Flowers in the Park Ch. 13

I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out! Life jumped up and slapped me hard the past month, but I hope this makes up for it. I anticipate at least a couple more chapters before I'm ready to end this story. I love these characters, and I hope you do as well!

Alex woke up the day after their pizza dinner and run-in with Anthony, struggling to remember where she was. When she looked to her side, she realized that she was in Wes' apartment, and he was still asleep beside her. What wasn't asleep was what appeared to be a pretty serious case of morning wood protruding under the blanket where Wes was laying.

She quietly pulled back the covers and exposed his naked body. His erection stood prominently in the air. Alex smiled to herself as she scooted down on the bed, putting her head in position to give him a very special morning wake-up call. She grasped his shaft lightly as she lowered her mouth, giving his cock a little kiss before accepting the head inside, where she swirled her tongue around the tip. Wes began to stir, moaning a little before being fully awakened. Alex giggled to herself as she dipped lower down, taking more and more of him in her mouth while keeping one hand on the base.

With the increased penetration, Wes began to open his eyes and saw what his beautiful girlfriend was doing to him. He reached for the back of her head and held his hand there as Alex bobbed up and down on his glistening shaft. He was certainly unprepared for this method of being awakened, but that didn't mean he wasn't enjoying it. As Alex increased the intensity of her efforts, Wes started to feel the beginnings of a spectacular orgasm. As it approached, he warned her of what was about to happen, but she continued until he went over the top, and she sealed her lips around his cock to keep everything in her mouth.

Wes laid back on his pillow and put his hands on his head. He watched as Alex slowly pulled her mouth off of his cock and swallowed the gift he had given her. He opened his arms and Alex climbed on top of him. They kissed, and then Wes said, "Good morning, beautiful. What did I do to deserve that amazing treatment?"

They kissed again, and Alex replied, "You woke up that way, and it was irresistible. It was like it was calling out for attention, and I only gave it what it wanted."

He laughed. "Truthfully, I'd say he wanted that twenty-four hour a day! But I admit, that was the first time I've ever been awakened by that technique."

She kissed him again. "I guarantee you it won't be the last. Unless you tell me that you didn't like it."

"What do you think?"

She giggled again. "I think I know the answer."

That morning they messaged her parents to let them know of their Thanksgiving plans the following week. Breakfast followed, and then a day of shopping, which included Alex picking out items of clothing to increase the western wear options in Wes' closet. The evening was spent in Alex's apartment with some Netflix and chill, although the chill part got started well before the end of the first movie. It was a good day off together.

******

The following Wednesday was the day before Thanksgiving. Wes had to work, but school had let out for a five-day weekend for students and staff, so Alex had the day off. She and Lori made plans to spend most of the day together. Alex confided with Lori that she and Wes had been discussing wedding plans, and that he had agreed that the items she had from her planned wedding would be good to use for theirs. Lori was amazed that they were talking about it so early, but she also could tell that Alex was completely happy for the first time in a long time, and she remembered back to her own relationship with her husband Jeff, and the fact that she knew early on in their courtship that he was the man she was going to marry. So far, she hadn't seen any red flags in Alex and Wes' relationship, and she hoped it continued that way.

It was another day of Wednesday visitation with Wesley. Just like last week, Alex drove Wes' car to Wesley's daycare to pick him up to spend the evening with her and his dad. Wesley was his usual high-energy self, running at full steam to meet Alex when he spotted her. He chatted incessantly about his day as they drove to his dad's apartment, and his presence fueled Alex's desire to have a child of her own someday, while understanding that in essence, Wesley was already hers as well.

While Alex had been out shopping with Lori, she'd purchased some fun age-appropriate Thanksgiving crafting activities for Wesley. Once his dad got home and they had eaten some dinner (more of Wesley's favorites), they all sat at the dining room table together, working with Wesley on some nice Thanksgiving decorations he could share with his mom and her family when they gathered for the holiday. Wesley chattered as he used crayons on turkeys that would be cut out and propped up, explaining that his teacher had told them about Thanksgiving and the boats and the native people who greeted the people on the boats. When Wes asked his son if there was anything he was thankful for, and Wesley smiled and said, "I'm thankful that Alex is part of our family!" Alex hugged Wesley, and Wes beamed at his understanding even at just three years old.

