She wrestled with the tape. Whoever had wrapped it had done a great job. Giving up on using her fingernails after another one broke, she opened her suitcase and pulled out the small pocketknife she always traveled with. Finally, the tape gave and she was able to get a grip on the paper. She peeled back the layers until she found a rectangular-shaped wooden box. It immediately reminded her of the box Gage had found filled with Jack’s letters. Tears filled her eyes.
Had he read any more of his father’s letters? She dashed away the tears and any thoughts of Gage. What they had was over.
Inside the box she found a small key. Was this some kind of joke? She shuffled through the papers until she found an envelope with her name scrawled across the front of it.
Gage’s handwriting.
Her heart skipped a beat at the symbolic nature of the parcel she’d been sent. Opening the envelope, she pulled out the piece of paper.
My darling, sweet Texas fire,
I’m hoping that you are reading this and haven’t torn it up when you worked out the parcel was from me.
I have a request and I hope you won’t deny me. Even though I know I don’t deserve it, I hope you will agree to my request so that I can explain. I have so much I want to say to you, Red. So very much.
I will be down at Sweet Ridge this weekend and every weekend for the rest of my life, waiting and hoping that one day you will come and visit. I will be parked in the driveway of your house (I hope you won’t sell it) at 11 a.m. every Saturday until I’m unable to visit it anymore.
Until Saturday…
Love,
Gage
Charlotte folded the notecard, and the light caught the diamond of her engagement ring. She hadn’t taken the rings off. She touched the diamond. The rings were so gorgeous and so expensive, more than a marriage that was only a “business arrangement” had really deserved. A marriage based on love deserved the rings that adorned her finger.
She looked at the key and the note. Did she have the courage to go and see him, to hear what he had to say? Could she even trust what he had to say? Had her leaving awakened him to the fact that he didn’t get everything he wanted with a smile and a healthy bank account? Would he even follow through on his declaration and go to the house every weekend? She immediately squashed that thought. While he’d gone back on his word about the survey, she didn’t think he’d go back on this. He’d sent her a note. A handwritten note with a key—exactly like what Jack had left him when he’d died. And Jack had written notes to his Nora. Yes, Gage would wait every Saturday for the rest of his life down at Sweet Ridge.
Charlotte couldn’t let him do that. Even if she didn’t really want to hear what he had to say, he did deserve to a chance to explain.
Plus, she loved him. Her heart hurt thinking of a future without him in it. She could admit she’d let her temper get the better of her that night at the condo. She should’ve waited so he could explain what he’d done. But the hurt at the thought he was playing with her had made rational thinking go out the window.
Decision made, she packed an overnight bag. She would leave tonight and spend the weekend at Sweet Ridge to hear what Gage had to say. And then she’d make a final decision about her future.
• • •
Saturday morning dawned, and restless energy had Charlotte up with the sparrows. She went for a quick run, avoiding the main street so she wasn’t tempted to go into Betty Lou’s Diner. She’d even picked up takeout on the drive down the previous night so she wouldn’t be seen around town. She hid in her hotel room, and, maybe because she knew she was going to see Gage, she slept better than she had in a while.
Now the time had come to head toward the house. She picked up the box with the key and put it into her large tote. Butterflies had migrated to her belly and decided to have a party.
She took a deep breath as she got into her car and started it. The drive would take her about thirty-five minutes. Thirty-five minutes during which she hoped her nerves wouldn’t cause her to pull over and throw up what little breakfast she’d managed to eat after her run. Not even when she and Gage had stood in front of Phil waiting for him to marry them had she felt this nervous. That was the time to feel sick with nerves, not now.
She turned on the radio, and Macy’s sweet voice filled the inside of her car. Fate was playing with her as she recognized the song as the one that she and Gage had danced to twice: once at the Silver Spurs the first time she’d been at Sweet Ridge with him, and the second on their wedding night. This really and truly was “their song”.
Before she knew it, she was turning into the driveway of the house. The surface seemed smoother than it had the last time she’d traveled it. As the house came into view, she gasped in surprise.
“What the hell?” The house had been painted. Flowerpots with brightly colored blooms adorned either side of the steps leading up the porch to the front door. The closer she got, she also saw that the garden beds had been tidied up and new plants filled the freshly churned soil.
Something was missing, though. Gage’s car wasn’t in the driveway, and the garage stood open. That was empty, too. Charlotte looked at the clock in the car. It showed five minutes after eleven. Her heart plummeted to the soles of her feet. So much for him being here every Saturday.
She parked her car and grabbed her tote bag. The smell of fresh paint still lingered in the air. She had to admit the house looked sparkling bright with the fresh coat of paint.
As she reached the front door, the realization struck that she’d forgotten her key. She slapped her palm against her forehead. How could she have been so silly? She now remembered putting the key in her bedside drawer the day they’d returned from the last trip she and Gage had taken.
But she did have another key, didn’t she? Reaching into her tote bag, she pulled out the box Gage had sent and opened it. The shiny metal winked up at her. It looked too new to belong to this house, but it was all she had. Plucking it from its velvety cushion, she inserted it into the door lock and turned. It gave easily, and breathing deeply, she opened the wooden door.
