by Claire Adams
“That’s the plan.” I grabbed the briefcase and the keys to my car, walking out into the driveway as I looked over the blue Chevy Tahoe. It certainly wasn’t my Escalade in New York, but this was a great car for Texas. I thought it was a perfect mix between the Austin from the city and the guy that grew up in North Reed. I hoped that Rebecca would like it as well since I saw a nice red one of the same year that I wanted to buy for her.
I slipped inside and started the engine as I pictured her face. I hated that my most recent memory was of her throwing me out of her house, but I was going to fix everything tonight. I pulled out of the driveway and made the short drive to her house, noting the lights on in the house as I parked on the curb.
I looked in the mirror. This was my biggest deal yet, and I needed to score this one. I got out of the car and pocketed my keys and phone before I grabbed my briefcase.
I stepped up to the door and knocked. She answered the door. Her face quickly hardened, and she began to close the door in my face.
I stopped it with my hand. “You have to hear me out, Rebecca,” I told her in a gentle voice. She paused and stared at me with narrowed eyes. “This is the last time that I will ever bother you, but I deserve a chance to prove myself to you.”
“I don’t know what you think you need to prove, but come in. I’m waiting for Kim.” I stepped inside and noticed that Rebecca looked beautiful in a pair of worn jeans and a soft blue sweater. “I’ll give you until her arrival, Austin.”
I held my grin, knowing that Kim wasn’t coming unless Rebecca told me no. I had every intention of preventing that, and I walked into the living room and set my briefcase down as she leaned against the wall. “That works for me.”
“You look different. You look like my old Austin.”
I paused in my movement. Was that hope that I heard in her voice and a little bit of love left over for me?
“I am different, Rebecca. I’ve learned a lot in the last few weeks, and I have done a lot of thinking.” I looked at her and gestured for her to join me on the couch. Her body language was cool as she walked in to sit down, sitting stiffly a few feet away from me. “Have you heard anything on the news about business lately?” I asked.
She gave me a strange look. “Why would I? That’s not my thing, and I asked Mary to stop watching the news so much at the salon.”
“Allow me to show you, then.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and Googled my favorite site for the latest business news. I found the article and handed the phone to her to read it.
It was a great shock to everyone that I was selling off large amounts of my controlling interest in some of the companies that I invested in and huge news all over the media. I watched Rebecca read it with a troubled frown before she handed the phone back to me.
“Why would you do that?” she asked me quietly. I pulled up something else on my phone. “Business is your life.”
“That’s only one thing of many that I want to show you,” I assured her. I pulled up the email from my realtor, detailing the sales of all my homes in New York. It was specific with listings for each one, and I handed the phone to her again. Rebecca read that and opened her mouth in surprise as she clicked on the various properties. “I am selling every one of them, Rebecca.”
“I don’t understand, Austin. You were going back there, and now you won’t have any of your homes. Are you going to buy a new one?” Confusion painted her face.
I smiled gently at her. “When did I say I was going back, Rebecca?”
Her confusion seemed to deepen. “I suppose that you didn’t, but New York was all you ever wanted,” she said in a small voice. “You dreamed of that for so long.”
“I dreamed of that before I knew what I really wanted from life, Rebecca. I went running to New York with the idea that it was going to be it for me, but I avoided coming back here. Do you know why?” She shook her head. “Leaving you was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life. Asking you to go with me was selfish and the only way I could think to have it all. When you said no, I knew I couldn’t come back here and see you. I couldn’t stand the idea of being reminded of my mistake. I avoided coming back to North Reed for years, until Mom insisted that I join them for the holidays.” I looked at her as her eyes widened. “The first place I went was Grayson’s, Rebecca. I didn’t even think about it, and the car parked itself. I needed to see you and realized that you were still the same beautiful woman who I was in love with years ago. By the way, that car is gone.”
“The rental?” she asked. I nodded with a soft smile. She turned her head toward the front of the house. Rebecca stood and went to the window to look out, taking a moment before she looked back at me. “I like that. It’s more suited for North Reed, though a truck would have been perfect, you know?”
“Touché,” I said with a chuckle. “I did learn in New York that I love SUVs. That is one part of my city life that I’ll keep, but otherwise, I am a Texas man.”
Her eyes softened as she moved to sit back down. “What do you mean?” Rebecca asked.
I took a deep breath and reached for my briefcase. This was probably the last time I’d need it, and I pulled it closer to me.
“I am selling a lot of shares in my businesses and homes back in the city, as you know. I am giving that life up, Rebecca. I was reminded being here that North Reed is a wonderful place. I love my family here, and I love you.” I clicked the case open and pulled out a folder.
“What about Mia?” she asked in a whisper.
I shook my head at her. “There was never anything with Mia here. That was a setup and the last reminder for me that I didn’t want that life anymore. I’d found the woman who I love.” A tear slid down her cheek, and she looked down at the floor for a moment. “Here. Read this.”
I slid the folder to her and Rebecca took a deep breath before she leaned forward to place it on the table. She read the papers carefully, and I watched her hands shaking as she took it all in.
“Austin?” Rebecca asked as she stared at me with understanding crossing her face. “You’re going to stay here?”
I looked into the briefcase, seeing the dark blue velvet box. This was it. “I’ll stay if you agree to be my wife, Rebecca Silver.”
I pulled out the box. She started to cry, pressing her hands to her face. I lifted the lid, and Rebecca looked from my solemn face to the delicate diamond band with a small center diamond. I knew that it was beautiful and tasteful, as well as perfect for the love of my life. “I called your dad and asked him for your hand in marriage two days ago, and he told me that he knew I’d come to my senses.”
“They all know about this?” Rebecca moved closer to me as she continued to cry. “Kim?”
“Yes. I made a lot of plans for this night. I needed something to distract me from not being able to see you.”