Once they had taken Wesley back to his mom's house, Alex and Wes separated for a few minutes so that each could get packed for their trips during the holiday weekend. Their plan was to leave the city at about 9:00 on Thanksgiving morning to be at his parents' house by noon. On Friday evening, they would return to the city to spend the night, and then drive to her parents' house on Saturday morning, again leaving around 9:00. They spent the night in Wes' apartment, and Alex brought her suitcase so they wouldn't have to stop at her apartment before leaving.

Thanksgiving morning came. Wes and Alex left for his parents' house by 9 a.m. During the drive, they talked more about their wedding. Alex let Wes know that she would be having four attendants, and if he didn't already have enough friends to match that number, he needed to get busy and find some. Wes also talked more about growing up in his hometown. He would spend his summers working harvest at the grain elevator his father managed, and through those experiences, had learned quite a bit about the farming industry, through the stories the farmers would share when they brought grain to town.

They pulled up to his parents' house a little after noon. His sister and her family were already there. His nieces Nicole and Maya came bounding down the steps to greet him when they saw their uncle had arrived. He dropped to his knees so both could give him a hug, and it was so strong that he ended up falling over on the grass with both of them giggling on top of him.

Right away, they noticed Alex, and as Wes introduced her to them, they each gave her a hug. By that time, his parents and his sister and her husband had come out, and they all gave Wes a hug. He happily introduced Alex to them, and they gave her a hug as well. As they turned to go inside, Wes grabbed Alex's hand and said, "Not too terrifying yet, is it?"

Alex laughed. "Not yet. I can't help but think about how much fun it would be if Wesley were here with his two cousins. I imagine that would be quite a lot of excitement!"

He nodded and replied, "Oh trust me, they get along very well. Hopefully we'll have more chances to make that happen, although with them moving to Memphis, it might not happen as much as I would like.

Alex squeezed his hand as they went inside. It smelled like a traditional country-style Thanksgiving Day lunch was being prepared. Wes' mom Katie headed back into the kitchen, joined by his sister Rene. Wes and Alex followed, while Rene's husband Braden declared it was he and his father-in-law's job to keep his girls out of the kitchen. Katie had tasks for everyone as they finished preparing the meal. Wes and Alex were given the responsibility of setting the big dining room table, so they carefully carried out all the plates and glassware and started their work.

While it was a bit overwhelming meeting a new family, especially at holiday time, Alex couldn't help but see so many similarities with her own family and their holiday traditions that it wasn't long before she was very comfortable. She could see that Wes' parents came off in person just like they did during their video chat before. Katie was definitely in charge of the holiday meal preparation. Alex felt that Rene was very much like her mother and probably could easily be in charge of a meal like this in her own home, but around her own mom, she knew who was in charge.

It was time for the food to be brought out to the table. Everyone pitched in to bring it out. The centerpiece of the meal was a large oven-roasted turkey, but Katie had also prepared a spiral ham. Mashed potatoes and gravy were placed, as was the beloved green bean casserole. A pan of stuffing, some macaroni and cheese for the little girls and some hot dinner roles rounded out the holiday menu, with pumpkin and apple pies waiting for dessert.

They all sat down at the table, and Wes' dad Randy gave the blessing, giving thanks for a number of things, among them the presence of Alex at their table and in their son's life. It was Wes' turn to squeeze Alex's hand, as if to let her know he felt the same way. The food was passed around, plates were filled, and bites of their traditional Thanksgiving feast were interrupted only by their conversation. Alex felt very comfortable among Wes' family, and they seemed to share the same view of her.

After lunch, the men retired to the television to watch football while the women cleaned up. Alex joined Katie and Rene in the kitchen over the protests of Katie, who told Alex that she was a guest and shouldn't have to help. But Alex insisted, saying that she felt more comfortable washing dishes than watching TV with a bunch of football-crazed men. Rene laughed and agreed.

