by Kyra Jacobs
“I told myself it would pass in time. That letting you go was the right thing to do. But I was just as wrong then as I was in my stupid, impressionable younger years.”
“Huh?”
“Remember what I told you about my parents? About the conversation I’d overheard, and how miserable they always seemed to be? Well, I was sulking at the inn after boxing up the last of my things the other week and Maddie asked what was wrong. Then she proceeded to tell me that my parents were perfectly fine together, and she had the menu to prove it.”
“The menu?”
He laughed. “Don’t ask. But she insisted that I’d been wrong, so I went back home and called my mom. Turns out, Maddie was right. Yes, Mom and Dad had gone through a rough patch when I was around that age. Money was tight and tempers short-fused. But then my dad got a promotion at work and Mom got a part-time job, and over time things got better. Only, I was so convinced that they were just pretending to be happy around me that I never noticed that their marriage really was on the rebound.”
“Wow. I’m really glad to hear that, Miles.” She offered him a small smile then looked to the ground. “Though I still don’t know what that has to do with Chris and this tour.”
He tipped her chin up once more. “If you’d stop interrupting me…”
She narrowed her eyes and tried to pull free from him. But Miles wasn’t ready to let her go. Never would be, if she’d just open her heart to him.
“Don’t you see? All these years I’d scoffed at the idea of love and marriage. Wasted years of my life thinking if I avoided love then I couldn’t hurt anyone. But all the while I was hurting myself, losing out on what love had to offer. Losing out on you.”
“But your job? Your dreams?”
“The job was an attempt to fill the void that’s been growing in here for years.” He tapped a finger to his chest. “But you, Steph—you’ve always been my dream. It just took you walking away—again—to make me realize it.”
Her gaze turned glassy. “But you’ve got this amazing chance to start over, Miles. To see what else is out there for you. Opportunities to match your ambitions. I…you’ll regret it eventually. And you’ll hate me for holding you back.”
He pictured his lonely apartment, the stark desk at Techworks, the miserable drive to and from his new office, and laughed. “Pretty sure that’s not gonna happen.”
Miles hauled her into his chest and squeezed her tight. She squirmed against him, but he refused to let her go. Never. Never again.
“Besides, Techworks wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be. Ironically, a short time after moving I found something else to scratch my career itch even better. Something much closer to home.”
She stopped fussing and looked up with a wary gaze to meet his. “You did?”
Oh, how he’d missed her. Brent had been right—happiness had been staring right at him all along. It’d just taken until now for him to truly realize it.
“Uh huh. Something a little more noble that I can do in addition to my work at the Checkerberry. The family even agreed to help take a few odds and ends off my plate to make it all work.”
Awareness began to bloom on her face. “You mean…”
“Yep. Once I realized what was truly missing from my life—which was you, by the way, not some stupid promotion—I knew Columbus wasn’t where I needed to be. And I remembered something your new boss said at our dinner event, about drawing from local talent to help get your new program off the ground. So I reached out to Chris to get a better feel for where his program was at and what it needed. Turns out, they were still looking for a financial advisor. I started last week. Hope you won’t mind working with me.”
“You gave up your dream job?”
“Yep.”
Hope shone in her eyes. “For me?”
“Pfft. For the kids, duh.”
“Oh.” Her smile faltered. “Right.”
“I was kidding, Steph. Sorry, I can’t help it—you bring out that side in me.” She jabbed a soft fist into his stomach, which he caught in his hand. “In all honesty, though, yes, I did this for the kids, and for a new and exciting challenge for me. But most of all? I did it for you.”
“But why?” she whispered.
“Because I love you, Stephanie Johnson Fitzpatrick. Always have. I was just too goddamn stubborn to admit it.”
“I love you, too.” A smirk tugged at her lips as tears welled in her eyes. “Ironically while you were back home coming to terms with how you really felt, I’ve been down here telling myself not to feel that way. To let you go.”
He pulled her into his chest and hugged her tight, suddenly terrified she’d try to push him away. “Don’t let go of me, Steph. Give me a chance. Give us a chance.”
