“But you still got kidnapped and held hostage and…” She shook her head, still trying to process things. “I mean, I’ve always known you were tougher than most. But when I asked you to find out about his brother, this wasn’t what I meant.”
I allowed myself the first small smile of the day, Maggie’s way of making things lighter reminding me of why I’d wanted her to come over.
I poured us a couple of mugs of tea and sat down next to her on the couch.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do now.”
“Well, Caleb’s a crook. And he lied to you this entire time.”
“He didn’t lie about everything.”
“Oh, only about his job and his apartment and stuff. You know, minor details.”
“But he told me he loved me, and I know that wasn’t a lie.”
“That’s great, don’t get me wrong. But you think love’s enough to make this all okay?”
“He said he wanted to start a new life with me. And when Billy tried to get him to go along with his plan, he didn’t consider it for a second.”
“Okay, so you know he’s not a psycho kidnapper. That’s something, at least. But how do you know he’s not still lying or keeping things from you?”
“I guess I don’t. I’ve got no option but to trust him.”
“Or, you’ve got another option—call the cops and have him and his brother thrown in jail. Then tell your parents what happened.” There was an intensity to her words, but it faded as soon as she spoke them. “But I know you’re not going to do that. And I know that if I were in your shoes, I probably wouldn’t be doing it either.”
Another small smile formed on my lips. “It’s the logical thing to do, but now that I’m in love, I’m starting to understand that there’s nothing logical about it at all.”
Maggie grinned. “You’re right about that. Remember that bassist I dated? The one who’d cheated on every girlfriend he’d ever had?”
“And then you fell in love with him.”
“And then I fell in love with him. And I was totally convinced it was going to be different with me, that I’d be the one to make him change his ways. Right up until I walked in on him backstage with a pair of groupies.”
I nodded solemnly. “What if that’s what’s happening to me? What if Caleb’s just going to go back to his old ways?”
“You don’t know for sure. But if he had the chance to work with his brother on that insane kidnapping stunt and didn’t… I think that’s probably a good sign.” Her eyes flashed, something occurring to her. “And you know what one of the big differences is?”
“What’s that?”
“He said he wants to change. You can’t change a man—I learned that the hard way. But if someone’s truly, really committed to changing…it might actually happen. After all, you want to change too, right? You want to go from being the spoiled daughter of rich parents to a tough-as-nails independent woman who takes what she wants and doesn’t give a damn about what anyone has to say about it.”
Her words felt good to hear, and they were right. Was it unreasonable for me to think Caleb couldn’t change if I was trying to do the same thing?
“But this is your call, sweetie,” Maggie continued. “You’ve got to figure out what’s right for you. I can tell you one thing, and your parents could tell you another—and I could guess what that might be. But at the end of the day, you’re the one who wanted to make her own decisions. There’s no right answer—and that’s the hardest part.”
I nodded. “So basically, I risk losing the only man I’ve ever loved, or I risk taking him back and having him break my heart.”
“That’s love for you—no one said it was easy. You take a chance or you play it safe. And there’s no one around to tell you the right answer. But I can say, there’s no worse feeling in the world than regret. Take that for what it’s worth.”
Her phone lit up, and Maggie’s eyes went wide as she realized who it was.
“Shit, it’s the client I’m canceling on to meet with you. I’m going to take this in the other room. Think about what I said, okay?”
“I will.”
She answered and was gone, thoughts whirling around in my head as soon as I was alone again.
I had no idea what to do. Everything was in limbo, waiting for me to decide.
I thought of Caleb, how I’d felt when he’d told me he loved me.
Then I picked up my phone and pulled up his number.
For the first time in my life, I was certain.
Chapter 22
Caleb
I stood in front of the call button for Sierra’s apartment, knowing one single press of the button in front of me would decide my future.
Thirty seconds earlier, she had texted me that she was ready to talk. Little had she known that I’d been pacing on the sidewalk by her apartment when I’d received her message. I hadn’t been able to sit around not knowing what would happen between me and the only woman I’d ever loved.
Nothing else to do. I pressed it.
“Hello?” The sound of her voice on the other end was about the sweetest thing I could’ve imagined.
“It’s me.”
Silence. I knew there was a chance she’d have changed her mind already and would tell me to screw off.
“One sec.”
The line went dead, and the door clicked open.
Relief overtook me. I had no idea what she was going to say, how our conversation would go, but at least she was giving me a chance.
I hurried through the lobby and to the elevator. And as it rose my heart raced, my palms sweaty. I’d pulled off countless cons in my day, but none of them had ever made me more nervous than how I felt there in the elevator on my way up to Sierra’s apartment.
The doors opened and I hurried over to her place, knocking on the door when I arrived. Almost immediately the door opened slightly, and she peered at me through the crack with those gorgeous blue eyes of hers.
