“I wish you would talk to me about what’s going on with you.”
“I supposed I felt like it was my job to shield you from all the ugliness we experienced growing up. You’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime. I didn’t want you to have to deal with my problems, too.”
“I’m not a kid anymore, Preston.”
“No, you’re not.”
He drew his brother into a tight hug. He’d always had faith and pride in his brother. Just as Cat had always believed in him, imperfect, messed-up him.
“I love you, kid. After dessert, we’ll hit the road, and I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing the last couple months. Deal?”
Jared was nothing like their old man, and Preston wasn’t either. He thought he wasn’t whole because of his leg, because of the war, but the truth was, he wasn’t whole without her. She was greater than all his imperfections. All he wanted was to humbly love her, it she’d allow it.
Preston hugged his brother again and slapped him a few times on the back for good measure before they brought out the ice cream. He knew his brother would learn from this mistake, just as he could learn from his. The next step was getting Cat to see that, too.
Chapter Seventeen
Cat’s class had gone AWOL. They were nowhere to be found. She turned around and took the craft box from Grandmeel, who had offered to be her assistant for the afternoon, and set it down on the teacher’s desk. “One of the other teachers walked them back from lunch. I wonder if she thought they had music or something?”
Grandmeel’s gaze was darting everywhere, from the hanging flowers to the colorful bulletin boards to the giant tree painted on the wall with children’s pictures hanging from leaves, trying to get a grip on everything. “How about I start setting up for the craft, and you go find them?” she suggested.
Cat glanced at the wall clock. “It’s ten after, so I guess I better.” Grandmeel walked into the carpeted story corner and started thumbing through picture books. “I remember reading all of these to you. Remember this one?” She held up Strega Nona.
“Remember when Mom and Dad came in to read to my class, and Dad dressed up like Strega Nona and brought the spaghetti pot?”
“I stood in the back of the classroom and took a video of it. We can watch it tonight.” Grandmeel closed the book and walked over to Cat. “Listen, dear, I know you’re having a rough time of it. I just want to tell you that after watching you this morning, I do believe you’ll make a great teacher.”
Well, what a surprise. A compliment from her grandmother. Genuine, too. “Thank you, Grandmeel.”
“I suppose I always saw a bit of me in you. You do remind me so much of how I was as a young woman. My dream was always to be a journalist. Maybe I was somehow trying to live out that dream through you.”
Her grandmother riffled through the box, suddenly very busy sorting different colored sheets of paper. Cat went up and put a hand on her arm until she looked up. “You didn’t make me go to school for journalism. I chose that myself. I knew my heart wasn’t in it, but I didn’t have the courage to change course.”
Grandmeel patted her hand. “You’re a brave woman, Catherine. I know you’ll be a success at whatever you do.”
Cat gave her grandmother a squeeze. “Thanks, Grandmeel. You know, it’s not too late. Buzz at the Buckleberry Gazette is looking for a human-interest reporter. That could be fun, getting the scoop on all the good gossip.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.” She went back to sorting construction paper by color. “By the way, Eleanor Covington’s son is coming back to town in a few weeks. Maybe…”
Cat smiled politely and headed to the door, pretty much drowning out the rest of the matchmaking plans. She wasn’t ready to be fixed up with anybody. She was sad and lonesome and disappointed that Preston had shut her out again. For the first time, though, she felt stronger than she had in a long while. She’d managed to survive the weekend and even make it to work today. Even more than that, she knew more of who she was and what she wanted. Her life would carry on, even if it had to be without Preston. She would never regret putting herself out there and taking the risk for him, even if he couldn’t love her back.
Just then a few lone guitar notes sounded from outside. They morphed into an unmistakable riff that Cat would recognize anywhere. Suddenly young children started clapping along to a beat and singing, their voices unmistakable. “Ca-ther-ine, oh, baby! We like you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Giggles floated through the window. The chorus of children’s voices was joined by another voice, loud and low and clear. A voice she would recognize anywhere.
The beat of her heart nearly drowned out the music. Adrenaline froze her to the floor. Grandmeel exchanged an incredulous glance. “Good Lord,” she said. “Is that the tune to ‘Louie Louie’?”
A grin broke out from ear to ear. “Yes, but those certainly aren’t the words.”
“Does anyone really know the words to that song?” Grandmeel asked.
They both ran to the row of windows that were tilted open to the bright spring day. In the schoolyard stood Cat’s class, rowdy and laughing, singing along to the tune that Preston played on his guitar. In the background, her parents and sister stood smiling and waving.
Grandmeel turned to her and smiled. Cat could swear her eyes were a little teary. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Grandmeel said. “Go outside and claim your destiny.”
“Thank you, Grandmeel.” Cat gave her grandmother a kiss and headed out the door, where the kids swarmed all over her and led her to where Preston stood, his guitar slung over one of his big, sexy shoulders.
