“Does it matter to you if he is?” He searched her face, asking an unspoken question.
“Only out of friendly concern,” she said. “I know you don’t start fights, but you can sure end them.”
His posture relaxed, seemingly relieved at her answer. “He’s fine. I only got in one punch before Gavin stepped in and held him back.”
“Gavin was there?” She shook her head in disbelief. “It sounds like the whole town was watching. Were Sadie and my mom there too?” She could only imagine the kind of gossip that this fight would garner. Hopefully the paparazzi hadn’t caught wind of it yet, for Gavin’s sake.
“No. I didn’t see them.” Sawyer was quiet for a few beats, studying her. “Why did you come back, Lil?”
She took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. None of this was happening as she’d planned. She hadn’t even expected to see Sawyer at the festival. She’d only flown in a few hours ago and had planned to swing by her mom’s booth before heading to Sawyer’s house to talk to him. And then she’d seen him with the woman hanging on his arm, and everything had turned upside down. “You really aren’t dating that girl—Monica?” she pressed.
He shook his head slowly. “I’m not dating anyone.” He kept hold of her gaze. “How could I, when I’ve already given my heart to someone else?”
Her heart raced around in her chest and she swallowed. “That’s why I came back, Sawyer. To bring my heart back home where it belongs.”
He went completely still, his deep brown eyes searching hers. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? You’re willing to give me another chance?”
“Are you?” She frowned and shook her head. “I was so stupid to run off to New York the way I did … my priorities were all out of whack and I was scared.”
“Scared of me?” he asked softly, quirking a brow as he moved closer.
“No. Yes.” She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. “Scared of taking a chance on this … on us. And possibly getting hurt again.” Her hands trembled and her heart beat faster than hummingbird wings, but she pulled in a breath and straightened. “But the only thing I’m scared of now is losing you.” She swallowed and held his gaze. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m yours if you’ll still have me, Sawyer. I’ve been yours since the day we met.”
“Lil,” he breathed, his expression filled with awe as he pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers.
She smiled into his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer as her heart threatened to burst. The kiss deepened with all of the emotion and longing they’d been building over the past five years, and suddenly it was as if no time had passed at all. His kiss was hungry and insistent, and she returned his fervor, barely holding back a sigh as he drew her in, pouring all of his love into her like a warm current.
A new group of tourists entered the building, forcing them apart. A few older women from the group smiled and winked at them, and Lily blushed, laughing as she waved back. Sawyer pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes alive with joy.
“Don’t worry about the long-distance thing. My friend Lincoln Pierce sells corporate jets out of Seattle, and I was already looking into buying one. That way you can fly back and forth as often as you like. I can even move to New York and fly back here when I need to. I’ll do whatever I need to do so this won’t affect your work.”
She smiled and played with the hair at the nape of his neck, loving the resulting goose bumps she felt on his skin. “You don’t have to. I mean, a corporate jet would be amazing if you want one, but I won’t need it for New York.”
He pulled back, frowning. “What do you mean? Why not?”
“Because I’m moving my company here—to Arkansas.”
He gaped. “Are you sure? I mean, that’s a huge decision, Lil. I don’t want you to make any big changes for my sake.”
She shook her head. “I would do it for you in a heartbeat, Sawyer. You matter more to me than a location.” She smiled. “Besides, my business is expanding, and New York real estate is crazy expensive. It makes more sense to move the company here where I can get a bigger building for a fraction of the price. My employees will have the choice to move here if they want to, but in the end, this is where I want to be. It’s a good business move.” And even if it weren’t, she’d come anyway. Sadie was right—what good was any of it without the love of her life?
Sawyer grinned. “My girlfriend, the entrepreneur. You know it’s incredibly sexy, don’t you?”
She laughed. “I like the sound of that.”
“What? Entrepreneur or sexy?”
She laughed again, feeling all of the joy returning to her heart. “No. Girlfriend.”
“Ah.” He smiled and lifted his eyebrows. “I like it too … a lot.” He glanced around at the tourists milling about. “What do you say we go for a ride and find somewhere a little more private so I can show you how much?”
She nodded, her stomach doing an excited flip. “Did you bring your Harley?”
He smiled and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. “Of course.”
Her pulse hammered at his touch and she returned the smile. “Good. I was hoping for a ride, and this time I wore proper footwear.” She lifted her leg, showing off the pair of teal cowgirl boots peeking out from under her jeans.
“They look good on you.” He gave her a roguish look, stealing another quick kiss. “Everything looks good on you.”
She sighed, breathing in the scent of his cologne as she lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I’ll use that as my new slogan for Lily O.”
He chuckled, pulling her to stand and drawing her close, his voice dipping low as he whispered into the whorl of her ear. “I’ve got plenty more.”
A delicious shiver ran down her spine as she slipped her hand into his. “I’ll hold you to it,” she said.
They walked hand in hand out of the chapel, and Lily felt like she was floating on air, her heart full of the knowledge that she’d made the right decision to come back to Sawyer.
They rode back to his house, deciding to spend the mild September evening on the dock by the firepit where they could enjoy the first sign of fall colors—and some much-anticipated time alone.