Multiple scents and sights assailed her when she walked in. Her tote slipped off her shoulder and landed on the floor.
Her previously partially empty house now appeared to be fully furnished. The wooden staircase gleamed with furniture polish. The living room looked exactly how she’d envisioned it that first night she’d spent together with Gage, sharing her dreams of the house while cuddled with him on the air mattress.
Charlotte walked through to the kitchen, tears filling her eyes. Again, it was exactly as she’d wanted the kitchen to be. The cupboard doors looked brand-new with their new stain. The walls were a light but fresh yellow. The wall she’d talked about demolishing had been torn down, creating the open-plan layout she’d hoped it would.
“It’s perfect,” she whispered.
“Hello, Red. I was hoping you’d come.”
Charlotte whirled around and stopped herself from rushing into Gage’s arms. He stood not three feet away from her, Oil Slick in his arms. She smiled when she caught sight of the bright pink ribbon around the cat’s neck as it squirmed to be let down. Gage obliged its request and Oil Slick scampered over to her. She bent down and picked her up, burying her face into the soft fur. Charlotte needed a few moments to get her feelings under control, and Oil Slick provided her with the perfect excuse.
When she felt she had her emotions in check, she put the cat on the ground and faced Gage. He looked tired. His hair was mussed, but he was clean-shaven and smelled divine.
“Hello, Gage.”
They stood there in the center of the kitchen for a few awkward moments. Eventually Gage closed the distance between them.
“I—uh…” He ran a hand down his face. Clearly he was nervous, too. “I’m sorry.”
She opened her mouth to speak when he held up his hand to halt her words.
“No, don’t speak. Not until you hear me out. Can you do that, please?”
She nodded.
“Good,” he responded before he grabbed her hand and led her through to the living room. Her skin sizzled beneath his fingers. Her body craved his touch. She had missed it desperately while she’d been away.
They sat down on the couch, and that was when Charlotte saw the box containing Jack’s letters.
“Did you read them?” she asked.
The corner of Gage’s mouth quirked up. “I thought I told you to hear me out before you spoke.”
She rolled her eyes at him. The teasing eased the tension between them. “Sorry.”
He nodded and traced a line down her left hand until his finger connected with her wedding and engagement rings. “I should’ve known my feelings for you were more complex than I thought when I picked out these rings. I’d gone into the jewelry store, prepared to get you just a plain gold wedding band. No engagement ring. Nothing flashy. It was just a business arrangement, wasn’t it?
“But then I saw this set, and nothing else would do for my Red. I didn’t give it a second thought when I bought them.” He lifted her hand and kissed the rings softly. Her breath stuttered at the look in his eyes. It gave her hope.
“I know I don’t deserve you. I’ve done everything wrong from the beginning. I was so arrogant to think I could talk my way out of what I’d done, ordering the survey when I said I wouldn’t. Even when I sent the e-mail, I knew it was wrong, but all I could think about was the oil on this land. How much I’d always wanted it. How much I resented Dad for not giving it to me. Out of all the things I’ve done since I met you, arranging for that survey is the one thing I wish I could change.”
“Why did you do it?” she asked, even though he had tried to explain his reasoning. “Why didn’t you send another e-mail canceling the request?”
“I don’t know. I felt like Dad was still punishing me for the stupid mistake I made in college, for how that mistake crushed the dreams he’d had for me.”
“I hardly think Jack was punishing you for something that happened so long ago. What did you do that was so bad?”
A look of self-derision crossed his face. “I thought I was untouchable in college. I was so arrogant, even then. I didn’t think the rules applied to me. How could they? I was the star running back of the football team. I was on the road to winning the Heisman Trophy in my freshman year. We were going to win the championship that year—because of me.”
He paused and Charlotte realized how much it was costing him to tell her what he’d done. She squeezed his hand tighter. No matter what he told her, she wasn’t going to stop loving him.
She smiled, encouraging him to continue.
“I’d been pushing the boundaries and rules for weeks. The guys on the team got me into their fraternity. I didn’t have to do half the stuff the other candidates had to do to be initiated. I thought those guys were my friends. I was so stupid back then.”
Charlotte had a fair idea where this story was headed, and it wasn’t a happy ending.
“Turns out the ringleader, a fellow running back, was jealous. He’d been the star of the team until I arrived. My stats left his in the dust. His end goal was to get me kicked off the team. So he got his friends to help him achieve that goal. They really didn’t have to do too much to encourage me to break the rules. As I said, I thought I was untouchable. Turns out I wasn’t. I got busted doing one fraternity prank too many. That, along with all the warnings and reprimands I’d gotten for being late to practice, for getting caught in Vegas for underage gambling, and for letting my grades fall, was all the athletic director needed. I got kicked off the team, and because I was there on a full scholarship, I got kicked out of school, too. All the dreams Dad had of me getting drafted into the NFL went up in smoke.”
“Oh, Gage, couldn’t you have tried to appeal the decision or go to another school? Surely another college would’ve been champing at the bit to get you on their team.”
