Jolie couldn't remember a day when she'd laughed so much. After a delicious ham dinner, a few drinks and several amazing pies the family members found themselves in a nostalgic state. She'd simply sat back and let the stories roll.
Stories of the boys' childhood shenanigans and confessions of parents and grandparents had brightened the moods of even surly Tommy and Caleb who'd seemed fairly down trodden all day. By the time Warren helped her pack up her booty and head for the truck she felt pleasantly exhausted and in bright spirits.
A thick frost had settled on everything turning the world into a glittery, silver fairy world after the sun set. Jolie leaned her forehead against the cold window and savored the sharp response of her skin. Even uncomfortable reminders that today was indeed real, were welcome. She needed reassurance these past weeks hadn't been a dream.
They arrived home. She moved from the cold air to the comfort of Warren's soft couch. The soft light of the Christmas tree ,aglow in the corner, made everything seem more intimate. Warren located the remote and turned on a country station.
"What? None of my IPod music is appropriate?" She teased. Sam Hunt's "Take Your Time" started to play. "Oh but I do really like this one so you are forgiven."
Warren extended his hand to her. "Dance?"
"Are you claiming to know how?" She gave him a speculative look.
He simply continued to hold his hand out until she finally took it and rose from the couch.
Warren brushed her hair back from her shoulders and helped her shrug off her cardigan before wrapping her up in his embrace. He held her close as they swayed from side to side. She was glad he didn't trying anything fancy. Just being held was perfect.
The song ended and another more upbeat song began. They continued to sway slowly about the living room. Eventually he pulled her in tightly to his chest and kissed the top of her head. He took a deep breath with his nose still buried in her hair.
"I'm going to retreat so we can stick to the slow plan," he pulled away until they were just holding hands. "Just so you know, this is torture. Sweet torture." He leaned in and kissed her soundly before breaking away from her again. He turned to walk away but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Warren I....." An urgent need to tell him how she felt overwhelmed her. She lost the words. "Thank you Warren. Just....thank you." It didn't encompass all she had wanted to say but it was the closest she would get right now.
If he was disappointed, he didn't show it simply gave her that heart melting smile of his and disappeared down the dark hallway.
***
Things settled into their normal patterns after Christmas but with the added bonus of their growing intimacy. Neither party attempted to maintain their own side of the couch anymore. Warren found exploring each new soft expanse of skin he was allowed to access much more exciting than any show they decided to watch. Closing in on the New Year they'd somehow been able to maintain their desire to wait for sex but the frustration was mounting on both sides.
Warren left the range early and stepped through the doors of the town's only florist. He wandered the aisles of sweet scented, colorful bouquets and gifts unsure of what he wanted to get. He planned on asking Jolie to attend the big New Years Eve party at the community center with him. He wanted to do it with flowers of some sort in hand.
Eventually the owner Mavis took pity on him and approached. "Warren what can I help you with this evening?"
He tried not to take offense to the slightly amused expression gracing her face. She was a kind woman. If he remembered correctly, he thought she'd once attended the same book club as his mother on Thursday nights.
"Well Mavis, I thank you for your help. You see, I'm not quite sure," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I want to ask my girlfriend to attend the town dance with me and I want to get her some nice flowers."
She nodded in understanding.
"My first inclination was to go big and really wow her. Only problem there is, she's not really a pomp and circumstance kind of gal. My second thought was to go more understated but elegant. What do you think?" He waited in earnestness for her more experienced suggestion.
Mavis thought for a moment. "Well I don't know the gal, but as you know these town folks do talk so I have heard of her. I heard she is a looker and a sweetie." She gave him a wink. "Good choice. I'd go with the understated and elegant plan."
"Great! So what exactly would that include?" He gave her a sheepish smile.
She laughed out loud at his continued confusion. After a moment she took his hand and led him to a refrigerated case. "My personal favorite would be camillias. They are simply lovely. Classic, with just that right level of uniqueness."
"Sold! You are good Mavis. I thank you for your expertise." Warren flushed with relief and excitement.
"I have been doing this for some years now young man. I'd better know what I'm doing." She joked. "Just relax here a moment and I'll go arrange them for you. Do you want a vase?"
"Well I can't recall that I actually own one. So yes, I think that would be a good idea." Mavis had her back to him as she wandered away but he heard her chuckling never the less.
A few minutes later he was on his way home with a vase full of blush-tipped orange camellias buckled into the passenger's seat.
