“Hey,” Andrew called out, sounding surprised.
“Hi,” Lacey tried to put on a smile, but her heart was pounding. Not in excitement, as usual when she saw him, but anger and frustration.
“Hey, Lacey,” Hudson said.
“Hey, Hudson. I’m sorry, am I interrupting?”
“Nope, not at all. I was just leaving.” Hudson patted Andrew on the shoulder. “See you later, man.”
“See ya.” Andrew stood a few feet away from Lacey as they watched Hudson climb in his car and leave. Andrew pointed at the milkshakes in her hand. “Is one of those for me?”
“Yep.”
“Thanks, that’s a nice surprise.”
“I thought it would be.” Lacey hadn’t counted on the not-so-nice surprise she had heard in the backyard.
Andrew stepped forward and reached out to take the cup. Concern washed over his face as he looked at her. “Are you all right?”
“Sure,” she lied.
“Want to come in?”
“Sure.” Lacey continued her one-word answers.
“All right.” Andrew’s tone told her he had caught on.
Lacey slowly followed him into the house, and was relieved when the puppies ran out and gave her a distraction. She set her milkshake on the counter and went to the living room with the puppies on her heels. She sat down on the floor and let them climb in her lap and lick her face.
“They really like you.”
“I like them too, they’re the best.”
Andrew sat on the couch behind her, but he didn’t say anything. Lacey played with the puppies for a while before she took a deep breath and hoped she could look him in the face.
Andrew smiled at her as she took a seat on the couch. “You didn’t drink your milkshake,” he said.
She shrugged. “I had about half of it on the way over. I guess I was done.” She was still trying to find the words to confront him about what she heard. But he interrupted her thoughts before she could start.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” He scooted close to her on the couch and took both of her hands in his.
“Oh,” she squeaked. Surely this wasn’t what she thought. She knew he had said he could ask her anything at his parents’ that day, but they weren’t ready for this. Especially not now. Especially when all she could think about was the library that she loved. “Umm, are you sure?”
“Umm, yeah I’m sure. I wanted to ask you if you have plans this weekend.”
“Oh,” Lacey felt relief wash over her. It was only Wednesday, so surely she had time to figure out what she wanted to say to him by then. “I don’t have any plans this weekend.”
“Well, you do now.”
“Oh, I do?”
“Yes.”
“And what plans are they?”
“I’ll give you more details later. But for now, just know that you have plans with me and don’t plan anything else.”
Lacey wanted to argue. She didn’t want to be bossed around and told what to think. But she was too upset to think of the words, so she only cleared her throat to push away the emotion and said, “Okay.”
Andrew smiled, seeming very pleased with himself. “Want to watch something?”
“Sure.” Lacey shrugged. She hoped a movie would mean she didn’t need to say much and she could gather her thoughts before she brought up the library again.
And arm herself for battle.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lacey had thought and thought for days about what she should say to Andrew. They had texted back and forth, but she kept it light and didn’t bring up the library or the weekend plans. She hadn’t thought much about what he might be planning, but she was sure it had to do with his plans for the building. The thought made her sick to her stomach, so she tried to push it away and hoped she was ready to fight for what she wanted.
Now that it was Saturday morning and she was sitting on her couch waiting for Andrew to knock on the door, she was more nervous than she had been in a long time. She went over the words she planned to say, admitting that she had heard his conversation with Hudson and that she wasn’t going to be manipulated into changing her mind about the library. When she heard a knock on the door, she took a deep breath and let it out.
When she opened the door, Andrew smiled from ear to ear and walked right into the apartment and pulled her into a hug.
“Oof.” Lacey let out the noise as he squeezed the air out of her.
“Sorry,” Andrew said, letting her go and stepping back to look her in the face. “I’m just excited to see you. I’ve missed you. I didn’t know two days could feel so long.”
Lacey blushed and tried not to make eye contact. He was going to change her mind without even trying. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Maybe, but not just yet. Just grab your purse and your keys, and I’ll tell you on the way.”
Lacey sighed, but grabbed her things. Andrew laced his fingers through hers as they walked out the door. She knew this might be harder than she thought to confront him.
Andrew practically skipped out of the car and opened her door. Lacey eyed him cautiously as she slid into her seat. Once he was behind the wheel and driving down the road with a goofy smile on his face, Lacey asked once again. “So, where are we going?”
He let out a happy sigh. “I know I said I was going to tell you. But now I really think it will be a better surprise if you just wait a little while longer.”
Lacey rolled her eyes, but she really wasn’t sure if she felt excited or irritated. Part of her was annoyed because she felt the burden of needing to get things out in the open, the other part of her felt that she had never had someone do anything like this for her. It did make her feel special, and as mad as she was, she wanted to let herself fall into that. She sighed, unable to decide about her feelings.
Andrew wasn’t saying much. Lacey assumed he was afraid he would give something away if he talked too much, so she settled in and tried not to guess where they were headed as he pulled onto the interstate.
When he got off the exit she still didn’t know where they were headed and was surprised when they drove past the airport and into a back entrance. “What in the world? Where are we going?”
