The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2)

by Bree Callahan

  “What?” she asked.

  “Well…the recipe asked for a cup of parmesan cheese and I thought I had enough, but I didn’t. So…I had to reconfigure the recipe and put in a half cup of parmesan and a half cup of cheddar.” He brought the plate over to her and placed it in front of her. She chuckled, shaking her head. “You find that funny, do you?”

  “You’re a chef, so you know what you’re doing. I trust you completely.” She took her fork and cut into the dish. She took a bite and sighed as it went down. It was no joke that it was delicious, and she appreciated that things really were going to be more like the old times between them. The nerves were finally gone, and she was excited to attend the rest of the evening.

  ****

  Derek reached into his briefcase and pulled out the paper he received from Max. He’d given it a couple days thought, and while Max nor Jesse would think a couple days wasn’t enough, he was confident that a few more wouldn’t change his mind. He laid it out on his desk and quickly read over it. It basically stated that he had no question in his mind he didn’t want the inheritance that was bestowed upon him, and he would happily relinquish it over to the city.

  He poised his pen to sign it, but before he could get his name written down, he heard his doorbell. He put his pen down and got out from his desk and headed out of the den. “I’ve got it,” he called, so Mary wouldn’t be forced to stop what she was doing to get the door.

  He opened it up to find Jesse at his door. He opened his mouth to greet him, but Jesse already took the reigns. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

  Derek’s mouth hung open. “Excuse me?” he asked.

  “You’re relinquishing your inheritance when you have nearly a year remaining to the deadline?”

  Derek rolled his eyes. He hadn’t expected Jesse to find out the news so soon, but he didn’t know why he was so surprised. He stepped back. “Come inside before the whole neighborhood hears you.”

  Jesse stepped over the threshold, and Derek shut the door behind him. When Derek turned around, Jesse wasn’t through with telling him what a fool he was. “Come on Derek, don’t be stupid. It’s ten billion dollars.”

  Derek shrugged. “It isn’t about the money.” He moved past Jesse and reentered the den. He didn’t want Mary to hear the conversation, so he closed the doors once Jesse stepped in the room. “How can it not be about the money?”

  “Do you want something to drink? Scotch? Brandy?”

  “Scotch, but don’t change the subject. You need to think about this, Derek. Don’t make any abrupt decisions.”

  Derek poured Jesse a glass. He shook his head as he handed the glass over to him. “I’ve thought about it. It’s all I’ve ever thought about. I’ve hurt people I truly care about, and I’m not going to sacrifice my only beliefs. I’m not.” He shook his head and took another drink from his own glass.

  “You don’t get it. There’s still time to fall in love on your own rules, and then the inheritance is only an added bonus.”

  Derek laughed, glancing at Jesse over his glass. He swallowed down the Scotch that was in his throat. “Do you know that even if I got married for all the right reasons, we still have the truth. The truth is that my father gave me a stupid guideline that I needed to follow. What woman would ever believe that I fell in love with her without having that in my mind?” It was the one thing he continued to come back to. Even if Charity trusted he loved her, she could always question him, and he didn’t want that. He wanted her to know that he cared only about her and nothing else.

  “The right woman would understand that. Don’t sign it without giving this a chance,” he pleaded.

  Derek walked over to his desk and held it up. “I’m about to. I’m mailing it out on Monday. I want to be able to fall in love without this hanging over our heads. I’m at peace with my decision and I can’t figure out why my lawyer would care.”

  Jesse looked away from Derek’s inquisitive stare. “I’m speaking as your friend,” Jesse slowly replied.

  It seemed heartfelt. He didn’t want someone to tell him how stupid he was when it was about his life and the life of the woman he married. That’s what mattered most. “How did you even find out about it?” Derek asked.

  “How else? Max told me.” Before Derek could argue that Max had no right to call him, Jesse explained. “We had a lawyer’s conference yesterday. It got brought up.” Jesse took a drink, before asking, “You’re sure this is the right choice?”

