Strawberry Wine

Chapter Ten

© 2004

It was another month before Jason finally got up the courage to go see Courtney. He hardly ever gets nervous about anything, but standing just down the street from Courtney’s house, his heart was racing wildly in his chest. He was about to walk up to her house when a car pulled up. He stood in the shadows as he watched a young man bound up the stairs and ring the doorbell. The door opened and he saw her….his beautiful angel. Was it possible that she was even more beautiful than he remembered her to be? Oh how he longed to run his fingers through her silky blonde locks, and breathe in her scent so deeply that he’d never forget it. Her smile….that beautiful smile that had haunted his dreams for the last seven months graced her face. Jason wanted to run up to her and pull her into his arms and never let her go. He was about to do just that when he saw her lean forward to kiss him. Jason stopped in his tracks, feeling as though his heart had just been ripped from his chest. The woman he loved was standing in another man’s arms. Another man was kissing her, touching her the way he longed to for so long. Jason watched them as they climbed into his car and drove off together, unable to make his feet move from their spot on the sidewalk. Courtney had done exactly what he had told her to do in his letter. She’d moved on to someone else, and now Jason was left with another feeling he’d never experienced before Courtney…..a broken heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Five Years Later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Courtney Matthews sat behind her desk at Chandler Designs, working on one of her sketches when her secretary buzzed her.

“Ms. Matthews?”

“Yes, Melanie” Courtney replied, still not taking her eyes away from her sketch.

“Carly is here to see you.” Courtney grinned as she set down her drawing.

“Send her in,” she stood to greet her soon to be sister-in-law with a warm hug. “Hey! I didn’t expect you until later this afternoon.”

Carly smiled sheepishly, “What can I say? I’m dying to see my dress.”

“I still can’t believe you wanted me to make your wedding dress and you didn’t even want to see the sketch.”

“You’re a wonderful designer and you know me better than anyone, well besides Sonny of course,” she laughed. “Why wouldn’t I want you to design my dress?” Butterflies invaded Courtney’s stomach as she went into her fabric room to get Carly’s dress. Carly had shut her eyes so tightly she almost looked like she was in pain. Courtney sat down mannequin dressed in Carly’s gown, and took a deep breath.

“Okay, open your eyes.” Carly slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she saw her dress. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life. The gown was made of beautiful white satin with a fitted halter bodice, with a full skirt. Thousands of beads and crystals ran along the bodice and around the hem of the skirt. It was absolutely gorgeous. Carly fought to control her tears as she looked at it.

“Oh, Courtney. This is so wonderful.” Courtney’s eyes glistened with tears as she watched her best friend.

“I’m so glad you like it.”

“Like it?!” she exclaimed. “I don’t like it Courtney, I love it.”

“Want to try it on?” Courtney knew she didn’t have to ask her twice. Both Courtney and Carly gasped when they saw her in the dress for the first time. “Wow, Carly. You look so beautiful.”

“I can’t believe I’m trying on my wedding dress. I’m actually getting married,” she said in awe as she stared at herself in the mirror. Courtney’s eyes clouded over with sadness for a moment. Carly noticed it immediately.

“What is it sweetie?”

“Oh, nothing,” she tried to lie but Carly knew her too well.

“Talk to me Courtney. We’re best friends remember?”

She sighed heavily, “I’ve just been thinking about ‘things’ again lately.”

“Jason?” Courtney nodded slowly. Despite the fact that almost six years had passed since she’d seen him, she still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“Is he going to come to the wedding?”

“I don’t know. I know Sonny sent him an invitation. Last I heard he working for a big advertising firm here in the city. You haven‘t run into him?”

Courtney shrugged, “New York is a big place.”

“How are things with you and Steven?”

“Good,” she forced a smile. “He thinks the world revolves around me. He takes me wherever I want to go, buys me whatever I want, caters to my every need. That’s good isn’t it?”

“Sure it is. Well, at least it is if you love him. All that money and stuff isn’t worth it if you don’t have love. Do you love him?”

“Of course I do,” Courtney said, a little offended that she actually asked her that. “I’ve been with him for three years. You just don’t stay with someone you don’t love for that long.”

Carly held up her hands to defend herself, “Okay, okay. Sorry I asked.”

Courtney’s face softened, “I’m so happy for you and Sonny. I know you two are going to be so happy together.”

