Wishes Do Come True

Author's note: For those of you that feel this is in the wrong category, I do realize it could have gone in Loving Wives or even Mature. Since, in my opinion it is a love story, I chose to put in Romance. During the writing of this story, the ages of the main characters went from older to young and ended somewhere in between. First there were no children and then the children were older, until I settled on an age for them, too.

This story is based on real events. The male protagonist is a composite of two men, one I know and the other I know of, and an added dose of imagination. For the female, well, she's parts of three ladies I know or know of and a great big dose of imagination. Two of the minor male characters are based on real life counterparts, too, but I don't believe either would recognize themselves. I have, of course, changed the names to protect the innocent...and not so innocent.

Most importantly, I want to thank persephone9906. She edited both Saving Caitlin and A Nymph for Christmas for me, but would not let me acknowledge her. Circumstances have changed so I now can say thank for the above editing and for the corrections she made on this story. To the twin of my heart, thank you.

I hope you enjoy this tale; it's quite different from my other stories.

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Jenny and Jamie: A Love Story

Prologue

"Why? Why do you put up with him? Leave him. Just leave the bastard."

"I can't. I can't," she sobbed as he cradled her head against his shoulder. If only she could feel this comfort all the time.

"Yes, you can. Get a place here—"

"And what? I can't make enough money. Even with child support, it would be so tight."

"Maybe I could help."

"You barely make enough to take care of your own family. What about the kids? There're four of them to think about. No, I have to go. I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Then I've made mine. I have to think of the kids first. I have to try."

"Don't go." He kissed her again and caressed the breast he had eased out of its cloth barrier. As the kiss deepened, so did the intensity of his manipulation. "I could take you right now," he whispered in her ear.

"Please don't make this harder than it already is. I'll miss you so much."

Chapter 1: Twelve years later

She blinked her eyes and looked again. It had to be him. He was in front of Lazarus, talking to a petite, slightly overweight woman. She looked about forty and had short brown hair. It definitely wasn't Lyn. Jenny looked again, narrowing her eyes to see him better. He had about the same build. His hair had receded a little. It wasn't as thick maybe, but it was still very dark brown, almost black with just a bit of graying at the temples that added to his startling good looks. Yes, it had to be him or a brother, but she was pretty sure he didn't have a brother. Was this fate? If so, now what?

She had been thinking about him for nearly a year, even going as far as looking for a phonebook listing. The problem was he wasn't listed. Marilyn Vannoy was listed, but not J., J.R., Jamie, or Jamison Vannoy. Had they divorced? He had certainly threatened to do it many times during the years she had known him. He said the only thing that had stopped him was the kids. The kids -- the boy would be in his early twenties now and the girl would be about eighteen or nineteen. When she didn't find him in the phonebook, she wondered if maybe he had divorced Lyn or, worse, maybe he had died in an accident or something. Surely someone would have told her if he had died, wouldn't they? Maybe not. Only two people knew he had meant something to her. She hadn't talked to one since she had moved and the other one had moved away, too. Still, she knew he couldn't have died. She would have known. Somehow, she would have known.

Twelve years had passed since she had last seen him. She had been thirty-four then and he was thirty-one...a lifetime ago. She was deciding if she should make a fool of herself and go talk to him when he looked at his watch, said something to the woman, then she went into the department store. He turned and went in the opposite direction. Was this an omen? She'd take it as one. After all, if it wasn't him, what harm could come of it? She looked down at herself, glad she had chosen to wear nice clothes this morning.

It had been years since she'd been to this mall, although she had spent a lot of time here when she was a teenager. So many of the shops had changed and only the larger department stores were still the same. Lazarus hadn't even been part of the mall when she was a kid. That was one of the reasons she had come today. She wanted to see how it had changed and remember the past with its' happier times. She followed him and when she thought she had worked up enough courage, she closed the gap. When he paused in front of Sears, she spoke.

"Jamie?" He turned. "Jamie Vannoy?"

She pushed her tinted glasses up and cocked her head. Was there a hint of recognition? She smiled.

"You are Jamie Vannoy, aren't you? You don't remember me!"

"Jenny? Jenny, my God, how could I forget you? It's good to see you. How are you?" His smile was so sexy.