  Derek nodded. “I’m positive. When we first found out about the inheritance, you know how angry I was. I was irritated that my dad would even consider that this was a normal thing to add into his Will. Back then I was certain that the money wasn’t the most important thing, but in the back of my mind I thought I could marry someone just to claim the inheritance, but then I met…” His words fell off, and Jesse didn’t need him to consider.

  He gave a knowing smile. “You met Charity and that all changed.” Derek nodded. “Do you still love her?” Jesse asked. Derek could answer that without giving away too much information. He smiled and nodded. “Have you told her?” Jesse asked.

  Derek nodded. “I’ve told her numerous times, actually.” The longer he lied to his friend, the worst he felt, but he couldn’t tell him the truth. He didn’t want to betray Charity’s trust, and that’s what mattered most to him. Jesse opened his mouth to ask another question and Derek held up his hand to stop him. “I don’t want to keep hashing over it. It is what it is, and we just need to trust that everything will work out.”

  “Alright,” Jesse replied softly. “If you’re sure this is what you want to do, then I’ll trust that you know what you’re doing.”

  “Thank you!” Derek replied. He grabbed the glass from Jesse’s extended hand.

  “I’ll see you later!” Jesse exclaimed.

  Derek followed him back to the front door. They said their goodbyes, and then Jesse was gone. Derek closed the door. He understood Jesse’s concern, but it wasn’t about Jesse. It was about what he felt was the best for Charity and himself, and he wouldn’t change his decision for anything.

  ****

  Charity was in a calm situation as they sat on his couch and talked. It really felt like they were involved in a real relationship. He stroked her knee, while she drank wine and listened to everything he had to say to her. “May I ask you a personal question?” he asked softly. His eyes clung to hers, and she would’ve agreed to anything at that moment. She nodded, never breaking eye contact. “Are you dating Mayor Worthington?”

  She hadn’t expected him to bluntly ask the question. She broke eye contact, but only briefly so she could think about what she wanted to say to him. His hand remained massaging her knee as she thought. She then looked back at him. “Dating is such a strong word. Are we dating? Not exactly. Are we seeing each other? You could say that?” She let a small breath escape between her lips. “My new job didn’t go so well and so I have gone back to working for him.”

  “Oh…” his eyes looked downward.

  She ran her fingers over his, and he looked up. “I don’t know what’s between Derek and myself, and I don’t know what could become of us, but I do know that I felt a strong enough will that I needed to find out.”

  He smiled. “Was it the poems?”

  She chuckled. “They might’ve had something to do with it, but in the end, it came down to knowing you. You’re a good man, Damian, and while I have strong feelings for both of you…I need time to think, but I’m no longer saying it couldn’t happen between us.”

  He reached up with his other hand and caressed her cheek. “I’m so happy to hear you say that.” He leaned in and they kissed. She lifted her hands up and caressed his face in her palms. His body moved closer to her, and they deepened the kiss. Slowly she started to fall back down to the pillows on the couch and their bodies just melted back to one another. She could’ve easily gotten back into the same rhythm they were in before things broke off, but then a picture of Derek popped in
to her head. His smile was so inviting, and she had to take a breath.

  She pushed him away, and he slowly pulled back. “I’m sorry,” he breathlessly stated.

  She shook her head, gasping for air and looking down at his shagged carpet. “I need to go.”

  She stood up, and he took the spot next to her. “Will we do this again?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I’ll call you.” She started to leave, but he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her back to him. She closed her eyes. “I can’t rush this.”

  He smiled. “I agree! I want you to be with me because you have the same feelings for me, Charity. I love you, and I don’t want you to feel pressured to be with me.” He moved in and softly kissed her. She kept her eyes closed and just focused on the feel of his lips against hers. She felt connected to him. That wasn’t the problem. She just didn’t know why when she closed her eyes she thought about the guy that wasn’t there. She drifted from him.