“Make yourself at home while I get something for us to eat,” Sawyer said as they walked into his house.
“Are you sure I can’t help you with anything?” Lily offered.
“Nope. I’ll only be a minute.”
She nodded, happy to be back in this house that seemed to welcome her as soon as she stepped through the door. She found herself wandering back into Sawyer’s study, loving that there was so much of “him” in that room. She caressed the frame that held the picture of them on his desk before admiring the artwork and diplomas on the wall … until something made her stop short.
She stepped closer to the framed business certificate and read the name aloud. “Evergreen Incorporated.” Her heart skipped several beats and she carefully removed the frame from the wall, trying to make sense of what she was reading. It can’t be. She carried the certificate from the room, moving quickly to find Sawyer. He was in the kitchen, looking incredibly handsome with a dishtowel flipped over one shoulder as he assembled a small fruit plate.
He looked up and smiled, but the smile froze in place when he saw what was in her hand.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she asked, struggling to find her voice as she pointed at the certificate. “Evergreen Incorporated is the name of the private donor who sponsored my business—the donor who saved me when I was about to lose the company … that was you.”
He squinted and pressed his lips together. “I forgot I had that hanging in my office,” he confessed, his brown eyes searching hers for a reaction.
“Sawyer McCall.” Lily shook her head at him as emotion thickened her throat. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any sweeter, you go and do something like that.” She set the frame down and rushed forward, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I’ll never be able to say it enough but thank you for loving me and making my dreams come true.”
He sighed and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her hair. “You’ve made my dreams come true too, Lil. I’d do anything to see you smile.”
Her heart broke open and she tilted her face up, pressing her lips to his. She would love this man until the day she died, and longer.
They stood, wrapped up in each other’s’ arms and basking in each other’s kisses until the plan to sit by the firepit on the dock was long, long forgotten.
Epilogue
“Ready?” Sawyer asked low into Lily’s ear as he stood behind her, covering his hands over her eyes.
She smiled and nodded. “Ready.”
“Okay. Three … two … one,” he counted slowly and removed his hands.
Lily gasped in delight at the sight of the greenhouse lit up with white sparkling lights inside and out. “Sawyer,” she breathed, turning to gape at him. “It’s stunning.”
He gave her a warm smile. “You like it?”
She shook her head. “’Like’ isn’t a strong enough word. It’s … magical.”
“Magical.” He tipped his head in thought. “I’ll take that.” He tucked her arm under his. “Everything’s ready to go for when the guests arrive, but I wanted to see your reaction first.”
She snuggled into his side. “I don’t know which sight makes me dizzier—the greenhouse all lit up or you in your tux. Did I already mention how painfully attractive you look tonight?”
He chuckled. “How do you think I feel seeing you in that dress? Are you trying to distract me from my responsibilities? Because it’s working.”
She blushed, glancing down at the teal evening gown she’d worn to celebrate the grand opening of Lily O’s new location. It was made of fitted satin with a lace overlay. “You think it looks all right?” she asked, running her hands down the bodice.
He placed his hand at the small of her back. “It’s perfect. Too perfect. I’m tempted to steal you away from this party so I can keep you all to myself tonight.”
Her stomach fluttered. “Don’t tempt me,” she whispered, giving him a coy smile.
His brown eyes glimmered, and he placed a kiss just behind her ear, sending a cascade of shivers through her before her mom’s voice broke through the moment.
“Don’t tell me you two are about to kiss again,” she teased, holding onto Jed Carpenter’s hand.
“You’re one to talk,” Lily teased back. “I’ve caught you and Jed sneaking kisses more than once.” Her mom had confessed that she’d started dating Jed at about the same time that Lily had come to visit, which explained her late night out with a “friend.” They’d only dated a few months before eloping together, and they were as affectionate as a couple of teenagers. Lily couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her mom so happy.
Jed’s neck flushed beneath his shirt collar, and Meredith touched his arm.
“Can you blame me?” Meredith asked, gazing up adoringly at her husband.
Lily smiled. “No. It makes me happy the way you two carry on.”
“Same here,” Meredith said, motioning between her and Sawyer. “So you can just carry on and pretend we’re not here.”
“I wish we could, but it looks like the guests are arriving.” Lily pointed toward the line of her employees entering through the arbor. She turned and gave Sawyer a reluctant sigh. “I guess we’ll just have to take a raincheck on our romantic interlude.”
“Deal.” He smiled and brushed his lips against her knuckles. “Now go enjoy yourself. I’ve got everything under control.”
“I’ll enjoy myself if you’re by my side,” she said, smiling. “Besides, you’re responsible for the success of this company too, you know,” she reminded him.
He shrugged. “You give me more credit than I deserve, but I’ll happily stay by your side all night if you’ll let me.”
They greeted the employees and mingled with them on the lawn. White Japanese lanterns were strung through the trees and servers carried food to the guests on silver trays as a lawn orchestra played in the mild June evening.
Along with Lily’s employees, Sawyer had invited some friends from Eureka Springs as well as from the Mountain Cove neighborhood, no longer afraid to blend the two worlds together, and Lily decided that the confidence looked good on him.
