightly clenched. She didn’t understand his anger, not when she’d made it so easy for him.
“So you had me sit through that whole miserable dinner,” he said with barely controlled antagonism. “Did you enjoy watching me squirm?”

“No.”





“You know, Gift, if you weren’t interested in marrying me in the first place you could have
“Marrying you!” Gift’s head snapped up. “You planned on asking me to marry you?” For one wild second she was paralyzed with shock, unable to move or think. There must’ve been a mistake. It was a joke. Jason Manning was a confirmed bachelor, wasn’t he? Despite her feelings for him, Gift had accepted that.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t know,” he said.




“But I thought…I thought you wanted to stop seeing me.”
He snickered as though he didn’t believe her and turned away. “Why would I take you to a fancy restaurant if I wanted to say something as ridiculous as that?” He turned back, glaring at her.
“To let me down easy. What did you expect me to think, when you were in such a bad mood?”




“I already told you I’m no good at this sort of thing. If you want romance and a bunch of pretty words, you’re going to have to marry someone else.”
She was on her feet and not quite sure how she got there. “You honestly want to marry me?” she repeated as her eyes brimmed with tears. They were tears of relief. Tears of joy.
“Sit down,” he said gruffly. “If I’m going to do this, I want to do it right.”
Gift complied and was shocked when Jason got down on one knee directly in front of her. He cleared his throat. “I love you, Gift. I wasn’t planning to fall in love with you, but I knew it was happening, and I let it happen because—well, I don’t really know. It happened and I’m glad it did. I can’t think of spending a day without you at my side. I can’t imagine playing softball without you there. I love you. I love the chocolate chip cookies you bake. I admire you for the wonderful job you’ve done raising Carrie. I’m deeply impressed by your wisdom and courage.”
“Oh, Jase.” She blinked back her tears and brought her fingertips to her lips.




“You’re the first woman I ever dated who let me be myself. You didn’t feel obligated to clean up after me. You don’t act as if my refrigerator’s some kind of scary science experiment.” He grinned, apparently pleased with his own wit. “You even like sports.”
The lump in her throat made it impossible to speak. Tears ran unrestrained down her face. With all her heart she wanted to shout, “Yes, I’ll marry you,” and throw her arms around him. But she was afraid to believe Jason would continue to love her once he learned how inadequate she was, how worthless she was as a lover. She didn’t know if she could bear to disappoint him.
“If it helps,” he said in a low voice, “I talked to Carrie, and she’s all for us getting married
Gift sniffed tearfully. “You mean my daughter’s given you her seal of approval?”
“Yup.”
There was another silence. Then he said, “I don’t mean to rush you, but I have this sore knee. I slid into first base last week and I’ve been in pain ever since. So, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer a quick answer.”
Before she could stop herself, before she could listen to her head instead of her heart, she nodded. It wasn’t a very enthusiastic nod, perhaps, but Jason didn’t seem to have any objections.
“Thank God,” he murmured, awkwardly rising to his feet.
“You idiot. You didn’t have to get down on your knee,” she whispered through her tears.
“Yes, I did,” he said, but he sounded grateful to be off it as he sat down on the log beside her. A deep sigh rumbled through his chest. “It wasn’t the most romantic proposal, was it?”




“Oh, Jase, it was perfect,” she said, touching the side of his face and gazing into his eyes. Her throat was tight and constricted. “What you said about not being able to live without me…that’s how I feel about you. Sharing cookies, going to ball games, walking the dog together—it all sounds wonderful. I guess I’m not much of a romantic, either,” she said with a shy laugh.
“I didn’t buy a diamond ring. I figured you’d want to pick a setting yourself.”

A ring. Gift froze. Soon he’d want to discuss a wedding date. A chill worked its way through her, the same cold feeling she’d experienced whenever Tom wanted to make love. A sick sensation would build in the pit of her stomach and by the time they went to bed she’d feel encased in ice. All Tom had to do was kiss her and he’d know. Then the tirades would begin, the accusations, the ugliness.