“I’m so happy I feel like I could burst from it.” Carly grinned. “Let’s get me out of my dress and I’ll take you to lunch.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to Carly.”

“Oh, hush. I want to. It’s the least I could do for you after you made that gorgeous dress for me.”

Courtney laughed as she helped Carly out of her dress. Once she was changed, they headed off to get some lunch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jason Morgan was talking on his cell phone while trying to hail a cab. He had just finished having lunch with come clients, and was on his way back to his office.

“….No, I told you I’d get you the layouts next week…..I don’t care what Smith told you. Am I running the ad campaign or is he?” he argued into his phone. He glanced down the street at a small outdoor café and suddenly his heart stopped. It was her…it was Courtney. She was sitting not thirty feet away from him. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be. Her long blonde hair was up in a French twist, and she wore a burgundy business suit. It was obvious she was doing well in whatever career she had chosen to pursue. Jason was brought out of his trance when someone yelled at him on the phone. “Yeah, yeah I’m here. I’ll talk to you when I get back to the office. I’m on my way.” He quickly snapped his phone shut. For whatever reason, Jason couldn’t help but move close to her. He was merely ten feet away from her when she looked up. Her eyes met his and it was as if time stood still. The smile that was on her face faltered slightly, but she managed to hold it as he approached.

“Oh my God.” was all Courtney could say.

“What?” Carly asked as she turned to see what Courtney was staring at. Her eyes widened, “No way.” she whispered to herself. Jason smiled as he walked up to their table.

“Jason…” Courtney’s voice trailed off as he stood to hug him. “It’s good to see you.” He breathed in her scent as he pulled her to him. He closed his eyes for a moment.

“It’s good to see you too. I never expected to run into you like this.” he said as he pulled away. He smiled at Carly and greeted her with a hug as well, “I guess congratulations are in order for you. I’m truly happy for you and Sonny.”

“Thank you Jason. Did you get our invitation?”

“Yes I did. Thank you for remembering me.”

“You’re welcome. I do hope you’ll come. I know Sonny would love to see you.”

“I’ll definitely try,” he smiled down at Carly, then turned his attention back to Courtney. “You both look wonderful.”

“Thank you, so do you.” Carly replied, knowing Courtney was at a loss for words.

“How have you been Courtney?”

“Fine,” she choked out. She cleared her throat and looked up at him with a smile, “I’m doing well. I’m actually vice president of Chandler Designs.”

“Really? That’s great. I’m working over at Rhodes, Williams, and Yates Advertising. I might actually get partner this year.”

“Sounds like you’re doing well yourself.” There was an awkward silence for a moment.

“Well, I’ve got to be getting back to the office. It was great seeing you both again.”

“You too Jason. Remember, please come to the wedding if you can.”

“I promise,” Jason smiled as he quickly hailed a cab. “Take care.”

“Bye,” Courtney whispered as the cab drove off. Her big blue eyes met Carly’s brown ones and she immediately knew Jason was a subject best left for a later discussion.

When Carly dropped Courtney back off at work, she wasn’t able to keep her mind on any of her projects. All she could think about was the fact that Jason Morgan just walked back into her life after being gone for the last six years. ‘Shouldn’t I be furious?’ Courtney argued in her head. ‘I mean the guy leaves me behind without even a decent goodbye and all of a sudden he shows up again? NOW? I mean my life is great. I have a good job, a great family, and a boyfriend who truly loves me. I mean, I do love Steven…at least I thought I did until…Damn you Jason!’ She buried her face in her hands with an aggravated sigh. Courtney was brought from her thoughts when her secretary buzzed her.

“Ms. Matthews?”

“Yes, Melanie?” she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“There’s a delivery here for you. Do you want me to bring it to you?”

“A delivery? I wasn’t expecting anything today.” Courtney frowned in confusion, “Okay, please bring it in Melanie.” When her office door opened, you couldn’t even see Melanie. She was completely hidden by the largest flower arrangement she’d ever seen in her life. Daisies, tulips, violets, and orchids were overflowing from the large crystal vase Melanie carried. It wasn’t until Melanie sat down the flowers and stepped aside the Courtney finally saw her. “Wow.”

Melanie grinned, “I’m guessing Steven?”

Courtney shrugged, “I…I guess. Is there a card?” Melanie nodded and handed Courtney the card that came in the middle of the gorgeous flowers. She quickly opened the card and read….

