Reunited in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 8)

by Cindy Kirk

  “Grandma told me she’d make a batch of my special cookies if I spent the night,” K.T. added.

  Dakota rose and glanced pointedly at her brothers. “You guys can ride with me. That way, Mom doesn’t need to rush off.”

  In a matter of minutes, Dakota was pulling her car out of the driveway.

  “I should be heading home, too.” Cassie might have said the words, but she didn’t move from her position on the sofa.

  Krew stood. “What’s the rush?”

  “You have to leave in the morning.”

  They’d all thought Krew had until the end of December to report, but holiday time was football time and the coaches wanted him there as soon as possible.

  Tomorrow would be a walk-through, and then his life in Green Bay would get crazy.

  “Stay and keep me company a little longer.” Krew patted the spot beside him on the sofa.

  “I can do that.” Cassie dropped down next to him.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

  She shifted to face him, her gaze curious.

  “I don’t want this to be good-bye.” Krew reached out and ran his thumb lightly over the back of her hand. “Green Bay isn’t far. I’d like for us to still see each other.”

  “You’ll be busy.”

  “I make time for what’s important.” Krew couldn’t resist any longer. He brushed her lips with his. “You’re important to me, Cassie.”

  She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

  He placed his arm around her and gazed into the fire. “New Year’s Eve is coming. Then it’ll be Valentine’s Day. Do you have plans for either?”

  Cassie shook her head. “There’s lots of women in Green Bay, Krew.”

  “I want only you, Cassie.” Krew rested his head against hers. “There’s no one else. Not for me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Nearly two months later, Cassie opened her front door and found Lindsay on her stoop, a florist box cradled in her arms. “I didn’t expect to see you before the party tonight.”

  “An order came in that I wanted to deliver personally.” Lindsay brushed past Cassie, her large belly leading the way.

  “Are those for me?” Cassie couldn’t imagine another reason her sister would take time on Valentine’s Day to stop by.

  “Who else?” Lindsay spoke in a cheery tone.

  “I never got flowers before.”

  It would be another first for her, Cassie thought. Like dating. Or kissing the man she was falling in love with under a glittery chandelier at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

  “Well, enjoy.” Lindsay presented the box with a flourish, then handed Cassie the accompanying card.

  After setting down the box, Cassie opened the tiny card with eager fingers.

  My darling Cassie,

  Happy Valentine’s Day.

  In you, I’ve found someone I can’t live without.

  Love, Krew

  Her heart gave a solid thump in her chest. She traced the words with her finger.

  Lindsay grinned. “He told me what to write and how he wanted it signed.”

  Cassie slid off the ribbon. She opened the box to reveal two dozen long-stemmed red roses interspersed with baby’s breath and greenery.

  “They’re gorgeous.” Cassie lifted her gaze to her sister. “How much did these set him back?”

  “Always so practical. Well, I’m practical, too.” Lindsay opened the huge bag she carried and brought out a crystal vase in bubble wrap. “I doubted you’d have a vase big enough to hold these beauties.”

  Once the flowers were arranged and sitting on the kitchen counter, Lindsay met Cassie’s gaze. “Do you know what you’re going to say when he asks?”

  “He won’t—”

  “He’s going to ask you to marry him. The signs are there.” Lindsay waved away her protests. “He’s spent the past two months courting you. Taking you on dates and to parties. Spending time with you and the boys.”

  “He lives in Green Bay.”

  “Which is just down the road.”

  “The boys—”

  “Adore Krew. They may be excited to move.” Lindsay shrugged. “You need to ask them.”

  “But—”

  “If you want to marry and build a life with him, say yes.” Lindsay squeezed Cassie’s hand. “If you’re not sure, tell him you don’t want to rush into anything.”

  “I love him.” The words felt right on her lips. “I want to be with him.”

  “You have your answer.” Lindsay pulled Cassie in for a hug. “Trust me, there isn’t anything more wonderful than being in love with a man who loves you back.”

  Cassie wore the red dress she’d bought with the Swoon gift certificate Krew gave her, supplemented with some of the money she’d earned from the first house she sold after getting her license.

  She’d splurged on a pair of nude-colored heels. A recent haircut by Marigold had her hair lying in soft waves to her shoulders.

  When the doorbell rang, Cassie felt like a nervous high schooler.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

  His coat was open, and the sight of him in a suit had her mouth growing dry.

  “You clean up well.”

  “So do you.” Before stepping inside, he leaned over and kissed her.

  The intoxicating scent of his cologne wrapped around her like a lover’s hand.

  “Please, come in.”

  His gaze searched the room, settling on the vase of flowers.

  “They’re absolutely lovely,” she said in answer to his questioning gaze. “I was going to text you my thanks, but I wanted to tell you in person.”

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “I love them.” Her voice sounded quite breathless, even to her own ears. “And the card.”

  Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. “Good.”

  “Hi, Krew,” Braxton called from his position on the couch.

  K.T. strolled in from his bedroom, a sketch pad in hand. “Hey, man, good to see you.”

