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“Care too much?”
“For you. For Maxie. I told myself it was just a fling, but I knew that’s not what I wanted anymore. But you deserve so much better than me, Katie. I owed it to you to leave you alone. I truly hoped you’d move on.”
“I felt like you’d slapped me when you said that. When you told me you hoped I’d be happy with some other man one day.”
“I couldn’t see a way to make it work,” he admitted hoarsely. “If I had told you the truth of who I was, I was certain you’d kick me out. And then I’d have lost you forever. At least we still had the memories. Or so I thought.”
“If I hadn’t come to London, would you really have never seen me again?”
“Once I stopped drinking like a fish, I would have come to my senses and come back to you.”
“I just don’t understand why you lied in the first place…” she said quietly, lifting her eyes to his with a tiny flicker of hope beating in her chest.
“Because, Katie Collins, from the second you opened that door, I was mind blown. I was absolutely, totally captivated, and I would have said I was a green blooded monkey if it meant I got to spend more time with you.”
She swallowed. “Oh.”
“It felt like fate had given me an opening, and I wasn’t going to turn it down. I thought we could just explore the obvious attraction we had and then move on with no hard feelings. I did try to lay out a framework from the beginning so that I wouldn’t feel like a bastard when I left…”
“I remember. And the irony is that I really respected your honesty and integrity.”
“Ah!” He threw his head back against the sofa. “If only you’d known.”
“Yes. If only I’d known.”
“Katie, there’s something I need to tell you.”
And he said it with such a serious expression that she froze. “Not more secrets?”
“No. When I came to Wadeford, I wanted to convince you to sell your house. The golf course is important to me. I played there with Andy and Bryan one weekend, and it was the last time I remember being really happy. Until I met you.” He flicked her a small smile, but he was still jumpy, still anxious; uncertain of what she wanted. “At the time of coming to Wadeford, I intended to convince you to sell this land to me, so that the golf course would be ocean front. But I never, in my wildest dreams, intended to seduce you. I never thought I’d feel like this about you. I was as blindsided by this as you were. Please believe me.”
“I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes. In my heart of hearts, I knew you were still one of the good guys.” She smiled up at him weakly.
“Well, then this is totally unnecessary.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some papers. She looked down at them, and a frown of confusion darkened her face.
“These are the deeds to Wadeford House.”
“I signed it straight back over to you. Katie, I don’t want you to ever think the house is why I was with you.”
She opened her mouth, shocked to the core. “But I don’t want it anymore!”
His smile was broad. “Well, I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Then take it back.” She thrust the papers at him. “I mean it. I’ve already told Maxie we’re moving.”
He nodded slowly and took her hand in his, finally feeling like he could relax a little. “Have you decided where?”
She frowned. “No. No clue. I guess I’ll wait until holidays and then give it some thought.”
“I have an idea.” He leaned closer to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders so that she was encircled against his chest. He felt her breath hitch in her throat.
“Oh?”
“Marry me.”
