He Loves me, He Loves me not

"Oh, Ashley. I think he’s getting tired of me." Jessica’s cheeks were tear stained when she came to find Ashley.

"Oh, he is not, Jessica. Trust me. Egan is NOT a man who is tired of his woman. No he’s not." She cooed the last three words to her small infant daughter as she rocked her in her arms.

"How can you be so certain? I’m not even sure I’m ‘his woman.’ He’s been pulling away from me all week. Ever since…Oh, No!"

"I just missed something. Every since oh, no what? Your Auntie Jessica is making no sense, Katie Marie. And while women in love are allowed to make no sense she has to keep us in the loop here." Ashley baby talked to Katie Marie as Jessica rolled her eyes.

"What if he heard me whisper I love him? That would be a disaster. Maybe it already is."

She flopped down dramatically on Ashley’s bed. Ashley couldn’t help but giggle as she rocked on the rocking chair facing the bed. It was not a move she expected from Jessica. It was actually much more something Ashley would do as she was considered the drama princess in the family. Katie Marie started grinning at her mother which caused more giggles from Ashley and even drew a smile from the angst ridden Jessica.

"Even Katie Marie is laughing at me." Jessica grinned again. The baby was so precious that you had to smile.

"She can’t help it. When her Auntie is talking such bunk, she has to giggle. As must I. He may not have said it yet, but Egan Varner is a man in love with Jessica Weston. I guarantee it. Remember I’m the expert observer here. I see the two of you together all the time. You are definitely two people in love. Both of you."

"But he went without me. He knew I wanted to go to town yet he went without asking me. Ashley, he didn’t even want to spend an afternoon with me."

This time Ashley rolled her eyes which cause more toothless bubbly grins from her daughter. Ashley kissed the tip of her daughter’s nose. "Now you pay attention, little Miss Katie Marie. This information will come in handy when your own dating starts. Around the time you turn 25." She grinned.

Jessica laughed. Ashley herself wasn’t 25 yet and Jessica was just 22. Katie Marie was Ashley’s and Lachlan’s daughter. They’d have to lock her in her room at 14 if she was as outgoing as her parents.

"Attention, please." Ashley waited until Jessica sat up tall with her hands folded in her lap. "That’s better."

"Did you ever consider coming clean and telling Egan…while he’s conscious that is, that you love him? What’s wrong with telling him first, Jessica? I swear the man loves you. And did you ever think that maybe the man wanted to go to the pub and have a beer alone today? Or tinker around the tools in the hardware store?"

Ashley shuddered at the thought of doing that. Hardware stores were a realm where men belonged and seemed to like. Ashley would much rather go clothes shopping herself. Just as she’d rather not have Lachlan along when she tried on dresses, she herself knew he preferred to not have her present when he was getting something to work on the house or a greasy car.

Lachlan was an excellent mechanic who constantly threatened her with greasy hands after puttering around fixing something. After much squealing and chasing around she’d banish him to the tub of hand cleaner before he touched her. It was a game they both enjoyed. How were they ever going to make it through six weeks of no sex until after her first post birth check up?

Jessica had listened to what Ashley said and mulled it over. She saw Ashley drift off into her own thoughts and gave her a moment to come back to their conversation.

"Am I being that silly, Ashley? Why is he suddenly acting differently?"

Ashley focused on her miserable cousin again. She didn’t want to trivialize her worries.

"Of course you’re not being entirely silly." She winked at her with a grin to lighten the mood. "The two of you need to talk. Speculation isn’t getting you anywhere except worried. And I know that Egan is not a big talker. He is a good listener though. And I swear to you the man loves you. Even if he doesn’t know it yet himself…he most definitely loves you. We could talk to Lachlan for corroboration. I think he’d give a better man’s perspective on this subject than Bud." Ashley fought not to giggle, but a slight chuffing sound escaped. It was still common knowledge that Bud was very overprotective of Jessica in reference to Egan.

"Don’t you even joke about something like that, Ashley. If Bud saw me crying he’d hit first and ask questions later from Egan. And talking to you is one thing, but laying it out to Lachlan is entirely different. I wanted your opinion and advice. Though I suppose Lachlan will know all about it later anyway?"

"Are you suggesting that I tell my husband everything and can’t keep my mouth shut?" Ashley humphed without too much conviction. Jessica was probably right and she would tell Lachlan all about this just so that she’d have male back up that Egan was in love with Jessica.

"Yes." Jessica gave Ashley a pointed look. "And you can tell me later what he said without me having to suffer through the mortification of being present as you describe everything."

Ashley laughed. "I’ll do that. Are you feeling at all more confident about how Egan feels about you?"

She sighed. "Not really. I wonder how long it took Bud to tell Marie he loved her."

Ashley grinned. "I wonder if he still has." They both laughed at that. There was no mistaking how Bud felt about Marie even if he wasn’t a man given to frequently expressing his emotions.

"By the way there is the perfect example for you. Could any man love a woman more than Bud loves Marie? I rest my case. See there is much to learn here, Katie Marie. Now why did your Auntie Jessica not ask when Lachlan declared his love for me?"

"Because he probably did it on your second date together. I’m trying more to compare apples to apples than apples to oranges."

Ashley grinned. "I must remember to tell Lachlan he is an orange and not an apple like the other two men. And you’re wrong. I think it was the third date." Ashley carefully eased to her feet and carried the now sleeping Katie Marie to her basinet. She gently placed her on her side and covered her with a baby blanket.

"All this talk of love has tired her out. She’s not ready for this heavy conversation yet." After making sure Katie Marie was sleeping she came over and gave Jessica a hug.

"He does love you, Jessica. But the two of you need to talk if you’re that uncertain how he feels about you. And he needs to make you feel as special as you are and not take that love for granted. And you need to tell him, Jessica. Say, I love you, Egan. Repeat after me. Sing it out."

Jessica hugged her back and said. "I love you, Egan."

"That was dismal. Put some gusto behind it, cousin."

"I love you, Egan."

"That was better, but I wouldn’t call that singing it out. Come on."

"I love you, Egan!"

They both dissolved into giggles. The doorbell rang at the same time.

"Would you get that, Jessica? I want to make sure the bell doesn’t wake up Katie Marie. She flinched a little."

Jessica nodded and ran to the door as she sang out, "I love you, Egan." She heard Ashley giggle behind her in the bedroom.

She flung open the door and stopped in her tracks. Egan was standing before her. He looked very nice. Was he wearing cologne? Did he hear her? Her face flushed red.

Egan held out a bouquet of flowers to her that he’d picked up in town. Jessica was blushing prettily. He swore he heard his name as he walked up the steps, but the house muffled what was said.

"G’day, Jessica. Would you go out on a date with me? We could eat at the restaurant in the Glen or go to Coffs?"

"G’day, Egan. Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful. I’d like to go on a dinner date with you. The Glen would be fine. I love you, Egan."