“I look forward to the day when I come home from work,” he continued, “and you’re there to listen to my day and to share yours with me. My children and grandchildren are eager to meet you. You’ve already met Misty. I’m pleased that you’re about to become a grandma yourself. It’s a joy that you’ll find hard to compare to anything else.”
With my arms around his middle, I hugged him. “Tell you what,” I said, “I’m happy to follow this road wherever it may take us, and I know where it’s headed—to a life together. But there’s just one small concern,” I added.
“Which is?”
“I still need to go to Paris, though who knows when it will happen at this point. Jenna and I have been planning this trip since we were teenagers. I can’t disappoint her.”
“Paris,” he repeated.
“You’ve been?”
“Never.”
“I’ll tell you all about it when we return,” I promised.
“You do that,” he said, and, pulling me back into his arms, he picked up where we’d left off minutes earlier, bringing his lips back to mine.
CHAPTER 36
Jenna
Rowan had suggested we meet in a bar close to the hospital. I knew a few of the staff frequented it. The location didn’t matter to me. Being with Rowan did.
He was sitting at a table when I arrived, and stood as I approached. He held out his hands to me and I gripped them in my own. Leaning forward, Rowan kissed my cheek.
We sat next to each other, and Rowan again reached for my hand. He waited for me to speak. I wasn’t sure where to start, and then remembered Allie’s advice to begin at the beginning. So simple. So smart.
“I met with Mackensie this morning. She had a lot to say about what it was like growing up with her mother.”
Rowan nodded. I wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. “I was foolish. You tried to tell me, and I refused to listen. I’m sorry, Rowan. I was wrong for not giving you a chance to explain. I’m embarrassed at what I’ve put us through because of it. I hope you will forgive me.”
His gentle smile was the sweetest I’d ever seen. “You have no idea how much I love you. I can forgive you most anything, only promise me you won’t ever date Rich Gardner again. I don’t think my heart could take that.”
“You were jealous?”
“Insanely so.”
I would have felt the same if I’d seen him with another woman that night. “You have no worries. You’re the only one I want.”
“We’re good, then?” Rowan asked.
“More than good,” I assured him. This was Rowan. He didn’t use flowery language, didn’t declare his undying love on a funeral pyre. He simply asked if we were ready to put the past behind us and move forward.
He lifted my hand and pressed his lips against the back of it. “I love you, Jenna.”
“I know, and I love you back.”
“Now that this is settled, can you explain to me what exactly a green light means?”
“You know about red light/green light? Who told you?”
“Allie.”
I should’ve known. I was about to explain when Rowan looked past me to a well-dressed man who appeared to take the dress-for-success mentality to heart.
Rowan stood and extended his hand to the other man, who shook it. I had to assume the other man was a colleague.
“Bill Janacek, this is Jenna Boltz. Jenna, Bill.
“I hope you don’t mind, Jenna. I asked Bill to meet with us this afternoon.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I replied, but I was curious.
We exchanged small talk, and I could see why Rowan and Bill were friends. Bill didn’t look to be more than thirty-five years old, if that. He was charismatic and likeable. In many ways he reminded me of my own son. We talked for a while, exchanging pleasantries. Both men had mixed drinks, while I asked for coffee. I’d already had one glass of wine and didn’t want to drive home with two in my system.
“So, how long have you known Rowan?” I asked Bill.
“Not long.”
This must be a new friendship. “Are you in the medical field?”
“No,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “I own and operate five restaurants in Washington state.”
“Five,” I repeated. That was impressive, especially for someone so young.
“When I first got into the restaurant business, I was wet behind the ears and didn’t have a dime. The man who became my mentor saw potential in me and trained me. Later, when he felt I was ready, he loaned me the money for my first restaurant. When it was successful, I paid him off and purchased a second. It’s grown from there, as I’ve added a new restaurant almost every other year since.”
“That’s amazing.” I began to sense there was more to this meeting than Rowan introducing me to a newfound friend. “And you’re in town because…?” I asked.
“I’m here for a number of reasons, but mostly to check into purchasing another restaurant.”
I glanced over to Rowan, who had remained quiet while Bill and I conversed.
“I was barely twenty when Walter, my mentor, saw that I had an entrepreneurial spirit. He’s done this with other college students before and after me. He’s rarely wrong about those he chooses to mentor.”
I stiffened. “Walter’s last name wouldn’t happen to be Owen, would it?”
Bill grinned and glanced at Rowan. “I wondered how long it would take her to catch on.”
“You set this up?” I asked Rowan, unsure how I felt about him interfering.
“No, Mom, I did.” Without me knowing, Paul had come into the bar and stood behind me. “I asked Rowan if he’d be willing to help me, and he agreed. If you’re going to be upset, be upset with me.”
“Paul.” I was so grateful to see my son that I leaped up from the chair and grabbed hold of him in an uncomfortably tight hug. It felt as if my heart was about to burst wide open.
