Jess leaned against him. “Maybe we could—”
His phone rang.
His gaze, so locked with hers, never moved.
She expected him to react as he’d done for the last few days whenever his phone rang—ignore it completely.
But instead he slowly, reluctantly released her. “Sorry, Jess. I need to take this one.” He went to collect a towel from the bathroom counter and dried his hands. Returning to the bedroom, he tossed the towel over his shoulder, and pulled out his phone.
And there they were, back to where they’d started.
Disappointment flowed through her, bitter and sad, hitting her harder than the icy, gushing water.
She’d really thought things had changed. She’d believed things were different, that he was more committed to their relationship, and less obsessed with his work. The pain of her disappointment told her how much she’d wanted that to be true, for him to be the Evan she’d married and not just the President of Graham Industries.
Her expression must have been telling because he lowered the phone, the ringing loud in the small room. “Jess, don’t. It’s not like that.”
“Answer your phone.” She went to the bathroom, collected her wet shoes, and then returned. “I’m going back to my apartment. Your car will be ready in the morning and you can leave then. I’m—”
She was enveloped in his towel and then swept up into his arms, her shoes falling to the floor. “Evan! What are you doing?”
“Explaining something.” He carried her to the bed, sat down, and settled her in his lap, his phone finally stopping its insistent ringing. Evan’s dark blue eyes were deeply serious. “Jess, that’s Brad.”
“Brad?” Then it wasn’t work. Relief flooded through her. She relaxed, a tiny bit of her hurt melting away. “You’ve patched things up with him.”
“You said I should, so I did. I must have called him twenty times, and last night, he finally answered. We talked for a long time.” Evan grimaced. “It was awkward because he told me a lot of stuff I knew but didn’t want to hear.”
That was something, she supposed. It was warm here on his lap, wrapped in a towel. Perhaps she’d stay another minute. “I’m glad you’re talking to him again.”
“So am I.” Evan’s expression couldn’t have been more solemn. “Jess, Brad wasn’t calling to just say hello. He was calling because I offered him a job. And I’m pretty sure he’s going to say yes.”
“Doesn’t Ashley have Brad’s old job?”
“She does. But I didn’t ask Brad to be VP. I offered him the job of president.”
Jess opened her mouth and then closed it. She had to blink three times before she could speak again. “You offered Brad the job of President of Graham Industries?”
“And CEO. The whole package.”
“But…that’s your job.”
His smile was soft, endearing. “Was my job.”
“You’re leaving the company?”
“I’ll still be around if there’s an issue, but I doubt there will be many. I’m leaving the company in capable hands. Brad and Ashley know what they’re doing, and so do the others.”
Jess blinked at Evan. She couldn’t imagine him without the company. But then she realized she’d seen what he was like without it these last few days, and he’d laughed more, talked more, and had been more.
Oh wow. He had changed. He’d changed a lot. “That’s huge.”
“It is. But it’s worth it.” His eyes darkened. “You’re worth it.”
Her face heated and her heart, which had felt so very heavy, was suddenly lighter than air. “That’s…I don’t know what to say.” She pushed aside the towel and, wanting to touch him, used one finger to absently trace one of Elsa’s eyes. “What will you do now?”
“We need to talk about that.” He gently tugged the towel so that it came together under her chin. “The reason I got so caught up in running the company was because, once things were running smoothly, the only challenge left was making it grow.”
“Which you did.”
“Maybe too much.” He grimaced. “One of the painful truths Brad laid on me last night, and one of the reasons he left, was that I was taking too many risks.”
“Were you?”
“It’s possible.”
“Possible?”
Evan winced and then gave a wry laugh. “Fine. It was true. It wouldn’t have made me so mad if it hadn’t been. This obsession I have is hurting the company, the people I work with—everyone, but especially you.” His gaze met hers, his blue eyes shiny with emotion. “Jess, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
She put her hands on each side of his face. “I don’t want to hear the word ‘sorry’ again. You’re fixing things. That’s all that matters.”
He captured one of her hands and turned his face to place a warm kiss in her palm. “Right now, I only know one thing. Whatever I do from here on out, I’m going to do it here, close to you.”
She wanted to say I’d love that, but her emotions had closed her throat too tightly for mere words.
His gaze darkened. “I’m not asking you to make a decision this second. I know I still need to prove myself. But I want a better marriage for us, Jess. A better life.” He pulled her against his chest and rested his cheek against her wet hair. “That’s what I want. For both of us.”
He meant what he said. He really and truly meant it.
