by J. L. Berg
Stepping out of the car, I noticed the sign I’d had Candace place on the door was missing.
It was also unlocked.
Feeling all sorts of nervous, I entered, taking a look around for intruders.
“Hello?” I shouted. “If you’re here to rob me, you might want to reconsider and go for the bank down the street. I hear they leave the vault open on the weekends.”
It was a poor attempt at humor, but I was literally terrified.
Until I saw the candles on the table.
As I took a step forward, a small gasp escaped my lips.
Sawyer was here. He walked toward me, his eyes bright and his smile glorious.
God, I missed him.
“Are you my intruder?” I asked.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Depends. Are you going to have me arrested if I am?”
Feeling immensely relieved to see him, I answered in jest, “Depends. Are you going to feed me?”
My attention turned back toward the table where not only had he lit candles, but he’d also set out an entire meal. Just like before.
“Are you a fan of gnocchi?”
Grinning from ear to ear, I leaped into his arms, unwilling to let another moment go by with so much space between us. “I’m so sorry I left.”
His head fell to my chest and I felt him inhale, like he was breathing me in. “You came back; that’s all that matters.”
“I did,” I acknowledged. “And I’m not going anywhere ever again. I promise.”
“Good,” he breathed out. “Because I meant what I said. You’re all I want, Elle. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, and I want to make you happy.”
When I placed my feet back on the ground, our gazes met, and I reached up to cup his face. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He smiled.
I didn’t know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other like our lives depended on it. This was all I wanted.
Just him. Forever.
“I know I left, and I know you have a lot of questions, but I want you to know I’m ready. For us. For all of this. I’m so ready.”
“I’ve always been ready for you, Elle. Always.”
As I looked up at him, my grin widened. “How did you get in here?”
“Your mom mailed me an extra set of keys she still had.”
“What?” My mouth fell open. “You’ve been talking to my mom?”
He nodded. “When I couldn’t get ahold of you, I got worried. So I asked around, and sure enough, someone in town had her number. How is she?”
“She’s good. Not great, but we’re hoping she’ll get there eventually.”
“And you don’t need to go back? Because I would understand—”
Placing a finger on his lips, I stopped his words. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”
He answered me with a kiss that lasted a lifetime as we slowly got reacquainted with one another.
“And so you asked her for the keys so you could surprise me when I came back?” I finally asked.
“That was definitely a bonus, but no. I asked for the keys so I could keep the store open while you were gone.”
“But I had Candace put a sign on the door! She told me she did it. She even texted me a picture!”
He just smiled.
“She was in on this too, wasn’t she?”
Now I knew why she’d sounded so funny on the phone. She was covering for him and doing a piss-poor job of it too.
“Yes,” he replied. “I wanted to make sure it was taken care of while you were away. We both did.”
Something clicked together in my brain at that moment. “Wait, are you saying we’ve been open this entire time?”
“Except for the time it took for your mom to FedEx me keys, yes. Everyone pitched in too. It was a group effort. Your brother took care of all the financials—he’s got a bunch of really useful suggestions too, on how to cut costs and raise revenue. Candace covered shifts, and I did pretty much everything else.”
“Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed, amazed and a little speechless. “Are you kidding me?”
I mean, he had to be joking. My brother had helped out?
There was no way. But as I began to look around, I noticed the differences. Several items were missing, including most of Candace’s mugs and koozies. They’d kept the place open. They’d taken care of me when I needed it most.
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You already have, just by being here.”
After my mom had left, I’d thought I was alone, but it seemed I’d just needed to readjust my lenses and look at life in a different way. Turned out, there had been people supporting me all along, and my future was bright.
No, not my future.
Ours.
Our future was beyond bright.
Epilogue
Five Years Later…
“And that is your grandpa, Jack Sr.,” I said, pointing to the faded picture on the wall. “He loved old movies and was the best daddy in the world.” Someone cleared their throat behind me, and as I turned, I found Sawyer standing behind us, smiling. “Well, aside from your own daddy, that is.”
Wrapping an arm around us, he gave our infant daughter a tender kiss on the forehead. “I wondered where you two had wandered off to. Jack says the dishes are done and the kids are asking to open a present before bed.”
“I’m surprised they lasted this long, to be honest.”
“Just wait.” He laughed. “In another year or two, our little Mary will be joining them.”
My chest tightened, and I took another look at the wall of family pictures in our hallway. “She would have loved this,” I said, smiling fondly as my eyes met our daughter’s namesake. Mom’s face was so bright that I could almost feel her excitement bouncing out of the frame as she stood in front of the Trevi Fountain in Italy.
“Yeah,” Sawyer agreed. “She always loved the holidays.”
