I Only Want to Be With You

By Vicky
This is a sequel to “Promises.” To make the transition between stories easier, I have included the last few paragraphs of “Promises” in the first part of “I Only Want to Be With You.”


Part 1

Nick gently turned Jo to face him and took both of her hands in his.
“Jo, I’d be very honored if you’d let me start courtin’ ya.”
Jo couldn’t believe what she just heard. “What?” she whispered.
“I wanna start courtin’ ya.”
Trying to blink away tears, Jo stared into Nick’s mesmerizing blue eyes.“Okay. Yes,” she barely spoke.
Nick leaned forward and kissed Jo. She put her arms around his shoulders and closed her eyes, wanting to savor this moment forever. All of a sudden, loud cheering was heard from the porch. The couple turned to find the entire Plumfield family, including Rob, standing on the porch, watching them.
“What are you doing?” Jo called, feeling herself start to blush.
“Hi, Mom.” Rob waved. Jo gave him a small, embarrassed wave in return.
“Can we start jumping to conclusions now?” Nan yelled. Bess, Dan, and Nat laughed at her question.
Jo rolled her eyes, “Yes, Nan!”
“Good,” she replied.
“What was that all about?” Nick asked Jo when she returned her attention to him.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
“How about another kiss?” he asked. Jo just smiled. Nick held her face in his hands and drew her closer to him, gently kissing her.
“I love you, Nick,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, Jo . . . and I’ll love you forever.”
“Do you promise?” She hugged him tight.
“I promise.” Nick and Jo stood together in each other’s arms while the children and Asia watched from the porch.
* * * * *

That night, after dinner, the children sat in the parlor by the warm fire. Emil, Tommy, and Dan sat in one corner talking about the fishing expedition they were planning for tomorrow afternoon. Nat and Nan were sitting at a table doing their homework, while Bess sat reading to Rob on thefloor.
“Mrs. Jo, can you help me . . .” Nat looked up from his homework and didn’t see Jo in the room. “Where’s Mrs. Jo?”
Bess stopped reading, “She and Nick were sitting on the couch, but they’re not there anymore. Hmmm.”
“I thought I saw her go outside,” Dan replied.
Nan perked up, “Really?”
“Yeah. She and Nick left about ten minutes ago.”
“I’m gonna go find ‘em.” Nan stood and walked toward to door.
“Stop right there,” Asia called from the kitchen. “You’re gonna stay in here and finish your work, Nan.” Asia wiped her hands on a dishtowel as she entered the parlor.
Nan sighed, but went back to the table where she had been sitting.
“All of you are gonna have to give Nick and Mrs. Jo some more time alone now, ya hear?” Asia said. “You’re not gonna be able to bother them all of the time.”
“But Nat had a question . . .” Nan started.
“I don’t care. I’m sure that you can help him.”
“I’ll try.” Nan moved to the chair next to Nat and looked over his shoulder at his book. “What don’t you understand?”
Nat looked at Nan and smiled, “Thanks.”
“Not a problem, I guess.” Nan turned her head toward Asia, who smiled and returned to the kitchen.
* * * * *

Jo and Nick sat on the porch swing, gently rocking back and forth.
“I’m glad that Asia offered to keep an eye on the children. I still can’t believe we left the house without them noticing us,” Jo said.
“Well, I think Dan saw us, but he didn’t really pay attention.” Nick nonchalantly put his arm around Jo’s shoulder.
“That was nice of him.” Jo quietly laid her head on Nick’s shoulder and pulled her coat tighter around her.
“You gettin’ cold?” Nick asked.
“Not anymore.” She gazed up at him and smiled. “You can’t imagine how long I’ve wanted to sit here with you like this,” she whispered.
“I’ve wanted to since the first day I met you.”
“Me too . . . since I bailed you out of jail.” They both laughed. Jo sat up to look at the starry sky. “Do you want to take a walk?”
“Sure.”
The couple walked hand in hand from the porch into the front yard. Jo stopped and stared at the dark blue sky with its twinkling stars.
“When I was a young girl, I used to love wishing on stars. I did it every night before I went to bed.”
Nick stood behind Jo and hugged her. She placed her hands on his forearms. “Why’d ya stop?”
“Oh, I still make a wish once in a while.”
“My dream came true . . . and I didn’t have to wish on a star.”
She turned to face him. “Nick, I . . .” Jo trailed off as Nick put his finger to her lips.
“Don’t talk. I just like standin’ here with you. That’s all I need.”

