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Julie took the key and turned it over in her palm, bewildered.
“What’s it open?”
“The shoe factory. I’m giving it to you. Or, I guess actually, Leo is giving it to you. But only because I told him to.”
She frowned. “How generous.”
“I’m going to stay and fix it up. You can keep it or give it to a nonprofit or turn it into a cooperative—whatever you want—and I’ll run the construction site. It’s going to be great.”
The frown became the scowl. “You’re staying for a project.”
“I’m staying for you. And when this project’s over, I’ll find another one, or you can just keep giving me work at the house. I love your house. I love fixing it up for you. Whatever I need to do—”
Carson stopped, frustrated because she still didn’t look like she believed him. She looked like she hated him.
Abruptly, he pulled her down off the pew and against his body. He kissed her, hard, putting all the certainty he’d found into it. Wanting her to feel it.
He leaned down and spoke in her ear. “I was afraid, Jules. When my mom was sick, and you were so weak after the operation, and my dad fell apart … I was afraid of losing you, and I felt like I had to pick between what was pulling me out into the world and this … this panic I felt whenever I looked at you. I did the easy thing and left, and even that was harder than it should have been.” He straightened and looked into her eyes. They were wet, full of unshed tears.
“I love my parents, Jules, but I couldn’t stay away from here because I couldn’t keep away from you. Not for long. So I just kept coming back, and it kept getting worse—until this time.” He squeezed her hands, hard. “My job isn’t what makes me happy. You’re what makes me happy, and I’m not afraid anymore. If I lose everything, it won’t be worse than leaving you again. I need you. I love you. I want to make it up to you, every way I can think of.”
He wiped his thumbs across her cheekbones, catching the moisture there.
“Believe me,” he said. “This time, I’m a good bet.”
He saw it in her eyes when she rose on her toes to bring her mouth to his. Her faith. A fragile trust. She kissed him gently, sinking her fingers into his hair, and said, “I do.”
The relief made his knees weak, and he kissed her hard to hide it. Kissed her through the polite applause, a few whoops, some catcalling, an earsplitting whistle. Carson kissed her until he knew in his bones that this was real, and it was right.
When he broke the kiss, she whispered against his mouth, “You jackass.”
Epilogue
“Don’t forget about the roof.” Julie handed him a mug of coffee, admiring the way his damp hair fell over his forehead.
“Thank you. What about the roof?”
“The pop-out part over the Sarasota room is leaking. You told me you’d look at it.”
“I did?”
“Last night. While we were getting ready f
or bed.”
“Did you have a shirt on?”
“I don’t know. No?”
He caught her as she tried to walk by with a basket of warm muffins. With his free hand, he stole a muffin. At the same time, he stole a kiss.
Warm, soft, wet. Sexy as sin.
Carson Vance. The best thing that had ever happened to her.
“This is something you need to know if we’re going to stay married,” he said. “If you tell me something while you’re not wearing a shirt, I’m not going to remember it.”
“But you agreed!”