Courtney,

I couldn’t believe it when I ran into you this afternoon. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was to see you. I know I may not have conveyed it to you very well, being almost at a loss for words when I saw you. There is so much I need to say to you. Please say you’ll have dinner with me tonight. I know with the way I left things I don’t have any right to ask anything of you, but please say yes. I’ve made reservations at 7pm at Tavern On The Green for us tonight. I hope to see you there.

Love,
Jason

“Steven?” Melanie asked with a smile.

“Um, yeah they are.” Courtney looked up at her secretary with a smile. She hated to lie to her, but she really wasn’t in the mood to explain anything to her.

“Man, you’re so lucky Ms. Matthews. It’s hard to find decent men in this city. I think you may have gotten the last good one.” Courtney kept a fake smile on her face as Melanie left the office. Once she was gone, she let out a whimper. ‘How could this possibly be happening to me?’ Courtney looked over at her clock and it already read 4:13pm. She mentally cursed herself for letting her mind wander so much and not getting any of her work done. Now she knew she had to pull a late night. She quickly dialed the number to the apartment she shared with Steven. Courtney wasn’t surprised when no one answered. She waited for the beep before she began her message.

“Hi Steven, it’s me. It looks like I’m going to be pulling a late night tonight. Don’t wait on dinner for me. I don’t know how long I will be. Talk to you later. Bye.” The moment she hung up the phone, she realized she hadn’t said ‘I love you.’ How long had it been since she hadn’t ended a call to Steven with that one tiny phrase that meant so much? Courtney mentally shook herself and was finally able to get back to the work in front of her, but she was always aware of those beautiful flowers that were staring back and her and the possibilities they represented.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Courtney finally took a break from the sketch she was working on it was already 6:24pm. She looked back at her flowers, biting her lip as she thought about Jason’s request. ‘It wasn’t an outrageous request, right?’ she asked herself. ‘It’s just dinner. We’ll sit, we’ll talk, we’ll shake hands, and then we’ll go our separate ways and probably never see each other again.’ Courtney began to drum her fingers on the top of her smooth, dark maple desk. ‘What harm could it do?’ She looked at the clock again, ‘If I leave right NOW I just may be able to make it there on time.’ Her heart began to race wildly in her chest as she quickly grabbed her purse, then headed for the door before she had a chance to change her mind. Traffic was thick, but when the taxi pulled up at the restaurant her watch read 7:08. ‘Not too late,’ Courtney thought as she straightened her suit. ‘What if he left thinking you weren’t going to come?’ Her mind began again in panic. Then she saw him, sitting with his back to her at the bar. Butterflies invaded her stomach as she approached him.

“Thank you for the flowers,” she said from behind him, laughing softly when Jason jumped. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Jason smiled, “No it’s quite alright. I’m glad you liked them.”

“How could I not? They were gorgeous,” Courtney said as she sat in the seat beside him.

“I’m sure they aren’t nearly as beautiful as you are.” Jason smiled softly at the blush that crept into her cheeks, “Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure. I’ll have white wine.” Once they received their drinks, their table was ready for them. They were lead to the main dining hall to a table near the large dance floor. They made small talk as they looked over their menus. Once the waiter took their order, they sat across from each other without saying a word. Jason simply looked at her, drinking in her image like a man dying of thirst. Courtney shifted uncomfortably under such close scrutiny. “Please stop.”

“I’m sorry,” Jason looked away for a moment. “I’ve just missed you so much.”

Courtney’s heart ached at his words, “I’ve missed you too.”

“So, it looks as though you’re doing pretty well for yourself at that firm of yours.” Jason smiled, changing the subject. It was a little too early in the evening for such a heavy discussion.

Courtney laughed, “Yes I am. I guess you’re doing pretty good too.”

“I can’t complain,” he smiled. “I can’t believe it took Sonny six years to ask Carly to marry him.”

“Me neither. It wasn’t from lack of trying on Carly’s part believe me. For the last four Christmas’ at LEAST, we’ve had to cheer Carly up when all of the presents were opened and she still had no ring on her finger.”

“Sonny’s never been the type to rush into anything.”

“Tell me about it.”

“So their big day is next month?”

“Yeah,” Courtney nodded. “The weather will be getting a lot cooler by then.”

“I can’t believe Summer is already gone.”

