by Sandi Lynn
A moment later, he walked over to me with his hand behind his back.
“These are for you.”
I smiled as I took the beautiful bouquet of white flowers from him and brought them up to my nose.
“Star of Bethlehem.” I grinned. “Where on earth did you get these? They’re very hard to find.”
“It was tricky.” He winked. “Do you know what they symbolize?”
“They’re an ‘I’m sorry’ flower.”
“Not only that, but they also represent a redo and ask for a chance to right a wrong. That’s what I’m asking you for, Zoey. Give me another chance. Let me make right everything I’ve done wrong. When I told you back in Seattle that we weren’t good together, I was lying. I know deep down in my heart, we can be amazing together. That’s if you’ll let me show you.”
As I sat there and stared at him, I couldn’t help but smile. He was so handsome and every last bit of darkness that he had been shrouded in for the past five years had disappeared. I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck, brushing my lips softly against his.
“You don’t have to show me. I already know we will be.”
He let out a breath.
“Thank you.” He hugged me tight and I closed my eyes.
A moment later, I opened them, and standing in front of me were Angelique and Nora, holding hands and smiling.
“They’re here,” I whispered in his ear.
“Where?” he asked as he broke our embrace.
“Behind you. Umm, you didn’t go to Hawaii?” I asked.
“Oh. Well, no. I already apologized to Nora about that and told her I wasn’t going alone. So you need to repack because we’re going to Hawaii together, like planned, to scatter the last of her ashes.” He smirked.
“That won’t be a problem because I haven’t even unpacked yet.” I laughed.
“Let’s drive to your house and pick up your suitcase. You can spend the night here and we’ll leave tomorrow. I have the private jet on standby. Wait, Sadie made dinner. Why don’t you call John and Scott and have them come over for dinner? That way, they can bring your suitcase and I can get to know them better.”
“Sounds like fun. I’ll call them right now.”
I went to the foyer, grabbed my phone from my purse, and called my dad, John, who was happy to hear what I told him.
“He said he and Scott will be here within the hour.” I smiled as I walked over to Carter.
He reached down and scooped me up in his arms.
“Good. That gives me just enough time to make love to you.” He grinned.
Carter
I hired a tour guide to take Zoey and me to Sweetheart Rock to scatter the last of Nora’s ashes.
“I’m a little surprised as to why your sister would want her ashes scattered here, Mr. Grayson,” Ano, our guide spoke.
“Why?”
“You’ve never heard the legend?”
“No. I can’t say that I have.”
“I haven’t either,” Zoey spoke.
“It’s a story about a warrior and the beautiful princess he was going to marry. The warrior was so in love with his princess that he was afraid other men would be taken by her beauty, so he hid her away in that sea cave right over there.” He pointed. “Then one day, a Kona storm came through and the princess drowned. The warrior took her body and buried her where the top of that rock is over there. Because he was so heartbroken and grief stricken, he took his own life by jumping from the top of the rock.”
“Wow,” Zoey spoke. “How tragic.”
“I’ll leave the two of you alone for a while. When you’re ready to head back, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Ano,” I spoke and then glanced over at Zoey. “You don’t by any chance see the warrior and his princess around here, do you?”
“No.” She laughed.
“I now know why Nora wanted her ashes scattered here.”
“Why?” Zoey asked.
“Because of my father. He was so heartbroken after my mother died.”
She placed her arm around me and laid her head on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Carter.”
“Let’s get these ashes scattered. Shall we?”
I took off my shirt and Zoey slipped out of her shorts and tank top that was covering up her bathing suit. I grabbed her hand and we walked into the water. It wasn’t possible to swim to the rock, so I turned the box over and let her ashes out into the water. We stood there and watched them drift away from us and towards the rock.
“She’s here,” Zoey spoke. “She’s standing on top of the rock.”
“I really hate that I can’t see her.”
“Close your eyes, Carter. You’ll feel her presence.”
“Goodbye, Nora. May you rest in peace,” I spoke.
We got out of the water, grabbed our towels, and laid them down in the sand. I glanced over at Zoey and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear while I smiled at her.
“What?” She smiled back.
“Is it too early in our relationship to tell you that I’m in love with you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I won’t scare you off or anything?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should try telling me and see what happens.”
“I love you, Zoey.” I ran my fingers through her hair.
“I love you too, Carter.” She brought her hand up to my face.
My smile widened as I leaned in and softly brushed my lips against hers.
Chapter 38
Zoey
Carter and I spent two full weeks in Hawaii. We didn’t plan on staying that long, but we were having so much fun, we decided to stay. We went from island to island, stayed at various high-end hotels, went on an open-door volcano helicopter ride, swam with the dolphins, went snorkeling, visited some art galleries and museums, went on a sunset dinner cruise, attempted to surf, shopped, and spent quality time on the beautiful beaches. But nothing was better than all the sex we had. It was the trip of a lifetime and I had never been so happy.