The day had been perfect for Alex. Wes had come to check on her from time to time, smiling as he saw his girlfriend busily chatting away with his mom and sister. Late in the afternoon, he took her on a little walking tour of his hometown. They ended up at the school, and he led her to one of his most favorite places in town, the high school football stadium.

Alex snuggled close to Wes as they sat in the bleachers on the 50-yard line. Wes enjoyed sharing some of his football highlights, including the night his touchdown catch was the difference as they won a regional championship on their home field. After a few seconds of silence, she looked up at Wes and asked, "Do you think we would have been a couple in high school?"

Wes smiled. "I don't know, when you were a senior, I would have been a sophomore. Do you think you could have stooped down to my level to date me?"

Alex paused for a minute, and replied, "I don't know, that might have been too much to ask for! But honestly, if I could have seen in you then just a partial bit of what kind of man I see you are now, I'm sure I'd be more than interested. What would your friends have thought about you dating an older woman?"

He laughed and replied, "I'd been their idol! Even in a small town, we always looked at the older girls and wondered 'what if.' Truthfully, I was very shy around girls. I had a few girlfriends in high school, but not really anything very serious. I was busy with studies and sports and working for my dad every chance I could get. By my sophomore year I already knew I wanted to become an engineer, and that meant taking all the math I could get my hands on."

He then turned to her and bent over to kiss her softly on the lips. "But even back then, I would have fallen in love with you and worked very hard to be the kind of person you wanted to be around."

They kissed again, and then sat in silence for a few minutes. Wes said, "So, what do you think of my family? I can tell that they all think you're amazing - probably just for putting up with me!"

Alex squeezed his arm. "Well, you're going to have the exact same type of family holiday meal on Saturday at my parents' house. I think our families could be interchangeable. There are so many similarities between your family and mine. It is fun watching your mom be the boss of the house, but I have a feeling your dad's word would top hers if it ever came to it."

"You're right about that. Dad's generally a very quiet and accepting man. As shy as I was in high school, I think he was even more shy than me. The way I understand it, mom waiting a long time for him to ask her to a dance or party or something like that, knowing he might not ever get the courage to do so. So when he finally did, she grabbed on to him and hasn't let go since! His quiet and reserve style really balances out her frantic way of things, so they work very well together."

She smiled. "I think I'm going to love being a part of your family for a very long time. I'll admit to being a bit nervous coming up here - especially since they didn't even know about me for a long time, thanks to you not telling them about me! But they quickly put me at ease with their warm, welcoming attitude. It was fun working in the kitchen this afternoon with your mom and sister."

He laughed. "You're just saying that because you didn't want to watch football with me!"

Alex turned to face him. "The truth is I don't really know how to watch a football game without pom poms in my hand! Most of the game went on behind my back while I was cheerleading. I may have to have you teach me some things, so I'll understand it more. I know my brother would like it if I knew more about what he was doing on the field."

They got up to start their walk back to the house. As they walked, Alex asked, "After being away for a few years, do you miss this small-town lifestyle? I love the city, but life seems so much simpler here, and some days I wouldn't mind being back in a town like this."

Wes sighed. "It was tough deciding to become an engineer, because I knew there wouldn't be any opportunities for me here, or in any small town, for that matter. A lot of kids in my school couldn't wait to bust out of this little town because they felt like it was holding them back from something. But I would have been fine to stay here forever, because I loved growing up here."

He thought for a bit, and then asked, "Do you miss living in a small town?"

They took a few more steps before Alex answered. "It's a little complicated. Like you, I loved growing up in my small town. I may have dated a bit more than you did, but I was outgoing - I'm not sure you could be a cheerleader for four years and not be outgoing. But I also learned to enjoy the city life as well. I was able to avoid most of the temptations college life presented, and when I took my teaching job, I felt like the city was where I was supposed to be.