“You’re not scared anymore? Afraid of love and what happens if we screw it all up?”
“Heck yeah, I’m scared.” He laughed, releasing her now. “But I was hoping you might be able to help me get over my fears.”
“Hmm, I don’t know.” She tapped a finger to pursed lips, her brows drawing low. “There might need to be some concessions on your part for this to truly work.”
“Concessions?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking…we need a dog.”
“A dog?” he asked.
“To practice.”
“Practice?” Miles frowned. “Practice what?”
“Good parenting.”
Parenting.
That same, odd sensation wrapped around him as when he’d imagined what it would be like to learn Brent and Kayla had a baby on the way. It wasn’t fear that struck him at the thought, he realized now, but a yearning. A yearning for more, for a family of his own. To love.
He shifted his gaze to the world’s most perfectly kissable lips. “Oh, I can think of plenty of other practicing we’re gonna need if you plan to go down that road, missy.”
“A good thing.” She offered him a demure smile right back. “Because that was gonna be my next condition.”
“How about we knock this tour out and then continue our terms in a more private location?” He drew her close once more and pressed a kiss to the hollow beneath her ear. “Specifically, my hotel room.”
“As tempting as that sounds, we don’t really have time. I have a plane to catch.”
“No, you don’t.”
“But Becka— Wait, was she in on all of this?”
“Maybe.” Miles drew back and offered her a sheepish grin. “But only because I asked for her help.”
“And the tour? Was that all a ruse, too?”
“Nope, the tour’s real.” He pecked a chaste kiss to her cheek then took her hand and started for the main building. “You don’t want to give them cause to fire me before we even break ground, do you?”
“No. Though it would leave more time for napping, among other things.”
Miles felt his pulse quicken and savored it, just like he planned to savor every minute with Stephanie, so long as she would have him. Which, hopefully, would grow to be until death do they part. He slid his sunglasses back into place and led her forward, ready to take on the future and everything it offered them. Together.
“Oh, I have plenty of other things in store for you, my love,” he said. “P-len-ty.”
Epilogue
Miles stood outside the door of the Bourbon Suite shaking his head. Kayla had blocked his path and refused to budge no matter how big a fuss he made. From behind her came the sound of Stephanie’s laughter.
“What do you mean she’s not ready yet?” he asked. “We’ve got to be there in half an hour!”
“And it’ll take all of five minutes to get to where you’re going,” said Kayla. “Relax, will you? Go hang out with Brent—he’s used to this kind of thing.”
With a half-hearted grumble Miles turned and headed for the Checkerberry’s porch where he’d just passed by his lemonade-sipping cousin. It was another blisteringly hot Friday in late August, but an oncoming storm was bringing some cooler air, making the te
mperatures a bit more manageable. He tossed his tux jacket over the back of a wicker chair across from Brent and dropped into the seat with a sigh.
“Are women always this damned slow getting ready?”
Brent chuckled. “Get used to it, buddy. I swear, it’s only gonna get worse from here on out.”
“You’d think now that she’s got me roped in she’d be less worried about her appearance, not more.”
“Now that she’s got you roped in?” Brent smirked.
Miles flipped him off. Sure, they both knew better. He had flown all the way to Florida on a wing and a prayer that she’d take him back. But it was easier on his ego to think things were the other way around.
Regardless of who had roped in whom, there was no denying that this relationship stuff took work. So far, though, things for him and Stephanie had gone pretty smoothly. And what they couldn’t work out with words? Well, they hadn’t encountered anything that couldn’t be resolved in the bedroom.
Almost made him want to pick fights with her more often.
“I’ll not have such gestures on these grounds, young man.” Ruby stepped onto the porch, a glass of lemonade in her grasp. She handed it to him, the biting scent of whiskey mingling amid its contents. “Here, dear. To soothe your nerves.”
“Thanks, Grandma. I don’t know why I’m so…”
She offered him a knowing smile. “Anxious?”
“For her, not for me,” he said. “It’s Stephanie’s first media appearance since this spring. I’m just hoping Chris isn’t pushing her too soon, having her on stage while the governor makes his announcement.”
