"The Ole Ball Game" chap 4

Chapter 4

Jazzi sighed, "You really don't have to walk me up to my door. It's fine. You didn't have to follow me home either, I'm quite capable of..."

Just as she was about to continue her rant, his finger came to her lips to silence her.

"I know that I didn't have to, I wanted to." he smiled, "Can we sit on your porch swing?"

Nodding slowly, she watched as he walked up onto her porch, instead of standing and staring like a mindless idiot, she walked up after him.
"It really isn't anything special, but I love sitting out here to think or pray."

Together they sat in the silence that surrounded her apartment, until she began to get sleepy and laid her head on his shoulder. Half waiting
for him to ask her to move, she waited, listening as he began to hum softly.

Her eyes began to close, even though she fought it with all she had. She could not fight the knowledge that he was the one. Maybe others
would doubt she could know so soon, however she couldn't. Looking up at him, into the eyes that made her tingle on the inside, made her smile.
Smile like she never had before, because something in those eyes told her he'd be here forever. "Do you think we could do this more often?" the whispered
words hung between them in the night air swirling until she thought they could swirl no more. He wasn't answering. What was wrong?

Daemyn's brown eyes closed tight, "I have to tell you something, Jazzi. I didn't want to tell you because I was having such a good time, but..you need to know."

Sighing, she sat up "I figured something couldn't be right."

"I'm only here in New York for six months. I don't live here all of the time, Jazzelle. I would now that I've found you, but I need to go back." he paused, sighing.
"I spent most of my six months chasing you, and now I've got to go back next month without knowing how things would turn out between us. Are you willing
to see how things would work out with a long distance relationship?" his hand came to clasp her's.

Slowly, she seemed to grasp what he was saying. He was leaving next month, going who knows where. The only guy she'd actually cared enough about to date.
"I suppose we could. I don't really want to see anyone else." she whispered, feeling like her heart was being ripped out of her chest.

"Really?" his eyes sparkled like the stars that now lit the sky.

She felt her smile returning, "Really. Can you come over tomorrow night? I'll make dinner, we can watch some movies?" Feeling somewhat needy, she pressed her
head against his shoulder again.

"Yeah, of course." she could sense he was happy, and somehow that freed her mind. Closing her eyes once more, she drifted off to sleep with the sound of his humming and heart beat her lullaby.

--

Looking at his watch, Daemyn sighed, he really should wake her up and get home. However, the feel of her in his arms and her sweet breath on his cheek made him
want to sit on the porch swing for the rest of his life. Instead, he touched her back, "Jazzelle." he breathed softly, hoping not to scare her.

"Hum?" she mumbled, turning to look up at him.

"It's time for me to leave, honey." he knew she wouldn't appreciate sleeping there all night long, at least not in the morning when her back bothered her from the wood
that would surely cut into her.

"Oh..I'm so sorry. I don't know what possessed me to...ah.." her cheeks turned the color of a tomato as she tried to cover up her embarrassment.

"It's fine, I enjoyed myself." he smiled and leaned over kissing her cheek softly.

"Are you sure you don't secretly hate me for falling asleep in the middle of our conversation?" her eyes had turned a deep green color as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I could never hate you Jazzelle. Just the opposite in fact. Now I'd better get going before I'm tempted to stay." he smiled again and kissed her other cheek.

"Thank you for such a lovely evening, Daemyn. I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked as she walked toward her front door and clasped the door knob between her hands.

He nodded, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

When the door closed behind her, he sighed. That woman did something to his insides that no one else could. Warmth flowed through his body, and he felt like he was
walking on cloud nine. He despised the thought of leaving New York next month, but he'd take something new with him. The relationship with Jazzelle Douglass.
He had a feeling that he'd carry that with him for the rest of his life.

--

Bethanie worriedly chomped on her fingernails as she watched the scenery pass by her window on the way to Jazzi's apartment.

"Stop worrying, their all going to keep in touch with you." T.C. reached for her hand, tugging it out of her mouth.

"But...I hate leaving them, T.C. Their my family." just as she uttered the words they came to a stop in front of Jazzi's house.

T.C. smiled and smoothed his hand over the ring he'd placed on her finger only moments before. "We'll make do. We'll come back every weekend if we have to.
This is our dream, baby. We need to make it a reality."

She nodded, "You're right. Let's do this."

Linking her hand with his, Bethanie walked up the steps to Jazzelle's front porch and knocked on the screen door. "Yoo hoo, anyone home?"

"Coming!" Jazzi's voice beckoned from the inside, "Well, well, well, how unexpected. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"This." Bethanie announced, feeling as if her face would fall off from the smile that held there.

The ring seemed to weigh her entire hand down, what T.C. had been thinking when he bought it was far beyond anything she could imagine. He'd
had Shiloh and Shadow bring it to her door step this very morning. It had taken until now for all of the festivities to die down. Along with the ring, he'd
brought all of them to see the new home he'd purchased. A ranch home a few states over, beautiful land, trees, cattle. Her heart seemed to thud to a
stop thinking about that. She'd be moving far away from the family and friends she knew to start her new life. But a wonderful life it would be, she realized
as she stared into T.C.'s eyes.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Jazzi, leaning over to inspect the ring further. "So any idea when the big day will be?"

"As soon as possible, so we can move to the ranch." said T.C. finally speaking.

"What ranch?" Jazzi's smile haulted as she took in their now pale faces.

"We're moving, Jazzi. As soon as we get married...." A clog the entire size of Texas seemed shoved into her throat as she watched Jazzi transform from a
happy individual to a sobbing one.

"You're leaving." her voice was flat as she stared at the two of them.

They nodded in unison.

"I see...well.." she seemed to pause to collect herself. "We'll have an incredible time planning the wedding and the good-bye party. I won't let you leave without
a party." she smiled emotionally before hugging Bethanie. "Nothing will change between us. I'll make sure of it."