Andrew smiled and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. He pulled around to an area with a number of smaller planes and finally pulled into a hanger with a jet.
Lacey’s eyes grew wide. “What? You have an airplane?”
“No, no. It’s Hudson’s.”
“Oh,” Lacey still couldn’t process, but was a little relieved that he didn’t own an airplane he hadn’t told her about. “Good, because I would be pretty upset if you had kept that a secret.”
Something flashed across Andrew’s face, but he recovered quickly. “Hudson and Shannon are inside, and we’re going for a ride.”
“To where?”
“What would you say if I said New York?”
“Really?” Lacey shouted as she reached out and grabbed both of his arms.
“Really.”
“Will we see Mallory?” Her heart felt like it might burst at the thought of seeing her best friend.
Andrew smiled that endearing smile of his, and it made her want to melt into a puddle on his floorboards. “Yes.”
“Eeeeek!” Lacey squealed. “Oh my goodness, this is amazing!”
“I’m glad. I thought you might like it.”
“Like it? I love it!”
“Then come on, let’s go.”
“Wait,” a panicked look came over her. “How long are we staying? I didn’t pack anything!”
“Don’t worry. Everything is taken care of.”
Lacey wasn’t sure about that. But she knew she wanted to see Mallory, and the look Andrew was giving her now made her want to spend the whole weekend with him in spite of their differences. She decided throwing caution to the wind was the appropriate response at a time like this. “Alright, let’s go!”
Lacey f
ollowed Andrew up the steps of the airplane and they found Hudson and Shannon inside the cabin. Lacey glanced around at the leather seats and the plush surroundings of the cabin. “Wow,” she whispered. “Hudson, thanks so much for doing this.”
“My pleasure. I have a few business items to take care of in the city, and it’s been too long since we’ve seen Pete and Mallory. And we’ve been trying to get Andrew to take a trip with us anyway, so the timing worked out perfectly.”
“Thanks again, man.”
Hudson jerked his chin up in Andrew’s direction. “No problem.”
Lacey and Andrew took the seats across from Shannon and Hudson, and Lacey sighed happily as she sunk into the comfortable leather seat. Andrew sat beside her and reached over and squeezed her hand, she was getting used to that comforting gesture of his. And right now she never wanted to let go.
Three hours later, Lacey had braced herself through the landing in New York and waited impatiently as they taxied to the hanger. She was the first to make it to the door and she squealed when she saw Mallory standing there waiting for her. Lacey rushed down the stairs as fast as she could and nearly tackled her friend in a hug. Mallory squeezed her back and Lacey felt as if she might burst. Suddenly she pushed her back and wagged a finger in Mallory’s face. “How long have you known about this?”
“Only since this morning.” Mallory held up her hand. “Scout’s honor. Pete told me when I woke up this morning, and he still had to stop me from texting you then.”
Lacey noticed Pete standing to the side for the first time and gave him a look, narrowing her eyes at him. “It’s true. Hudson set the whole thing up and told me Wednesday night, but I kept it a secret until this morning. I couldn’t risk her spoiling it.”
“Wednesday night?” Lacey turned to look at Andrew who slowly approached from behind, as if he didn’t want to interrupt their moment.
“Yes, you almost caught me and Hudson planning it when you showed up at the house.”
Relief washed over Lacey. “So that’s what you two were doing,” she practically shouted. He wanted to convince me to take a trip, not to tear down the library. A wide grin broke across her face. “I can’t believe you all managed to keep it a secret.” She hugged Mallory again.
“Well, we all know now,” Andrew said. Lacey felt so grateful to him for bringing her here, she turned and slipped her hand into his. “Mallory, you know Andrew, right?”
“Of course! Good to see you again,” Mallory smiled a knowing smile.
“And you know Pete, too,” Lacey said, feeling silly introducing old friends.
“Hey, man,” Pete reached out to shake his hand. “Welcome to New York. It’s about time we got you up here.”
“I know,” Andrew shook hands and then rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a little far from Alabama.”
Pete laughed. “Yep, it is. We miss Alabama, though. We’re planning to spend more time there from now on. I’ve still got that property you rent to me and I need to make better use of it.”
“I’m happy to help with anything there, if you need it.”
“Sounds good,” Pete said.
“So, what are we going to do today?” Lacey blurted out.
“Whatever you want to do. Is there anything particular you want to see?” Mallory asked.
Lacey shrugged. “I’m just happy to be here with y’all, so I’m open to whatever you have planned.”
“Alright then, what are we waiting for?” Mallory asked.
Hudson and Shannon had joined the circle, and Hudson and Pete shook hands while Shannon and Mallory hugged.
“Where are we off to?” Hudson asked.
“An adventure!” Lacey shouted.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Andrew nervously rubbed his palms together and told himself to breathe in and out. The day had gone so well. Lacey’s face when he told her they were going to New York was the greatest thing he’d ever seen. He was incredibly happy to be able to give her that gift. They had eaten lunch as a group, and then Hudson acted as a tour guide showing them around the sites. Andrew enjoyed it, but as the time grew closer and closer to evening, his nerves grew with it. He wanted tonight to be special, and he could only hope he wouldn’t mess it up by saying the wrong thing.