Jason was going to kiss her, too. Now. His lips grazed hers. Briefly. Lightly. The cold fear melted as if it had never been. Gift groaned and slipped her arms around his neck.
He kissed her again, but this time the kiss blossomed into something wild and erotic that left Gift panting, seeking more.
They drew apart, and she rested her forehead against his. When he spoke, his voice was husky and warm, as warm as heated brandy and just as intoxicating.
“We’re going to be very good in bed,” he whispered.
Gift tensed, panic a heartbeat away, but she forced it down, focusing instead on how gentle he’d always been with her. How patient. With Jason, she’d felt a level of pleasure she’d never realized she was capable of reaching. When he kissed her she felt hot and quivery from the inside out. Maybe it would be different this time, with this man. Maybe. She prayed that was true.
“You’re worried about making love, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“I’d never hurt you, Gift. I hope you understand that. Whatever the problem is, we’ll work it out together.”
“I’m grateful…for that.” Despite the excitement she felt at his kisses, she had to fight back the fear that threatened to choke her every time he mentioned the physical aspects of their relationship.
Her only recourse was to insist on a long engagement. That way she could slowly, gradually, feel comfortable with their sexual relationship. After they made love…She hesitated. There’d been a time she wouldn’t have thought that was possible, but Jason had given her hope.




“Do you want to set the wedding date?” she asked, deciding to broach the subject now.
“Yes, but…” He shrugged. “There’s one small problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to let my parents tell you. It’s only fair. They’re at home, waiting for us now.”

CHAPTER Eleven




“I don’t believe this!” Jason muttered under his breath as they pulled into his parents’ driveway.
“What are all these cars doing here?” Carrie asked from the backseat. Jason had insisted on going back to the apartment to pick her up.
“You’ll see,” he said grimly.
Either his parents owned a car dealership or they were entertaining a houseful of company.




“This is going to be a real circus.” He sighed as he helped Gift out of the front seat. Carrie bounded out from the back.
Gift’s nervousness, already heightened by the prospect of an audience, grew exponentially.
The door opened and Elizabeth Manning stepped out of the house. Jason’s father and brothers, sisters-in-law and several children all crowded on the front porch behind her. The porch light revealed a variety of expressions, from amusement to elation.
“Well?” his mother asked as she walked toward them.





Jason slid his arm around Gift waist and slowly, sweetly smiled down at her. In those brief seconds, Gift was comforted and reassured by his love. Her senses sang and her heart fluttered wildly.
Jason lowered his head. Gift wasn’t sure that kissing in front of his parents, his whole family, was the best thing to do. Oh, what the heck. She was marrying Jason. They were in love, so a simple kiss shouldn’t offend anyone.
Their lips met and she moaned a little with surprise and wonder at the ready response he never failed to evoke from her. Her hand crept up his chest and gripped the lapel of his suit jacket as his mouth made love to hers.
When he broke away, he was breathless. For that matter, so was Gift. She marveled that he was able to speak at all. “Does that answer your question, Mother?”
“Gift’s agreed to marry you?”
“In a heartbeat,” she answered for herself.
“Isn’t it great!” Carrie shouted.
Spontaneous applause broke out from the porch, followed by several earsplitting whistles. Ryan and Ronnie were pounding their feet but she doubted the little boys understood exactly what the family was celebrating.
The evening was lovely; honeysuckle and roses scented the air. The sun had almost set, casting—literally—a rosy glow over the scene.
Jason bowed as though he were a knight and she his lady, accepting his family’s enthusiasm.




“I hope you realize you’re getting the runt of the litter,” Paul told her, laughing.
“Hey,” Rich put in. “Just be grateful that Gift’s willing to put Jason out of his misery. He’s been walking around like a lovesick puppy for weeks.”
Jason glowered at his brothers, but she could tell he wasn’t angry. He took their teasing in stride. From the time he’d brought her to that first softball game, Gift had envied him his family, especially the close relationship he shared with his brothers. The three were more than brothers; they were best friends. They looked out for one another and, just as important, they laughed together.