“I have a feeling she’ll surprise you, dear. And she was the one who chose the date, not Mr. Evanston.”
“Yeah, but that was before we knew Liam would be in attendance.”
“Well, yeah. A media pig like that has to make up for the stunt he pulled at the last one.” Brent grinned. “Of course, he gives her any trouble, you know what to do.”
“He’d better not. I need this hand for tennis tomorrow. Steph’s already up three matches to one on me.”
Ruby wagged a finger in his direction. “There will be no violence at this dinner, do you understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am. Though, I can’t speak for Steph.”
Miles winked and took a sip of the Lynchburg Lemonade. Though the sweet-tart concoction left a cool burn along his throat, it went down far too easily. Probably it was for the best that Maddie’s end-of-the-week pitcher wasn’t within reach—hard to hobnob when you couldn’t walk a straight line.
The front door opened, and Kayla stepped out, her face lit with excitement.
“Okay, I tried something a little different with her hair this time, but I think it came out all right. Are you all ready to see the final results?”
“Miles is gonna combust if you make him wait any longer, babe,” said Brent with a chuckle. “Please, just get her out here already.”
Kayla winked at her man then stepped aside to allow Stephanie room to pass. The bottom of a red, floor-length shimmery gown came into view as she stepped forward on heels higher than Miles had ever seen her wear before. His gaze trailed northward, dumbstruck at how the gown fit her like a glove…and hugged ever one of her mouthwatering curves. She wore more makeup than he was used to. Subtle, save for the taunting color on her perfect lips.
“Well? What do you think?” she asked, turning in a slow circle so the group could see her attire from all sides.
Miles rose on wobbly knees and moved toward her. “How about we say to heck with dinner and go back home so I can show you what I think.”
“Oh, no you don’t, buddy.” Kayla stepped between them. “Not after I just made her sit through an hour of bobby pin hell.”
Stephanie laughed as color pinked her cheeks. “It’s only two hours, Miles. Surely you can hold out that long.”
“I can,” he said, pulling her close to press a kiss below her ear. “But it might well kill me.”
“I know CPR,” she whispered. “And mouth-to-mouth, if necessary.”
“Oh, there’s no question it will be necessary,” he whispered back.
“Will you two get a room already?”
Everyone turned to find Maddie joining their group, the staff-only pitcher of lemonade in one hand and a stack of glasses in the other.
“Seriously. It’s bad enough watching these two”—she motioned toward Brent and Kayla, who were now cuddled up on the porch swing—“be constantly lovey-dovey. Now you, too?”
“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” sang Kayla under her breath.
Maddie threw her a dark look. “Uh, no. Any more romance in the air around here and the inn’s going to get the kind of reputation you don’t want.”
“Heavens, no,” chuckled Ruby.
Brent and Kayla looked to each other and burst into a round of giggles, the words “seedy motel” mixed in with the laughter.
“I’ve got news for you, Maddie. Even if you think you can avoid love, you can’t, no matter how hard you try.” Miles looked at the woman in his arms, at her beautiful face smiling up at him, and bent to press a whisper-soft kiss to the tip of her perfect nose. “Trust me, I would know.”
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Acknowledgments
Where to begin? As always, I’d like to start by thanking my ever-supportive network of family and friends—without you, these books would be a whole lot more difficult to create. A heartfelt “Thank you!” goes out to Kelly, Tina, Jessica, Juliette, and Rhenna—without your encouraging words, long walks (aka venting sessions), and impromptu get-togethers, my sanity would have been long gone by now. Special thanks also to my coworkers and fellow soccer moms, who are such great sports when I get rambling about book ideas, editing deadlines, book release dates, and all the rest of my writing yadda yadda yadda. Last but not least, I’d like to thank to my amazing editor Alycia Tornetta and all of the wonderful staff at Entangled BLISS who have been such a blessing to work with.
About the Author
Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan. Be sure to stop by her website www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com to learn more about her novels and ways to connect with her on social media.
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