  “Thank you for supper. I’ll call you,” she whispered.

  He didn’t follow her, as she walked to his front door and left his house. She made it to her car and got inside before she looked back and found him watching her from the living room window. He was gorgeous, and any woman would want to get swept up by someone like him, but he wasn’t the only guy making his intentions known to her, and she couldn’t forget that. She had to give him the chance he deserved, then she would know where her heart was. At least, she hoped it would someday be apparent.

  She pulled out of his driveway and drove home with her mind on both Damian and Derek, comparing them to one another. It was difficult to do, especially when they were so different, but each had qualities she wanted in a relationship. Her mind then shot back to Joe, and she found herself laughing. They were both totally different from Joe, and she was about to marry him. She couldn’t believe how much her tastes were really evolving since Joe ditched her and she actually started living.

  The ride to her apartment seemed to go by quicker than the normal day, and she was thankful for that. She parked in her spot and got out of the car. She headed up to the apartment and unlocked the door. Inside she found Tiffany on the couch. Tiffany immediately sat up and turned the television off. “Eeekkk…” she squealed. “Tell me all about it.”

  Charity laughed, taking a seat on the couch. “Is Ana still out?” Charity asked.

  Tiffany quickly nodded. “Soooo…”

  Charity smirked. “It was nice. We had a really good time, and we talked in ways that Damian and I never communicated before.”

  Tiffany’s face fell. “But?” she asked.

  Charity smiled. “But…I found myself thinking about Derek tonight. I just think I’m way too emotional of a person to really know what I want.”

  Tiffany shook her head. “That’s not it. You just really have a bond with Derek. Damian was always the guy that you had sex with so you would have someone to have sex with. You had sex with Derek because you both wanted it and at the time you were feeling a connection with him. It’s going to be hard to push that out of your mind.” She hesitated when Charity didn’t say anything. “Am I wrong?” Tiffany asked.

  Charity shook her head. It all made perfect sense to her. “You’re right. The way my relationship started out with Derek and Damian were so different. I just wish I knew which way I wanted it to go.”

  Tiffany smiled. “You will soon. Trust your heart and you’ll figure it out.”

  Charity wanted to have the same faith that Tiffany did. She got up from the couch. “I’m beat. Are you going to be?” Charity asked.

  “I will be in a few minutes. I’m going to finish this show.” She turned the television back on as Charity headed to her bedroom. She got dressed in a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt and then got under her covers. Her phone dinged with a text message, and she looked at it.

  Damian: I had fun tonight.

  Charity put her phone down on her nightstand. She would message him tomorrow when she had a clear head. She turned her light off and closed her eyes, ready to dream the night away.

  Chapter 17

  Charity spent the next couple weeks going to work, enjoying time with Derek while at work, then taking a few nights out of the week and spending time with Damian. She didn’t worry about Derek seeing them because they always got together in Briar Ridge and would do things around town. They went bowling, miniature golfing, to the movies, or out to eat, and then always ended the evening with a nice romantic kiss. Even if he wanted it to progress to more, he never pointed that out, and she was relieved about that.

  With that being said, she was surprised when two weeks went by, and Damian showed up at her work on a Monday afternoon. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. Derek was in his office, and Damian was well aware that Derek was also someone she could see her life with. She couldn’t fathom why he thought it was a good idea to show up…unannounced at the one place Derek would definitely be.

  “Relax…” he whispered. “Your secret will remain.” He winked at her, and she found herself uncomfortable. “I want to take you out to lunch.”

  She opened her mouth to answer his request when she saw Derek coming out of his office. She looked to her right and put on a smile. “Derek!” she exclaimed.

  He smiled. “Hello, I’m Mayor Derek Worthington.” He put out his hand and shook Damian’s hand. He then dropped the handshake and inquired, “Do I know you from somewhere?”