  “Daddy.” Axl, who must have been in the bedroom with K.T., ran to Krew, who lifted him high in the air and had him giggling in seconds.

  Cassie sighed heavily. She’d tried to get Axl to call Krew by his name, but her youngest had a stubborn streak. Thankfully, Krew didn’t seem to mind.

  “Thanks for watching him,” Cassie told the older boys. “I’ll probably be late—”

  “Why don’t you just spend the night at Krew’s place?” Braxton suggested. “That way, you won’t wake up the brat by coming in once he’s asleep.”

  Cassie stilled. Krew had signed another short-term lease on the house on Millionaire’s Row. When he was in town, he stayed there.

  Not once had Cassie stayed overnight, though she’d found herself hoping he’d ask. Now, it was as if her sons were forcing the question.

  “What a good idea.” Krew shot the boys a wink. “Maybe we can all go out for breakfast in the morning.”

  “Works for me.” Braxton slipped on his VR goggles.

  K.T. was able to pull a clinging Axl from Krew by promising to play trucks with his younger brother.

  By the time they reached the party at Eliza and Kyle’s home, Cassie’s insides shook. She told herself Lindsay had it wrong. Krew wasn’t going to ask her to marry him.

  But a part of her, the romantic part, the part that all the setbacks of the past twenty years hadn’t been able to completely eradicate, still hoped.

  She and Krew had grown close over the past couple of months, building a strong friendship. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t tell him.

  She’d given a lot of thought to why he hadn’t slept with her again. If she read the situation right, it was because he wanted to give her back that time in her life when she could date and have fun with a guy without it being all about sex.

  Still, she desperately hoped tonight would be the end of her unwanted sexual fast.

 
; She pressed herself more fully against him on the dance floor, wanting him with every fiber of her being.

  “Don’t you two make a nice-looking couple?”

  Gladys stopped them with a tap on Krew’s back in the middle of the dance floor. Cassie recognized the other woman’s partner as an older man who worked with Kyle.

  “You look lovely this evening, Gladys,” Krew said gallantly.

  The caftan Gladys wore, in shades of red, black and silver, suited the woman.

  “There’s a full moon this evening,” Gladys informed them. “There’s a perfect view of it from the alcove off the second parlor.”

  “Good to know.” Cassie offered a polite smile.

  “You simply must check it out,” Gladys insisted. “It’s not just full; it’s a Lovers’ Moon.”

  “I don’t believe I’ve heard that term.” Instead of polite, Krew sounded surprisingly interested.

  “Perhaps you know it as a Strawberry Moon or Rose Moon?”

  Cassie and Krew exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

  “Well, such a moon is known for bringing with it the energy for love, marriage, and success.” Gladys placed a hand over her heart. “My dear Henry proposed during a Lovers’ Moon, and we had a wonderful life together.”

  When Cassie and Krew remained where they were, Gladys made a shooing motion.

  As soon as the couple disappeared from the room and Gladys bid her partner adieu, Ruby slipped out from her spot behind a potted plant.

  “I heard what you told them.” Puzzlement blanketed Ruby’s face. “I thought a Strawberry Moon occurred only in June.”

  “Gladys isn’t one to worry about pesky details.” Katherine joined them, offering a wry smile. “Something tells me her husband also didn’t propose during a Lovers’ Moon.”

  “If there had been one in the sky that night, I’m sure Henry would have seized the moment.” Gladys gazed in the direction of the second parlor. “Let’s hope Krew Slattery takes the hint.”

  Cassie stood beside Krew and gazed through the window at the darkened sky made brilliant by the light of the moon. “Gladys was right. This spot provides a perfect view.”

  “These short bits of time we spend together aren’t enough for me.”

  Her heart plummeted. Not sure how to respond, Cassie settled for a nod.

  “I’ve thought, and I still believe, that you deserve to be properly wooed. Getting pregnant at such a young age took all those opportunities from you.” His eyes were dark and intense. “I’ve wanted to give that to you. And I’ve wanted to give us time to reconnect and really get to know each other.”

  “What are you saying, Krew?”

  “I’m making a mess of this.” Krew started to pace. “This is coming out all wrong.”

  “Speaking from the heart is never wrong.” She clasped her hands together to still their trembling. “Whatever you have to tell me, just say it. A Band-Aid always comes off easier if you just rip it off.”

  A strange light filled his eyes, and he chuckled. “I never thought I’d hear a proposal compared to ripping off a Band-Aid.”

  “A-a proposal?” Cassie swallowed past the lump forming in her throat.

  Krew stood in front of her now and took her hands, prying them apart. “I love you, Cass. I think in some way I’ve always loved you. But during our time together, I’ve grown to know the woman you are deep down.”

  As if he knew the direction her thoughts were taking, he jiggled her hands. “Neither of us is perfect, but who’d want to be with someone who’s perfect? What we do is fit together…perfectly. As corny as it may sound, you really are the half that makes me whole.”

