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Chapter Eleven
Brady
After cleaning up the water mess, I meet the emergency plumber that Willow called. We discuss the situation and decide that we need to update the plumbing in the kitchen, so this never happens again. The ancient pipes should have been replaced long before now.
When I notice two massive black SUV’s pull in the lot, I realize that I’ve lost track of time. I still need to have “the talk” with Lexi. Hopefully, she can give me a few minutes before she leaves.
The door to her room is open, so I peer inside and then chuckle at the sight. Clothes are spread out everywhere and a very harried-looking Lexi is poking stuff into the raft of suitcases surrounding her as quickly as she can. Her hair has come loose from its ponytail, making her look disheveled but nonetheless adorable.
Lexi hasn’t noticed me in the doorway, so I lightly tap on the open door and say, “Knock, knock.”
She jumps and looks over her shoulder, blowing out a loud breath. “Let’s talk while I pack. Kay and Jay will be here any minute.”
I snicker at her adoption of my nickname for the bodyguards. “Yep. They just pulled in. How can I help?”
She points to an overloaded case. “See if you can get that one shut,” she says while still shoving clothes into several other suitcases.
I walk over, gently take her arm, and halt her flurried packing. “Take a moment and talk to me. What did you want to say?”
Our eyes lock, then she bites her lip and stares at her feet. I wait patiently, knowing that she’ll talk when she’s ready. After a few beats, her eyes swivel back to mine, and she says, “Brady, I don’t want whatever we have between us to end.” She motions back and forth between me and her, emphasizing her point.
“Me either. But I wasn’t sure how you felt.”
Her eyes widen. “You weren’t sure how I felt? Well, I wasn’t sure how you felt.”
We gaze at each other, and I kick myself for not telling her how I feel sooner. Pulling her firmly into an embrace, I gently place a kiss on her lips. I’ve been wanting to do this for several days. The minute our lips meet, the kiss becomes heated, as we express exactly how we feel about each other, no words are necessary.
Seconds or maybe even minutes pass, I don’t know the difference. We’re lost to anything but each other. The clothes mess around us and the urgency to pack becomes unimportant. She fits perfectly in my arms, and I wish that we’d been this honest with each before now. Why did it take her leaving for us to have this talk?
I draw back and drink her in, with wonder and possibility warming my heart, along with a few doubts and insecurities. How did I fall for her so quickly? Is this real? When will I see her again?
“Do you hear bells?” she asks, looking up at me and tilting her head sideways, listening intently.
A laugh bursts through my lips, and Lexi arches a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “Oh, it’s just the chapel bells, nothing to worry about.” I hesitate to tell her the legend of the bells—that if they ring when a couple kisses for the first time, it indicates that they’ve found their one true love. Surely, I’m not Lexi’s one true love. Am I?
She doesn’t probe further about the bells, but instead asks, “So, how do you feel about a long-distance relationship?” Her tone is hesitant, but she gazes intently into my eyes as if trying to read my inner thoughts.
I know some people make those work, but will she really want to have a relationship with me after she returns to her fancy, celebrity life? Rubbing my thumbs on her cheeks, I say, “We can try that, but when will I see you again? You start shooting that movie next month.”
A frown mars her pretty face, as reality hits home. “We can Skype every night. . . You can come out to see me. . .” Her voice trails off along with her suggestions.
Someone clears their throat loudly behind us and we spring apart. Evelyn glares at both of us, but Lexi gets the brunt of her annoyance. “Rufus and Harold are here. We need to get going,” she says while grimacing at the clothing chaos surrounding us.
“Give me a minute,” Lexi says in a clipped tone, as she motions for Evelyn to leave, then closes the door behind her.
“Sorry about that.”
I nod, not sure how to continue the conversation, but also wanting to have closure about this proposed long-distance relationship. “Okay, let’s try it,” I blurt out.
“The long-distance relationship?” Lexi says, hope making her voice rise.
“Yes,” I say, with not quite as much confidence in my heart as I try to convey in my reply.
Lexi beams and leaps into my arms. I catch her with an “oomph” as she knocks the wind out of me. “We can make this work,” she whispers in my ear, then captures my lips for another lingering kiss. When her phone beeps loudly, she pulls back and chuckles. “That’s probably Rufus or Harold texting me, wondering when I’ll be ready.”
“Well, let’s get you packed up then,” I say in a reluctant tone as I set her back on her feet.
We both scramble to get everything stuffed back into the suitcases as quickly as possible. Ten minutes later I’m waving goodbye as the SUV’s pull away from the Christmas Inn. My mind spins at just the thought of having a relationship with Alexis Taylor. When she returns to her real life, how will we ever make this work?
I send up a prayer asking for God’s guidance. Never in a million years did I think I would fall for a celebrity and she for me. “God, please guide me in your wisdom as I embark on a relationship with this wonderful woman. Give me insight as to Your plan for Lexi and for me.” Are we supposed to be together?
