| Taylor was headed for the beach. I sat in the car next to him and held his hand, resting my head on his shoulder. He was humming to himself a tune I hadn't heard before. "What's that?" I asked. "Hmm? What's what?" he looked at me confused. I smiled. "You were humming. I haven't heard that before. What is it?" I asked. "I don't know yet, Jess. " he grinned. "It was just in my head. I didn't realize I was humming it." "Whatever it is I like it, baby. Keep working on it.." I rested my head on his shoulder again. We drove a few more minutes before Taylor pulled into the parking area. He got out, ran around to my side of the car and opened my door, giving me a hand out. He shut the door behind me and went to the trunk and opened it. I watched amazed as he pulled out a basket and a large blanket. I wondered when he found time to do all this. DUH! Jess. He was with Jake all morning while you were sleeping it off. I groaned at all that wasted time. I was afraid to sleep when he was here, not wanting to miss a minute of the little bit of time we had to spend together. "What's wrong, Jess/" Taylor asked, concerned. "Oh Tay! I'm sorry...I was just kicking myself for wasting all morning sleeping off a headache when you aren't going to be here for long. Even when Jakey and I get to Tulsa, we'll be so busy..." I sighed. "Baby, it's okay. You have to sleep sometime, and you WERE drunk.." he teased. "I was not." I stated matter-of-factly, and took the blanket from him. He took it back. "Wait right here a second okay?" he asked. I looked at him, puzzled. "Okay.." I said, confused and sat on the hood of my car. I watched him walk down the beach a way, then leaned back in the sun, laying on the hood of my car and lacing my fingers together behind my head. I bent my knees and relaxed, closing my eyes behind my sunglasses. |
| "Daaamn, Jess." I heard him say, right next to my ear a few minutes later. I slid my sunglasses down and looked at him, still puzzled. "What?" I asked. "You look like an ad for Hot Rod magazine...it's hot enough out here..." he said and leaned over to kiss me. I touched his cheek and sat up. I ran a hand through my hair and put my sunglasses back on, turning so my legs were hanging off the side of the car. It WAS hot. I ran a hand through my hair again and took my sunglasses off. He was staring intensely. I tucked one side of my hair behind my ear and hung my glasses in the neckline of my tank top. I looked at Tay. "Holy shit, Jess.." He said under his breath and pulled me into his embrace and kissed me, I parted my lips to let his tongue enter my mouth. He tasted so sweet. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I felt his hands on my hips, sliding up my sides. He broke away from me. "C'mon, baby. Let's walk." He said and helped me off the hood of my car. He took my hand and led me down the beach. He led me to a spot away from the beach houses, where he had laid out the blanket. He had the basket sitting at the top of it and there was an ice bucket, two glasses and a bottle of some kind of wine. "Tay! You did all this? I thought you were doing something for Jake?" I asked. "Jake was doing something for me actually.." he said and stopped. "C'mere, Jess. " he said and sat down on the blanket pulling my hand to set me next to him. "I'm thirsty now, baby. Would you get the glasses out of the ice bucket so I can pour?" He asked. "Sure sweetie..." I answered. I reached into the bucket and grabbed the glasses by the stems. As I went to hand them to him I noticed a little red velvet box inside one of the glasses. "Umm, Tay?" I started, but as my eyes met his I saw the smile on his face. "Tay what is this?" I asked. "I wondered where I put that. I thought it was in my pocket.." he lied, outright. |
| "What is it, Taylor?" I asked again. He took the box and set down the glasses. He turned to me and cupped my chin in his hand, tilting my face to look at him. His eyes were so blue and the burned into mine. "Open it, Jessie." he said softly. My hands shook a little as I opened the box. Oh. God. It was a beautiful diamond ring. Did he mean? He lifted my face to his again. "Jessie. I can't stand it when we're apart. I miss you so much I ache. You are all I think about, dream about. I love you so much. I know we haven't been together very long, but I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to know what it feels like to be without you anymore. I want to come home to YOU, Jessie. I want you to come home to ME. I want to sleep in our arms for the rest of my life. Please Jessie. Marry me. Make me the happiest man in the universe." I trembled and felt tears welling up. He took the ring out of the box and held my hand. "Please say yes, Jessie. Marry me. Be my wife." He said again and I felt the tears spill over and run down my cheeks. "Taylor," I said almost inaudibly. "How can I say anything but YES. I love you so much. Yes. Yes. I will marry you." He smiled and slipped the ring on my finger. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion and love that I felt for him. His hands went to my hair and he kissed me back, longingly. When we broke apart, he rested his forehead on mine and traced my cheek with one finger. "I love you so much, Jessie. Thank you for making me so happy. I can't wait to marry you." he said and wiped the tears from my cheeks. He kissed me again and grinned. "Jessie Lee Hanson has a better ring to it, don't you think?" I smiled at him and hugged him to me. "Yes, Taylor. I think it does." |
| Taylor set the ice bucket in the sand and poured the wine while I held the glasses for him. He grinned at me as my hands still shook from the shock and intensity of his proposal. I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do more than come home to him. Sleep in his arms. Wake up to his smile. Know he was there. But I also knew he would be gone ALOT and so would I, possibly. His music was so much a part of him, I didn't want to push him into anything too soon. I was content to have him when I could, but THIS. I felt like my heart would burst wide open. "Jess, you're shaking, baby. What is it?" he asked taking the glasses from my hands and setting them carefully in the bucket, so as not to spill them. "I am so happy Taylor. So happy. But I can't believe you are asking me his NOW. You're going to be gone so much...and so will I. I don't want to get in the way of your career, Tay. I see what the music makes you feel. Every time I catch you singing or humming to yourself. and I can hear it when I listen to your music on the stereo..." I stopped not knowing how to continue. I couldn't find the right words to say. "That's exactly why I am asking now, Jessie. When I leave I want to know without a doubt that you will be there when I get back. I want you with me as much as we can arrange it. When I come through the door, I want to see you there, and feel your arms around me. And when you have to be away, I want to be the one you come home to Jessie. I want to be there to hold you and take care of you. I love you, Jessie." He cupped my face in his ands and kissed me so softly and tenderly, I felt the tears coming again. "Taylor, I want that too..I do..." I told him as he took his lips from mine and rested his forehead on mine. His hands were stroking my hair, and he wiped the tear that escaped the corner of my eye. |