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We all laughed, and once we were done talking and taking notes, we had breakfast together. Kayleena set out her pastries, and Michelle made coffee for us. Eventually, Tim joined us, giving us some input as well. The meeting went great, and afterward, I pulled Michelle into my arms to thank her for setting up the meeting.
“Thank you, darlin’.” I kissed her deeply, and she kissed me back.
“Absolutely. I told you, I got you.”
And I didn’t doubt her.
“What are we going to do about you going back to Ohio?” I finally asked her. It was time to stop hiding behind me not planning on letting her go.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about that. My father is doing really well at the assisted living home he’s at. I don’t know how I feel about relocating him. Your farm is here, so you can’t exactly move. My question is… how are you going to handle me being gone for weeks at a time with my job?”
“I’ll adjust. I’d never ask you to give up what you love.”
“Then… we’ll make it work.”
I believed her, but I couldn’t help but to wonder if we were biting off more than we should. I was all in, but I didn’t want to push her.
“We will.” I kissed her again before we left to go back to my place to spend the day in bed.
MICHELLE
Afew weeks later, I was bringing all my stuff to North Carolina to move into Dante’s house. I couldn’t handle being so far away from him, and my father’s facility had a location that was forty-five minutes away from his house. A nurse helped me transport my father and get him settled in at the new location.
I worked remotely, which wasn’t much different from when I was in Ohio. I made an agreement with Dante that I’d take a two-week break between assignments so that we could spend time together.
I’d been sad that I was away when tragedy struck with Jeremy. He’d texted Dante, telling him he would fix everything. The next morning, they found him dead in his apartment with a letter confessing to what happened with their parents and also for murdering the men who did it.
Dante took it hard. We spent hours on a video call. He refused to let me come back, but I did the best that I could from home.
Once I settled into his house, that is when the actual work began. We sold his parents' house to recoup some of the money that Jeremy stole. It gave Dante the money to hire back the people laid off and the money to complete the office transition.
Dante also received a call from his parents’ attorney. They awarded him the money from his mother’s estate. He also set up arrangements for the trust that would become available next year on his thirty-fifth birthday.
Things were finally turning around. The farm was getting back to normal. Dante was piecing his life back together. Though he did not have his mother’s body, he set up a plot for both of his parents. He buried his brother away from them.
The entire time, Tim had been by his side. He was Dante’s true brother and proved that to him every day. Time showed up like his family and supported Dante without being asked. He even helped us set up the attic in Dante’s house to turn it into my home office.
I sold my condo back in Ohio and wrapped up things there. My friends would visit, and we spoke regularly. My job was good. I was doing everything the way I always had, except for my agreement with Dante.
I began handling my visits with my father differently. All of this time, I wished for him to remember me. My actions conveyed living in the past and not treasuring the moments I had with him now. I changed that. When I went to see him, I enjoyed building our new normal together. Instead of trying to trigger something in him to remember, we played games and hung out. Ironically, it was just like it was when I was a kid. He was teaching me things and making fresh memories, even if they were only for me. And if there was a day where he remembered who I was, I counted it as a surprise gift, and I reveled in those, too.
Now, I had the man I loved all of my life and my cowboy, too. My lonely days and nights were over. I had what I needed: all the love that I could ever ask for, my peace.
The End
* * *
Thank you for reading Enticed. I hope you enjoyed Dante and Michelle’s journey. If you want to read the story about how Donovan and Kayleena got together, check out “Flawed”.
If you’d like to check out more of my worlds, here’s a free copy of The Surrender.
I’d like to say thank you to everybody, friends, and family, who have supported me during this journey. It’s been a long time coming.
A very special thanks to my team; beta readers, editors, assistant, cover, and media designers. Without you guys, who knows what these pages would’ve held.
To the little girl who never thought this day would come, we made it! The journey is here. The time is now.
To my potential readers and loyal supporters, thank you for giving me a reason to breathe life into these words.
