When Caitlin returned to the waiting room, having changed into jeans, sweatshirt and flat shoes, all she heard was laughter. "What's funny?" She asked, a smile in her eyes and on her lips as she watched her father and Jared chuckling away as if they were friends of long standing.
Jacinto beamed, "I was just telling Jared about that time you and Georgia tricked Elias..."
"Dad!" Caitlin remonstrated. Secretly she was pleased to see the two men appeared to be getting on. Caitlin sat beside her father. She put the bag with her evening dress on the floor, and placed her handbag beside it. She smiled across at Jared. He seemed a touch more relaxed.
"What? He needs to know what he's getting when he gets involved with our family." Jacinto replied with a broad grin.
"You want to scare him off?" Caitlin asked, as she braced her elbows on her knees and leaned forward so that she could see Jared's reaction to the lighthearted teasing.
"He's made of sterner stuff." Jacinto concluded.
"You won't ever scare me off." Jared replied at the same time as her father spoke. Jacinto chuckled.
Jared decided that as they were all here now, and they had time, and given the room had no one other then the three of them, this was as good an opportunity as ever to make his intentions clear. "The thing is, Mr Fonseca." Jared took a breath. Who knew that asking for permission when it really wasn't needed would make him this nervous! "I'd like your blessing to marry Caitlin."
Jacinto blinked. Well, this was fast work. He assumed Jared and Caitlin intended to date. But if Jared was talking about marriage then things had moved fast! Jacinto wasn't sure that was a good thing, he'd rather Caitlin took her time and was sure this man was who she wanted to spend her life with.
"Marry?" Jacinto looked over at Caitlin, his eyes conveyed speculation and an open question. "Marry?" He repeated. Jacinto assumed Jared's statement at the Easter dance about marrying Caitlin was nothing more than a statement made in the heat of the moment. Jacinto thought it was an attempt to persuade Jacinto that Jared was serious about his daughter. He knew that Jared and Caitlin had been out just the once, and even that was down to Candy and Nigel manipulating the situation. Tonight Caitlin and Jared had an opportunity to talk, again a situation manipulated by another. Jacinto. So either Jared moved fast, or there was more going on, that Jacinto did not know about. Not that any father wanted those sorts of details. But still, surely they should have dated, consistently in this day and age, before even thinking about getting married.
Caitlin nodded and smiled happily. Jared held his breath, hoping her father had not changed his mind from a few moments ago.
"Aren't you both rushing into things?" Jacinto asked quietly. Jared felt his shoulders tense. Caitlin frowned at her father. She and her sister were used to her father's direct approach, but obviously Jared wasn't. Jacinto glanced from Jared to Caitlin and shrugged his shoulders when he read her silent reprimand. "I mean you've only been out, once? Right?" Jacinto reminded pointedly. He was going to make sure his daughter was sure that Jared was the man for her. "Shouldn't you take a bit of time?" Jacinto suggested, and glanced back at Jared, given Caitlin was all but scowling at him now. He hoped Jared and Caitlin would date. He wanted them to take their time and get to know each other's foibles.
Jared went very still. And braced for a rejection. Maybe Jacinto Fonseca, despite his earlier statements still had reservations about Caitlin getting involved with Jared. Caitlin could see Jared's reaction to her father's questions. It was clear that Jared thought her father was having doubts because of Jared's background. She saw the anxiety and hurting in Jared's eyes.
Instantly Caitlin got up and went and set beside Jared. She reached for his palm, and linked her fingers with his, as she looked across at her father. She huffed. "Dad!"
"What?" Jacinto shrugged. "I'm just asking a few questions. Relevant questions."
"You and mum met and married within a month!" Caitlin reminded him.
"Those times were different." Jacinto mumbled but he took note of the fact that Caitlin had instinctively gone and sat beside Jared to offer him strength and comfort. Maybe things had progressed a lot faster than expected. Jacinto frowned as he admitted. "It was arranged."