Dinner was delicious. Hudson had a dinner meeting, and Shannon went with him, but Pete and Mallory ate with Andrew and Lacey. They planned to go view the city from the top of the Empire State Building. Pete and Mallory were clued in, and that made Andrew even more nervous.
When they arrived at the building Andrew and Pete went to buy tickets to ride to the top. “You all right?” Pete asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Pete patted him on the back. “You’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
The ride up seemed like the slowest ride of Andrew’s life, but Lacey seemed oblivious to his plight. He guessed she had gotten used to him being quiet. But he didn’t think he had said five words to her since they left dinner. All of a sudden, he wasn’t sure this was a good idea. What if she didn’t feel the same way he did? What if he said the wrong thing and then they stood awkwardly on the top of the Empire State Building? What if what he hoped would be a happy memory, turned into a memory of a different kind? One that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He pushed the thoughts away and focused on his breathing.
When they reached the top and the elevator doors opened, Andrew took a deep breath and took Lacey’s hand. They exited and walked through the walkway and around the corner. Lacey gasped and Andrew turned to see the look of delight on her face. “Wow!” she cried. “This is amazing!” She held onto his hand and pulled him to the edge. She pointed from one side to the other, and told him everything she noticed about the city, the height, the sky. “Look at the stars! It feels like I could reach out and touch them.” When she seemingly ran out of things to point out, she turned and faced him, squeezing both of his hands in hers. She didn’t seem to notice that their friends were out of sight, but Andrew was keenly aware. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Andrew smiled. “For what?”
“For bringing me here?”
“Have you been anywhere that tops this?”
She gave him a strange look. “What do you mean?”
“Is there anywhere you’ve been that you enjoyed more than this?”
She tilted her head and emotion filled her voice when she said. “No. I’ve never been anywhere.”
His heart thudded. Surely she didn’t mean what she said. “Anywhere?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Today was my first airplane ride.” She gave a short laugh. “Which I’m sure spoiled me if I ever get the chance to fly commercial.”
Andrew laughed too. “Yeah, it was pretty nice.”
“But I grew up in Pine Haven, I went to college at Southern State. The furthest I’ve been from home is the gulf coast. So no, I’ve never been anywhere.”
Andrew felt that this trip just ticked up a notch in importance, and he felt both guilty that he had taken so much for granted in his life and thankful that he got to share this experience with her. But more than either of those feelings, he knew one thing for sure. Lacey might never have been far from home, but he wanted to give her the world.
“So, thank you,” she smiled at him.
“You’re welcome.” He stepped close and put his arms around her waist as he pulled her close. “Lacey,” he whispered.
“Yes?” She asked, her body sinking into his own.
Slowly and with great purpose he lowered his head to hers. When he pressed his lips to hers he knew he meant it with every fiber of his being. Her lips tasted like cherry, and he never wanted to pull away. He pulled her tight and she worked her fingers into his hair as he deepened the kiss.
Lacey kept her eyes closed when he pulled back to look at her and she said, “Wow. This day keeps getting better and better.” She looked up at him and grinned.
He grinned too and kissed her on the forehead bef
ore locking eyes with her. “Lacey, I’ve been on trips in my life, I’ve even ridden on an airplane before. An overcrowded commercial flight, but a flight nonetheless. But this is by far the best trip I’ve ever been on. I know it’s because of you. In fact, this summer has been the best season of my life because of you.” He paused and took a deep breath. Suddenly the skyline view and the sounds of the city didn’t matter, nothing mattered but the woman standing in front of him. “I wanted this to be a special day. You know I’m not very good at saying things off the top of my head, but for a while now I’ve actually been stopping myself from blurting out how I feel about you. I didn’t say it, because I wanted to think about it and process it, and I wanted it to be special when I said it. But the truth is, I don’t need to think about it, and I can easily say it anytime, because I know deep down that it’s the truest thing I’ve ever felt. Lacey, I love you.”
Lacey’s mouth fell open just slightly and a small sigh escaped her lips. “Andrew, that’s…that’s just beautiful.” She paused and swallowed hard. “I…I…”
Andrew stared at her with a smile, waiting and hoping for her to repeat the words he felt in his heart.
“I love you too,” she said slowly.
Andrew’s heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest. He drew her close again and kissed her. He slipped one hand behind her neck and cradled her head as he drank her in. He felt everything was right in the world.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lacey was still trying to come down from the high of the weekend. Her apartment felt tiny, cramped even, and plain. She stared inside the refrigerator at the nearly empty milk carton and her stomach growled. Reaching past the milk she picked up a cheese stick and a slice of turkey. “I guess I’ll call this breakfast.” It was less than appealing after the breakfasts in New York. If they weren’t picking up coffee and donuts, they were sitting down to a breakfast of croissants, bacon, eggs, jelly, coffee, and juice. Lacey licked her lips just thinking about it. She shook her head to bring her back to the present, and her turkey and cheese. At least I have coffee, she thought, pouring herself a cup and carrying it to the couch. She glanced at her phone and saw a text from Andrew. She smiled as she picked it up and saw the familiar words.
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