“Hey,” she said, her voice soft. “Come on in.”
Sierra opened the door. Once it was open, I spotted a woman on her couch, a pretty girl in stylish clothes, her age looking to be about the same as Sierra’s. Her eyes went wide when she saw me.
“Holy shit,” she said. “Is this him?”
Sierra smiled at me. “Your reputation precedes you.”
“I’d ask if it was a good kind of preceding, but…”
The woman sprung from the couch and hurried over to me. “Hi,” she said, sticking out her hand. “I’m Maggie, Sierra’s best friend.”
“Caleb,” I said, taking her hand and shaking it. “Good to meet you, Maggie.”
“Wow,” said Maggie, her voice low but not low enough that I couldn’t hear it. “You said he was handsome, but…damn.”
Sierra blushed. “Mind if we…?”
“Oh, sure, sure,” said Maggie. “I’ll be around if you need me.”
She sidled past Sierra and then past me. “Nice meeting you, man of mystery.”
I laughed. “Likewise.”
She went down the hall and into the elevator and was gone.
Then it was just Sierra and me.
“Come in,” she said, gesturing to the couch.
I entered the apartment and sat down. She took a seat next to me, and for a few agonizing moments there was nothing but silence.
“I suppose it wouldn’t do me any good to apologize again?” I asked.
“You don’t need to do that. I know how you feel.”
“And I want to thank you for not pressing charges against Billy. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Have you seen him? How is he?”
I was surprised to hear her ask. She would’ve been perfectly entitled to not give a damn one way or another about my brother. But there she was, asking about how he was doing.
“I actually ran into him earlier. He was about ready to be sent to prison for the rest of his life.”
“Really? Not skipping town?”
“That’s kind of admirable. I mean, he did kidnap me and all, but that says a lot about him.”
“And it says a lot about you that you’re willing to forgive him. Why did you do it?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’m thinking that if he’s related to you, he can’t be all bad. Or maybe I’m being too naïve for my own good.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’re showing that you see the best in people. I see the same in Billy. He doesn’t, though. He thought he had no destiny other than ending up in jail, or worse. But when I told him what you did…something changed in him, I could sense it.”
She smiled again. “I hope that means he’s going to do the same thing you are.”
“I think he just might.”
More silence, and it was clear we both knew there was more to be discussed.
“I have something I want to give you.” I reached into my pocket and took out a key.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
“It’s the key to my apartment. This whole thing started with you telling your parents that you were going to live with me, share my place while you figured out what you were going to do with your life. I know you said you needed time to think about everything, but if you want to give this thing of ours a shot, it seems like a good place to start.”
Waiting for her to react was almost unbearable. Would she take it? Would she tell me to put it right back in my apartment and never talk to her again?
Then she reached forward and took it, holding the small key in her hands.
“We’ve only known each other for a short time,” she said, her eyes on the key. “But it feels like so much longer.”
“I hope you mean that in a good way.”
“I do. I’ll be honest, for a little bit I thought about telling the cops and telling my parents what happened. That maybe all of this was a mistake, and that what your brother pulled was the sign to end all signs that you and I weren’t a good idea.”
“But that’s not how you feel anymore?”
She shook her head, smiling. “Maybe I’m an idiot, but that’s not how I feel. All I can think about is how much I love you in spite of everything, and how much I want to give whatever crazy thing this is that you and I have a shot.”
They were the best words I could’ve imagined hearing.
I reached over and took her hands, clasping her palms over the key. “I want to build a life with you, Sierra. Whatever I was before, whatever you were before, that doesn’t matter. What matters is what you and I have right now at this very second. What matters is that we love each other and are willing to do whatever it takes to make that love grow.”
Tears formed in her eyes as I went on.
“Whatever the future holds…neither of us can say. But I want to be the man you think I can be. You’re worth it. You’re worth whatever price I have to pay, whatever work I have to do. I love you, Sierra, and I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
A tear trickled down her cheek. I quickly wiped it away, placing my palm on her cheek.
“Say something,” I said. “Say anything.”
She nodded, another tear streaming down. “I love you, Caleb.”
It was all I needed to hear. I brought my lips to hers and we kissed slowly and deeply, kissed in the way that only we could.
I brought our bodies close together, her skin warm against mine. Sierra kissed me back, and with each second the kiss grew in intensity.
We both rose at the same time, shucking off our shoes and clothes as we made our way to the bed. Seconds later we were under the covers, Sierra parting her legs as she moaned, “I want you so much, Caleb.”
My erection hard and ready, I eased into her slowly before building up the pace. I made tender love to her, and as Sierra moaned and writhed beneath me, it occurred to me that I could happily spend the rest of my life in bed with her, watching her face as I brought her to orgasm.
When we were done, I held her close.
“This is all so crazy,” Sierra said breathlessly, her hair draped over my chest. “My boyfriend, the conman.”