"I'm fine," she smiled.

"Are you living back in Indiana again or just visiting?" His eyes scanned her up and down...slowly. "Jesus, you look great."

"Thank you," she said, laughing and trying hard to control her nervousness. "You look mighty fine yourself." She blushed as his sexy grin just got bigger. "I can't believe I've run into you. I've actually been trying, well, thinking about trying to track you down for about a year. The phone listing wasn't in your name any more. Well...maybe....well, anyway, you weren't in the book." Her voice had changed to serious.

"You've been looking for me?"

"I was thinking about it. I guess since you weren't in Uniontown phonebook, you don't live there anymore. Do you live in Indianapolis now?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Why?"

"Why were you looking for me?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something." She lowered her eyes, swallowed, and tried to breathe. I can do this, she repeated to herself.

"What about?"

"First, I have to ask you some questions, if that's okay? And because I don't have a lot of time right now, I can't do a lot of small talk."

"Shoot."

He leaned his shoulder against the wall in an easy stance with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles. He took in her nervousness with humor in his eyes while remembering years past.

"Are you and Lyn divorced?"

"Yes."

"Is the lady you were with a few minutes ago a new wife?"

"Who, Sandy? No, she's just a friend."

"Are you married?"

"No."

"Do you have someone that...um...are you...er...dating, close to making your wife, or..."

Cocking his head this time, he laughed and said, "What's this about? Are you volunteering to be the next Mrs. Vannoy?"

"No!" she was blushing again. "Maybe you could give me your number or tell me a good time so we can get together and talk?"

"What and leave me wondering what you wanted to talk about? Uh uh! What gives?"

"It will take a while and I..."

"How much time? I have all afternoon."

"Well, I guess it depends on you."

He cocked his head again and looked at her. "Have you had lunch?"

"Huh, no."

"Come on," he said, taking her hand.

"I need someplace quiet," she stammered. "It's very personal."

His eyes scanned her body again and one eyebrow lifted. "I know a quiet place. Where are you parked?"

They found his car and he opened the passenger door, asking again, "Where's your car?"

"On the other side by Penneys."

When they found her car, her keys were already in her hand. When she started to step out of his car, he reached for her purse and she got a strange, panicked look on her face.

He laughed again, a nice easy laugh she remembered from the past.

"This is insurance. I can see you're about to bolt and I have a feeling this is too good to miss. Follow me. I'll go slowly. Do you have a cell phone?" She nodded and he gave her his business card. "My cell phone number is on the card. If we get separated, call me and I'll come back to get you."

"Where are we going?"

"A quiet place."

He waited until she got her car started. He could see she was very nervous and wondered about it. He picked up his phone and called for a pizza to be delivered. Then he took the streets he knew that would have less traffic and drove to his house about fifteen minutes away. When he reached his drive, he pressed his garage door remote and drove in. She parked in the drive. He got out and motioned for her to take the other side of the garage. She didn't move.

When he walked to her car, she asked, "Where are we?"

"My place."

"I don't think this is a good idea. I wanted a quiet place, but a public, secluded, quiet place!"

She wasn't hysterical, but he noted a good bit of panic in her voice.

"Well, two out of three ain't bad. Move over and I'll park your car in the garage. The pizza will be here in a few minutes."

"I can do it."

"Then do it," he said, chuckling and stepping back.

She sighed. Good grief, what had she done? She had thought about this day. She thought it would take a while to find him, then after she told him, she'd give him time...weeks, months...to think about it. She kept thinking about trying to find him and talking herself out of it. Was it fate that had her go to the mall today? Ohmigod! Could she do it, could she ask him?

She drove into the garage and he was right there, opening her door and helping her out. He pushed a button and the garage door slid down. He walked her to the back door, placing his hand on the small of her back. He opened the door leading into the house and ushered her in. He wanted to kiss her, but thought better of it. He would hear what she had to say first. She looked better than the last time he saw her...what?...about twelve, maybe fourteen years ago. She was very nervous; that much was very clear.

He opened the refrigerator and got out a beer. "What would you like? Beer, coke, water, milk, Valium?"

"Valium."

"Oops, sorry all out of Valium. How about a coke?"

"Diet?"