The chemo had done what it was supposed to. It gave my mom what she’d wanted most—more time. In that time, she did all the things she’d wanted to do. She’d traveled, watched new grandchildren come into the world, and most of all, she’d been there to walk me down the aisle.
The thing about time though, it was never enough. An eternity with her wouldn’t have been enough as far as I was concerned. When we’d lost her ten months earlier, she’d gone with a happy heart, a full life, and a loving husband waiting for her on the other side.
I knew she was looking down on us, and I knew I’d see her again.
This wall was a testament to the love she’d given. There were family photos from long ago, and new ones were being added all the time.
She was our legacy, and I hoped, one day, I could be everything to my daughter that she had been for me.
“You ready to show Mary what this whole Christmas thing is about?”
“Absolutely.”
With one last glance at the pictures on the wall, I headed into the living room. After Sawyer had moved in, we’d made some of those changes he’d been rambling on about. Gone were the tacky cherubs on the fireplace and the worn carpet. He’d even redone the kitchen, making it the centerpiece of the home.
It had taken some convincing on my part, but after giving in to the change, I loved the results. And although the living room wasn’t quite what I had known as a child, the important thing was that we were together.
With everyone gathered around the tree, my brother sat down on the floor with his kids. All five of them.
To say he and Bethany had been busy was a total understatement. They’d worked on filling that great big house on the beach with kids, and I’d honestly never seen my brother happier. The rest of us were all taking bets on whether or not they’d go for an even half-dozen.
My money was on a sixth.
“Okay,” my brother said, trying to wrangle the kids, “I know you are anxious for presents, but I want to do something special.”
A few of the older kids lo
oked excited. Others were bummed.
Mary just sat on my lap and stared at the tree. She was easy to entertain.
For now.
“When Aunt Eloise and I were little, our mom used to do this, so I thought it would be nice to carry on that tradition now.”
My heart ached but I smiled, remembering her doing the same with us.
Opening the tattered book, he dragged his hands across the pages, as if he was gathering strength, and began reading the words from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
The kids were immediately drawn in, hanging on his every word.
“Thank you for this,” Sawyer murmured next to me.
“For what?”
His eyes roamed the house filled with people. “This,” he said. “Marriage, a home… a family.”
It was the one thing he’d always wished for. A true family, and although he’d never managed to connect with his own, he found everything he had been looking for right here in this room.
“We’ve done a good job so far, haven’t we?” I smiled, kissing the top of Mary’s round head.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I think we have.”
“That reminds me,” I whispered. “I have a present for you to open.”
“That’s funny,” he answered, “because I have one for you too.”
“I thought we agreed, no presents! Why did you get me something?”
“Why did you?” he countered.
There were many things we were good at as a couple—making cute babies, running a successful business, but gifts? Yeah, we sucked at gifts.
But I had a feeling mine was going to go over pretty damn well.
“Can I go first?” he asked.
“Now? But the kids…” I didn’t want to interrupt the story.
He looked over at our nieces and nephews, who were all mesmerized by their father’s voice. “I think we’re good. Besides, if I have to go another moment longer, I will burst.”
I knew the feeling.
“Okay,” I agreed.
Slipping out of the room, he returned moments later with a medium-sized package. It was flat and heavy. He set it down beside me as Mary’s attention diverted to the shiny wrapping paper.
“Yes, you can help.” I laughed.
She’d turn one the day after Christmas, and so far, her favorite thing about Christmas was helping me wrap.
Or unwrap, as she understood it.
Going to work, I tugged at a corner and allowed her to take over. But as she began to pull back the paper, my breath caught.
Inside was a bound book, which wasn’t really amazing by itself but the writing on the cover was.
“You printed Nana’s journal?” My hands touched the hard cover as I took it all in.
He nodded, his eyes bright. “I knew it bothered you that you never had a chance to finish it, so—”
“You typed it? All of it? That must have taken you—”
“Years,” he confirmed.
“You’ve been working on this for years?”
“I told you that typing it out would take an eternity.”
“This is too much,” I said, my voice hoarse with emotion.
“Does that mean I win the award for best husband?”
“You win that award every damn day,” I boasted, leaning forward to kiss him.
“I’m not sure how you’re going to top that.”
Smiling, I reached in my pocket and handed him an envelope. “Oh, I think you might be surprised.”
When he ripped it open, I couldn’t help but laugh. Now I knew where Mary had gotten it from.
As his eyes settled on the photo inside, I saw his eyes well up with emotion.
“Is this…” he stammered. “Are you for real?”
Jack stopped reading as all eyes turned to Sawyer.
Looking up at me, he grinned. “Twins?”