“Ex-conman,” I said. “Because our new life starts right now.”
She nodded. “We move to your apartment and we figure it out. But we’ve got each other—that’s all that matters.”
Nothing else needed to be said. The love between us was growing stronger by the moment, and I knew it would continue to grow stronger by the months and years.
I couldn’t wait.
Chapter 23
Sierra
The last three days had flown by. Caleb helped me move into his place, and once I’d said goodbye to my old apartment, we got right on finding someplace new for the both of us.
The third morning, we rose early to start checking out apartments, and by the time noon rolled around, we were ready to relax and have some lunch. We picked out a little bistro near my old apartment, sitting on the patio and enjoying the bright, sunny day along with some wine and sandwiches.
“All right,” I said, pulling out the notebook I’d filled with bits of information about the apartments we’d checked out. “There was the place on Grand Street.”
Caleb held his glass of wine close to his face, cocking his head to the side as he considered it. “I don’t know. It was nice, but did you hear the commotion in the apartment up above? All that banging around might drive us crazy.”
“Very true,” I said. “What about the place on Shaw? The one with the patio?”
“A little better. But kind of small, right?”
“Wow,” I said with a grin. “Someone’s picky.”
He laughed. “What can I say? I’m a man with particular tastes.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I grabbed his leg under the table and gave it a squeeze. He took my hand and squeezed it right back.
“Who am I kidding?” he asked. “Anyplace is home as long as you’re there with me.”
“Such a smooth talker,” I said.
“Hey, you can take the man out of the con…”
I laughed again before leaning in to kiss him. The kiss that followed was most certainly not fit for public, but neither of us cared. We had each other, and since we’d decided to be together, to give our relationship a shot, we’d both been walking on air.
The kiss was interrupted by my phone buzzing in my purse.
“Hold that thought,” I said, reaching into my purse and taking out my phone. “Might be one of the property agents.”
To my surprise, however, it was Maggie.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Is that you on the patio of Marley’s?” she asked, referring to the very place where we were eating.
“It sure is,” I said, looking around. “Are you nearby?”
“I am. I see you and a very, very handsome man that you appear to be sharing a table with.”
I glanced around, trying to spot her. Eventually I did, Maggie waving to us from the corner of the street.
“Mind if I join you two?” she asked. “Or is this a private affair?”
“Hold on,” I said, then pressed the phone against my shoulder. “Do you mind if Maggie joins us?”
“Not at all,” said Caleb. “The more, the merrier.”
“Sure,” I said, putting the phone back to my ear. “Come on over!”
Maggie let out a squeal before hanging up and hurrying down the street.
I turned to Caleb. “You sure about this? She’s kind of a gossip hound—going to want all the details.”
“Well,” he said. “Good thing we’re doing this whole ‘telling the truth’ plan.”
“It’s crazy,” I said. “But I like it.”
We didn’t have time to say anything more before Maggie arrived at the patio, stepping through the gate and taking a seat at our table.
She clasped her hands together in excitement. “I still can’t believe this,” she said. �
��You guys are a real thing now, right?”
“As real as it gets,” said Caleb, taking my hand on the table.
“Just trying to figure out where we’re going to live next,” I said.
“And how’s that going?” she asked.
“Money’s a little tight,” said Caleb. “But we’ve got some good options.”
Maggie waved her hand through the air and made a “pssh” sound, as if dismissing the concern. “None of that matters. You guys have each other—you’ll figure it all out.”
“That’s my thinking,” I said with a smile.
“But what about after that? You guys sort out the job thing yet?”
“Not yet,” said Caleb.
“Wait!” said Maggie, her eyes flashing. “What about that restaurant idea that you guys were talking about? You know, the one for the foster kids?” A happy expression took hold of her features. “That was such a sweet idea.”
“That’s going to be far down the road,” said Caleb. “Opening a restaurant takes a ton of money, and that’s in short supply right now.”
“Right,” I said. “We’re thinking maybe we’ll start small, get jobs at a couple of restaurants around the city and work our way up from there.”
“Perfect,” said Maggie. “Make some money and think about your next step.” But then she turned serious, as if just then remembering something. “And I don’t mean to be a downer, but what about your parents?”
Caleb and I shared a look; we both knew that was still on the horizon.
“Still need to break the news,” I said. “But I don’t know. Either they’re going to be there for me, or they’re not. When I decided to do this, I knew that not everyone would be on board.”
“Your parents are good people,” said Caleb. “They’re tough, but at the end of the day they want the best for you. Besides, they were totally smitten with me.” He followed this up with a cocky smile.
“Sometimes I forget how high of an opinion you have of yourself,” I said with a smirk.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Maggie. “Man, this is so exciting! You guys are, like, on the cusp of a new adventure. I can’t wait to see what you get up to.”
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