Preston took her hand and led her to the edge of the crowd, then dropped his voice low. “Catherine, I’m here to say I’m sorry. I can only offer you myself as I am and pray that that’s good enough. You make me want to be the best version of myself. To be the man I was meant to be. With you by my side, I’ll try every day to do that if you can forgive me.” He turned around and shouted, “Okay, kids, hold up the signs.”
Four kids in the front row brandished poster board signs, each containing a word scrawled in Magic Marker.
Cat felt a tug on her sleeve. “I can read that,” a little girl named Angela said.
“Okay,” Cat said, bending down. “Tell us what it says.”
“It says, ‘I—love—you—Cat.’”
“Thank you, sweetie,” Cat told the little girl. The signs were blurring. Everything was blurring. She was smiling and crying, and she was worried she was upsetting the kids but she could not stop.
She felt an arm slip around her waist, and Preston whispered in her ear, “What it should really say is, I’m proud and stubborn, I hate asking for help, and I don’t know what the future holds, but you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’d be a fool to let you go. I love you, Cat. I only hope you can forgive me for being such an ass.”
Then he kissed her. It was a soft, good kiss, the kind a man gives a woman he truly loves, when he holds her in his big strong arms and kisses her like they have all the time in the world to share many more. The kind of kiss he made himself keep to PG-level for a bunch of little kids but that held the promise of a lot more heated ones later when they were alone. In private.
Titters erupted from the kids.
“Hey, I thought we had to keep our hands to ourselves!” Tommy said, busting them.
Preston stopped kissing Cat long enough to ruffle the little boy’s hair. Then Preston turned to Cat and shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for wanting to steal a kiss.”
“It’s okay to break the rules this one time,” Cat said to Tommy. And to Preston, “You are a great kisser. And I love you, too.”
Preston pulled out his phone and held it at arm’s length, gathering her close. “Say cheese.”
“What’s this for?”
“New selfie for the wallet.”
“I’m overwhelmed.” And she really was all choked up.
“Okay, kids
,” Finn called from in front of the crowd. “Everyone follow me until Ms. Kingston is done having a smooch with her boyfriend,” As she passed by with all the kindergartners in line behind her, she said in a low voice, “This was cute, but it’s time to wrap it up and go in and take care of these little holy terrors.”
“Just last week you called them little doe-eyed angels,” Cat reminded her.
“It’s almost the end of the school year. I’m getting tired.”
“It’s okay to drop them off with Grandmeel. She can handle them for another five minutes till I come in,” Cat said.
“I’m telling you, these new substitutes are so demanding,” Finn said to no one in particular. “Please don’t be too long. Your grandmother can create a lot of damage to young minds in five minutes.”
Liz came up from the crowd and hugged her sister, wiping away a few tears herself.
“Why, Liz, you really are sentimental after all,” Preston said.
She poked him in the shirt. “I meant what I said. You hurt my sister, and I’ll make sure you never walk again.”
“Understood. Thanks, Liz.”
“Don’t mention it.” She glanced at her watch. “Gotta go, I’m late for my one o’clock patient.”
Henry and Rosalyn Kingston walked up with Derrick. “That was quite a performance, son,” Henry said.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I hope you’ll consider my offer,” Henry said.
“What offer?” Cat asked.
“You dad asked if I wanted the CEO position.”
“Maybe you should take it. You did a terrible job finding the company a match. Come to think of it, you did a terrible job finding me a match, too.”
“Hey, third time’s a charm. There’s only one man up to the job of being your boyfriend. And it’s me.” He turned to Henry. “I’d be honored, sir, to serve the company until we find the right person for the job. And I’ll make it my top priority to find that exact right person. Except for now, I’ve had to turn the search over to my assistant. My surgery’s scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”
“I was going to tell you we want you to come for dinner later this week,” Rosalyn said. “But maybe I can bring some real food to the hospital if you’re up for it.”
“Thanks, Rosalyn.” Preston kissed her on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom,” Cat said.
“We’re proud of you, son,” Henry said.
Derrick walked up to Preston and shook his hand, then pulled him in for a hug. “Good thing you two are official now,” he said. “I mean, this is real, right?”
“It’s real,” Cat said.
“Well, congratulations, and it’s about time.” He turned to Preston. “But Guthrie, remember. I can always call in the rain check for messing up that pretty face of yours if you ever hurt my sister again.”
“I love your sister,” Preston said. “I promise to do right by her this time.”
“Thanks, Derrick. I think,” Cat said, hugging her brother.
As they walked off, Preston turned to Cat. “I’m sorry we have to start off with me going into the hospital.”
She slid an arm around his back as they walked. “I think it’s a little ironic. I mean, not everyone gets a chance to start all over again and do it right.”
“It’s going to be a full-time job, rehabbing this time, but I want you to know that I’m also going to consider it a full-time job trying to deserve you.”
“I’ll do the same right back,” she said, tearing up again.
