His cheek rested against hers. “You help me be the best of myself. I didn’t quite believe in that without you.”
That intimate confession made her heart swell.
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips, deep and gentle. Light filled her from her toes to her heart. It shone through her and into him and somehow managed not to set the supply closet on fire.
He paused only long enough to whisper, “You’re really not leaving?”
She shook her head. Before she could explain, a janitor opened the door and they sprang apart.
“What the heck?” he exclaimed.
“Fire inspection,” said Jason, fumbling over the words. “Lake Bittersweet Fire Department here. We got a report of—”
“Get the hell out of here. No smashing in my damn closet.”
“It’s not like that,” Kendra told him sternly. “We’re in love.”
“Be in love somewhere else. Cafeteria’s open.”
They were still laughing about it when they found an empty nook under a stairwell. Kendra settled herself onto Jason’s lap with a sigh. It felt so good to be with him. She could do anything in the world, go anywhere, and he’d be there for her.
She’d do the same for him.
“Have you talked to Holly yet?”
“No, haven’t had a chance, but we’ve been texting. I know what’s going on. They’re interviewing Chloe’s boyfriend right now, but we haven’t heard any more. Holly said you really came through for her tonight. Thank you, my love.”
“Just like you really came through for my dad. Isn’t it kind of funny how it happened again?”
“What did?” He nestled her into a more comfortable position, her head tucked against his shoulder.
“First, you tried to help me get a job and I tried to help you get a job, all on the same night. This time, I helped Holly and you helped Alvin. All on the same night.” He said the last sentence along with her. “It’s just funny, that’s all.”
“I think it’s beautiful. We put ourselves on the line for each other.”
“And we’re hot for each other,” she added.
“So hot.”
They lost themselves in more kissing at that point. Kendra couldn’t imagine anywhere she’d rather be than under this hospital stairwell with Jason. Who needed the lap of luxury when you had the lap of Jason?
Although…she still intended to book a room at the Dorchester someday. On her own dime.
“So what are these other plans?” Jason asked her after some time had passed. “And what happened to London?”
“I don’t want to sell my business to a big firm. The deep pockets are nice, but I like to be in charge. At least when it comes to business.” She winked at him. “Besides, in the Uber—the second one—I called Colin Atwood, the exec I would have been meeting with. He was going to completely change the concept to benefit the plastics industry. He also let slip the price he was offering, and it’s a lot less than what Dominic wanted me to pay. In other words, Dom’s desperate and I can probably buy him out for a fraction of what Explastica’s worth. I’m going to get my company back.”
Jason grinned at her happily, but didn’t seem to quite get it.
“It’s going to be here,” she explained. “Well, in Lake Bittersweet.”
Finally, the wonder in his expression told her the news was sinking in. “You’re going to stay?”
“It has to be headquartered somewhere, right?”
He snatched her up in a fierce hug. “God, I love you.”
“I’ll probably have to travel a lot.” Those words were crushed against his chest.
“I can live with that.” He drew back, his eyes sparkling down at her. “I’ll love watching you take on the world. But won’t you feel like you’re missing out on something by staying here?”
“Everything’s a choice. Sure, I’ll probably miss out on something. But I’m choosing another path. I choose this one, here, with you. And my family,” she added. “Especially now.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I choose you, too, Kendra Carter. My heart chose you, and it’s never wrong.”
“Are you sure? I’m a pain in the ass sometimes. I’m stubborn, I like to get my own way, I don’t like to watch my words, I—”
“You’re perfect.”
When she started to object, he put a finger to her lips. “To me, you’re perfect. Argue all you want, I’m not going to change my mind. I can be stubborn too. I wasn’t giving up on you, you know. Holly lectured me about that, but she didn’t have to. I hoped I’d win you over eventually. It might take me a while to get where I want, but don’t count me out.”
Someone walked past the stairwell, heels clicking on the tile floor. She waited until they’d passed by.
“I never did. I believe in you, Jason. Ever since that pool cue, and probably before.” She touched her finger to that scar on his upper lip. “And now I love you. Maybe I caught you on the rebound, but the important thing is, I caught you.”
He caught her finger and kissed it. “Can we say we caught each other, or do you have to be the one? Works for me either way.”
She released a sound that was part laugh, part yawn. “I’m too happy to argue about it. All I know is I want to be with you. The fire chief and the starting-from-scratch entrepreneur. Who would have thought?”
He shifted under her. “About that starting from scratch part…there’s something I should probably tell you…”
Thirty-One
The home office of Explastica held its grand opening a month later. It took time for Kendra to get things settled with Alvin’s Burgers and Blues. And then, of course, to locate and lease the office, hire a lawyer to close the buyout, and hire a coder. And none of it would have happened without an infusion of funds from one secret millionaire—Jason Mosedale.
He finally told her the whole story when they were back in Lake Bittersweet. They were sitting on the end of the Blue Drake pier, waiting for Galen to bring in a bucket of fish for that night’s special. Alvin was at home, and the temporary substitute chef had an insanely good blackened trout recipe.
“It was a fluke,” Jason explained. “I won the lottery. I’ve always been a lucky guy, but that was just insane. I never played the lottery, like ever. But when I helped Mom and Dad move to Minneapolis, I went to pick up ice for them at the corner store. I bought a scratcher on a whim. I won two-point-three million dollars, but I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want my life to change. I stuck it in a trust to cover college expenses for Holly and my sister’s kids, and mine if I ever have any. Then I basically forgot about it.”
“All this time, you’ve been a freaking millionaire? And no one knows?”
“Nope. I only told Holly after she got upset about that donation that she thought was for us.”
“You said something about it when you were sick.” She shook her head, remembering. “I thought you were delirious.”
“I was, or I never would have said that. I’m glad you didn’t believe me. Now I know you fell in love with me, not my two-point-three million dollars. Minus taxes. So it’s more like one-point-six million.”