“I’ll wait.” The words burst from her throat so quickly she didn’t have time to overthink, to question her judgment. “You waited for me, and I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”
The crease between his brows disappeared, and he kissed her, softly and sweetly, before dashing out the door and into the cold.
Chapter 12
Garrettboundedupthestairs of the building at 138 Willow Street and pounded on the door to Ben’s apartment, bouncing on his toes and blowing into his hands in an attempt to return circulation to his digits.
Rose swung the door open and eyed him with a knowing smirk before stepping aside to welcome him in. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
He collapsed into Ben’s favorite leather chair and let his head drop to his palms. “I need help.”
Ben emerged from the bedroom, his black hair damp and feet bare as he buttoned up his shirt. “I’d say. Where is Sadie?”
Garrett winced. “At her apartment, I think.”
Rose stilled at the stove where she had set a kettle on to boil. “You think?”
“Hence why I said, ‘I need help.’” He spilled the tale of how he and Sadie had become trapped together in the firehouse, how sharing the space had led to…
“I’ve never seen your cheeks so red,” Rose said over her cup of tea, her eyes sparkling. “You can spare us the details.”
“Pleasespare us the details.” Ben snagged a cookie from the plate Rose had brought in to accompany the tea.
Garrett gave Rose a pleading look. “That’s why I never called on your friends. I’ve been pining for Sadie for so long, it felt wrong to see someone else.”
Rose snorted. “Of course it did. We’ve been waiting for the tension between you two to break for months now.”
His mind spun. “You what?”
Ben nodded. “The regulars at Colleen’s pub had taken bets about when you’d finally see the light.”
“Why do you think I only told you about calling on my friends when Sadie was around?” Rose’s delicate eyebrows arched high on her forehead. “I was hoping you’d notice what was right in front of you and perhaps urge her to act on her jealousy.”
Garrett groaned. “So you’ve been manipulating us this entire time?”
“It’s what we do best around here,” Ben remarked. “As if I need to remind you.”
Just over a year ago, Garrett had rallied their friends and convinced Ben to chase Rose across the Atlantic and declare his love. Meddling was a love language for the residents of Brooklyn Heights.
“So now you’re together,” Rose said. “What is the problem?”
The truth sat in his gut like a lead weight. “I haven’t been totally honest with her, or with you.”
Sharing the truth about his employment was easier than he had expected it to be, although the understanding looks on his friends’ faces made him regret not telling them—or Sadie—sooner.
“So you’ve been pretending to work on Wall Street for the past week?” Rose asked. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I knew you’d understand, but I didn’t want Sadie to think less of me,” he replied. “I wanted her to believe I’m a man of substance, someone who could care for her.”
“Care doesn’t require scores of money.”
Garrett scoffed. “But I can’t marry her if I can’t afford a home for our family.”
Rose’s eyes widened, and Ben sat back with a smug grin. “Marry?” he asked.
“Family?” Her voice cracked with glee.
“Alright, fine.” Garrett threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I want to marry her. She’s everything,everything, but I can’t ask for her hand if I can’t even afford a ring.”
