Given what she’d overheard that afternoon, what other choice did she have?
Michael had all but admitted that she meant nothing more to him beyond what she could do for his show’s popularity. And since he’d never had any problem with ratings, that meant he really didn’t need her.
It was devastating to realize that she’d been living in a fantasy world. But it was better that she’d come to her senses now, before she rearranged her entire life for a man who’d never intended to commit to her.
As for the man she’d dated for the past year, hoping to convince herself that they were right for each other, it was time to close that door once and for all.
The morning after she arrived home, she drove to the hospital where she and Victor worked and had him paged. She knew he’d been avoiding her phone calls for over a week.
It was time for both of them to face the music.
When he came on the line, she said without preamble, “Victor, this is Reese. I’m sitting outside in a rental car. I don’t want to come inside and get sidetracked by my coworkers. I know you don’t have any surgeries scheduled this morning. Will you meet me outside so we can talk?”
A heavy pause. “There’s not much to talk about, Reese.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve watched the show. After you told me about your apprenticeship I was angry, and I didn’t plan to watch a single minute. But I’m glad I finally did.”
Reese swallowed hard. “Victor—”
“I hope to hell you know what you’re doing,” he said harshly. “Michael Wolf is a damn celebrity. When he breaks your heart, maybe then you’ll realize he wasn’t worth what you’ve given up.”
The line went dead.
Reese closed her eyes, grateful, at least, that she’d been spared having to make a long, painful breakup speech.
Chapter 18
Michael paced up and down his living room floor, his cell phone pressed to his ear.
“Come on, come on,” he muttered under his breath. “Answer the damn phone. Answer the—”
“Hello.”
Relief swept through him. “Reese? I’ve been trying to reach you since last night!
What the hell are you doing in Houston?”
“I came home for the weekend.” She paused. “I guess Drew’s assistant told you.”
“She did,” he snapped. “But why the hell did I have to hear it from her instead of you? ”
“Don’t worry,” she said coolly. “I’ll be back on Monday to tape the grand finale.”
“I don’t give a damn about the show!” Michael shouted.
“Really? You were singing a different tune yesterday.”
“What are you talking about?”
Reese sighed. “I overheard the comment you made to Drew before our meeting.”
“What com—” Suddenly Michael froze, the words echoing through his mind like a cruel indictment. She’s a ratings magnet. How could I not be crazy about her?
He’d regretted the careless remark as soon as the words left his mouth. It was a stupid thing to have said, and so far from the truth it was laughable. Except he wasn’t laughing now. And neither, apparently, was Reese.
“I didn’t mean what I said,” he told her. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Actually, I think you did.” She sounded so calm. Resigned. “I think what you told Drew was more honest than anything you’ve ever told me.”
“What? How can you say that? How can you believe that?”
“The question is, how could I have ever believed otherwise?”
Dread coiled in Michael’s gut. “Reese, listen to me. I—”
“I’m not angry, Michael,” she interrupted in that mild, implacable tone. “Deep down inside, I’ve always known that our relationship was too good to be true. It’s time for me to stop chasing a fantasy and get back to reality.”
He scowled. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I’m returning to Houston after Monday’s final taping. Layla’s funding got cut, so she’ll be home early next week. There’s no reason for me to stay in Atlanta.”
“What about me?” Michael growled, desperation mingling with anger. “What about us?”
“There is no us.”
The quiet finality in her voice ripped his heart in half. “Reese, don’t—”
“I’ll see you on Monday. Goodbye, Michael.”
That evening, Sterling was in his den playing poker with Michael and Marcus when Frizell spoke from the window. “Are you expecting company, Mr. Wolf?”
At first he didn’t hear the question. He’d been preoccupied with Michael, who’d been brooding ever since he arrived at the house that night. Sterling knew something bad must have happened between his son and Reese, but so far Michael hadn’t said a word.
“Mr. Wolf?” Frizell prompted. “Are you expecting company?”
“No.” Sterling was still recovering from the departure of his last houseguests. Or rather, from Asha’s departure. He hadn’t heard a peep from her since she’d returned to New York. Just as he’d expected.
“There’s a limo coming down the driveway,” Frizell told him.
Suddenly Sterling’s nerves tightened and his pulse thudded. It can’t be.
He threw down his cards and rushed from the room. Moments later, he flung open the front door just as a pair of long, shapely legs emerged from the backseat of a white limousine.
He gaped, convinced that his eyes were deceiving him. “Asha?”
A soft smile curved her lips. “Hello, Sterling.”