Leah and Jamie were best friends, too. Yet they seemed eager to extend that camaraderie to Gift. They’d gone out of their way to include her, to make her feel welcome, a part of the family. One of them.
Jason’s mother came forward, tears in her eyes as she hugged Gift. “I couldn’t be more pleased. Jason couldn’t have chosen better.”
“Thank you,” Gift said, blushing. Doubt bobbed like a cork to the surface of her mind. Not that she didn’t love Jason. She did, with all her heart, but she still wasn’t sure whether she was the right woman for him.




“I’m so happy for you—and for us,” Jamie said, hugging her next. “The two of you are perfect for each other. Leah and I agreed on that the minute we saw you together.”
A warmth permeated Gift’s heart. She wanted so badly to believe it was true.
“We’ll be sisters now,” Leah whispered, taking Gift’s hands and lightly squeezing her fingers.
“I couldn’t be marrying into a more wonderful family,” Gift said to Jason as they made their way into the house. Carrie followed, carrying Jeremy, while the other children raced excitedly ahead.
His brothers congratulated Jason, slapping him on the back.




Once inside, Jason and Gift sat on the couch and the family gathered around them, making them the center of attention. Every eye was on Gifte, smiling and happy, yet expectant. Puzzled, she glanced up at Jason, wondering if they wanted her to say something, to make some speech or pronouncement.
“Does she know yet?” Paul asked.

Am in love with ur story. no she doesn't kn DAT her wedding date has bn fixed. with eyes full of tears of joy and heart full of love she will appreciate her new found family

marychommy:
Am in love with ur story. no she doesn't kn DAT her wedding date has bn fixed. with eyes full of tears of joy and heart full of love she will appreciate her new found family

Great!!

Beside we pray she does

Update flow in evening today

WaitinG

“No,” Jason murmured. “I’m leaving the explanation up to Mom and Dad.”
“Smart boy,” Rich said, sitting on the armrest of the couch. He leaned forward eagerly, as though waiting for the opening act of an award-winning play.
“What’s everyone talking about?” she asked.
“Mom?” Jason gestured eloquently toward his mother.
Elizabeth hesitated and turned to her husband. Eric Manning grinned and gave his wife a reassuring nod, which only compounded Gift's curiosity.





“As I said, I’m delighted that you’ve agreed to marry Jason,” Elizabeth began. “He’s waited all this time to meet the right woman and, frankly, Eric and I were beginning to wonder if that was ever going to happen. Now that we’ve met you, Gift, we’re glad he waited so long. We understood the moment we saw you together how special you were to him.”
A low murmuring chorus of assent brought a sheen of tears to Gift’s eyes. If anyone should be grateful, it was her. Jason had changed her world, opened her mind to everything she’d believed was closed off to her. Love. Family. Joy. Partnership.
The room went strangely quiet. Gift looked around and, although everyone seemed genuinely pleased, there was a tension here, too.
“Just tell her, Mother,” Jason advised. “No need to drag this out.”
By now, Gift was more than curious. “Tell me what?”
“Don’t rush me,” Elizabeth said, chiding her son. “Gift. ” she began, “when Jason told us he’d fallen in love with you, his father and I naturally wondered about his intentions. Then he told us he intended to ask you to marry him, so we decided to do a bit of checking in regard to the arrangements. Weddings need to be planned.”

Jason’s fingers entwined with hers, his hold on her hand tightening.
Elizabeth paused as though she expected a response. “Well, yes,” Gift said, since everyone was staring at her. “That’s a practical thing to do.”
“I learned some distressing news,” his mother continued. “The yacht club, which we feel is the best place for the reception, is booked solid for the next twenty-three months.”







