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My heart aches when I realize how true that is, and how true it has been the whole time. It was a major factor in me not wanting to sell the company. Dad poured his life into this business, and it hurts to think that it could all go away, now that he’s gone.
“I understand that now,” Chase says, reaching over the table to take my hand in his. “I didn’t get it in the beginning, and I’m sorry for that. I acted like an idiot.”
“You did,” I say, squeezing his hand. “Thank God you came to your senses.”
Chase’s laughter bubbles up, a delight that fills the air around us. It’s not just any laughter, but a release of tension and pent-up emotions. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and his shoulders relax, no longer burdened by the weight of uncertainty.
The sound is warm and infectious, pulling a reluctant smile from my lips as I watch him. I can see the relief in his eyes, a gleam of happiness that dances within their depths. And I feel exactly the same.
“So, you’ll think about it?” he wants to know next.
“I don’t have to decide right now?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Of course not, it’s a big decision.”
“Good,” I let him know. “But yes, I will think about it.”
“But you think it’s a good idea?” he probes.
“Yes, Chase. I think it’s a good idea, and I do see the opportunity it would give me,” I say. “But I still have to think about it.”
“Yes, sure. That’s all I’m asking!” he says, smiling brightly. “I just… I’m sorry, I’m just a little too excited right now.”
“Even after that roll?” I tease, winking at him.
He laughs again, while shaking his head. “We would be a team, Madison. A real team. I just…”
For a moment it looks like he’s choking on tears, and maybe he is, but the moment is gone as quickly as it appeared.
“I just never expected to meet someone like you. A real partner,” he finally manages to say, his eyes glistening. “Someone who…”
“Can keep up?” I ask, familiar with the feeling.
“Well, yeah,” he says. “But you do more than that. You don’t just keep up. You spur me on.”
My vision begins to blur, but unlike him, I don’t feel the need to hide my tears, not this time. I get up from my seat and walk around the table while he pulls his chair back and welcomes me onto his lap. I sit down on his strong thighs and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me close for a kiss. His lips are warm and taste of beer and a hint of sweet tomato, his hair still wet from the rain, and his soothing scent embracing me as our tongues intertwine.
“We still have a long way ahead of us, though,” I say, breaking our kiss.
“And I can’t wait to walk this path with you, my partner,” he replies before our lips meet for another kiss.
Epilog 1
Chase
~ Ten months later ~
The grand hall is buzzing with chatter, the clinking of glasses, and soft melodies playing in the background. I stand amidst the opulence of the ballroom, the lights shimmering off crystal chandeliers and casting a warm glow over the guests.
This is only our second visit to New England, ever since Madison and I made things official and moved in together. We came here for the opening gala for the green foundation that my friend Gabe and his girlfriend Ella have founded. While the idea for the foundation originated with Ella, I know that Gabe has put in his fair share of work, too. He’s the one who invited me to be here, but only after I promised to be nothing but nice to Ella. As if I hadn’t already shown my forgiveness toward her for the past year. I was skeptical, because it looked like she may break my friend’s heart again, like she did before. But she redeemed herself, and the two of them are nauseatingly happy today.
Besides, I wasn’t the only one who had to make apologies for past behavior. I didn’t know it at the time, but back then Gabe was the worst person to give relationship advice, as he was going through something with Ella again. He was heartbroken, angry and disappointed—which meant that all women were in his bad books at the time. So of course, he’d told me to overturn Madison’s proposal and just stomp ahead with my own selfish plan while breaking her heart. He apologized profoundly when he realized the kind of turmoil his suggestion had caused, even though I was the bigger idiot for going along with it and hurting Madison.
I wonder why she’s not here yet, as it’s getting late. She promised she’d be here before the opening speech, but as the room fills with more and more people, she remains nowhere to be seen. I find myself growing increasingly concerned as time ticks away.
She said she had a work-related video conference with some of our shareholders that she needed to finish, a detail that had struck me as odd. After all, we’re on vacation, and I couldn’t understand why she’d need to work on this particular day. Sometimes I feel like she’s even worse than me, when it comes to being a workaholic.
Still, I’d taken her at her word, trusting that it was an important call. Reluctantly, I’d left for the gala without her while she stayed glued to her laptop in our hotel suite.