Gazes locked, they started toward each other. When they stood face-to-face, Sterling asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t stay away,” Asha confessed.
Sterling’s heart lurched. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I missed you. I tried to throw myself back into work, but all I could think about was this house, our children, our grandsons. You. I missed being here with you, Sterling. So I did the only thing that made sense. I walked out in the middle of an important meeting and ordered my pilot to fuel the jet.” She smiled, tears misting her eyes. “I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
Sterling pulled her into a fervent embrace and kissed her as if his very life depended on it. She clung to him, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. His heart soared.
Lifting his head, he gazed into her eyes. “I love you. I don’t know when it happened, but I’m so glad it did.”
“Oh, Sterling.” Asha curved her hand against his cheek. “I’ve been in love with you since the day the twins were born.”
Stunned, he stared at her. “You have?”
She nodded. “The way you held them in your arms and kissed their tiny foreheads while tears rolled down your face. Watching you, I was a goner. I’ve been trying to outrun my feelings ever since, but I can’t do it anymore. I love you, and I want to be with you.”
Sterling turned his face into her palm and kissed it. “What about New York?”
“I’ll keep my headquarters in Manhattan and open another office in Buckhead, near the boutique.”
He smiled at her decisive tone. “A woman who knows what she wants.”
Asha held his gaze. “You’d better believe it.”
Overcome with emotion, Sterling grabbed her hand and strode toward the house, where Michael and Marcus stood on the front steps gaping at them in disbelief.
“Help the driver carry Asha’s luggage up to my room,” Sterling told them gruffly.
“Yes, sir,” Marcus said.
Amused, Michael drawled, “And where are you lovebirds headed?”
Sterling and Asha shared a smile. “The guesthouse.”
Chapter 19
With only ten minutes left in her final appearance on Howlin’ Good, Reese congratulated herself for maintaining her composure. She’d been on the verge of tears since she’d arrived at the studio that evening for the live taping. It hadn’t he
lped when she’d walked onto the set and saw her parents, Raina and Warrick seated in the first row. Once she realized that Michael had arranged the big surprise for her, she’d wanted to launch herself into his arms and shower his face with grateful kisses.
She’d settled for a simple “Thank you.”
His gaze had softened on her face. “I’d do anything for you.”
If only that was true, she’d thought sadly.
Finished with her cooking demonstration, Reese spooned some of her curry chicken soufflé into a bowl and passed it to Michael. “Enjoy.”
He arched a brow. “You mean you’re not going to feed it to me?”
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Typical helpless male.”
As the audience laughed, she and Michael exchanged brief, tense smiles.
“Can I at least have a spoon?” he asked.
She heaved an exasperated breath that wasn’t entirely for the crowd’s benefit. After dropping a spoon into his bowl, she smiled sweetly. “Anything else?”
“Actually,” he said thoughtfully, “I think I’d rather use a fork instead.”
Reese scowled into the audience. “If I didn’t know better, I would think he was stalling to get out of trying my soufflé.”
More laughter ensued.
Muttering under her breath, Reese began searching the cluttered countertop for a clean fork.
“Try the pot on the back burner,” Michael suggested.
Shooting him a dubious look, Reese lifted the lid of the pot he’d indicated. When she saw what was inside, she gasped and dropped the lid with a noisy clatter.
Her stunned gaze flew to Michael, who was smiling softly as he set down his bowl.
“Well? Aren’t you going to pick it up?”
Reese opened her mouth, but no sound emerged.
Michael shook his head at the audience. “A man’s work is never done.”
Only a few scattered chuckles could be heard above the sudden hush that had swept over the crowd.
Michael reached inside the pot and withdrew the solitary item that had rendered Reese speechless: a small velvet box.
A collective gasp went around the room.
The expression on Michael’s face was as achingly tender as his voice. “I know you’re supposed to be the apprentice here, but the truth is, Reese, I’m the one who’s been learning from you. You’ve taught me so much about life, love and taking chances. I promise you that I’m not the same man you met a few weeks ago.”
Reese’s heart swelled with emotion. “Oh, Michael…”
“My viewers and I are on the same page. I want to keep you on the show as much as they want me to. But more importantly, Reese, I want to keep you in my life.”
She stared at him, afraid to believe this moment was real.
“I love you,” Michael said huskily. “You mean everything to me. Everything. ”
Tears of joy and relief sprang to Reese’s eyes. “I love you, too, Michael.”
He looked deeply into her eyes, searching her soul. And then he opened the jewelry box and removed a stunning diamond ring. “In the spirit of taking chances, will you marry me?”
