“I’m glad I got to spend the day with you,” I say to him.
“Me, too,” Timothy says and then looks at Eli. “I had so much fun.”
Eli pulls his small body into his arms and holds him tight. “Thank you for giving me today, Timothy. I’ll never forget spending the day with you.”
Timothy looks up with tears in his eyes. “When I go to Heaven, I’m going to tell God about today. I’m going to tell him how meeting you was the best day of my life.”
My hand flies to my throat, and I work hard not to fall apart. Eli doesn’t do as well. He pulls Timothy to his chest again and shakes his head. “I hope that day is a long time from now.”
Cindi, who has been watching the exchange, is crying as her family holds her tight. We all know the truth is that day is coming sooner than it should.
Eli tenderly places him back in the wheelchair before whispering something to him and kissing the top of his head. Then he makes his way to Cindi and does his best to comfort her. She thanks him repeatedly, and then he’s at my side.
We watch as they leave, neither of us moving as he grips my hand.
After a few minutes, I turn into him. His arm is around my shoulder, and I hold his waist. “Today was . . .” I’m not sure how to express it, but I want to try. “It was everything. Not because you did something extraordinary for me, but because of the whole day. Seeing you with Timothy and his family, I can’t tell you how much I’ll cherish this.”
Eli’s gaze moves to mine, and I’m almost startled by what I see. There’s an openness that is a gift. He’s giving me access to his soul, and it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. “I meant it, I want you to know me. I want to spend every possible day we have together in Tampa with you. I want to win your heart, Heather.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “I’m forty-two and this is the first time in my life I’ve wanted to share myself. Randy used to say I was wasting time by not settling down, I think I was biding time until I found someone worthy.”
I touch his cheek, waiting for him to disappear like an apparition. Guys like him don’t exist, do they?
“And you think you were waiting for me?” I question.
“I think you make me feel like no one else has. I know that I want to give you things I’ve never given anyone else and make you proud to know me. It’s a foreign feeling.”
“You’re not the only one who is feeling things that are foreign,” I explain. “I promised myself after my ex that I wouldn’t let another man in my heart. I lose everyone I care about. Until I met you, I was doing a great job keeping that promise. I’ve been able to shut it down before, but with you, I can’t.”
Eli has a way of making me forget that I’m not supposed to like him. He’s leaving. He’s famous. He’s a heartbreaker . . . and yet, here I stand, wanting him anyway. The fact that he’s so much more of a complication than I could ever want is scary, but maybe I need the fear. Maybe the fear is my way of knowing he’s worth the chance.
His thumb brushes my lips. “I’m glad you can’t.”
“I’m starting to be as well.”
Chapter 16
Heather
Eli stands on my doorstep and I know without a shadow of a doubt what I want. I want to be with him. I want to be with him in every way.
“I’m going to see my brother next week, I’d love for you to come meet him,” he says as I fumble with the lock.
Our ride home was quiet but comfortable. I was thinking about the events of today. How he orchestrated everything and cared to make it special for me. It’s something that I still can’t get a handle on.
“I’d like that. So, since I’m willing to meet your brother then you have to meet my friends.”
“Do I?” he tilts his head to the side.
“It’s only fair.”
“I wouldn’t want to have the scales tipped in my favor now.”
He’s too much. “One of my best friends, Danielle, has her big annual barbeque this weekend. I’d really love it if you’d come.”
I don’t have a big family for him to meet, but my girls are just as important to me. We’re kind of a package deal and I want him to know them. It’s also about time they learn about the relationship that’s happening between us.
“You’re inviting me to something?”
“It would appear so.”
“For an event in a few days?”
It’s amazing how much fun he seems to have giving me shit.
“Yes, Eli, an event, with my friends, in three days.”
“I knew you liked me.”
I smile and shake my head. “I guess you’re kind of a keeper.”
Eli’s hands slide up my back and grip my shoulders. My hands tremble, and I finally get the door open. “Heather,” Eli’s voice is low with a hint of desire, “why are you so nervous?”
My eyes meet his. “Because I want you to spend the night.” I blurt out before I lose my nerve. “I want you to stay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
And I am. I’ve never been more sure of anything. It isn’t only the emotions of today—it’s him. It’s everything about this man that has me so torn up. Eli wanted me to see him, I did, and now I want all of him.
He moves quickly, lifting me and then carrying me over the threshold. I press my lips to his as he kicks the door closed. My hands are buried in his thick brown hair as I kiss him.
“Bedroom?” Eli grunts as he bumps into the table.
I giggle and point. Our smiles are bright as he moves us. His mouth finds mine again, and he crashes into the wall. “Ouch.” I laugh.
“Sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you as soon as we find your damn bed.”
“Promises, promises,” I tease.
“You know I make good on them.”
Oh, yes, I do.
We get to my bedroom without further injury, and he places me in front of him. The moonlight shines through the windows, illuminating the planes of his face. My fingers lift, rubbing the stubble on his cheek. Slowly, my hand drifts to the other side, memorizing his features. The tip of my finger touches the small beauty mark under his left eye and then to the faint dimple on the right before moving across his lips.
I meet his gaze, and it feels like a thousand words pass between us. So many questions, promises, and worries, but I put my arms around him. I hope that, while we’re wrapped up in each other’s arms, we’ll find the answers.
“I know you’ve been hurt, but I won’t hurt you, Heather. I want to be the guy you can count on. I’m not sure how to make this work. But I’m not going to let you go. Not without one hell of a fight.”
“I worry about tomorrow,” I confess.
Eli brushes the hair off my face and kisses my lips. “We can’t worry about tomorrow, we can only own tonight. And tonight, I’m going to make sure you never forget how good we are. When you want to run away, I want this to be what you remember.”
I don’t doubt I’ll ever forget those words. There’s moments in my life that I’ve cherished, and this will be one of them. The way he looks at me eradicates all the doubts I’ve held onto. The tenderness in his touch extinguishes the fears of our future together.