“Yeah, well,” Courtney looked away for a moment. She fought to hide the pain in her eyes, “Summer isn’t really one of my favorite times of the year anymore.” Jason couldn’t pretend that he didn’t know what that comment really meant. He could see just how deeply he had hurt her, and it drove the knife even deeper into his own heart. Courtney finally met his gaze again with a forced smile, “So, how is your sister doing?”

Jason smiled, “Emily is doing great. She’s been cancer free for the last five years now. It was rough there for a while, but she’s a trooper. I’m actually an uncle now, can you believe it? Emily and Nikolas just had a little boy around seven months ago. His name is Tyler. He’s really a great kid.”

“That’s so sweet,” Courtney smiled. “So I take it you don’t have any kids of your own?”

“No. I was engaged…very briefly. It didn’t work out.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, but she knew deep down she really wasn’t.

“What about you?”

“Me,” she laughed. “No, no kids yet. I am…well…I’m kind of seeing someone now. Steven…his name is Steven.” Courtney looked away, embarrassed by her inability to speak coherently. “I have a boyfriend. His name is Steven. There,” she laughed nervously. “I don’t know why I just couldn’t get that out just now.”

Jason looked down at his lap for a moment, “He’s a very lucky man.” It was then that their food was delivered. They managed to continue to make small talk as they enjoyed their meal. The closer they got to finishing their dinner, the larger the lump in Jason’s throat seemed to grown. He knew the time was coming for him to tell her everything. He was just hoping he’d be able to get through it. To his left, the band began playing a soft tune. Jason stood and held his hand out to her, “Dance with me?” Courtney didn’t know what to do. Her head was telling her it would be a mistake, but her heart desperately wanted to feel his arms around her once more. Before she knew what she was doing, she placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor. Jason pulled her close to his body, so close you couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. Courtney closed her eyes, resting her head against his cheek, remembering how safe a warm she always felt in his embrace. They swayed gently to the music, letting themselves get lost in their old rhythm that neither one seemed to have forgotten after all these years. Jason hated to break the spell they were under, but he had to talk to her.

“Courtney, I’m so sorry for everything. I know I hurt you deeply, and I hope you know that I never meant to. You were so sweet to me that day I left your Grandfather’s farm. I know you wanted to comfort me and be there for me and I just pushed you away. After I left, I missed you so much. It scared me how badly I wanted to be with you. I used my sister’s illness as an excuse to push you away. By the time I finally realized what a stupid jerk I was it was too late.” A single tear slipped down Courtney’s cheeks as she listened to him.

“It’s in the past. There’s no reason to bring all of this back up.”

“But you have to know Courtney.”

“You’ve already said you’re sorry. Can we drop it?” she asked, desperately wanting to end this conversation. “Besides, if you realized you were wrong why didn’t you come after me?”

“I did…” his voice trailed off. Courtney took a few steps back, interrupting their dance to look him in the eye.

“What?”

“It was maybe two months after I sent you that letter. I was about to walk up to your house when I saw this guy get out of a car and go up to your front door. I saw you come out, and you looked so beautiful. I just wanted to go up to you and pull you into my arms, but then…” his voice trailed off again. “Then I saw you kiss him. It was then that I knew I was too late.” Courtney couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He came after her…he really came after her. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she continued to stare up at him in disbelief. Jason leaned towards her and gently brushed his lips across hers. Almost immediately she began to tremble from the slight touch of his lips upon hers. She quickly pulled away, unable to look at him anymore. She had to get out of there, wanting to be anywhere but where she was.

“I’m sorry Jason…I…I have to go.” she cried as she quickly gathered her things and left Jason still standing in the middle of the dance floor, unsure what to do next.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Courtney finally arrived at her apartment, it was almost 10pm. She was exhausted from the events of her day. All she wanted to do was take a long bath, then climb into bed and go to sleep. When she walked into the living room, she saw Steven sitting on the sofa, a glass of bourbon in his hand. She gave him a weak smile.

“Hey,” she leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Where have you been?”

“Didn’t you get my message?” she asked as she walked to the bedroom, undressing as she went. “I called and told you I’d have to work late.”

“I got your message. I went to your office around 7:30 to bring you something to eat and you weren’t there.” Courtney stopped in her tracks, still not turning to face him.

“Oh you did?”

“Imagine my surprise when you weren’t there.”

“I…uh…I decided to take a break and I went down the street to the café to grab a sandwich. Then I went back to the office.”

