Whatever You Say
Page 24
“I didn’t want to go. I was just…afraid not to. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
Their eyes locked and they held hands across the table and for several moments neither one spoke. He still hadn’t told her he loved her or wanted her to come back, but that couldn’t stop her from sharing her feelings and future plans. She finally broke the silence.
“I gave notice the other day.”
“You quit?”
“I’m working through next Friday, just finishing up some cases and turning over my work to the other associates.”
“Sweetheart, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Do you have a better suggestion?”
“I could move here.” He pressed his lips against her hand, letting his mouth linger against her skin.
“And what? Spend all your time alone while I work all day and night?” She inched to the edge of her seat and brushed his cheek with her free hand. “I miss Highland Springs…and you. I want to come back.”
“You’re sure about this?” He smiled as he nibbled her pinkie. Feeling his mouth on any part of her body made her pulse quicken and it was all she could do not to rush into his arms.
“I’m tired of killing myself for an illusion. I want to start living for something real.” She watched the recognition on his face as he recalled those sage words he’d spoken by the river. “I’m coming back and helping Gram. I’ve convinced her to add a first-floor bedroom to her house so she can stay in it longer. They start construction as soon as the ground thaws. I want to be there to oversee it.”
“How long do you plan to stay?” Without letting go of her hand, Brody slid off his stool and crossed to the other side of the table, wedging himself next to her. “I mean beyond the construction?” He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, his brows arched and eyes hopeful. “Is there anything I can do to convince you stay indefinitely?”
“Well, maybe if you—”
“Tell you I love you? Would that do it? Because it’s true, you know. I do love you.”
She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him between her knees. She rested her head against his beating heart and all the fear drained from her body. He had just said the words she’d been dying to hear, the words that would make all the difference. After a few moments with her face pressed against his chest, she pulled back and cupped his face in her hands.
“That’s exactly what I needed to hear. I love you, Brody, so much. I’ve been so—”
Before she could finish her thought, his mouth covered hers, seeking her lips and tongue hungrily as if he needed her essence for his very survival. She didn’t care if the whole tavern was watching, she was right where she wanted to be, with the man she loved and who loved her back. All at once, the heavy burden she’d held inside lifted and drifted away. She knew that as long as she had Brody’s love and they were together, she’d be content. After a dizzying few minutes, their lips parted and they pressed their foreheads together while catching their breaths.
“Damn it, I’ve missed you so much.” He gave her a quick kiss and then stepped back, but still kept her in his arms. “I guess this is the part where I pick you up and carry you out of here.”
She chuckled and dropped her head against his chest. “Did Liza tell you to do that?”
“She might have said something to that effect.” He tipped her chin up with his hand with a mischievous smirk. “As I recall, the last time I carried you somewhere I got real lucky.”
How could she forget being slung over his shoulder and carried to his bedroom? That caveman move was the most erotic fantasy to have ever come true and resulted in the best sex of her life. Those first intimate moments had only confirmed what she had suspected all along: she was in love with Brody and wanted to be with him always.
“Well…” She covertly slipped her hand under his shirttail and ran her finger inside the waistband of his jeans. “This time you’ll get doubly lucky.”
“Doubly lucky, huh? I like the sound of that.” He nuzzled his soft beard against her neck and took a playful tug on her earlobe. “Let’s go.”
“Um, before you go all prince charming on me,” she pressed her hand on his chest. “you should know if you plan to carry me out of here, be prepared to carry two.”
Time stood still. She was sure her heart had stopped beating as she watched Brody’s playful grin melt into a thin line. He held her gaze, blinking away the confusion as his eyes darted from left to right. When he began to shake his head ever so slightly, she thought this would be the end. Her pregnancy would be the deal breaker to their future. Slowly his right hand glided from around her back and settled on her stomach.
“You’re pregnant?” he whispered.
Emotion clogged her throat and, unable to speak, she replied with a tentative nod. She looked down at his hand still covering her abdomen and was afraid to look up at him again, afraid of what she’d see.
“We’re having a baby.” This time when he said the words, she could hear joy, wonder, even excitement. She looked up and found him smiling with every muscle in his face and his eyes dancing with happiness. “We’re having a baby.” He spoke loud enough this time that several people sitting nearby turned to look at them. Before she could say anything, he scooped her off the bar stool and spun her around, announcing to all within shouting distance, “We’re having a baby!”
