I collapsed on the end of the dock, pulling my knees to my chest while sobs wracked my body and I watched him go. There was so much uncertainty, and I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision. He’ll be there when you’re ready, I tried to tell myself, hoping to unravel the knot in my stomach. I hoped that soon I could quiet that last little voice that wouldn’t stop whispering in my ear, telling me I was being foolish, that he was lying, that he would break my heart again. I desperately wanted to muzzle it, but each time I thought about racing after him, it would whisper once again.
An hour passed while I stared at the ripples of waves, watching the afternoon sun sparkling like diamonds on the water.
“There you are!” I heard Nita call from behind me. I turned to see her and Louie coming down the docks.
“What are you doing out here?” Louie asked, sitting beside me. “Where’s Liam?”
“Gone,” I whispered, and my voice cracked.
“Already?” Nita sank to my other side, and they each slid an arm across my back. We let all three sets of our legs dangle over the side of the dock. “What happened? We saw the sailboat last night and figured you guys were making up.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“We did. We slept on the boat and we ‘made up’. A few times.” I chuckled, but the tears started up again.
“And then he just left?” Nita asked, and her voice was heavy with accusations.
“No. He asked me to come with him.”
“He did?” They mirrored.
“Then what the fuck are you still doing here?” Louie asked.
“I’m too scared, you guys. What if he really is still lying? What if he breaks my heart again?”
Nita shook her head and I could feel her eyes boring into me. “What if you get hit by a bus? What if you slip right now, hit your head on that rock and die? What if he’s the one and you’re too chicken shit to find out and you spend your life alone, pining over him?”
My eyes bulged, and I turned to look at her. “What?”
“I’m serious, Ellie. I know we forced you onto that plane before, and admittedly it turned out badly. But not before it was amazing. And now we know he made a mistake, and he’s apologized, and you know what? I believe him. He loves you; I can tell. He’s sorry and I don’t think he meant to hurt you. I have that sixth sense in reading people, remember?”
“But he said he’d wait for me to be ready. I need to be certain he won’t hurt me again.”
She rubbed my back and twirled her fingers through my hair. “There will never be certainty, Ellie. Especially with that overactive brain of yours. Days will turn to weeks, which will turn to months, and eventually years while you wait for definitive proof that will never come. He loves you—that much I’m certain of. He admitted his mistake. He flew here and apologized. I’m not one to offer forgiveness, you know this, and I’m telling you to give up this fight and go, Ellie. Just go to him. Go find your happiness. You love him. He loves you. You’ll figure out the rest as you go.”
“This is why you win court cases,” I said, letting the power of her words start silencing the nagging voice warning me to walk away.
“Damn straight.” She bumped me with an elbow.
“I say go for the big hard man boobs. Those things are huge!” Louie teased. “Now that I’ve seen him in person, I say if you don’t get on that plane, you’re a complete fool! I’d fly around the world twice for a chance to get in the pants of a man like that!”
“So, I’m being an idiot?” I asked, glancing between them. They answered with identical nods.
“You have a teaching job lined up, a man who loves you, and a life in Italy awaiting you. Go big or go home. No fear. Isn’t that the new motto? Call him. Tell him to stop the car, and we’ll race you out of here to meet him. How much of a head start does he have?”
“Over an hour. The plane leaves at seven.” My heart raced even thinking about going after him. I pulled my phone out of my purse and checked the time. “It’s a little after noon. It’s a five-hour drive, plus checking in and getting through security. I don’t even know if we can make it on time.”
“Then call him and let’s fucking go!” Louie slapped my back, and I tipped forward, dropping my phone into the water.
Our three gasps ripped out together while we watched it circle out of sight into the deep water.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! Here. Use mine. And I’ll buy you a new one!” Louie pulled out his phone.
“I don’t know his number.” I choked out the words. “It was in my contacts.”
“Oh shit,” Nita said, peering down into the depths below. “Can you log onto your Facebook through my phone and send him a message?”
“He’s driving. He’ll never get it.” My heart raced, and now that it seemed unlikely I could stop him, the desire to leave with him tonight tore through me and I cursed myself for letting my fears stop me. “What did I do? Why didn’t I go? What do I do? What do I do?”
“We blew it!” Louie howled.
“Everyone just calm the hell down! We can still catch him, right? If we leave right now, we can get you to the airport and you can still make that flight.”
“Really? You guys would do that?”
Louie jumped up and grabbed me by my elbow. “Hell yeah, Ellie! Let’s do it! Come on! Grab your bags and let’s see how fast that Prius can go!”
“Are we really doing this? Am I really going?”
“If you don’t, I will!” Louie grinned and waggled his eyebrows.
“Come on! We don’t have much time!” Nita started down the docks.
We raced through the house and tossed our belongings in our bags, and I ran around and picked up as much of the mess as I could.
“Just leave it! I’ll call the housekeeper!” Louie yelled as I picked the leftover pizza boxes up off the counter. “Come on!”
After throwing our bags in the trunk we climbed into the little white Prius and Louie fired up the engine. “I feel like Thelma and Louise right now,” he said, looking over at me in the passenger seat.