"Yep."

"Okay."

He handed her the coke, ready to ask what gives when the doorbell rang.

"Plates are in the cabinet. I'll get the pizza. You still like pizza, don't you?" he asked over his shoulder.

Jamie paid for the pizza and brought it into the living room. He put it on the coffee table and she brought in the plates. He patted a place by him on the couch, but she thought it would be better in the easy chair across from the couch. Not as close. Later, she wished she had sat on the couch so he couldn't look straight into her face so intently.

He put a slice of pizza on a plate, handed it to her, and took one himself. After eating two pieces, he said, "What gives?"

"Why don't we finish eating first?"

He laughed again, that nice easy laugh she always associated with him. "You're not eating so it's time to cough up. Did you kill Brian?"

"NO, No. That's not it."

"You want me to kill him?"

"NO!"

"I have thumb screws in the bedroom. Should I go get them and make you talk?" His easy laugh turned her insides to jelly.

She sighed, took a deep breath, swallowed, and thought just get it out. Oops, did she say that out loud?

"That would be a good idea."

She did say it out loud.

She sighed again and said, "This is going to be very difficult for me so I would appreciate you not saying anything until I'm done. And then, if you decide no way, just be kind about it. Please."

If he wasn't intrigued before, this really spiked his curiosity. He could hardly wait to hear what she had to say.

She put her plate on the coffee table and said, "Before we left Indiana and moved to Florida, I considered you my best friend. I could talk to you. You weren't happy in your marriage and mine was falling apart. I guess at some point you, or Lyn, or maybe the both of you, decided to end your marriage. Brian and I are still together. We made it work again or at least parts of it. Beth is twenty-four now and has a daughter. Garrett's twenty-six and also has a little girl and another baby, a boy this time, on the way. I'm a grandmother."

She smiled, thinking of her children and seemed to calm down a little, but she still couldn't look him in the eye. His eyes, though, never left her face.

"Brian has a good job. Our house probably suits him better than me, but I'm happy with it. He's a good dad and a wonderful grandfather. Back twelve years ago, we had terrible financial problems and he did some terrible things, but that's in the past now. And actually the marriage is pretty good."

She let a sigh escape. Could she go on? She paused, but Jamie didn't say anything.

"Boy, I knew this would be hard." She took a deep breath. "I always trusted you. You always made me feel...worthy. Your touch...Oh, well. What I'm trying to say is, er, that I haven't...Brian hasn't...we haven't...had sex in years and I want it." It was out, but she rushed on. "I am not sexually aggressive, but I've tried. Hints. Touching. But he isn't getting the hints. I even suggested he see a doctor. Our sex life was never very active, you knew that even years ago, but I didn't think it was normal for a man to stop wanting sex all together at age 45 and I don't think is normal now for a man of 52 to never want it. Brian says there is nothing wrong with him. And I don't think, I'm 99 percent sure, he isn't having an affair."

"I've decided to look elsewhere." Phew. There! She said it. Jamie thought his hearing had failed him. "I'm not...I don't have a lot of experience. Even though I've been married all these years, I don't have much experience." Her voice was barely a whisper now and Jamie leaned forward to hear her. She didn't seem to notice with her head down. "I've only had one other partner besides Brian and that was in college before Brian and I married. We were close, you and I; it nearly led to an affair. Then I couldn't. Then you couldn't. I can't just go to someone I don't know. Someone I have no history with. I couldn't just do it with anyone. The other guy was more twenty-seven years ago. I barely remember his name. I would have no idea where to find him. I trusted you twelve years ago and I don't think you would have changed so much that you would hurt me now. You could have raped me that night and you didn't. Well, maybe not rape, but you could have taken me.

"What I'm asking," she paused and finally continued, "is that you consider making love with me. Or really I guess it would be have sex with me. I don't expect an answer now. I'll give you my number and you can let me know."

"Jen—"

She put her hand up, cutting him off while she still had the nerve to finish.