"I know." Caitlin said gently. It wasn't a secret. Her parents had often talked about how they met and came to be married. It was arranged. "And you and mum both said you didn't know anything about each other when you got married, apart from family stuff." He nodded. "And you fell in love after you got married." Caitlin stated pointedly. Jacinto was starting to see where she was going with this line of defence. "Jared and I have a head start!" She rushed into further speech. "Jared and I know what's important, about each other. Of course there are things we still have to learn about each other. But you yourself said that you and mum were on a journey." She saw the impact of those words on her father. For it reminded them both of a very painful time in their lives. When Jacinto's wife, Caitlin's mother, was killed during a bungled robbery. Caitlin remembered her father's words at the funeral. He said that the thieves had robbed him of the life journey with his soul mate. "Dad, this is right. We are soul mates." She smiled as she felt the tension ease out of Jared's hand, and saw his shoulders relax, when he realized she was going to fight for this. Fight for him. Caitlin said softly, "I, and Georgia, we were lucky. We had parents who loved each other more and more every day. We always knew that you and mum were soul mates. Even when you were arguing! Jared and I, we are soul mates." Her father's eyes misted with tears of happiness. Caitlin smiled gently, "I know what matters, the good and the bad, what's important, what isn't. I love Jared. I see my life with him." Jared lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand as he looked into her eyes with love and pride and hope.
"I see my life with you. Only with you." Jared told Caitlin. Caitlin's heart thumped, she was sure that everyone would see it pound as it hammered against her chest. With his eyes still on her Jared planted another kiss on the back of her hand. Then Jared looked over at her father and said sincerely, "I love Caitlin. I want to marry her!" He told Jacinto with a hint of a challenge.
"So I see." Jacinto looked at his youngest daughter and then at Jared before he looked back at Caitlin. "Caitlin do you want to marry him?"
Caitlin nodded instantly as she looked at Jared. "With all my heart." She turned to smile at her father. "Honestly dad, this is right for us. We aren't going into this with rose-tinted glasses. I want to marry him with all my heart."
Jacinto got to his feet. He held his hand out to Jared. Jared got to his feet and took Jacinto's hand in a firm handshake. "You have my blessing." Jacinto smiled and then pulled Jared into a hug. "Welcome to the family!" Jared couldn't remember any male giving him a hug. His arms came round to wrap around Jacinto as the older man held him tight and close. "Welcome son."
Jared swallowed the lump in his throat, as emotion welled up. "Thank you. You won't regret it. I will do my damndest to make Caitlin happy. I will love her till the day I die and beyond." Jared said as he hugged Jacinto in return.
Jacinto patted Jared's back and then stepped back. "I know son. I know." He looked around Jared and smiled at his daughter. Caitlin stepped into her father's arms for a hug. She unlike Jared was used to being hugged. "You've got good instincts." Jacinto told Caitlin as he hugged her tight. "You need a strong gentleman!" Jacinto gave her a gentle squeeze, "He's a good man. You've got yourself a good man."
Jared swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He was saved from making a complete fool of himself when the door opened. Jacinto, Caitlin and Jared turned toward the door. Elias entered the room with a demented grin on his face and announced bluntly as if he had just won the lottery. "I have a son!" Caitlin's eyes went wide and her lips formed a broad grin. Her father beamed with pride. "My beautiful wife has given me a son." Elias grinned as Caitlin rushed at him to give him a hug.
"Congratulations." Caitlin hugged Elias tight. Jacinto lined up and stood beside her waiting to give his son-in-law a hug. "How's Georgia?" She asked.
"She's beautiful. She did great. She's exhausted. She's happy." Elias sounded bemused and proud, and mystified and excited. "They just want a few minutes to help Georgia freshen up, make her more comfortable." He said, grinning proudly, "Come and meet Adam Mendoca."
"Adam?" Jacinto asked as he shook Elias' hand and then hugged Elias.
"Yes." Elias could not stop beaming. Jared stepped forward and shook Elias' hand and congratulated him. Which was the point at which Elias realized Jared was present in the waiting room! And that reminded him that he had yet to phone his parents with the good news. "I must give mum and dad a call."