When we broke apart, I wiped tears from my eyes. Paul joined the three of us, claiming the fourth chair. “Rowan reached out when he heard what happened between us,” Paul explained.
Rowan took hold of my hand again, and I squeezed his. I found it hard to believe he’d done this for me. My gratitude made it difficult to take my eyes away from him.
“I couldn’t bear to see you heartbroken,” Rowan explained, “not if I could find a way to make things better.”
Paul picked up the conversation. “I only knew of Rowan through Allie, and, to be honest, I wasn’t that thrilled about talking over family problems with him.”
“But you did.”
“He didn’t give me any choice. He drove to Pullman and confronted me.”
My head swiveled back to Rowan. “You drove to Pullman?”
He shrugged, as if the ten-hour round-trip drive was a small thing. Then I turned to Paul.
“And you listened?”
“Yes, because he had an idea that he felt would help you understand my position.”
“This man,” I said, and looked pointedly in Bill’s direction.
“Yes.” Again, he agreed. “Rowan and I had a good, long discussion. I expected him to argue your case, to try to convince me to return to college. I wasn’t too thrilled to be talking to him, until I realized that he wasn’t trying to influence me in any way. He only asked for the details of what had led to my decision.”
Details. I’d neglected to ask Paul for those before rushing to judgment. All I heard was that Paul was no longer in school, that he had misled me for months. My willingness to listen had shut down after those two facts.
Rowan added, “Paul managed to convince me that Walter Owen was offering him a great opportunity, one where he was going to have to work hard if he was going to succeed. From everything I’ve seen so far, Paul has what it takes to make a go
of this, Jenna.”
“Rowan did a bunch of research on Mr. Owen, too,” Paul added.
“This is where I come into the picture,” Bill interjected. “I had met Paul through Walter, and Paul asked me to meet you. Rowan arranged the rest.”
All this information was overwhelming.
“So, Mom, what do you think? I’m working my way from the bottom up in the restaurant business with on-the-job training. Mr. Owen has great hope for me. The bottom line is that I love every minute of it. It’s more than waiting on tables. It’s about managing people, meeting customer expectations, and food costs…keeping employees satisfied at work, creating a great dining experience for the customers…I’m dedicating myself to something far beyond a simple job. I want to make it a career, and I know I have what it takes to be an owner and to be successful at it. And yes, I’ll enroll for classes next semester and change my major to hospitality. Rowan convinced me that it was the right thing to do.”
My throat was tight as I smiled at my son.
“Mom, can you forgive me for not letting you know what was happening in my life?”
I nodded. “I think you’re onto something, Paul.”
His smile was gargantuan. “I had a feeling that once you heard the details, you’d see things my way. I wanted to explain all this when I came home the last time, but we got into it and lost our tempers.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I should have been willing to listen.”
Bill looked at the time. “Sorry to break up this lovefest, but I need to leave now if I’m going to make my next appointment.”
“Mom, if you don’t mind, I’d like to accompany Bill as he checks out his new investment opportunity. I’ll be learning something new.”
“Of course,” I said, hugging him again.
“I’ll be by the house later. Oh, and Allie is stopping by. I thought it would be great if the three of us had some time together.” He hesitated and looked to Rowan. “That is, unless you’d care to join us and make it four, Rowan.”
“Another time,” Rowan said.
Paul left with Bill. Rowan didn’t say anything, so I spoke first. “You did this for me?”
“It’s the kind of thing someone does for a person they love, Jenna.”
His eyes met mine, and it felt as if my heart was in a vise. I was so in love with this man.
CHAPTER 37
Jenna
“What’s the matter?” Rowan asked, giving me an odd look.
I stared back at him blankly. After Bill and Paul had left the bar, Rowan and I stayed behind. I reached for my coffee, which had cooled considerably, and took a swallow, needing to lubricate my throat. A hundred different emotions came flying at me from as many directions. I found it difficult to breathe, and knew I needed to get away and process everything. My emotions had been on a trampoline, bouncing up and then down, only to be repeated.
“You look like something is troubling you. Is it Paul?” He didn’t wait for my response. “I’d hoped this meeting would reassure you.”
“It has,” I said. “Very much so. I feel worlds better about Paul and his decision, and that he’s agreed to return to school and switch his major.”
“Then what is it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this intense.”
It took everything I had in me to attempt a weak smile. Leaping up from the overstuffed chair like a jack-in-the-box, I grabbed my coat and purse. “I…I need time to think.” Not bothering to explain further, I headed for the exit.
I should have known Rowan wouldn’t leave it at that. He followed me out the door. “Jenna, hold up. What is it? Talk to me.”
I shook my head, afraid that if I tried to speak, I’d do something silly like burst into tears, which would be even harder to explain. This moment at the restaurant had somehow brought it front and center that we were meant for each other. Although Rowan had felt this much earlier on in our relationship, it now hit me square in the chest, terrifying me. I longed to run and hide, to bury my head in the sand.
