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“One of these days, I’m gonna kick your ass,” I promise him.
“But not today, right? I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. Great party, man. The chocolate cupcakes are awesome! I’ve already had three but really need a fourth.”
After he walks away in search of sweets, Lyla says, “I’m so sorry, Bear. I had no idea about the phone or the visit.”
“I’ve been a wreck since you left. I hate that I was the one who hurt you and that I couldn’t fix it...”
“It wasn’t your fault or your problem to fix. My dad made you keep the secret to protect me. I get it. I hated it at the time, but I get it. After everything he went through with my mom, then losing her, I think he was afraid of losing me too, when I learned the truth. And then I left…”
“You did what you thought you needed to do. I’m glad you got the job and all down in Georgia, but I miss you so damn much. I really wish you were here with me.”
“The assistant job isn’t as great as I thought it would be, not after getting to be so involved in building this place from the ground up.”
“Then come back and run it with me.”
“I…I’m really proud of what you’ve done here, Bear. And, I’ll think about it.”
“You will?” I say in surprise. But my hopeful grin quickly falls. “Actually, ah, money has started coming in, but I’m not sure if I can offer you the kind of money you deserve.”
“I don’t care about the money, Bear. Besides, I’ve missed those perks from before, you know, when you couldn’t afford to pay me a salary?”
“I don’t deserve you,” I mutter aloud. After what I did to her, tohave her forgive me enough to not just come work for me but also give me another chance is too much to hope for.
“You deserve someone who won’t walk away. I’m sorry I left. It was just so much to deal with,” Lyla says with her eyes glistening. “I love you, and I never meant to hurt you.”
“I love you too, baby. Like you wouldn’t believe,” I tell her as I sweep her up into my arms.
“Try me,” she whispers before her lips reunite with mine.
EPILOGUE
Barrett
“Oh, it’s such a beautiful day, even if it’s too cold to swim,” Lyla says as she rests on her elbows back on the beach blanket, her eyes closed, head tipped up to the sun. “It reminds me of the day we met.”
“This is exactly where we met,” I tell her. “And you were hell on my ego that day.”
Laughing, she looks over at me and says, “Why? Because you had never been turned down before?”
“I had never asked a girl out before you.”
“Yeah, right!”
“You were my first.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. At least I get to have one of your firsts since you haveall of mine.”
She looks sad as she watches the ocean waves crashing in front of us. I suppose because most of my “firsts” were with her sister. That’s why I take a guess as to what she’s actually thinking about.
“I want to marry you someday, baby.”
Her neck whips around so fast the wind slaps her hair in her face. Once she pushes it away enough to see me again, she says, “But I thought you said you never wanted to get married again.”
“I didn’t want to before, only because I was scared of getting my heart broken again.”