“Hope you’re ready.”
“We’re having twins!” he shouted, making the entire room explode with cheer.
I’d once questioned my decision to follow my heart.
Seeing him so happy, knowing the kind of father and husband he’d become, I couldn’t help but remember the journey it’d taken for us to get here.
Heartache and loss. Growth and renewal.
It had been worth it.
We would always be worth it.
Thank you for reading The Affair! If you loved this emotionally driven story, you’ll love Within These Walls.
Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary and my strength.
Born with a severe heart defect, I’ve seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom. I was a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared. But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?
One-Click Within These Walls Now!
And don’t miss the small town romance, The Choices I’ve Made, set along the shores of North Carolina—it’s sure to have you dreaming of sand, surf and swoony book boyfriends in no time!
Also, check out When You’re Ready, an emotional, second chance romance about a widowed young mother who finds love with an ER doctor intent on mending her broken heart.
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Turn the page for an excerpt of Within These Walls…
Within These Walls
Chapter One
Beep, beep, beep…
Ever so slowly, I began to register my surroundings. My ears kicked in first as my sluggish, tired body came awake. I heard the sound of the pulse oximetry monitor as it beeped away in the background, tugging me out of dreamland. Like most days, before I even managed to crack open my eyelids, I’d take account of my surroundings, listening to the world around me and mentally checking off the things I could hear to determine where I was.
Someone wheeled a rickety cart down the hallway, its wheels spinning and squeaking, as she pushed it to its final destination. Across the hall, someone chatted outside a room. Close to me, the ever-present sounds of the equipment beeped and buzzed while monitoring my oxygen and heart rhythm.
All these sounds together could only mean one thing.
I was in the hospital—still.
Most kids had a favorite grandmother’s house, or a special friend they couldn’t get enough of—I had Memorial Regional. It had been my home away from home since I was an infant.
It was definitely not the same.
Home was quiet and warm.
The hospital bustled with noise at every God-given hour of the day, regardless of whether the sun or the moon was currently occupying the sky.
Staying here also felt like spending a night in a meat locker. I’d learned through my many years here that heat bred infection, which is why nurses buried patients in blankets rather than cranked up the furnace. Standing barely five and a half feet on my tiptoes, I weighed a little over a hundred pounds. No amounts of blankets could ever keep me warm. I seriously loved heaters.
I rubbed my chest as I took a labored breath though my lungs. It crackled slightly as I exhaled. Biting down on my lip, I tried to ignore it, focusing on my one and only goal for the day.
Going home today. I’m going home today, I chanted.
My eyelids reluctantly lifted, my vision blurry at first until the room came into view. Nothing had changed since I fell asleep last night. I saw the same boring, lackluster eggshell-colored walls and the same white board listing my nurse on shift with a little happy face drawn next to her name.
Grace was working this morning. She was young, around my age, and she’d just recently graduated with her nursing degree. She loved happy faces, hearts, and anything else she could draw with a dry-erase marker. She reminded me of a Disney prin
cess. Even in scrubs, she was over-the-top girlie. I swore, one of these days, she was going to break out into song, summon an entire forest full of small animals, and perform a musical, complete with dancing squirrels and singing larks.
But all that would have to wait for another day because I was leaving—today.
What was supposed to be an in-and-out routine procedure had turned out to be another prolonged hospital stay. I was more than ready to get home to my own bed. I hated hospital beds. They were uncomfortable, hard, and never felt right.
Seriously, who makes these things? Do they actually test the beds out? I know the beds are supposed to be functional, but really, they could add some padding.
I’d arrived at the hospital two weeks ago, expecting to stay a couple of days, to switch out the battery in my pacemaker, but as always, things hadn’t gone as planned, and I’d ended up in the hospital—again.
Story of my life.
But not today. Today, I was free—well, as free as my life would allow.
I was born with a heart defect. Basically, my heart was larger than it was supposed to be. It made breathing and mostly everything else difficult because my heart had to work ten times harder than normal. In a nutshell, this little defect controlled my entire life.
It was also slowly killing me, which was why I couldn’t wait to break free of this prison. When you were living your life on borrowed time, every second you had to spend watching the days pass by through a hospital room window was one moment less you had to be doing something meaningful.
In my sheltered life, my idea of meaningful might be defined as something completely lackluster and conventional, but at least it wouldn’t be spent here.
I slowly exhaled another wheezy breath out through my mouth at the exact moment Grace decided to walk through the door.
“Good morning!” she nearly sang.
She gave me her dazzling white smile that was entirely too perky for the ungodly early hour. Her dark curls bobbed behind her as she bounced over to the computer terminal and began her morning ritual.