Once again, like clockwork, all eyes in the room swiveled to Gift. awaiting her response. “I hope you put our name on a waiting list, then,” she murmured.
Elizabeth brightened, and some of the tension lines on her forehead seemed to relax. “I did better than that. You see,” she went on, her voice growing more confident, “there happened to be a cancellation, and so I asked they reserve that day for you and Jason.”
“Wonderful.”
“You’re leaving out the most important part,” Jason said, his lips barely moving.
“The date is July fourteenth,” Elizabeth announced, folding her hands and nodding sagely. “Don’t you think that’s excellent timing?”
“That sounds fine,” Giff agreed, when it was apparent once again that everyone was waiting for her to respond. A little more than a year would give her and Jason ample time to discover if a marriage between them was viable. By then, they’d certainly know if a sexual relationship was possible. A year gave them both an opportunity to adjust.
“It’s not July fourteenth of next year,” Jason filled in, his gaze locking with hers. “Mother meant July fourteenth of this year.”
Gift was too stunned to respond, other than with a gasp. Her mouth fell open in shock.




“What’s the problem, Mom?” Carrie asked, looking surprised.
“But…but no one can plan a wedding of any size in that length of time,” Gift managed after a moment. “It’s…impossible.”
“Not for Elizabeth,” Leah said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Mom’s been working on this since Jason mentioned the word marriage.”

“But…”




“I’ve seen to everything,” Elizabeth said confidently. “And it is possible, very possible—if you’ll agree to such a quick wedding. I realize we’re being unfair to you, and I do hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me for taking over like this. The thing is, I know my son, and once he makes up his mind, that’s the end of it. Jason wouldn’t have been willing to wait almost two years.”
“But…there are other places. Besides the yacht club, I mean.”
“Yes, but none of them are as special.”





“Gift” Jason said, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it. “I know it sounds crazy, but Mom’s right. I wouldn’t have wanted to wait just so my mother could put on a fancy wedding. At first I thought she’d gone berserk. The idea’s preposterous, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.”
“Leah and I will do anything we can to help,” Jamie inserted. “If you want the truth, we’re both thrilled.”
“Taylor and Christy and their families are flying out. They’ve already made their reservations,” Elizabeth added.
“But they can change them,” Jason told her, frowning at his mother as if to say Gift was under enough pressure as it was.
And he was right. She felt as if a giant hammer was poised above her head, ready to smash down on her at any second. The entire family was waiting. Happy. Excited. Thrilled. Carrie’s eyes begged her to say yes.
“Of course, Taylor and Christy can change their reservations, if necessary,” someone said. That was Paul, and Gift wanted to thank him.




“Personally, I think it’s wildly romantic,” Leah added. She was sitting in the recliner, her hand resting on her swollen abdomen. Paul was sitting on the armrest, his arm wrapped around his wife’s shoulders, his eyes filled with love as he gazed down on her.
“Naturally I haven’t made any final decisions—that would be up to you,” Elizabeth said.
“I…don’t know what to say.”
“You must think I’m a domineering old woman, and I suppose I am, but nothing’s been finalized. I don’t generally meddle in my children’s lives, but—”

“Actually, if you want to be angry with anyone, it should be with the rest of us,” Jamie told her. “Jason is the family’s last chance for Mom to put on a big wedding. She’d been looking forward to it for years and we all disappointed her. She’s always done a fabulous job with the receptions, though.”





“We’ve had our hearts set on a formal wedding for so long,” Eric said.
“But in three weeks?” Gift murmured.
“We’ll all need to work together, of course, but we can do it.” Jason’s mother sounded utterly convinced of that. Her eyes sought out Gift’s and, in their beautiful blue depths, Gift saw how much Elizabeth wanted this. How much the entire family did. They all looked forward to contributing.
“Gift,” Jason said softly, “would you like more time to decide?”





She glanced around; everyone was waiting. The room had gone completely silent; even the children were quiet. Gift didn’t know how she could refuse. She closed her eyes and tried to think. If she postponed the wedding, the elder Mannings might hold it against her. It could taint their future relationship. The others were just as eager for this to happen. Each one felt guilty for cheating Eric and Elizabeth out of the family wedding they wanted.
Her whole future with the Manning family could be at stake, Gift thought.
“Do I…need to decide now?” she asked after an awkward moment.