In that moment, sitting in his lap, his heartbeat steady against her cheek, something moved in her heart, clicking into place as if it had always belonged there.
She wanted this marriage to work. He was making changes, big ones. It was time she did the same. “Let’s do this.”
He looked down at her. “This?”
There was so much hope in that word that she found herself smiling. “Our relationship. Let’s try it again. I can’t promise it’ll work, but I want to give it a go and maybe we’ll—”
He gave a huge war whoop and stood, taking her with him as he swung her wildly around the room.
Laughing, she slipped her arms around him and buried her face against his neck. She had missed this, missed him, for so, so long. But now she felt as if she were home.
He sighed happily and set her back on her feet, leaving his arms around her. “We’re going to make this work. I promise. But Jess, you have to tell me what you want. No more just being nice.”
“I’ll do my best.” She thought about it for a moment and then said, “I don’t want to go too fast.”
“We’ll go slow. We’ll move like snails if that’s what you want. We should build our foundation solidly and keep the walls spackled.”
“What?”
He shook his head impatiently. “A metaphor, nothing more. What else do you want?”
“We shouldn’t move back in together until we know things are going to be okay.”
He groaned, his hands moving up and down her back. “Fine, fine. I was afraid you’d say that. But I understand.”
She placed her hand flat on his chest, enjoying the simple contact. “Also, I want to date. Really date. I want movies and dinners out and—I don’t know, maybe even board games.”
He laughed. “Done. Done. And done.” He bent and kissed her, long and lingering. When he finished, they clung to each other, smiling like loons.
But after a moment, his smile faded, and he cupped her face, his gaze searching. “Whatever you want, Jess, I’ll do. I just have one request.”
Her heart tightened. “What’s that?”
“Please, please let me move to this room. That warped bed in Room Ten is killing my back.”
She had to laugh. “You got it.” And with that, she lifted up on her toes, slipped her arms around his neck, and kissed him once more.
She loved him. She’d always loved him.
And now they could move forward in their lives together, as a couple should.
Happiness, which had seemed so far away a week ago, was here, in this room, within the arms of the man
she’d fallen in love with those many years ago.
Epilogue
Doyle
Two months and two days later, their bare toes lightly touching the cool water, Doyle and Barbara sat together on a long, low branch of a huge oak tree that hung over the bank of Dove Pond. To a passer-by, who couldn’t see either them or their toes, it would appear as if tiny fish were tapping the water’s surface from below, causing small rings to ripple over the glassy surface.
Just down from that huge oak, Evan spread out a picnic blanket near the dock, the scent of fried chicken rising through the air. Jess stood nearby with their basket of food, giving him orders. In the early evening quiet, their laughter rang across the water, lingering in the warm summer air.
“Look at them,” Doyle said smugly from his perch, his arm around Barbara. “Another perfectly executed mission.”
She sent him a sharp side glance. “You almost drowned my poor niece in her own shower!”
“I wanted to remind her that disasters aren’t so tough when you’ve got a little help.”
Barbara snorted. “You just have a thing for water.”
“Maybe.” He hugged her. “And maybe I was making the point that even death is bearable if you share it with the right woman.”
“Oh shush.” But Barbara’s cheeks were now flushed a beautiful pink. “You’re still in trouble. We’re no longer among the living, and we’re not supposed to talk to those who are.”
“I like talking to people. It’s the best way to convince them they’re being foolish. Besides, Evan enjoyed my pep talks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, next time stick to the rules. Having that car break down as he reached town was a smart move. Even the shower mishap turned out well. But when you show yourself, you cause problems. That poor boy thought he was going crazy once he saw that picture of you on Jess’s desk, and she told him you were her uncle, and had been dead for years.”
“He recovered, didn’t he? Look at him over there. He’s happy as a clam.”
“But now The Powers That Be are threatening to pull you off Romance and put you on Redemption.” She cut him a warning look. “You won’t like Redemption, Doyle. It’s dry, dull work.”
“But I like Romance. I’m good at it, too. Just look at them.”
“Then you’d best be toeing the line with your next assignment.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said meekly.
She shook her head, mumbling “old fool” under her breath the way only Barbara could.
A pair of ducks quacked loudly as they flew low across the pond and landed near the dock just as Evan sat down on the blanket, pulling Jess with him. Their laughter was silenced with a kiss. The two were so lost in their embrace that their basket of food sat forgotten.