  “It’s not just me, Krew. I have three boys still at home.”

  “I know. They make this even better.”

  She looked surprised, and his smile widened. “You already know how I feel about Dakota. And the boys, well, I love them as if they’re my own. If you and they are willing, I’d like to adopt them after we’re married, all three of them. And then we’ll pay off Clint and get him out of the picture for good.”

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “I’d do that for us and for our family.”

  Tears slipped down Cassie’s cheeks. “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”

  “Stick with me a little while longer.” His expression turned serious. “I know you love Good Hope, but Green Bay isn’t far. We’d come back as often as possible.”

  “You want us to live there.”

  “I’d like you to consider the possibility. Bigger schools with more opportunities for the boys. More opportunities for you to further your real estate career, if that’s what you want.” Krew expelled a breath. “The thing is, coaches work a lot of hours. It’d be more convenient for me if we lived there. But if you want to stay here, that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I don’t how the boys would—”

  “I spoke with Braxton and K.T. and got their blessing.”

  “What did they say?”

  “They’re willing to move right now, though they’d prefer to finish the school year here.” Krew’s gaze never left her face. “Marrying and moving in May should work. It’ll give us time to plan the wedding.”

  “Wedding? I thought we’d just go to the courthouse.”

  “If that’s what you want, we can do that. But I’d like you to have all the hoopla. I’d like us to share that moment.”

  She nodded, trying to still the rapid beat of her heart and failing miserably. “A May wedding with hoopla it is.”

  “Let’s make it official.” Krew dropped to one knee, one hand still holding hers. “Cassie Lohmeier, it may have taken us time to find our way back to each other, but it was worth the wait. The story of our love is just beginning, and I can’t wait to write our happy ending. My life won’t be complete without you in it. I know I can meet any of life’s challenges if you’re with me.”

  His voice cracked, and he paused for a heartbeat before continuing. “I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone. I love Dakota and the boys, and I even kind of like your mother.”

  Cassie laughed. Who but Krew would bring Anita into a marriage proposal?

  With his free hand, he pulled out a jeweler’s box and flipped it open. A large diamond surrounded by four semiprecious stones winked up at her.

  “The diamond represents us, and the gems surrounding it are the birthstones of our four children.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Her voice turned husky with emotion. “It’s perfect.”

  “Will you marry me, Cassie? I promise no one will try harder to make you happy or cherish you more than I will.”

  “Yes. I’ll marry you.” Her heart swelled until she thought it would burst. “I love you, Krew, so very much. There is no one for me but you. There’s never been anyone else in my heart. Only you.”

  He slid the ring on her finger, then rose and pulled her to him.

  When his lips settled over hers, Cassie knew she was finally where she was meant to be.

  The kiss sent fire coursing through her veins. The last time they’d made love had been at the hotel in Green Bay, and that seemed like eons ago.

  “Come home with me.”

  Cassie only hoped he planned to do more than kiss once they got there.

  “I want to make love to you,” he continued, “all night.”

  Relief skittered through her. “Why haven’t you asked me before? You have to know how much I want you.”

  “It killed me. I swear, waiting nearly did me in.” Krew’s expression softened as he brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “I thought you should have the experience of dating without the pressures of sex. Now that we’re engaged, I have something special to suggest for this evening.”

  Cassie perked up. “What is it?”

  “Remember the relationship cards?”

  Cassie made a valiant attempt to keep the smile on her lips. “You want me to answer questions?”

  “Only
one.” Krew pulled a card out of his pocket and held it out.

  Cassie read the words. She wiggled the card in the air. “Are you asking if this is something that appeals to me?”

  He nodded.

  She grinned. “Race you to the car.”

  Gladys didn’t mind that Cassie clipped her slightly on her way out the door. When she hesitated and began to apologize, Gladys waved her on, noting with satisfaction the large diamond on her ring finger.

  She smiled when Krew sped by after his fiancée.

  Once they were gone, she and her friends gathered in the alcove and stared at the moon.

  “You were right.” Katherine lifted her glass of champagne in a toast. “It really is a night for lovers.”

  Gladys glanced over to where Katie Ruth stood alone near the punch bowl, trying to appear unconcerned that her date had deserted her.

  “If there’s one thing I love more than a happy ending,” Gladys clinked her glass against Ruby’s and Katherine’s and took a sip of the very excellent champagne, “it’s a new challenge.”

  About the Author

  Cindy Kirk started writing after taking a class at a local community college. But her interest in words began years earlier, when she was in her teens. At sixteen she wrote in her diary: “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be a writer.” After her daughter went to college, she returned to her passion and jumped straight into composing book-length fiction. She loves reading and writing romance novels because she believes in the undeniable power of love and in the promise of the happily ever after. An incurable romantic and an eternal optimist, Kirk creates characters who grow and learn from their mistakes while achieving happy endings in the process. She lives in Nebraska with her high-school-sweetheart husband.

  Please see www.cindykirk.com for a complete listing of books as well as news of upcoming releases.

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