She collapsed against his shoulder, relieved he was sharing in her joy. As he held her in his arms, her feet dangled a few inches above the floor.
“I don’t know how this happened. I thought we were careful.” He dropped her gently to the floor and gathered her face in his hands. “But who cares? This is the best news ever.”
“You’re not upset? Worried? Angry?”
“Hell, no, sweetheart, we’re having a baby…our baby.”
“Yes, I’m having your baby.” She leaned up and wrapped her hand around the back of his head, pulling him down for a long, loving kiss. “And I couldn’t be happier.” He gathered her close and smothered her lips with another kiss. When they pulled apart, her heart swelled to near bursting when she noticed dampness in his eyes and a beaming smile on his face. She wanted to freeze this moment in her memory. Brody pecked a kiss on her nose and then swiftly slid his hand behind her knees, gathering her in his arms.
“You were wrong, you know?”
“About what?” She draped her arms around his neck and raked her fingers through his hair.
“You said this wouldn’t end well, and yet—”
“It has.”
Brody pushed his back against the door, carrying Kate out into the crisp winter night as folks in the bar erupted in a loud round of applause.
Acknowledgements
The town of Highland Springs was inspired by my time spent as a student in Buckhannon, West Virginia, at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Located in the central part of the state, the area is surrounded by beautiful mountains that glow with color in the fall. Orange, red, and gold leaves dotting the hills will be forever etched in my memory.
The spring of my senior year, I was a social work intern, travelling with a caseworker into the surrounding counties to visit senior citizens in need. My most memorable client was a lady named Anna Linger, who lived in a one-room cabin deep in a “holler”. Cash’s Holler was Anna’s holler: unpainted one-room cabins on cinderblock stilts, single-wide trailers, and junked cars. The gravel road was so steep going in and out of the holler that I feared my little Ford Pinto wouldn’t make it. While visiting Anna one day, a bearded man silently unloaded a cord of wood and stacked it alongside her cabin. She told me he had recently moved to the area from New York City where he had given up his high-paying job on Wall Street, and now spent his days delivering wood to folks in the holler who needed it (at no charge).
I knew when I started writing that I would include this fascinating tale in a book someday, having wondered for over thirty years what made him give up that coveted career to live in the backwoods of West Virginia
. That reflection is how Brody’s story was born. So, thank you, Anna Linger and the mountain man for the inspiration.
Travis’s conversation with Kate about pineapple tops growing well in a pot of soil actually happened to me—word for word. A blonde-dreadlocked man told me all about his experience working on a pineapple farm as I checked out of the grocery store. Thank you, pineapple man for sharing your expertise.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Christian Lopez at a local coffee shop to learn about his songwriting process. If you haven’t listened to the Christian Lopez Band’s amazing Americana sound, I encourage you to do so. I predict he’ll be a household name someday. Thank you, Christian.
At the same coffee shop, I spent some time talking with physical therapist Dr. Emily Leonard Hockman about the best course of treatment for Gram’s broken femur. When she told me about strapping patients into safety harnesses, I knew I had to include that in the story. Thank you, Emily.
Many of the character names from this book and Whatever You Call Me are actually names of my friends and family. I didn’t ask their permission in advance. Hopefully they aren’t mad at me but are happy to see their names in print, even though the characters are nothing like the actual people. Thank you, friends.
For the past five years, I’ve worked with an incredible editor whom I now call a friend. Thank you, Rebecca Faith Heyman for all your help and support.
I have to thank my husband and children for their patience, support, and love. Whenever I ask them to share a Facebook post or spread the word to friends, they always willingly oblige. Thank you, Pat, Tom, and Liza.
Finally, thank you, reader for taking the time to read Whatever You Say. There are thousands of romance novels and hundreds of talented romance authors, yet you took the time to read this one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for reading Whatever You Say. If you enjoyed it, please help other readers find this book:
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About the Author
Most days Leigh can be found in her windowless office, escaping to Highland Springs, a fictional town in the West Virginia mountains, as she continues writing her Whatever series. Look for Whatever We Are coming in late 2017.
Leigh is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Washington Romance Writers chapter. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with her husband, Patrick, and her deaf French Bulldog Napoleon, and is mom to adult children, Tom and Liza.
Table of Contents
Whatever You Say
Copyright
Dedication
Also by Leigh Fleming
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Acknowledgements
Thank You For Reading
About the Author