He shrugged. “I suppose I could’ve, but I was so ashamed. Also, once you get a reputation for being a rule breaker, no one really wants to touch you in case you tarnish the reputation of their school. It was a wake-up call for me. I ended up heading back to Houston and found a job on an oil rig. I kept any contact with Dad and my brothers to a minimum. I knew I’d disappointed them. I wanted to prove to them I wasn’t a deadbeat. So I worked on the rigs and got my degree though an online college—and here I am today.”
“You should be proud of all you’ve achieved. Not everyone would go on to be so successful. Some people would’ve found solace in alcohol or drugs.”
He laughed sardonically. “You’d think so, but I haven’t learned, have I? I disappointed you the same way I disappointed the rest of my family.”
Charlotte opened her mouth to refute his claims. He placed two fingers over her lips.
“No, don’t say I didn’t disappoint you, because I know it’s not true.” He looked deep into her eyes, remorse shining in the depths of his own. “I always thought mining this land would redeem myself in Dad’s eyes. The royalties from the oil here would’ve provided him with more money than he would have known what to do with. And his screw-up of a son would have given it to him. But he died before I could show him I was worthy to call myself the youngest son of Jack Cooper.”
Charlotte shook her head. His reasoning seemed silly to her, but to Gage, it meant a lot. “I think you underestimated Jack. He might not have mentioned your name to me, but he talked about all of his boys and how proud he was of all they’d achieved so far in their lives.” She paused for a moment. “But if you desperately want to drill here on this land, then why did you do all of this to the house? Why make it into my dream home?”
“I’ve done some thinking while we were apart. I read all of Dad’s letters. I now know why he left you this house and land.”
“You do? There was something in the letters? Or had he written you a letter?”
“Yes, there was something in the letters. Dad left you this land because he knew you would love it and treasure it like he did. Whether he had insight into the future or he was reaching for the stars, I don’t really know. But he knew you were the one person who could make me see there was more to life than drilling the next oil well.
“And he was right.” She closed her eyes as he brushed a hand down her face. “Oh, how he was right, Red. The first weekend, when you laid in my arms and shared your vision for the house, I could see it. I wanted to be the man whom you came down here with. I wanted to be the man who walked with you along the beach. I wanted to be the man who pushed our kids on the swing set. I want all that now—with you, Charlotte Cooper.”
The sincerity in his words couldn’t be denied, and the tears that had filled her eyes when she entered the house returned and spilled down her cheeks.
“I don’t know what to say, Cowboy.”
“Say you want it, too. Say you love me like I love you. And I do love you, Charlotte. So much. Not talking to you this last week and a half has been hell. I wanted to storm into your office the day after you left and just carry you out. But then I knew what I had to do. I had to make you see that you are the most important thing to me—your dreams. Making them come true is worth more to me than the oil in the ground here. This house was supposed to be Dad’s home with his one true love. Maybe it can be our home—together. Maybe we can fulfill the dream that eluded Dad and Nora.”
She was still reeling with Gage’s declaration of love to fully comprehend his statement about the house.
“Why didn’t he live here with your mum?”
Gage smiled softly. “Simple, really. He bought this house for Nora, and when she broke up with him, he was so heartbroken that he couldn’t stand to live here without her. I don’t think he loved my mom like he loved Nora. I’m sure he loved her in his own way, though, just not the same way. And I can’t deny he loved us boys. We were his future. He was always there at our games, cheering us on. I like to think that maybe there was something in you that reminded him of his Nora. That was w
hy he left the house to you. He knew you would love it like he did, and he was right.”
Her eyes widened when Gage moved off the couch and got down on one knee. He picked up her left hand and pulled off her engagement ring. He brought it to his mouth and gave it a kiss before he looked into her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“I cheated you out of a proper proposal. I need to make it right. Charlotte Wilkinson, you lit a fire in me the day I walked into your office. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now. You own my heart. I love you and I hope that one day you can love me, too.” He slipped the ring on her finger. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Charlotte swallowed on the ball of emotion in her throat at the enormity of the gesture. She wasn’t a hearts-and-flowers type of girl and hadn’t given the way Gage proposed a thought. The fact he had proved how much she meant to him. The need to be close to Gage overwhelmed her, and she climbed off the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes,” she whispered. “So much yes. I’d be thrilled to marry you and be your wife. And that day is here, Cowboy. I love you so much that the thought of leaving Texas and never seeing you again almost crippled me. I knew I couldn’t stay here in the States if I didn’t have you in my life. I definitely knew I couldn’t visit this house again.” She kissed his lips briefly before pulling back. “I love you, Gage Cooper. Every single flawed part of you. I can’t believe you’ve made my dreams come true with this house.”
“Red, I want to make all your dreams come true. Maybe in a few years we can move down here permanently.”
“I’d love that. Until then we can come every weekend.”
Gage’s answer was to capture her lips. She melted into his kiss. It was a kiss of apology and hope for a new life together. She answered back, agreeing with him, letting him know she trusted and believed in him.
He broke away from her and lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him. The love shining out of his eyes warmed her completely.
Sweet Texas Fire Page 19