Sleep. That was what I needed most right now. Sleep. It’d been several nights since I’d had a decent night’s rest. These thoughts ran in my head. My window on the bay was beckoning to me.
“I thought you’d be happy,” Rowan said, matching his steps to mine as I headed down the sidewalk. My steps were rushed.
“I am happy,” I said, and to my embarrassment, a sob erupted at the tail end of the sentence.
We reached the corner of the sidewalk. Pausing, I looked at Rowan, whose face was a blur from the tears floating in my eyes. His features swam before me in undulating waves. “I need time alone,” I pleaded, wanting nothing more than to sort through the tangled messages floating around inside my head.
Rowan silently agreed, turned back and headed to the bar. Disappointment, or it might have been sadness, radiated from him. I stood in the fading light of the afternoon, frozen, and watched him go.
I loved this man, and it’d hit me like a wrecking ball that true love isn’t static—it must grow or it will die. Our future was staring me in the face and I didn’t have a clue where it would take us, but I had to trust.
Before I could stop myself, I hurried after him, calling his name. “Rowan, wait up!”
He turned around, his look curious. He stood outside the entrance of the bar while I retraced my steps.
I was breathless by the time I joined him. Breathless and uncertain of how to explain myself.
“Thank you for what you did for Paul and me.”
“You’ve already thanked me, Jenna.”
I kept my focus on my feet. “Would you mind walking with me?”
“Okay.”
I linked my arm through his elbow and moved close to him. Our steps matched as we continued slowly down the sidewalk, neither of us speaking.
Rowan broke the silence. “What’s going on inside that beautiful mind of yours?”
I felt self-conscious and less inclined to talk now that I was by his side. I basked in the comfort he offered, the breeze buffeting against him as he protected me from the chill it brought. “Everything hit at once today: talking with Mackensie and Allie, comforting Maureen, meeting with Paul, and acknowledging in my heart and mind that I’ve fallen in love with you. It’s more than I can absorb in a short amount of time. All these emotions are rushing at me and I don’t know how to deal with them.” I probably sounded like an overacting drama student, but I couldn’t help myself.
For the longest time he said nothing.
“I can understand why.”
This sounded just like the Rowan that I’d come to know and love. He was incredibly patient, insightful, and warm.
“You’ve been through a lot in a short amount of time.”
As I was no longer worried that he saw me as a basket case, I quickly added, “And then there’s Allie, who doesn’t like my new dishes and…and she doesn’t want me to make Paul’s room into a guest room. I…”
Turning me in his arms, Rowan smiled broadly and kissed me. I wouldn’t have considered this a kissable moment, with my nose threatening to run and me babbling nonsense.
“I think I fell in love with you the first time you kissed me, or the second.”
“You kissed me,” he insisted.
“I beg to differ. You initiated that first kiss.”
“Okay, I’ll admit it. You’re right,” he agreed reluctantly.
“This may be one of the first times in my life I’ve heard a man admit that he was wrong and I was right.”
I didn’t know where we were headed, walking against the wind with the light fading as dusk settled in. What hit me was the peace I felt being with Rowan. It was hard to understand why I had wanted to run away only minutes earlier. He completed me, and I realized the most natural place in the world for me was at his side.
“You’ve gro
wn quiet,” Rowan noticed.
“Most men would appreciate the silence.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t fit into the typical ‘man mold.’ ”
“In that case, I’ll count my blessings.”
His hand covered mine. “Want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
“Well, mostly I was mulling over what my coworkers are going to say at the hospital.”
“Do you honestly think anyone will be surprised how we feel about each other?” Rowan asked, grinning with the question.
“Probably not. I’m certain the gossip has made its rounds. If anything, I’m going to be eating a lot of crow. Especially after all the times I emphatically insisted that none of it was true.”
Rowan chuckled. He sighed and asked, “So how do you feel about asking Allie and Mackensie to be sisters?”
We were nearly to Pike Place Market, the lights from the waterfront shining before us. I had to stop and think about what he was asking me. When it hit me, my eyes widened. No fancy words of romance or undying talk about love. Just a simple question.
“Rowan Lancaster, is this a roundabout way of proposing to me?”
“Yup.”
“Allie would love it. She and Mackensie get along great. They will keep each other in line. How do you feel about being a surrogate dad to mine?” I asked, turning the tables on him.
“Confident. I’ve already asked Paul for your hand in marriage. He asked a few hard questions, but he’s happy for us.”
“You talked to Paul already? You were that confident?”
“No, just hopeful.”
“What about Allie?”
“Not yet. I will as soon as you agree that we belong together.”
I didn’t need to be convinced. Joy simmered up inside me like tiny champagne bubbles.
“I’ve always been fond of holiday weddings,” Rowan said.
“Me, too. Just as long as you know in advance that I’ve got plans to fly to Paris with Maureen, and I’m thinking we’re going sooner rather than later.”
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