“I brought you a little something.” He walked over to where his guitar case sat on the ground and picked up a large square white box, one of several, which he handed to Cat.
“What is it?” she asked as she dug into the pretty flowered wrappings. She pulled out the rooster lamp from the antique shop, that haughty, bright-colored crower.
“Wow. Spectacular.”
“He works and everything.” Preston pulled a lightbulb out of the box and held it up just to demonstrate.
“I love him, but where on earth are we going to put him?”
He shrugged. “I think he’d look good in the great room. With his partner to keep him in line, of course.”
“You bought me the chicken, too?”
“Of course. They’re a pair. He’s going to remind you to stand proud and be amazing and to ruffle some feathers once in a while like you did mine.”
“And what’s the chicken going to do?”
“She’s going to keep him in line when he gets too crazy. And remind him that he can’t go it alone. That it’s good to have company on the journey.” Preston stepped closer. “Are you crying over poultry?”
“What’s in the third box?” she asked, daubing at her eyes.
“Maddie and Nick’s wedding gift was a little late in arriving. Want to see it?”
She peeked in that box, too. “It’s the Louis XIV candlesticks.”
“Um, they are Louis XIV candlesticks, but not the ones from the antique store.”
She stopped touching them, afraid of how expensive they were. “So you raided the Louvre after all.”
“Not exactly. I have good sources.” He pulled some folded papers out of his breast pocket. “I have one more surprise. This is something just for us.”
“Please tell me it involves private time and happens as soon as I get off work.”
He laughed. “Close your eyes.” He waited until she did, and even made her hold out her hands before she could open them.
“Oh my God,” she said as she read the print on the two pieces of paper in her hands. “We’re going to Hawaii. As soon as school’s out.”
“My doctor is setting me up with a whole rehab team over there. You may have to take in some tourist sites by yourself this time, though.”
Cat put her hands on his chest, over his heart. “I have a better idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s save Hawaii until after the rehab. I’d be just as content turning on the chicken lamps and sitting outside enjoying the lake with you and our cat on your patio.”
“It is a great view out there.” But he was looking at her.
“I love you, Preston Guthrie.”
“And I love you, Cat Kingston.” He collected his guitar, but she enlisted some kids to help take that and the boxes to her classroom. He said good-bye to the kids and then to her at the door.
“Say, I’m going over to the coffee shop for a while. Will you pick me up when you’re done with work?”
“You bet I’ll pick you up. And I’m taking you straight home.”
“A chauffeur after my own heart. Just what I love.”
Epilogue
One year later
“School’s out for summer,” Preston said, holding out a bouquet of flowers at the door to Cat’s classroom where she’d just finished a semester of student teaching. “What are your plans?”
She took the flowers, exclaiming how beautiful they were, and brought them to her nose to sniff. “Oh, hang out with my boyfriend at his lake house. Cheer him on at the Kingston Shoes Annual 5K tomorrow morning.”
“That’s boring. Let’s do something a little different this summer.” He stood in front of her with something behind his back. “Close your eyes.” He tried his best to act casual, but his heart was racing like a Derby horse.
“What, no guitars this year? No choruses of children singing their versions of rock classics? No relatives hiding behind the door?”
“Not this year. Just a simple box.”
Her eyes instantly teared up. “Oh, Preston.”
He was quick to say, “It’s not what you think. Open it.”
She opened it to find a tiny ceramic box, with a tiny hinge. On top of the box sat a rooster, a chicken, and three baby chicks. She opened it to find a diamond ring. He didn’t think she saw much of the special ring he’d had custom-made just for her because her eyes had completely misted over, and her mouth dropped open in shock.
Preston
dropped to his knee. Okay, it was his good knee, but his not-so-good knee was working pretty darn well after a year of intensive rehab. “I’ll love you forever. Marry me, Cat.”
She bent to touch his face and look into his eyes. “Yes,” she said without hesitation, jumping into his arms until they both almost toppled over onto the floor. “How soon?”
“Now. Tomorrow. As soon as we can.”
“That sounds wonderful.” And then, both of them still kneeling, he kissed her. But this time, he didn’t have to keep it PG, because no little kids were watching. After a while, Cat helped him up. He helped gather up her stuff, then she flipped the light switches next to the door.
“All ready?” he asked.
“All ready,” she answered. Then he swooped her up and carried her out of the classroom.
“Congratulations on completing your student teaching,” Preston said. “You’ve worked hard this year.”
“Yeah, and so have you,” she said, holding on with an arm around his shoulder. He never would have been able to support her weight a year ago. He’d barely been able to hold himself up then. He’d come a long way mentally, too.
“You’ve been with me all the way,” he said.
She giggled. “You’re supposed to carry me over the threshold on the way in.”
“I’m practicing. So I get it right. I’d like to go and practice some other things, too, if that’s all right.”
“Take me home,” she said, reaching out and closing the door quietly behind them. And before he did, he kissed the woman he loved again.
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