The door opened and a midwife poked her head round. "Georgia is wondering where you all are!" She said before she left as quickly as she had appeared.
Jacinto grinned and walked forward heading for the door. Caitlin was hot on his heels. Jared figured he ought to stay where he was. Seeing Georgia was a private moment. But when Caitlin got to the door she turned and held a hand out toward Jared, "Come on." Jared hesitated.
So Jacinto added his voice to his daughter's, "Come on son, come on!" Which is when Elias realized that Jared was now part of the inner Fonseca family circle.
Jared looked over at Elias, not wanting to over step the mark. "This is a private family moment..."
"And you are family. Or have you already changed your mind about marrying Cait?" Jacinto asked, knowing that wasn't about to happen.
"Marrying Cait?" Elias asked in surprise as he glanced from Jared to Caitlin. "Looks like this will be a night we all remember." He reached a hand out toward Jared. "Congratulations." He nodded toward the door. "You'd all better get going! I wouldn't put it past Georgia to get out of bed and come looking for everyone." Elias walked toward Caitlin and gave her a hug. "Got your man then, eh?" She grinned happily. Elias looked at Jared. "Don't keep my wife waiting! She'll want all the details. Good to have more males in this house! About time!"
Jared acknowledged that acceptance with an answering nod, "Thanks."
Elias nodded. "I'll just call mum and dad." Elias reminded as he stayed in the room.
Caitlin held her hand out toward Jared. "Come on." Her father was already out of the door and walking in the direction of the Georgia's room.
It was an hour later when Jared took Jacinto and Caitlin back to their home. No sooner had they stepped into the hall when Jacinto wished them both a good night, what was left of it. And much to Jared's surprise Jacinto gave his youngest daughter a hug, and then said he would see them in the morning! Jacinto headed upstairs to bed.
Caitlin took Jared by the hand and led him to the kitchen, where they sat and rehashed the last twenty-four hours. It was nearer four in the morning when Jared thought he ought to suggest he go home. But Caitlin vetoed that suggestion instantly. Instead with a smile in her eyes she took Jared by the hand and together they headed for her bedroom.
"I've loved you for ages. To be honest, I tried not to!" She told Jared as they lay on her bed.
He was down to his boxers and she had changed into her shorts and the t-shirt that she slept in. But they both knew that they were not going to have sex tonight. Sleep. That was all that was on the agenda. They were going to sleep in each other's arms. Caitlin rolled onto her side. Jared yanked the duvet back up to cover her shoulders and his shoulders. Caitlin reached across and rubbed her thumb against his lips.
"And not for the reasons you are probably thinking right now!" Catlin told Jared, and then shifting her fingers from his lips she placed her palm on his shoulder and shoved. Jared toppled onto his back and Caitlin rolled to half sprawl over him.
"Can you take advantage of me?" Jared teased. "Now that you have me in our room?"
Caitlin laughed. She inched slowly up his body, placed her palm flat on his chest, her fingertips close to his nipple, "I don't know the first thing about seducing a guy! Let alone a guy who has told all and sundry that I had the personality of a lamppost!" She lifted her hand and gently cuffed his chin, "Which I'll have you know is not true!" Jared grinned. Caitlin sighed and suddenly became serious. She frowned. "You sure you want someone with my lack of experience? I'm probably going to be gauche in bed, I don't want to be boring..." She tailed off.
"Lack of experience? Boring?" Jared nearly laughed, until he noticed Caitlin was anxious. "Sweetheart, experience can be acquired! You and I are going to acquire it together!" He kissed her nose, and then leaned back to look at her as he tease, "And in the time I've known you, I can't say any minute has been boring! Has it?"
Caitlin smiled. Then she snuggled into him, lay her cheek on his chest, heard his heart hammering, placed her palm on his waist and sighed as she conceded. "No. Definitely not boring."
Jared placed a hand on her shoulder and hugged her close. "When we make love it won't be boring. I can promise you that!" He kissed the top of her head.