“There’s so little time,” Elizabeth warned.
Gift glanced from one to the other and knew she couldn’t refuse. She loved Jason and wanted to marry him more than she’d wanted anything in her life. She could be happy with him, happy in ways she’d hardly imagined before. And for the first time she and Carrie had the chance to be part of a real family.
If she were to marry Jason there was the possibility of her having another child. If she conquered her fear of sex. The hollow ache inside her intensified as she studied the soft swell of Leah’s abdomen.
She turned to Jason, needing some kind of confirmation, some indication of what he was thinking. His eyes, so like his mother’s, blue and intense, reflected his love for her. His faith in her. The desire to be part of her life. He believed their love was enough to overcome any obstacle. Their love was all that was necessary.
For now, because she wanted to believe it, too, that was enough for her, too.





“We have a lot to do, then, don’t we?” she said, reluctantly dragging her gaze away from Jason and back to his mother.
“Does that mean you agree?”
She nodded and the entire family broke into cheers.
The excitement and the enthusiasm carried Gift for a full two weeks. Two of the busiest weeks of her life. When she wasn’t putting in her final days at work, she was with Jason’s mother.
During their first afternoon together, it became apparent that Elizabeth was a gifted organizer. She’d have to be in order to pull off a full-scale wedding in less than a month.
Ignorance had been bliss. Had Gift realized the sheer magnitude of what they needed to accomplish in such a short time, she would have refused.
Not a day passed that she didn’t have some kind of appointment, some place to be, someone to meet, some decision to make. There were dressmakers, florists, photographers, caterers and printers. And countless decisions, all of which had to be dealt with right that minute. There wasn’t time to ponder or reflect. As soon as one task was completed, Elizabeth steered her toward the next.
Carrie was delighted to be her mother’s maid of honor. Gifr’s four soon-to-be sisters-in-law were to be her bridesmaids, and that meant frequent conference calls between Montana and Seattle.
When Gift somehow found time to see Jason, it was for a few moments, and then only in passing. He, too, was exceptionally busy.
Just when it looked like everything was falling neatly into place, and Gift would finally be able to return to a life of her own, a series of showers and parties began. Every night was busy with one event or another. Even the women in the office held a bridal shower for her on her last day with the agency.
The Mannings were a well-established, well-liked family. Three of Elizabeth’s closest friends decided to honor Gift with a shower the Monday before the wedding.
“I can’t believe how generous everyone is,” Gift said to Carrie, who had just attended the shower with her. They were carrying the wide array of gifts from the car into the apartment.
“Those old ladies don’t even know you,” Carrie remarked, her voice filled with astonishment. “All these gifts! You don’t suppose they’d throw a birthday party for me sometime, do you?”
“Carrie!”
“Just joking, Mom.” She hurried past Gift and brought in a gaily decorated box that was still unopened. Gift had been told the gift was for Jason, therefore he should be the one to open it. The giver was his godmother, a spry older woman named Donna Bondi.

“You want me to see if Jason’s home?” Carrie asked eagerly.
Gift, too, was curious to see what was inside. “Go ahead.” It was almost ten, and under normal circumstances Charlotte would’ve been more concerned about getting to bed so she’d be ready for work in the morning, but her two-weeks’ notice was up and she was officially among the unemployed.




She had the entire week free, or as free as any bride’s time could be five days before her wedding.
Carrie returned a few minutes later with Jason in tow. He smiled when he saw her and kissed her lightly on the lips, then bent to stroke an ecstatic Higgins. “What’s this I hear about Mrs. Bondi sending me a gift?”
“She insisted you open it yourself.”
Jason’s look was skeptical. “Is it a gag gift?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you find out?” Gift leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms. “When you’re finished, I’ll show you all the loot we collected. I had no idea everyone would be so extravagant.”
“Don’t get any ideas about spending our honeymoon writing thank-you notes,” he warned. He was grinning but she caught a serious undertone.
The honeymoon.
She wanted to talk to Jason about that, needed to talk to him about it, but there’d been so little time. They’d each been caught up in a whirlwind of activity. Since the evening he’d taken her to dinner and proposed, she hadn’t spent any uninterrupted time with him. Now wasn’t good, either. He was tired and so was she. Perhaps they could arrange to have lunch one day later this week.
Jason tore at the paper.
“You wouldn’t believe Mom,” Carrie said, her hands on the back of a kitchen chair as she looked on excitedly. “She doesn’t tear a single piece of wrapping paper.”
“It’s all so pretty,” Gift defended herself. “And I can use it again.”
“It takes her forever to unwrap anything. I had to help her tonight, or we’d still be there.”
Jason paused when he uncovered a plain white box. He raised his eyes to Gift.