  Charity’s eyes widened, and she glanced between the two men, but Damian was quick to respond. “Small town. I’m sure you’ve seen me somewhere. The name’s Damian.”

  Derek nodded. “Of course. I don’t want to interrupt,” Derek stated. His eyes stayed a little longer on Charity’s, and she thought about climbing underneath her desk to escape the awkwardness.

  “You’re not interrupting, Mayor. I just came to ask Charity out for lunch.”

  Derek whipped his eyes back to hers. He looked interested, intrigued, and anything but pleased by the simple statement by Damian. “I’m really busy, and I know hat I really shouldn’t go,” Charity quickly stammered.

  Derek shook his head. “Nonsense, Charity. You work so hard, and you deserve to take a break every once in awhile, by all means.” He smiled. “I hope you both have fun.” He headed to the elevator and Charity watched him until he hit the button to go down.

  “Where are you going?” Charity asked.

  He turned around as the door opened and he backed into the elevator. “I’m meeting up with Jesse for lunch. Enjoy!” The door closed, and she turned back to Damian.

  “See. He didn’t even seem fazed by it.”

  Charity laughed. “You think that was the face of someone that didn’t seem fazed?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “He seemed fine to me.”

  Charity rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even say I wanted to go out to lunch with you. You threw me by surprise showing up here. I need you to respect that this is a tough decision for me.”

  “I do,” he softly replied. “I just missed you.” He leaned in and touched a sweet kiss to her lips.

  She groaned, pulling from the kiss. She still wasn’t happy that he seemed too confident for his own good. She wanted this to be an easy choice, but they were still equal, and just when she thought Derek or Damian pulled ahead, the other one did something that made her question the way she was judging them. “We saw each other last night,” she quietly replied.

  He nodded. “I know, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still miss you.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. She was leaning over the desk but allowed the kiss to deepen. Then the thought of them kissing in the office, when just a few moments earlier Derek was standing right there, made her break from the kiss.

  “Fine! I’ll go to lunch with you.”

  He smiled. “Good!”

  He waited for her to get her purse and phone and they took the elevator down to the lobby. They got off the elevator and walked to the outside, where his motorcycle was parke
d along the curb. She stared at it, remembering the last time she rode the motorcycle. They took it back to his place and had sex several times that night and now she was considering getting on the back of it once more. She paused. “You brought the motorcycle?” she asked, even though she already had the answer.

  He laughed. “I know how much you enjoy riding on the back.” He winked at her and handed her the helmet. He put on his own, but she waited for a moment. She begged him to rethink it and take her car, but he wouldn’t budge. He motioned to the bike. “Come on! It’s just one ride.”

  She looked down at her skirt and shirt, and she shrugged. “Not really dressed for a bike ride.”

  He laughed. “We’re going two blocks.”

  She groaned but reluctantly agreed. He got on and then pulled her on the motorcycle, so she was seated tightly to him. She put on her helmet and wrapped her arms around him. He started the motorcycle and pulled away from the curb. She gripped her hold onto him tighter and tried not to think about how close they were to one another. He was right, it wouldn’t take long to get a corner diner, and it didn’t. They pulled into the parking lot, and he parked up next to the building.

  He helped her off, and they put their helmets on the handlebars. He then grabbed her hand, and they started to head towards the Diner. She pulled her hand away, and he gave her a curious look. “We’re not in Briar Ridge now, and people will talk.”

  He nodded but didn’t look too happy that she pulled away from him. He opened the door for her, and she entered the diner. She was glad they chose the diner, instead of a fancy restaurant, because they had a better chance of running into Jesse and Derek at a restaurant. The chances of Derek choosing the Diner wasn’t great. They approached the counter and placed their orders, then went to a table to wait for their orders to be completed.

  She took a sip from her Soda and Damian watched her. “What?” she asked, feeling that uneasiness feeling reappear.

  He smiled. “You’re so beautiful.”