It was our last morning in Hawaii and we were lying in bed, our bodies snuggled against each other’s.
“I’m thinking about moving,” he spoke.
I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him.
“What? Why?”
“I think it’s time for a change. A new start in a new place.” He smiled.
“Where are you moving to?”
“Same area. Different building. I have options.”
“You mean you have buildings you already own.” I grinned.
“That too.” He smirked. “There’s only one problem.”
“What?”
“I want someone to move in with me, but I’m not sure if she wants to.”
“Well, the only way you’ll find out is if you ask that someone.”
“And what if she says no?”
“What if she says yes?” I smiled.
“Okay, here it goes. Will you move in with me, Zoey?”
“Yes. I would love to move in with you, Carter.”
A wide grin crossed his lips.
“Do you know how happy that makes me that you said yes?”
“Do you know how happy that makes me that you asked?”
“I guess we’re just two happy people, aren’t we?” He grinned.
“Yes, we are.”
He rolled me over on my back and hovered over me.
“I love you,” he spoke.
“I love you too.”
Two Weeks Later
When Carter Grayson decided he wanted something, he didn’t wait. The minute we landed in New York, he took me over to look at the penthouse we’d be living in. Needless to say, I fell in love with it the moment I stepped inside the six-bedroom, six-bathroom beauty. Because he decided to sell his other penthouse fully furnished, we spent the last two weeks shopping every day for furniture for every room in the house.
While the moving company was at our new home unpack
ing all the kitchen stuff and putting it away, Sadie kept a very close eye on them, directing them to where she wanted everything to go. I could hear my phone ringing from the other room, and when I picked it up, I saw it was Holly calling.
“Hello.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Just getting settled into the new penthouse. What are you doing?”
“Standing at your elevator waiting to come up.”
“Oh my God! Come up! I can’t wait for you to see it.”
I stood in front of the elevator doors, and when they opened, I gave Holly a big hug. I hadn’t seen her in a while with all the craziness.
“What the hell, Zoey? This is gorgeous!” she spoke as she looked around.
I gave her the grand tour and Sadie made us each a cup of coffee. Taking it over to the couch, we sat down.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I smiled at her.
“I’ve missed you too. I have some great news to tell you.”
“What?”
“I’m moving to the city and I’m opening up my own hair salon and spa!” she screeched with excitement.
I bounced up and down on the couch as I reached over and hugged her.
“Where are you moving and where is your shop going to be?”
“Well.” She grinned. “The shop is located at East 34th Street and I’m moving into this building in an apartment on the fourth floor! I’ve been in cahoots with your amazing boyfriend. He happens to own the building over on East 34th and he’s giving me a super low rent deal on an apartment here. I take back every bad thing I ever said about him.” She laughed.
“What? When did this happen?”
About a week ago. I ran into him on the street, we got to talking, and he made it happen.”
“That’s right. I remember him telling me he ran into you. But he didn’t tell me about anything else.”
“That’s because I wanted it to be a surprise, sweetheart.” Carter grinned as he walked over and kissed me. “Hello, Holly.”
“Hey, Carter.”
“Carter, thank you.” I stood up and hugged him.
“The two of you are soul sisters and you shouldn’t be living far apart. Plus, Holly told me she wanted to open her own shop one day and I just happened to have the perfect building. You can properly thank me later.” He winked before kissing my lips. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make sure my office here is set up.”
“I can’t believe the change in him,” Holly spoke. “You did real good, Zoey.”
“I believe it. He just needed to accept a few things.” I smiled.
Chapter 39
Carter
We lay in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms after making passionate love on our first night in our new home in our new bed. A bed that I would only ever share with her. Something had been gnawing at me for the past couple of weeks and I didn’t know how to approach her about it. But, I just decided I needed to get it over with.
“There’s something we need to talk about, Zoey. Something that’s been on my mind for a while.”
She lifted her head from my chest and stared up at me.
“What is it? It sounds serious.”
I took in a deep breath.
“Have you given any thought about your job? I mean, I know you’ve taken a lot of time off since everything that’s happened, and now that we’re settled in here, I just was wondering what you’re going to do. I’m not thrilled with you having to leave and live somewhere else while you take care of your patients.”
“I know.” She pressed her lips against my chest. “I’d been thinking about that also. I love my job, but things are different now. I still want to be a hospice nurse, so I’m going to have to figure things out. Meanwhile, I have enough money saved that I can take off some more time to figure it out.”
“Money will never be an issue for you again. So, don’t worry about that. I have all the money you need.”
“Thank you, my love. But I would like to earn my own money.”
“I understand that. You are a very independent woman.” I kissed her head.
I silently let out a sigh of relief. She was on the same page I was and I couldn’t be happier. While she was figuring out what she wanted to do, I was working out an idea in my head. But I didn’t want to mention it to her until I planned to put things in motion.
