“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, to have 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 have all 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.”
“Mmm,” she murmurs as she faces the waves again.
“Would you marry me?”
“Maybe.” The grin she can’t hide gives her true answer away.
“What can I do to turn that maybe into a yes?” I ask as I cup the side of her face to make her look at me again.
“I-I don’t know yet.”
“I traded in my cut for fake leather.”
Her smile brightens. “You did?” Grabbing my cut, she rubs the fabric between her fingers. “Wow, I didn’t even notice. Thank you.”
“I know you hated the cowhide. Some of the new prospects have chosen it too, even though it means a greater risk of road rash if they crash.”
“Aww, that’s really sweet of them.”
“Sweet of them? What about me?”
“You’re always sweet.”
Climbing on top of her, I push her back down onto the blanket and hover above her, holding myself up with my palms on either side of her head. “You say sweet, and what I hear is soft.”
Reaching around to my upper back, she pulls my weight down on top of her. “You, soft? Never.” The last word is barely a whisper when I’m finally pressing my erection between her legs.
“Would you say I’m as hard as a diamond?”
Lyla grabs the sides of my face to pull my lips to hers, letting them brush against each other. “I don’t know. Never had one.”
Slipping my fingers down into my jean pocket, I pull out the ring. Removing her left hand from my face, I slide it onto her ring finger. After all, she’s already given me a maybe, which is good enough for me.
“Oh my god!” Lyla exclaims. She sits up so fast she nearly busts my nose before I sit back on my heels. “Is that…”
Taking her left hand, I place a kiss on her knuckles. “Let me know when I finally earn a yes?”
“Yes!” she exclaims. Throwing her arms around my neck, she nearly chokes me out before she pulls back to kiss me.
And then, once we both come up for air, her first question is, “I don’t have to invite my sister to the wedding, do I?”
“Absolutely not. That’s up to you,” I assure her. “And you should probably know that ring is the one your dad gave your mother when he asked her to marry him.”
“Oh my gosh,” she says as she holds out her hand to look at it. “I’ve never even seen it before.”
“Your dad was saving it for you. It turns out you really are his favorite. Mine too.”
Beaming at me, she says, “I think I believe you.”
“Good, because I love you more than anything in this world, baby. I can’t wait to prove it to you.”
The End