Part 2

“Time for bed,” announced Asia, entering the parlor.
Nan looked at the wall clock. “Asia, it’s only nine. Can’t we stay up later?” she asked.
“It is Friday night, Asia. We don’t have school tomorrow,” added Emil.
The children all turned to Asia with pleading looks on their faces. She sighed, “I can’t believe I’m lettin’ you talk me into this.”
“Thank you, Asia,” Bess smiled.
“Yeah, thanks.” Dan walked over to the fireplace and added another log to the dwindling fire.
“I’ll give you half and hour . . . unless Mrs. Jo comes back ‘cause I don’t want you kids gettin’ me in trouble. Agreed?” questioned Asia.
“Yes,” the children said in unison.
* * * * *

Outside, Jo and Nick had returned to the porch after a short walk around the house.
“It’s getting’ late,” Nick said, sitting on the porch railing.
“I should tell the children to get ready for bed. Rob’s already up later than usual.” Jo put her hand on the doorknob.
“I’m sure that Asia has everything under control Jo. You don’t need to worry so much.”
“I can’t stop worrying about them. They’re my . . . children,” Jo lowered her head and began playing with her coat sleeves.
Nick stood and moved toward Jo. “I’m sorry,” he lifted her chin and looked into her expressive brown eyes, “I feel the same way about ‘em. I guess I’d be concerned about ya if ya didn’t worry so much about ‘em.”
“Let’s go inside,” Jo smiled, “You can still help me read Rob his bedtime story.”
“Jo . . .”
“Come on. It’ll be fun.” Jo grabbed Nick’s hand and led him into the house.
Once inside, Nick helped Jo off with her coat and received a small kiss in return. The couple entered the parlor, finding the children still awake and sitting in a circle telling stories.
“Hi, Mrs. Jo,” Nat said, noticing her and Nick enter, “Hi, Nick.”
“Shouldn’t you all be in bed by now?” Jo asked, hands on hips.
“Asia said we could stay up a little bit later since it’s Friday and we don’t have school tomorrow,” Tommy answered.
Jo turned toward Asia and raised an eyebrow at her, “Really?”
“They were so pathetic lookin’, Jo. But I also said that they had to go to bed as soon as you came back,” Asia replied from the couch where she was reading. “Remember that?” she asked the children.
“I see,” Jo smiled.
“But it hasn’t been a half hour yet.” Nan looked at Asia.
“Don’t ask me.” Asia pointed to Jo, relinquishing her authority.
“Please, Mrs. Jo,” Nan said. The other children smiled and nodded their heads in agreement.
“Okay,” Jo gave in, “Ten more minutes, but that’s it.” Jo walked over to her son and knelt in front of him. “Rob, I’m sorry, but it’s time for you to go to bed. It’s already past you bedtime,” she looked up at the clock, “by quite a bit.”
“But I’m not tired,” Rob yawned. The children laughed at Rob’s will to stay awake.
Nick came up behind Jo and looked at Rob. “Come on Rob. I’ll read ya a story.”
“I want to stay up like the other kids.” Rob’s eyelids began to close, but he quickly reopened them.
“Okay then,” Nick said, picking up Rob, “That settles it.” Nick turned Rob upside down and dangled him, by his feet, over Jo’s head. “If you don’t go to bed, I’ll have to drop ya on your ma and I don’t think she’d like that too much.”
Jo looked up at her son and laughed. “Are you going to let Nick drop you on me?”
“No . . . I’ll go to bed,” Rob spoke between spurts of laughter. Nick headed upstairs with Rob slung over his shoulder, both of them smiling and laughing.
Jo stood and looked at the smiling faces around her. “I expect to see all of you in your rooms in thirty minutes,” she said, barely audible to the talking children. She left the parlor and waited at the base of the stairs for a reaction from them.
In the parlor, a look of confusion came over Nat’s face. “What is it, Nat?” Emil asked.
“Thirty minutes?” Nat called to Jo.
“You heard me.” Jo smiled and walked upstairs.

PART 3
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