Smiling through her tears, Reese held out a trembling hand and felt his warm, strong fingers close tightly around hers. “Yes,” she said fervently. “Yes, Michael, I’ll marry you.”
He eased the ring onto her finger, then yanked her into his arms and whispered hoarsely, “I love you!” before crushing his mouth to hers in a fierce, devouring kiss. The audience erupted into thunderous applause that was soon joined by laughter and whistles as the kiss continued.
Reese was oblivious to everything but Michael. In that moment, no one could tell her that she wasn’t the luckiest woman in the world. How could she not be, when her favorite fantasy had just become a reality?
Hours later, Michael lay in the darkness of his bedroom with Reese cradled against his side, her head on his shoulder. His hand drifted lazily over the curve of her waist as he brushed butterfly kisses across her forehead. He couldn’t stop kissing her, touching her, making love to her. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. Reese wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was he. Ever.
After wrapping up at the studio, they’d headed over to Wolf’s Soul to celebrate their engagement with family and friends. Together they’d mingled with their guests, accepting congratulations and good-natured teasing about their on-screen kiss, which Drew had dubbed the longest lip-lock in television history. He was already salivating at the thought of what Michael’s romantic proposal had done for the show’s ratings.
All Michael cared about was the woman in his arms. He couldn’t help marveling at the way things had turned out. Up until a few hours ago, he’d been facing the unthinkable possibility of a future without Reese. Now, he was on top of the world.
And to think he’d almost blown it.
“I shouldn’t have waited so long to tell you how I felt about you,” he murmured.
“Better late than never.” Reese lifted her head, searching his face in the silvery moonlight streaming through the wall of windows. “I, too, could have shared my feelings sooner, but I was so afraid you weren’t ready.”
“That’s not what was holding me back.” He touched her hair. “The day after our picnic, Marcus called to tell me about an argument he’d overheard between Mom and Grant. Apparently Mom had asked Grant if they could stay another week, and he got upset and accused her of still being in love with Dad. Marcus was stunned. He waited until no one else was around and confronted Mom. She denied Grant’s accusation, but she admitted that she’d been feeling confused about the past lately. She said she loves Grant dearly, but the more time she spent with Dad, the more she realized how much she gave up all those years ago. But she promised Marcus that she’d keep her doubts to herself so she wouldn’t throw Dad’s life into upheaval—again.”
Michael watched as comprehension dawned on Reese’s face. “You thought that if your mother could have buyer’s remorse after nearly thirty years, I might someday regret breaking up with Victor.”
Michael hesitated, then nodded. “It killed me to think—”
“Listen to me,” Reese interrupted, pressing a finger to his lips and gazing intently into his eyes. “You don’t ever need to worry about me having second thoughts about us. I love you, Michael Wolf. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved or will ever love. So unless you wake up one morning and decide you want a new apprentice, you’re stuck with me.”
He smiled tenderly. “You’re the only apprentice I’ll ever want or need.”
“Good.” There was a husky catch to her voice. “Drew offered me a contract to remain on the show, but I told him I’d have to think about it. I don’t mind doing cameo appearances, but as much as I’ve enjoyed working with you, baby, I miss being a doctor.”
“Of course you do.” Michael caressed her face. “You know, we have plenty of great hospitals right here in Atlanta.”
“I know.” She paused. “I never got around to canceling my interview at Emory University Hospital on Wednesday.”
“You had an interview?”
“Yes. I’d been looking into jobs before we…” She trailed off shyly.
Michael groaned, his heart overflowing with love and gratitude as he kissed her.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?”
Her eyes glimmered with mirth. “It was your triple chocolate cheesecake.
Remember? You all but guaranteed it would make me fall in love with you.”
He laughed. “So I did.”
Smiling, she nibbled on his chin. “When can we have another picnic in the garden?”
“As soon as we can get the house to ourselves again.” Reese’s family was staying at Sterling’s house for a week. Michael and Reese were expected to join everyone tomorrow for a festive brunch that would probably spill over into the next day. Too bad his father and Asha had dibs on the guesthouse, Michael lamented.
“I’m so excited for them,” Reese murmured, as if sh
e’d read his mind. “They look so happy together. So right for each other.”
“I think they are,” Michael agreed, marveling at the odds of him and his father finding their soul mates within the same week.
“What were you and my dad discussing after dinner?” Reese asked curiously.
Michael chuckled. “He wanted to make sure I understood how precious you are to him. Before your lovely mother intervened, he mentioned something about a hunting rifle he hadn’t used in years.”
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