“I thought you might have done that,” Steven said as he followed her to their bedroom, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“What?”

“I left you a note asking you to call me to let me know you were alright. Why didn’t you?”

“I didn’t see a note.”

“Oh, I understand. I mean with that huge flower arrangement on your desk it must be hard to see anything else,” Steven laughed. “Who were they from?”

“Uh, Carly. She just wanted to thank me for designing her wedding dress.” Courtney was startled when Steven suddenly tensed and threw his glass against their bedroom wall.

“Don’t lie to me Courtney! I saw the note. Who is Jason?” All of the color drained from her face as she looked at him. Never in the three years they had been together had she ever seen him this angry. It chilled her to the bone.

“Ja…Jason is an old friend.”

“If he’s just a friend, why didn’t you tell me you were having dinner with him?”

“I…I don’t know. I just didn’t want to upset you.”

“Why would I be upset if you were just going to have dinner with an old friend? I saw you two at the restaurant Courtney. I KNOW you two were more than just ‘friends.’ Now I,” Steven paused as his eyes welled with tears. “I love you Courtney. I can picture us together and raising a family. Do you love me that much Courtney?”

“I…” her voice cracked as she looked into Steven’s pleading brown eyes. She desperately wanted to be able to tell him what he wanted to hear, but she knew that wasn’t what was truly in her heart. Her chin trembled and she buried her face in her hands. When she met his gaze again she finally spoke, “I don’t think I do. I’m so sorry Steven…” her voice trailed off as Steven went to the closet and grabbed an overnight bag. He threw some of his clothes inside and grabbed his keys.

“Not nearly as sorry as I am. I’ll come by later this week for the rest of my things,” he started for the door.

“You’re just leaving?” Courtney said as she followed him to the front door. “This doesn’t have to be the end, Steven. I’m sure if you just give me some more time…” Steven cut her off.

“Time!? Courtney, you’ve had three years. How much more time is it going to take for you to forget that man and love me the way I want….no, the way I DESERVE to be loved? I’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted and I never asked for anything in return except for you to love me. It was all a lie.”

“No, no, it’s not a lie. I do love you, it’s just…”

“I know,” he cut her off again. “Just not the way you love him.” Steven looked away from her, unable to look at her anymore. “I’ll make sure you aren’t here when I come back to get my things.”

“Steven…” she whispered softly as he left their apartment. She slid down the wall, wrapped her arms around her knees and cried. Courtney slowly picked herself up off the floor, feeling numb all over. She collapsed into her bed, forgetting about the bath she had wanted to take, and quickly fell asleep.

Strawberry Wine

Chapter Twelve

© 2004

~*~*~*~*~*~Three Weeks Later~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Courtney sat behind her desk, staring out the window into the darkness that shrouded the streets of New York. She watched thousands of people passing on the busy streets below, but only one person was on her mind…Jason. It had been three weeks since she last saw him; three miserably long weeks. When Courtney left Jason on the dance floor that night, she was so confused. Part of her felt as if being in Jason’s arms again was exactly where she belonged, yet the other part of her felt like she was betraying Steven. Jason called her the next day to apologize if he caused her any more pain. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Courtney knew Jason never meant to hurt her, but she asked that he give her some more time. After everything that happened at the restaurant, and her confrontation with Steven later that night her head was spinning. Jason of course understood, and told her he’d give her however much time she needed. Jason was staying true to his word, and giving her the space she requested. When Courtney told Carly what had happened, Carly immediately told her to go to Jason because she knew that’s where her heart has and always would be. Courtney on the other hand refused to simply run to him. She wanted to be sure she was ready and willing to risk the kind of pain she felt the last time she let Jason into her heart. She was brought from her thoughts by a knock on her door. When she turned to see who it was, she wasn’t too surprised to see Carly standing there.

“Hey,” she smiled. “I thought you’d still be here.”

Courtney gave her a weak smile, “Where else would I be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. My guess is you could be in Jason’s arms right now if you weren’t so damned stubborn. Jeez, you are just like your brother.”

“Carly, how many times do I have to tell you….” Carly cut her off.

“And how many more times are you going to make excuses that are keeping you from what and who you really want? You can’t hide behind what happened with Steven, okay? I’m sorry he got hurt by all of this, but you can’t help who you love and who you don’t love. He’s a good man, and I’m sure he will find a wonderful girl who is going to love him the way he loves her.”