His truck wasn't in the garage which meant Jolie wasn't home yet. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Delayed gratification isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Warren went inside and carefully placed the vase of flowers in the center of the table. He heard the garage door start it's rumbled ascent and smiled. She was home.
Only minutes later, Jolie bustled in with several cloth reusable shopping bags on each arm.
"Here, let me help you." He jumped into action taking several bags from her. She gladly shared her load.
"Thank you. I swear my list was smaller than what I ended up walking out with." He placed the bags on the kitchen counter and turned to see her standing, frozen in place, before the table. "Oh my gosh! Are those for me?? They are soooooo pretty!"
Warren took the rest of the bags from her and placed them on the counter too.
She took a long sniff of the sweet-scented flowers. "I've never seen these before. They are the prettiest flowers I've ever received."
"I had to check with Mavis, the florist. I asked for the most beautiful and unique flowers she had. I wanted them to be worthy of you." Part of him jumped for joy that she was pleased. He owed Mavis big time.
"Oh wow. Did you practice that?" She teased. "It was really good by the way."
He chuckled. "Ya, I might have practiced a couple times on the way home."
She smiled big and took a step forward. She rose up on her toes to plant her lips on his.
When the kiss finally broke some time later he finally remembered what else he'd wanted to achieve that evening. "So I take it you like the flowers and I'm happy about that. I also wanted to ask you something."
"Okay." She leaned back so she could study his face. He loved the way she scrunched her nose ever so slightly when she focused her attention completely.
"So the town throws a big shindig for New Years Eve at the community center and I was hoping you would agree to be my date?" All the lines erased from her face as her smile returned.
"Of course! I love to dance!" She draped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I'd be very happy to be your date."
He felt the weight of worry he hadn't even known was there lift from his gut. She'd said yes. He was going to get to show everyone what a lucky man he was. He couldn't wait to spin her around the dance floor and kiss her silly at midnight.
Jolie quizzed him a little more about how formal the event would be and if she was expected to bring anything. A shopping day was declared to be needed. She expressed the intent to call Barb and Sue in the morning to request their assistance.
Together they put away the groceries and threw together a light dinner. Afterward, they settled in to snuggle on the couch before bed. Neither of them had to work the next morning so it didn't matter when daylight broke to find her curled up in his arms on the couch.
Carefully she extricated herself from his embrace and rubbed her arms vigorously as the cold assaulted her bare skin. She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she groggily prepared coffee.
At the very end of her patience, it was finally done brewing. She returned to the couch with two mugs and carefully reclaimed her spot under the afghan beside him.
As she watched, his dreamy green eyes began to stir and finally fluttered open. His eyebrows were pointing every direction. She couldn't help herself and used her thumb to tame the wayward hairs. He had a small, light colored scar along the edge of his right eyebrow that ran the length of it and a matching scar ran parallel to it beside his hairline.
"How did you get these?" It pained her to think of him injured but she was curious.
Warren sat up and took the offered mug. "I took a running leap into a hole. I was searching for cover during a bombing. It saved my life but my face made contact with the random car parts that had been shoved off into the hole. It's not a very good story really."
She kissed the scar at his hairline. "I'm grateful you made it through it all."
"I don't know why I did when others didn't. I don't know why Luke didn't." He stopped and collected his thoughts. He had no idea why he was dumping on her now. Her presence created some kind of calming effect on him. "It's still something I'm working on. The group I work with twice a month, that's what we do. We try to work our way through these feelings. The irrational thought we somehow cheated our way through to make it out alive. They call it survivor's guilt."
"Please don't feel guilty. I don't blame you. Luke would never blame you. I can't imagine anyone who could resent a person for making it out of a war zone alive." It was true. The idea of it baffled her.
"I didn't say it made any kind of sense. It just is what it is. Thank you for that reassurance though." He kissed her. "Thanks for listening too."
"Of course!"
The door bell rang. They stared at each other confused.
"Were you expecting anyone?" She asked as she scrambled to make sure she looked as presentable as possible in her pajamas.
"No." He looked just as befuddled as he did the same.
Finally, Warren moved to the door and checked the peep hole. It was a male. He didn't recognize the guy.
The stranger had sandy blonde hair parted and slicked into place. He was probably somewhere in the area of Warren's age by his best estimate. Warren couldn't see his eyes. He opened the door and blocked it with his body just in case. "Can I help you?"
"Hello. You must be Warren. I'm Jake, Jolie's friend. Is she here?" The man extended his hand and Warren stared at it. Everything in his gut told him this wasn't going to be good.