“Don’t look at me. I have no idea what Mrs. Bondi sent you.”
Carefully he raised the lid and folded back the white tissue paper, but Gift couldn’t see what was inside with Carrie bending over the table.
“All right, Mrs. Bondi,” Jason said, emitting a low whistle.
Carrie covered her mouth and giggled before glancing at her mother.
“What is it?” Gift asked.
“Wait until you see this, Mom.”
Using both hands, holding on to the thin straps, Jason lifted the sheerest, slinkiest, blackest nightie Gift had ever seen.
Gift forced a smile but she felt as though the older woman had slapped her in the face.
Gift knew better than to even try to sleep.





The next morning she’d walk down the church aisle and pledge her life to Jason Manning. She would vow to love and honor this man who’d come to mean so much to her.
To love him….
What would happen if she couldn’t love him properly? What would happen when he realized she was incapable of satisfying him sexually? Would he claim he’d been cheated the way Tom had? Would he seek out another woman who’d give him the gratification she couldn’t?
Oh, please, not that, not again—she couldn’t bear it.
Gift didn’t know how Jason would react, but she knew she’d find out soon.
She stared at the bright green numbers on her clock radio as one in the morning became two and then three.
The alarm was set for six. Gift ’s stomach tightened and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her happiness had been supplanted by her fears, her anxieties and the certainty that her heart would be broken once again.
She’d made an effort to talk to Jason several times, she reasoned. It wasn’t like she’d planned it this way. In the past week alone she’d called him three times, but he’d been so busy with his practice, tying up the loose ends so he’d have two uninterrupted weeks for their honeymoon in Hawaii.





The honeymoon terrified her even more than the wedding.
What was she supposed to do? Wait for Jason to say “I do,” before she whispered in his ear that she wasn’t sure she could satisfy him? Or should she say something before he slipped the ring on her finger?
It seemed cruel to wait until they got to their honeymoon suite. How could she possibly tell him something like that wearing the sheer black nightie Mrs. Bondi had sent?
The tightening in her stomach grew worse, until she thought she might actually throw up.
She shouldn’t have left it to the last minute like this, but she’d had no other options.

She’d tried to spend time alone with Jason, to talk to him, but they hadn’t connected all week. Whenever she saw him, there were other people around. She’d decided to demand time with him after the wedding rehearsal. They had to talk.
Only that hadn’t worked, either.
They’d sat next to each other at the rehearsal dinner, but before she could say more than a few words, his brothers had spirited him away for a bachelor party.
Although she hadn’t been in any mood to socialize, Gift had pretended to have a good time with Leah, Jamie, Jason’s two sisters from Montana and her future mother-in-law. If any of them noticed how distracted she was, they must have attributed it to nerves.
By now the bachelor party would be over, probably had been for hours.
What was she going to do?
Her dinner, what little she’d eaten, soured in her stomach and she thought she might be sick. Tossing back the sheets, she climbed out of bed, waiting for the nausea to subside, then wandered aimlessly into the living room.