“What does that make me?” Nita asked from the back.
“Brad Pitt,” we answered in unison.
She contemplated it for a moment and then shrugged. “I’m good with that.” The three of us erupted into laughter and buckled our seat belts.
“Here we go!” Louie shouted as he stepped on the gas. The electric engine whirred and we skidded along the gravel driveway. The car struggled up the steep hill to the road, and Louie pushed it as hard as it would go. “Come on! God! Why didn’t I get the sports car?” He gave it a little more gas and gravel kicked up until we made it onto the road and the tires squealed when we hit the pavement.
We tore out of Door County, screaming when we got trapped behind tourists puttering around looking at the scenery. Louie zipped around them whenever he could, but the sightseeing bus in Fish Creek had us trapped behind it for miles. When we reached the four-lane highway in Sturgeon Bay, Louie stepped on the gas and we shot past the traffic and barreled out of town and all the way until we reached the busy traffic in Chicago.
“Son of a bitch!” Louie slapped the wheel while we sat in standstill traffic. “Rush hour, of course!”
My anxiety had reached epic levels while I watched the minutes on the clock ticking by. It was five o’clock, and I knew the gate would be closing in just over an hour, and we were still twenty minutes out and that didn’t include getting through security. Louie put NASCAR drivers to shame when he broke out of traffic and took the shortcut to O’Hare. We jerked to a stop in front of the arrivals gate and Louie threw it in park in the no parking zone. We jumped out, racing inside to find the flight going to Italy. There was only one leaving at seven o’clock and I saw the airline name flashing above us.
“Here! This is it!” I raced through the velvet rope maze and slammed into the counter. “Hi!” I said to the shocked woman. “Ellie Anderson checking in.”
“I
D?” she asked, and I dug it out of my purse, grateful I still had my passport with me.
Louie and Nita danced behind me while we waited for her to confirm if this was even the right place. Was there really a ticket? My nerves were so frazzled I worried they would rip apart, but then she smiled. “Ah, yes, there you are. I’ll print out your boarding pass.”
We all squealed and jumped up and down, holding hands as we bounced in circles.
“Am I really doing this?” I asked, slowing to a stop.
“I just drove a Prius like a fucking Indy Car to get you here in time. You’re doing this!” Louie demanded.
“You’re doing this, Ellie. Go get your happiness.” I felt my tears starting when Nita pulled me in for a hug.
“I’m going to miss you guys, so much.” The tears let loose when the reality of living away from them set in.
“We’re going to miss you, too.” Nita squeezed me harder and Louie wrapped us both up in his long arms.
“We’ll come visit. And you’ll come visit. And we’ll Facetime. And maybe someday when I inherit it, we can all spend summers together in Door County at my cabin.” Louie sniffled and squeezed us tighter.
“Just go be happy, baby sister. You deserve it. I love you so much.” Nita kissed my head, and we broke apart.
“Here’s your ticket, but the gate closes in twenty minutes so you’d better hurry,” the woman at the counter said.
I took the ticket from her and turned back to Nita and Louie. “I guess this is it. I love you guys.”
They wrapped me in one last hug and Louie pushed my bag into my hand.
“Go start making some hot gay friends so I have a bunch to pick from when I get there to visit.”
“And hot straight friends. Don’t forget about me.”
I laughed and felt another tear slip down my cheek. “I’ll make tons of hot friends, just for you guys.”
“Now go. Hurry. Don’t you miss that flight.” Nita pushed my shoulder.
I bit my lip and nodded. “Okay. I love you guys!” I turned and ran through the lobby to the line through security. After getting through the detector, I grabbed my stuff and peered back at them one last time. They waved furiously, and I could see the tears in Nita’s eyes. I’d only seen my big sister cry three times in my life and watching her tears now made my own start up again. I’m going to miss them so much, I thought and blew them a kiss.
After running through the airport, I stuttered to a stop at the gate printed on my boarding pass without any time to spare. A gate agent stood in the Jetway. She gave a yank and my world spun around me. The doors were closing, and I shouted at the woman, getting her attention just before the door shut.
“Wait! Wait! Please!” I waved, and she popped the door back open, scolding me with a look. “Here!” I panted, handing her my pass. She waved her gun over it and it beeped.
“Enjoy your flight.”
My heart raced as I stepped into the tunnel and made my way onto the airplane.
“Can I help you find your seat?” the flight attendant asked as I reached the plane.
She looked at the ticket and saw the words “First Class” stamped at the top. “This way, please.” She guided me left and pulled back the curtain. Large leather chairs and flat panel TV screens went on for several rows and I followed her down the aisle. “You’re right up there.”
Following her finger, I saw Liam’s broad shoulder jutting out into the aisle. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and marched up to the row. Without a word I stepped over him and flopped in the seat beside him. It took a moment, but suddenly wide eyes turned to meet mine.
“Ellie?” he gasped, staring at me like I was a ghost.
“Hi,” I whispered.