As the evening wore on, Lily and Sawyer managed to greet all of the guests, but Lily still hadn’t seen Gavin or Sadie, who’d been out of town for Gavin’s filming in Scotland, but they’d promised they would be back in time for this party. Now that they were married, Sadie traveled with Gavin wherever he went, and Lily often missed her sister.
Trisha approached, looking radiant in her lavender evening gown as she smiled at them. “Several of the guests are congregating in the greenhouse. Are you almost ready to give your speech?” she asked Lily.
“Oh … already?” Lily asked, turning to look inside the greenhouse. They’d been so busy welcoming guests that she hadn’t had a chance to go inside the greenhouse yet.
“We’re still waiting on Gavin and Sadie,” Sawyer explained. “Gavin texted me a few minutes ago to say they’re almost here.”
“Oh good.” Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled her phone from her clutch and saw that she had a few texts from Sadie. “Yes, it sounds like they’re about to ride over in the boat,” she said, looking up. “So after we greet them, we’ll ask everyone to join us in the greenhouse.”
“Excellent.” Trisha smiled and reached for Lily’s hand. “I’m thrilled for you, sweetheart. You deserve every happiness.”
Lily leaned forward and gave her a hug. “Thanks, Trish. Your support means so much.” She pulled back and was surprised to see moisture in Trisha’s eyes. Lily frowned. “Are you okay?” she asked in concern.
“Yes.” Trisha dabbed at her eyes, huffing an embarrassed laugh. “Don’t mind me, I’m just a bawl baby,” she joked.
Lily gave her a compassionate smile and touched her arm, but she felt Sawyer motioning behind her. When she turned to look at him, he lowered his arm and cleared his throat, nodding toward the dock.
“Let’s go say hi to Gav and Sadie. I’ll see if he needs any help tying up the boat.”
“O-okay,” Lily said, arching an eyebrow. He was definitely up to something.
By the time they reached the dock, Gavin and Sadie were already getting out of the boat. Lily gave her sister a big hug and they both exclaimed over how pretty the other looked in her evening gown. Gavin and Sawyer gave each other a brief hug and then the four of them made their way to the greenhouse.
Lily’s stomach fluttered in anticipation as she thought over what she would say in her speech.
Sawyer squeezed her hand once. “Don’t be nervous. You’ll be amazing.”
She blew out a long breath. “Thanks.” She smiled at him as they entered the greenhouse, which looked like a fairy land with all of the lights and the romantic music wafting in from outside. Lily took her place near the fountain where a podium had been set up. The crowds quieted, and she smiled out at the familiar faces.
“Thank you so much for coming tonight to celebrate the opening of the new Lily O location. I can’t tell you how much it means to have all of you here with us tonight. Both to my friends and employees who were brave enough to follow me here,” she smiled at Deidre, “and to our new friends who have joined the team.” She looked out at the rest of the crowd. “And of course, a special thanks to friends and neighbors who have come to celebrate with us. This is an exciting new phase for the company, and it wouldn’t be the same without you here to commemorate it with us.”
Cheers and applause sounded, and Lily smiled as she waited for the noise to quiet before finishing the rest of her speech. She was a firm believer in short speeches, especially during a party. After ending her remarks, she made a small bow at the applause and was about to step down from the podium when Sawyer joined her.
“Not so fas
t,” he said, giving her a mischievous smile as he took her hand and turned to the crowd. “I think we can all agree that Lily O’Brien is a one-of-a-kind woman, am I right?”
The cheers grew louder and Lily blushed, searching Sawyer’s face for some clue of what he was up to. He gave her a subtle wink that got her heart pumping fast before he turned back to the crowd.
“Some of you know that I grow rare and exotic flowers as a side hobby, so in honor of Lily’s success, I thought it would only be fitting to present her with a flower grown specifically for her.” He nodded at Meredith who stepped forward, holding out a small domed case covered with an opaque lid.
Sawyer accepted the case and turned, holding it out to Lily, his brown eyes warm with a secret.
Lily placed a hand to her neck and shook her head. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“Go ahead and open it,” he said quietly, keeping his gaze on hers.
The crowd fell silent as Lily carefully lifted the lid—her heart hammering in her chest as her eyes filled with tears. A teal Lily stood in a small vase—with a large diamond ring set in the center.
Sawyer slowly got down on one knee, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he set the vase aside and held the flower up to her. “Lily O’Brien, you always have been and always will be the love of my life. Make me the happiest man alive and say you’ll be my wife?”
Lily’s heart climbed into her throat and tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded without hesitation. “Yes!”
The crowd erupted as Sawyer slipped the ring on her finger and handed her the flower before wrapping her up in a tight hug. Lily laughed, too overjoyed to speak before he leaned down and planted a kiss square on her mouth. The crowd erupted and Sawyer pulled back, his brown eyes glimmering as he gave her the same boyish grin he’d given her on the playground all those ago.
“Caught you, Lily O’Brien,” he said softly, wrapping his arms low on her waist as he pressed his forehead to hers.
She beamed, her heart overflowing with joy. “Yes you did Sawyer McCall … and I’ll never let go.”
The Billionaire's Second Chance: Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Page 13