"There's more that you need to know to make a decision. I'm not thirty-four anymore. I'm forty-six. And while I want it to last all night, I'm not sure I could make a half hour. I have arthritis and...and I've had a hysterectomy. I'm not sure how I will respond. Heck, I'm not sure I can respond at all. I've heard if you don't use it, you lose it. Maybe I've already lost 'it'! I've only had a few orgasms in my entire life. I'm not even sure what one feels like. That's not quite true; I've felt pretty good a couple of times. And while I don't look too bad with clothes on, I look every bit my age without them. The person who becomes my dream lover will probably have to keep his eyes closed the entire time. I gained a lot of weight—a lot. I've taken most of it off, but, well, things just don't look the same." There was that easy laughter again. "Please don't laugh. This is hard enough."

Another pause and a sigh. "I think I should go. I'll give you my number unless you already know there's not a chance in Hades you'd come near me. Then maybe you could just forget this conversation ever happened."

Before Jenny even had a chance to look up, Jamie was standing in front of her. His fingers gently wrapped around her wrists and he pulled her to her feet. His hands circled around to her back, taking her hands with his. She was surprised at the suddenness of the movement. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, giving her the feeling he was looking for something. Then he gave her a gentle kiss, a very gentle but intense kiss. It was so intimate, her breath fluttered. He didn't release her. She could feel his penis pressing into her stomach, could smell his desire as they stood nearly hip-to-hip. Maybe not hip-to-hip. He had a good seven inches on her. He kissed her again, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He picked her up and sat down on the couch with her on his lap. He tenderly pushed her head to his chest.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to hear those words? I'd take you to my bedroom right now, but I don't want to scare you off. Maybe we should set some parameters. Take things easy. What do you want? And how much time do you have today?"

She was beginning to tremble, then started to shake. "Maybe this was a bad idea, a very bad idea."

"Umm." He put his hand on her chin and lifted her face. He kissed her, a sweet gentle kiss, but it conveyed his desire.

"Maybe I should leave."

"You didn't answer my questions."

"Huh?"

"What do you want exactly and how much time do you have today?"

"Oh," she sighed. Jamie tightened his arms around her to keep her from shaking right off his lap. In a whisper he wouldn't have heard if she wasn't so near him, she said, "I have all night."

"All night! Jeez, I thought you didn't have time for small talk."

"I didn't think I would be staying and I wanted to get it out before I lost my nerve. I didn't think I'd be at your house today. I didn't know if you would want me. I didn't want to linger after I finally said it."

With this she seemed to relax a little and put her head back on his chest, a place she'd been a few times before years ago. She had felt at peace back then; today, even years later, the feeling was the same. Then her head shot up.

"Oh, one more thing. I don't want a long-term relationship. I don't want a divorce. I don't want Brian to know. But about everything else, well, I want it all."

This time, he bellowed. The hand under her chin moved to her waist, then under the lightweight summer sweater. It lingered there, just feeling her soft skin before moving to her spine and sending tingles of desire through her entire body. His fingers moved to her bra, and, in an experienced move, had the clasp undone. Her every muscle tensed up tight as a drum.

"You need to think about this," she stammered.

His lips touched hers. He moved his mouth to her ear, giving it a light kiss before saying, "I don't have to think about it. I've wanted you for twelve years. I'll go slowly. If you get lost, call me on the cell phone." The same humor he had years ago. Pulling her bra out of the way, his hand moved to her breast, cupping and fondling it. He rolled the nipple between his thumb and finger before giving it a gentle pinch. A bolt of desire shot straight between her thighs.

"I," she stammered, "I really think you need to think about this first." Her breathing was becoming hard to control.

"Are you kidding? You'll talk yourself out of it before you even reach the door. We've been here before. I'd hate to rape someone I've cared for and thought about for so long. Besides, your nipples want me." As he spoke, he pinched a nipple and chuckled when she gasped. Both of them knew if she really wanted out, he wouldn't rape her. The years melted away.

Chapter 2 -- The relationship begins

Three hours later, Jamie gently held Jenny as she slept in his arms. His bed sheet partially covered him, but it was pulled completely over her. He knew when she awoke she would be embarrassed if any of her nakedness showed. Hell, he wished they could have gotten this far twelve years ago; he would never have let her go to Florida with Brian. He would have had twelve years of heaven instead of eight more years of hell. But she wouldn't break up either marriage because kids were involved. His kids were six and ten while hers were twelve and fourteen.