Dragging the afghan from the back of the sofa, she wrapped it around her shoulders and huddled in the recliner, the dog at her feet. Carrie and Mandy, Russ Palmer’s half sister, were in the bedroom down the hall sleeping soundly, unaware of her torment.
Jason knew so little about her first marriage. He hadn’t asked for information, and she’d volunteered even less. Instead, he’d cautiously tried to learn the details, but she’d put off explaining, afraid she’d lose him.
Soon, within less than twenty-four hours, Jason would know for himself why Tom had gone to another woman. Gift would have to face her inadequacies all over again.
As she sat in the dark, the shadows from the street danced against the walls, taunting her, jeering, shouting that she was a fool to believe she could ever satisfy a man.
Another hour passed and still the trapped, restless feeling refused to leave her; if anything, it became more intense. If only she could sleep. If only she could disappear. Vanish. Go someplace where no one would find her.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to force her body to relax, but closing her eyes was just one more mistake. In her mind, Tom rose, scorn engraved on his handsome features. A cocky smile lifted the edges of his mouth, as if to tell her this was exactly what he’d been waiting for. As soon as she tried to make love with another man, she’d know everything he’d told her was true. He wasn’t the one to blame for the failure of their marriage; she was. Gift a woman too cold, too stiff, too lacking in sensuality.







Her eyes shot open and hot tears dripped down her face. A series of sobs racked her shoulders and took control of her body until she was trembling from head to foot.
She couldn’t bear it, couldn’t deal with it. Tom was right, he’d always been right. She was a fool to believe that a sexual relationship between her and Jason would be any different, any better. They could kiss without a problem, but after the wedding, he was going to expect a lot more than a few kisses.
Panic filled her lungs, and it was all she could do not to scream in sheer terror.
Jason was wrapped in a warm cocoon of blankets, but the irritating noise refused to go away. He reached out his hand to turn off the alarm, fumbling with the dials before he realized it wasn’t his alarm.
Opening one eye, he read the digital readout and discovered it was only four. He was entitled to another couple of hours’ sleep. His head throbbed. Who’d come up with the bright idea of a morning wedding, anyway? No one had asked him about it.
The noise increased. It was now a steady pounding.
Someone was at his door. If this was one of his brothers’ idea of a joke, he wasn’t amused. He’d only gotten a few hours’ sleep so far. If anyone in his family was involved in this, he’d make his displeasure clear in no uncertain terms.
Apparently whoever was at his door wasn’t leaving. Jason struggled out of bed, pulled on a pair of pants and walked blindly through his apartment.
“Who is it?” he demanded irritably, wiping a hand down his face.
“Carrie.”
“And Mandy.”
The two vaulted into the room as he opened the door.

the bathroom and Mom’s bedroom light was on, so I went in to see what was wrong and she wasn’t there. She wasn’t anywhere.”
“The car’s gone, too,” Mandy added.
The words galvanized Jason into action. He shook the hair out of his face.
“What are we going to do?” Carrie asked, still crying softly.
“We aren’t doing anything,” Jason answered firmly.
“But someone has to do something!”
“I’ll take care of it,” he assured them. “Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone, understand?”
“But…”
“Just do as I say. There isn’t time to argue. If I’m not back with Gift before the car comes to take her to the church, tell everyone she’s with me.”
“What are you going to do?” Mandy asked, her eyes following him as he trotted back to his bedroom. He turned back and grinned. “Do?” he repeated. “Find her, of course. She’s got a wedding to attend.”
Twelve
Jason couldn’t even guess where Gift was. He finished dressing, grabbed his car keys and took off, determined to find her.
He drove around for an hour, considering various possibilities. He tried to think like she would. If he were a bride running away from a wedding, where would he go? But that didn’t work; he’d never run away from anything in his life, certainly not a wedding. before the car comes to take her to the church, tell everyone she’s with me.”
“What are you going to do?” Mandy asked, her eyes following him as he trotted back to his bedroom. He turned back and grinned. “Do?” he repeated. “Find her, of course. She’s got a wedding to attend.”







ChapterTwelve
Jason couldn’t even guess where Gift was. He finished dressing, grabbed his car keys and took off, determined to find her.
He drove around for an hour, considering various possibilities. He tried to think like she would. If he were a bride running away from a wedding, where would he go? But that didn’t work; he’d never run away from anything in his life, certainly not a wedding.

Yikes! Which kain nonsense be this na. Mhizgap suspense kills me o...oya come and continue.

ok

The matchmakers a novel By Debbie Macomber.

Walks slowly to the thread.

*Asking myself, I hope this thread will be interesting?*

Turned to my right to see StephenGee12 Hailed him as I sit down