"Meeting and falling in love with Anthony made that seem even more likely. He could never be a country guy, but I was fine with that because I had learned to love being a city girl. I felt it was a sacrifice a woman was supposed to make for her man so they could have happiness together, but even in that, I didn't think I was sacrificing anything.

"And then he cheated on me, and I broke the engagement. Suddenly the city was the last place I wanted to be. There were times when Lori kept me going, encouraging me to come to work on days that I didn't want to. I spent a lot of weekends back at home with my family, and I was getting close to deciding I needed to be out of the city and back closer to them so they could be my strength and help me through my pain after being cheated on.

"But then this damn cute little three-year-old boy named Wesley Walker Watson gave me some flowers and threw me the lifeline that was his father, and suddenly life was bright again. I can't imagine another day without you for the rest of my life, and if that's in the city, then I'm a city girl. If that's in the country, I'll be there as well."

They walked through the park that was between the high school and his parents' house. They stopped under a very large oak tree that stood right in the middle of the park. "Alex, this is a very special tree in my hometown. It's called the 'Lovers' Tree.' If you'll look at the bark, you'll see where many couples have come and carved their initials in this tree, announcing to all that they were in love."

Wes reached into his pocket and produced a pocketknife. As Alex watched, Wes carefully carved the initials 'WW,' and right below that, 'AL.' He did his best to carve a heart around the initials. Then he stepped back to look and was pleased with his work. Now his hometown knew that they were in love.

Alex beamed as Wes put the knife back into his pocket. What she didn't immediately realize was that he had brought something else back out of it. He leaned over to kiss her, and then stepped back. "Alex, I'm glad to hear you feel the same way that I do. After meeting you and then falling in love with you, I know I can't live another day without you either. I've never felt this way before, and I know we've only been together just a couple of months, but it's been by far the best two months of my life."

Much to her shock, Wes knelt on one knee in front of her. He lifted a box in his hand and carefully opened it. "Alex, I love you. You are my perfect soulmate. Will you marry me?"

Alex raised her hands to cover her mouth. Tears of joy began streaming down her face. She didn't wait for Wes to stand up, choosing instead to kneel on the ground in front of him. With a simple reply of "YES," she leaned over to hug him tightly, quietly sobbing in his ear. They held each other for a few moments, before she leaned back. Wes carefully removed her ring from the box and reached out to steady her trembling left hand as he slipped the ring on her fourth finger. When it was firmly in its proper place, they hugged again, stopping only to kiss each other.

Wes helped Alex to her feet. She reached out to hug him again, cocking her head to one side so she could admire her ring as she held her hand out in front of her. She looked back at Wes and kissed him again, before asking, "Wes, when did you do this? I had no idea this was coming!"

Wes started laughing. "To be honest, I may have had a partner in crime to work this out. I sent Lori an email at school, asking if she could possibly keep you occupied yesterday so I could go shopping. I don't think she really needed a reason to go shopping with you, but I gave her one, and of course, it was easy to make that happen. I think she probably wants to see a picture of you with your ring on, since she knows it was going to happen sometime this weekend."

"You sent her an email? How did you know her address?"

"You have to give me some credit, Alex!" Wes replied. "It's not too difficult to find an email address for a schoolteacher. The school has a website, after all!"

"I can't believe she kept this secret from me! You think you know somebody so well, and then they pull off an unexpected surprise!" Alex looked at the ring on her finger again, and then back up at Wes with a huge smile. "This is so perfect - how did you know what kind of ring I would like?"

"Well...I didn't exactly know for sure, but I think I've been with you long enough that I know what your tastes are in things like this. I knew you probably didn't want one so ostentatious that it caused your left shoulder to droop when you wore it. I wanted it to be a perfect reminder to you and the world that you are my girl and are off limits to anybody else."

She admired her hand again. "Look at the way the sunlight glints off the diamond. I don't think I could have done any better picking this out myself. I am your girl, and you are my guy!"

They kissed again, and then Wes said, "We need to get that picture to Lori. How shall we do this?"