Courtney gave a defeated sigh, “I’m just so afraid.”

“Of what? Getting hurt?”

“Yes.”

Carly walked behind Courtney’s desk, leaning one hip against it as she spoke. “Honey, I know last time you were with Jason you got hurt…badly. But if you live your life in fear, you could really be denying yourself the possibility of true happiness. A happiness you could find with Jason. Sweetie, he was kid six years ago and so were you for that matter. You’re both grown up now, and things have changed. How do you know things will end the same way they did then?”

Courtney’s eyes were brimming with unshed tears, “How do you know they won’t?”

“Court,” she began as she tucked a lock of Courtney’s hair behind her ear. “I love you like you were my own blood, okay. I would never try to talk you into something that I thought would hurt you. I really think you and Jason have a chance at a real future together. That one summer we spent together, I saw something when I looked at the two of you together. It was the same thing I believe Sonny and I have. I saw a future Courtney. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it too back then.”

“That was six years ago, Carly. You yourself said things have changed since then.”

“I meant you’re both adults now and you’ve learned from your mistakes. Jason leaving you behind was a mistake, and from what you told me he said that night at the restaurant he plainly admitted to that.”

Courtney buried her face in her hands, “Carly could we please talk about anything else besides Jason right now.”

“Fine, let‘s just go get something to eat.” Carly rolled her eyes. “Just remember what I said Court. You’re the only one stopping yourself from finding happiness, and you’re the only one who can fix it.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~*~One Week Later~*~*~*~*~

It was Carly and Sonny’s wedding day. Courtney was constantly thinking about what Carly had said that night in her office. She knew Carly was right. She had to take another chance on Jason, or she’d spend the rest of her life wondering what she might have had. As she stood behind Carly, pinning on her veil, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jason would be out there. Butterflies once again invaded her stomach as she thought about what she could possibly say to him when they finally came face to face again. Would he be happy to see her, or would he have changed his mind about her altogether? She was brought from her thoughts by a knock on the door. When she opened it, she saw Sonny on the other side.

Courtney laughed, “What are you doing here? Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?”

“I’m not here to try to take a peek, I promise. I just wanted to give you something to give to Carly for me.” Sonny handed her a long, black velvet box. “It’s her something new.”

“Awe,” Courtney smiled. “This is so sweet of you Sonny. I’m sure she’s going to love it.” Sonny leaned in to kiss Courtney’s cheek.

“I love you, Court.”

“I love you too.” Sonny turned to head to the front of the church, then turned to her once again.

“Tell Carly she has a man waiting for her at the other end of the church who can’t wait to make her his bride.”

“I will,” Courtney smiled as she turned to Carly who was still checking her reflection in the mirror.

“Who was that?”

“Sonny.”

“Sonny,” Carly turned to look at Courtney. “He knows he’s not supposed to see me before the wedding.”

“Yes, he’s well aware of that fact. He just asked me to give you this,” Courtney handed Carly the long black box. “He said it’s your something new.” Carly opened the box to reveal a beautiful sapphire and diamond bracelet that matched the deep blue color Carly chose for her bridesmaids dresses. Carly gasped in shock.

“Oh my…it’s so beautiful.” Courtney took it from the box and clasped it around Carly’s left wrist.

“He loves you so much. He wanted me to tell you that there’d be a man waiting for you at the other end of the church who couldn’t wait to make you his bride.” Carly fought to hold back her tears. Courtney quickly grabbed some tissues. “Now, don’t cry. We don’t want to have to reapply your make-up.” Carly laughed softly, dabbing the corners of her eyes.

“You’re right. Let’s get this show on the road. I have a man out there who can’t wait to marry me and I don’t want to make him wait any longer.”