He didn’t give me a chance to say another word. His lips crashed into mine and I felt all the love he had for me collide with the love I had for him. Our kiss deepened, and we clung to each other until the plane started down the runway. He kissed away all the fear, all the hurt, and all the thoughts that we wouldn’t work. We may have been too young to know it the first time around, but this time I wasn’t making the same mistake. We were meant to be together, and this time I wasn’t letting him fly away without me. As the plane took off, he pulled back, holding my face in his hands.
“I’m going to make you so happy. I love you, Ellie. Always.”
“I love you, too, Liam. Always.”
All these years I had thought there were plenty of other fish in the sea, but it turned out I’d already caught the big one. He kissed me again, and the butterflies went wild.
Would you like an extended epilogue of The Big One? Sign up for my mailing list and download your exclusive copy of The Big One: The Wedding!
Download your free copy today!
DOOR PENINSULA PASSIONS SERIES
Did you enjoy this romantic romp through Door County? Check out my new romantic comedy series, Door Peninsula Passions! You can expect lots of humor and heart in these books that will follow new couples in different Door County locations.
THE OTHER HALF
Door Peninsula Passions Book One
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
When a spoiled socialite is forced to live like the other half, will she find her other half?
When spoiled socialite Cassandra Davenport takes things one step too far, her grandfather gives her an ultimatum—prove she can live without her famous name and riches or give up her place in the family legacy. With nothing but a hundred dollars, her tiny dog, and a car that should’ve died in the eighties, she heads to the family cabin to prove she’s more than just a pretty face with a trust fund.
Local fisherman Jake Alton doesn’t know much about the woman who showed up at the rundown shack next door, other than the fact she’s putting a damper on his solitary and secluded lifestyle. Even though he tries to avoid this intruder to his sanctuary, the beautiful woman proves impossible to ignore.
As Cassandra struggles to adapt to her new rustic lifestyle, Jake struggles to keep his wounded heart out of her hands. But even though they try to resist each other, these two opposites do more than attract... they collide.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
or scroll down for an excerpt
THE OTHER HALF EXCERPT
“This can’t be right,” I whispered while I stared at the dilapidated cabin sitting at the end of the turnaround.
No. Knowing this must be the wrong address, I checked my GPS again. The little dot had me sitting at the destination and my heart hammered when I looked up and saw the matching numbers hanging above the doorway. The six at the end had fallen and dangled over the doorframe resembling a nine, but that was definitely the address he’d given me.
“No. No, no, no, no, NO!” I shouted to myself. When Grandpa said we had a “cabin” in Door County, I thought he meant something akin to our cabin in Cape Cod. A few thousand square feet, renovated, and more Martha Steward beach chic than a cabin I may have seen in Deliverance. The dark wood constructing the small box shaped house was faded and cracked. A ripped screen door sat askew on its hinges, and years of leaves and branches fallen in storms littered the yard and the small front porch.
Unable to believe this is where Grandpa would want his one and only granddaughter living, I picked up my phone and pressed his number.
“Hello, darling. Did you find the car and make it to Door County all right?”
I could hear the amusement in his voice, and it answered my question if he knew the state of the car I currently sat in.
“Hi, Grandpa. I found it. Thank you for getting me a car,” I said, trying to keep from shrieking about my mortification that I was driving around looking like that serial killer I’d have avoided. No. I needed to show him I was capable of living without the means and money I’d never been without. “I am here safe and sound. I think.”
“You think? What do you mean?” Concern clouded his voice.
“I’m just double checking the address of the cabin I’m staying at. I thin
k I’m here but it’s... well, seen better days. I’m not sure if this is the right place and I don’t want to break into someone’s house on accident.” I covered my true feelings which were to ask how in the hell he expected me to set foot in that place, let alone live there. Staying at a four-star hotel was a stretch for me, and this place looked like the cabin the Unabomber would have been comfy at.
He rattled off the address, and I gulped when it confirmed the cabin in front of me.
“Yep. This is it.”
“I was only there fishing a few times with your father decades ago, but I’m sure it will suffice. It was much nicer than the shack I grew up in. Is there a problem?” That amusement returned to his voice, and I knew now he was well-aware of its state. It seemed in this new life he wanted me looking and living like a serial killer.
Refusing to let him know how horrified I was, I inhaled a stilling breath. “No, it’s great. This will work fine I’m sure. I just wanted to make sure I was at the right place.”
“Good luck, sweetheart. I’m proud of you.”
Proud. That wasn’t something anyone had been of me since before my parents died and I went down the rabbit hole into the life that landed me here. Hearing that word refilled my resolve to make this work and prove to him I could be a better person, one capable of continuing his legacy. “Thank you, Grandpa. I miss you already.”
“I miss you, too.”
We hung up, and I looked down at Poppy who was standing on my lap, her bug-eyes scanning out the window into the woods... the first time she’d ever been in woods.
“Looks like we’re home, Poppy.” I turned off the car engine and it sounded like a gun went off when it backfired. My scream rivaled the sound of the boom still echoing through the quiet woods.
The Big One (Second Chance Romantic Comedy) Page 26