Three Weeks Later
“It’s good to see you so happy again, Carter,” Ross spoke as he sat across from me.
“Thanks, man. I am happy and it feels really good.”
“How’s that deal coming along?”
“It’s done. I got the call this morning. I can’t wait to run it by Zoey.”
“And what if she’s not too keen about it?”
“I think she will be. But if she isn’t, then I’ll sell the building.”
“You’ll take a huge loss. You paid a pretty penny for that.”
“I’m not worried about it. If I take a loss, I take a loss. I’m pretty confident that everything will work out. In fact, I’m going to pick up the keys now and then I’m going to call Zoey.”
Zoey
I was helping Holly at her new shop when my phone rang.
“Hey, baby,” I answered.
“Hello, gorgeous. What are doing right now?”
“Helping Holly at the shop. What are you doing?”
“Hoping you’ll meet me somewhere. Is there any way you can escape for a while?”
“Sure. Where do you want to meet?”
“854 Fifth Avenue. Just let me know when you’re on your way.”
“I can meet you there in about fifteen minutes. May I ask why we’re meeting there?”
“You’ll see when you get here. I love you, darling.”
“I love you too. See you soon.”
“I sure hope that was Carter you were talking to.” Holly smirked.
“Of course it was.” I laughed. “I have to meet him at 854 Fifth Avenue, so I’m going to take off. I can come back after?”
“Nah. That’s okay. I’m doing interviews for the rest of the afternoon. Go meet your man and have some fun.”
When I walked out of Holly’s shop, I saw Juan standing in front of the car.
“Hello, Zoey. Mr. Grayson sent me to get you.”
“I just got off the phone with him. How did you get here so fast?” I asked as I climbed in the back.
“I was just around the corner having lunch.”
Juan pulled up to the curb of 854 Fifth Avenue and I saw Carter standing there waiting for me. He walked over and opened the door.
“Hello, love.” He smiled as he kissed my lips.
“Hi. What are we doing here?” I asked as I stared at the mansion before me.
“Come inside. I want you to see it.” He took my hand.
“Carter, you’re not thinking about moving again, are you? Because—”
He let out a chuckle. “No. We are not moving again. I’ll explain everything once we step inside.”
“Wow. Wow. Wow. This is gorgeous. On second thought, if you really wanted to move…” I grinned at him.
“First of all, this place is way too big, and second of all, Sadie would quit. Anyway, this is something I’ve been working on since we had our talk about your job three weeks ago.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I bought this building with the hopes of turning it into a hospice care home.”
“What?” I turned and looked at him with a shocked expression.
He placed his hands on my shoulders, and with a smile, he spoke, “Listen, sweetheart, I know how much your job means to you, so I want to turn this into a hospice care home and I want you to run it. In fact, the whole thing is yours.”
I placed my hand over my mouth in disbelief. “Carter, oh my God, I can’t believe you did this.”
“Did I do a bad thing?” He cocked his head.
“No.” I smiled as I reached up and kissed him. “You did a wonderful thing.”
Tears began streaming down my face.
“Why are you crying, sweetheart?”
“I’m just so happy.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into an embrace.
“So it’s a yes?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s a yes! Thank you so much.”
“Excellent.” He smiled. “Come on, I’ll show you around. It has fifteen bedrooms and three elevators, so we don’t have to worry about the stairs for the patients. The one thing we will need to do is put a ramp outside, which won’t be an issue. We can go over all the other details later. I just wanted you to see it first and hopefully approve of it.”
“Of course I approve of it. But if I’m going to run this place, I’m going to need a partner or someone to help me run it.”
“I have someone in mind.” He winked. “You know what the best part of this place is?”
“What?” I asked.
“It’s only four minutes from home. So, if an emergency arises, you’ll be close by.”
“Carter, I love you so much.” I threw my arms around him.
“I know you do and I love you so much.” He brushed his lips against mine. “By the way, we’re having dinner with your dads tonight at Per Se at seven o’clock.”
“Why do you know this and I don’t?” I arched my brow at him.
“Because I’m the one who called and invited them.” He grinned.
Chapter 40
Zoey
With Carter’s help and connections, we started renovating the twenty-thousand-square-foot mansion. It would be at least six to nine months before it was completed and then we’d be ready to open the doors. Two exciting things happened that night Carter and I met with my dads for dinner. The first thing was, they were moving to the city in the same building as me and Carter. They bought a beautiful two-bedroom apartment on the tenth floor. Of course, it was Carter’s idea and he gave them a deal they couldn’t refuse. My dad John quit his job at the hospital in Connecticut when Presbyterian Hospital offered him a full-time position he couldn’t refuse. My dad Scott decided to retire as a fireman and offered to come and help me run the hospice center. He was the person Carter had in mind and had previously spoken to him about it after learning that he wanted to retire.