Carly, Courtney, and her other two bridesmaids followed her to the foyer of the church where they waited for the ceremony to begin. Once Courtney and the other bridesmaids were down the aisle, everyone turned to watch Carly make her way towards them wearing the beautiful dress Courtney had designed especially for her.
The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Carly, bless her soul, couldn’t hold back her tears during the vows. Even Sonny’s voice cracked a bit when he recited his vows. Courtney was glad she carried a tissue with her, to wipe her own tears away. After the ceremony, Courtney and the rest of the wedding party followed Sonny and Carly from the sanctuary and into one of the other rooms to wait for the crowd to leave for the reception. Once everyone was cleared out, the wedding party was led back into the sanctuary to take the rest of the wedding pictures. Half an hour later, they made it to the reception hall. With so much going on, Courtney hardly had any time to think about whether or not Jason had made it to the wedding. Finally after the wedding party’s dance, she was able to get something to eat and sit down. Not ten minutes later she saw him from across the room. Her heart stopped as she watched him approach Sonny and Carly with a warm smile on his face. Sonny gave him a manly embrace, and Carly pulled him in for a hug. When Jason stepped back, Courtney saw a woman standing beside him. She felt her heart break in that moment. ‘He’s moved on,’ was all she could think. The woman was a beautiful brunette with a warm and inviting smile, and big brown eyes. From the way Jason was looking at her, it was plain to see he adored her as much as the girl obviously adored him. It was then that Jason looked in her direction. Courtney felt a wave of nausea hit her suddenly. She stood and began to weave her way through the crowd in search of a bathroom. She had to get away from the scene she just witnessed. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm. When she turned to see who it was, she found herself staring into the pair of blue eyes that once knew her so well.

“Courtney,” he began. “I know you said you needed more time, but…I guess I was hoping you’d had all the time you needed.”

“What?” she asked, confused. “You bring a date to my brother’s wedding and you expect me to be happy to see you?”

“A da…” his voice trailed off for a moment when suddenly he realized what she meant. “No, no. You have the wrong idea. I mean she is my date, but not in a romantic sense. I just didn’t want to come here alone in case you weren’t ready to see me.”

“Then who is she,” she angrily crossed her arms, glaring at him.

“That beautiful young woman who’s standing with Sonny and Carly is my sister Emily. She offered to come with me tonight.” A blush crept into Courtney’s cheeks at Jason’s omission.

“I…I’m sorry Jason. I shouldn’t have assumed…”

“Assumed I was already moving on to someone else?” Jason laughed. “Courtney, there has never really been anyone else but you. Despite my attempts to move on with my life, you are the woman who is constantly haunting me. I compare everyone to you and no one can even come close. I’ve never stopped loving you Courtney. If you would give me another chan….” he was cut off when Courtney crushed her lips to his. Jason was startled at first, but almost immediately wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her even closer to him. When they finally pulled apart, Jason smiled down at her. “Do I take that as a yes to another chance?”

Courtney laughed, “Yes.” Her face slowly turned serious, “I do still love you Jason. I always have and I probably always will. I’m willing to risk giving you my whole heart. This time I just pray you won’t break it.”

Jason gently caressed her soft face, “I swear I’ll never break your heart again.” They sealed their love for one another with yet another of man kisses that night. They knew they were finally back where they belonged…in each other’s arms.

Strawberry Wine

Epilogue

© 2004

~*~*~*~*~*~Two Months Later~*~*~*~*~*~

Courtney giggled as Jason’s hands rubbed more sun block across her bare back and shoulders. He had promised to behave, but Courtney knew he couldn’t keep that promise. His hands wandered down her legs, up her backside, brushing the sides of her breasts.

“Jason…” she began. “I thought you were going to behave.”

“I had my fingers crossed,” he grinned down at her causing her to laugh. “Besides, I know you like it.”

“Whatever!” Jason continued to rub her back when he broke the silence.

“Do you think they’ll be upset?”

Courtney leaned to one side to look up at him, “Probably. Do you care?”

Jason shrugged slightly, “Sorta.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Never,” he leaned down to kiss her lips softly before taking her left hand in his own, his fingers delicately turning the small gold band that finally claimed her as his forever. “Do you regret becoming Mrs. Jason Morgan?”

“My only regret is that it took us so long to get here. I mean we could have had at least two or three babies by now,” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him. Jason laughed softly.

“Well, we can start now. What do you think?”

“I think the people here might get upset if they were to walk by and see us…you know.”

“Well, let’s go back to our beach house.”

“Okay,” Courtney retied her bikini top, then stood up. “You can have me all day long…if you can catch me.” She broke into a run as she headed back up to their beach house.

“Hey!” he yelled as he scrambled to gather their beach gear. “No fair!” Jason gathered what he could and followed his wife up to their beach house. When he made it inside, he could hear the shower going. He quickly stripped down and joined her. They entered the shower as two and left the shower as three…of course they wouldn’t find that out for another six weeks. It was just the beginning of Courtney and Jason Morgan’s happy family.