Doyle watched for a moment and then, restless, said in a grumpy voice, “That ice cream is going to melt and then their basket will be a mess.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Barbara said, smiling softly. “Jess is a good kid.”
“So is that boy. I wish you’d seen his face while they were towing his car away.” Doyle sighed heavily. “I know the pain of losing a good car.”
Barbara’s smile disappeared and she sent him a sour glance. “That was a complete and utter lie. You forgot to set that parking brake, not me.”
“I set the brake,” he protested. “It was broken or something.”
“Or something,” she said with obvious disbelief.
Doyle chuckled and pulled Barbara closer.
She leaned against him, her gaze moving back to the couple on the blanket. “I think they’re going to be okay, the two of them.”
Doyle agreed. “He’s starting a new company.”
“Oh no!”
“It’ll be all right. He’s going to do market consulting for small businesses, the kind that are growing in Dove Pond.”
“Mom and Pop shops,” Barbara said. “I love those. They’ll benefit from his vision and experience.”
“He’s promised to keep it simple, nothing too big. He doesn’t need the money and wants to keep his time open so he can keep having picnics like this one. Jess is excited about it.”
“If she’s happy, then he’ll be happy.”
“Happy wife, happy life.” Doyle rested his cheek against Barbara’s soft hair and smiled. Sometimes the biggest truths in life were also the simplest.
Discover More by Suzanne Enoch
No Ordinary Hero
Hero in the Highlands
My One True Highlander
A Devil in Scotland
* * *
Wild Wicked Highlanders
It’s Getting Scot in Here
Scot Under the Covers
* * *
Traditional Regencies
The Black Duke’s Prize
Angel’s Devil
* * *
Regency Historicals
Lady Rogue
Stolen Kisses
* * *
The Bancroft Brothers
By Love Undone
Taming Rafe
* * *
With This Ring
Reforming a Rake
Meet Me at Midnight
A Matter of Scandal
* * *
Lessons in Love
The Rake
London’s Perfect Scoundrel
England’s Perfect Hero
* * *
Anthologies
One True Love (from The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown)
A Touch of Scandal (from Lady Whistledown Strikes Back)
* * *
The Griffin Family
Sin and Sensibility
An Invitation to Sin
Something Sinful
Sins of a Duke
* * *
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Flirting with Danger
Don’t Look Down
Billionaires Prefer Blondes
Twice the Temptation (half historical, half contemporary)
A Touch of Minx
Barefoot in the Dark
* * *
The Notorious Gentlemen
After the Kiss
Before the Scandal
Always a Scoundrel
* * *
The Adventurers’ Club
The Care and Taming of a Rogue
A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior
Rules of an Engagement
* * *
The Scandalous Brides
A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes
Taming an Impossible Rogue
Rules to Catch a Devilish Duke
The Handbook to Handling His Lordship
* * *
Standalone Short Stories
Good Earl Hunting
* * *
The Scandalous Highlanders
One Hot Scot (a short story)
The Devil Wears Kilts
Rogue with a Brogue
Mad, Bad and Dangerous in Plaid
Some Like it Scot
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The Southern Eclectic Series
(contemporary women’s fiction)
Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck (prequel novella)
Sweet Tea and Sympathy
Peachy Flippin’ Keen (novella)
Ain’t She a Peach?
Gimme Some Sugar
* * *
The Mystic Bayou Series
(paranormal romance)
How to Date Your Dragon
Love and Other Wild Things
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues
Selkies Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Always Be My Banshee
* * *
The “Sorcery and Society” Series
(young adult fantasy)
Changeling
Fledgling
* * *
The “Nice Girls” Series
(paranormal romance)
Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs
Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men
Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever
Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors
* * *
Half-Moon Hollow Series
(paranormal romance)
The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires
Driving Mr. Dead
Undead Sublet (A story in The Undead in My Bed anthology)
A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses
I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas
The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire
The Single Undead Moms Club
Fangs for the Memories
Where the Wild Things Bite
Big Vamp on Campus
Accidental Sire
Peace, Blood and Understanding
Nice Werewolves Don’t Bite Vampires
* * *
The “Naked Werewolf” Series
(paranormal romance)
How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf
The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf
How to Run with a Naked Werewolf
* * *
The “Bluegrass” Series
(contemporary romance)
My Bluegrass Baby
Rhythm and Bluegrass
Snow Falling on Bluegrass
* * *
Standalone Titles
And One Last Thing
Better Homes and Hauntings
Discover More by Karen Hawkins
The Dove Pond NC Series
I Loved You First Page 25