She started to laugh through her tears. “I’ve wanted this since I met you, Austin. I wanted a life here in North Reed with you, getting married and having babies. I can’t believe that it’s finally going to happen.” She looked at me with a shimmering, worried gaze. “You do want that, right?”
“I bought you a house, Rebecca.” I chuckled as I gestured to the paperwork on the table. “Of course, I want that. It’s a nice four-bedroom farmhouse to start us off. It’ll need a little work, but I have missed working with my hands. I look forward to making it our own.” I met her gaze and pulled the ring out of the box. “So, what’s your answer? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” Rebecca shot across the cushion to hug me tightly. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“I have enough money to live on for a long time, but we’re going small town, baby. I’m going to make our house perfect for us and the babies that we’re going to fill it with.” I held her close with the ring still in my hand, kissing her hair. “I don’t want to change anything about you, Rebecca. I want you to make a better person out of me.”
She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and smiled. “You’re already a
great person, Austin. You don’t need me for that.” She kissed me, pressing her body against me as our lips parted and tongues met in a slow, sweet kiss.
I’d never tire of kissing this woman or waking up with her in the morning. It took me a few years to find out what life was all about, and I certainly made a few mistakes along the way, but now I was sure about everything.
I pulled away from her and smiled as she stared at me. “How about trying this ring on, Rebecca?”
She laughed and grabbed the box. I watched her pull the ring out and hold it to the light. Then, she slid it on her perfect finger and stared at it with awe in her eyes. “I love it, Austin. It’s beautiful.”
“So are you,” I told her before I claimed her lips again.
EPILOGUE
Three years later
Rebecca
I was in the office, looking for an email that I printed out earlier in the week while I listened carefully to the rest of the house. I could hear small giggles and then the sound of something hitting the floor. I grimaced and just grabbed the entire folder. This was going to be much easier if I could work and keep an eye on AJ at the same time.
I walked into the living room and smiled at my son, just two years old with dark curly hair and his daddy’s eyes. Next to Austin, AJ was my world. He looked up at me and held up one of the wooden blocks he was playing with.
I took it with a big smile. “Thank you, baby boy,” I said and sat on the couch behind him.
He kept playing with his toys on the blanket. A cool breeze blew through the open windows. The farmhouse was beautiful, and everything Austin did to it made it that much more perfect for us. We had hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen, with a lot of colorful rugs to add some pizazz, as well as to cushion AJ’s falls when he got a little too wild. The bedrooms all had pretty carpeting.
AJ’s falls were often. I had my hands full with this boy, and even though I missed working at Grayson’s, I did love being home to raise my baby. It isn’t like I wasn’t working at all. Austin had started an organization here and named it the Harris Charitable Foundation, right after we moved into the house. I agreed to be his assistant as long as I wouldn’t have to travel more than two weeks a year for business. There were plenty of people to babysit for us, but I loved North Reed that much more now. I did let Austin take the family on some vacations to the beach and other states from time-to-time, but we mostly stayed in town.
Why not? It was a perfect town to raise a family in, and our family was here. There was no reason to leave for too long.
I returned to the folder, needing proof of an email for a school that we were donating money to soon. I was organized, and it only took me about five minutes to find it as I read over the paper. I could send that along to our accountant in a quick email and then start fixing the sides for dinner.
I picked AJ up with one of his rings and carried him into the office, where I scanned the paper and sent it to Preston. He’d quit acting as anyone’s personal assistant and decided on being an accountant, right around the time that Austin got this idea. Preston was quite good with numbers and helped both of us extensively with the foundation.
The computer dinged, and I clicked on the email.
“Rebecca, this is perfect. I am going to add it to your tax papers for the year, and you’ll be all set. I can’t wait to come back and see AJ soon.”
Preston was visiting his mother for an extended holiday, but he had moved here as well. He still had a place in New York, but Preston often joked about needing his country fix.
I wrote back a quick note.
“We can’t wait. Tell your mom hi for us, and we’ll see you soon.”
I stood and carried AJ back to his blanket, then headed into the kitchen to get the corn ready to grill. I glanced at my son and then outside where Austin stood with his father by the grill. Mel had recovered completely from the heart attacks, and he took excellent care of himself. He was cautious about his food intake and activity.
I smiled as I brushed on some butter and seasoned the corn before wrapping it in foil for Austin. He already had the steaks outside, and I was also serving a fruit salad and some baked beans that I’d started on the stove this morning.
Sally was heading here from the store, fussing about not having enough food. We were having some of the neighbors over, so I understood her restlessness today.
I glanced at AJ again and debated if I should wait until someone else got here before I took the corn out. I could toss the two huge salads that I’d made and get the dressing on them, since dinner was soon.
I heard the door open and glanced up to see Kim and Wade walking inside of the house. She giggled when she saw AJ, picking him up on the way to give me a hug. I was careful with the embrace since she was five months pregnant with her own baby. Then I hugged Wade, and he kissed me on the cheek. They’d been married for a year and a half now and lived just down the street.
“Would you mind keeping him alive while I take this out to Austin?” I asked her as I held up the foil packet.
“Not at all, Becs. I don’t see this little man enough.” That made me roll my eyes. Though Kim still worked at the new and improved library, she was here plenty to see her nephew and just visit with me. Marriage didn’t change that at all.
“I’ll be back,” I said as I headed towards the door that led to the backyard. I slid the screen open and stepped onto the soft grass in my sandals. I thought about what day it was and smiled to myself as I watched Mel walk over to some of the neighbors to say hello as they arrived. “Hey, baby.” I smiled at Austin as he glanced up at me with a loving gaze. “I brought you some corn for the grill. How’s it going out here?”
“Great.” He leaned in for a slow kiss as I memorized the feel of his lips against mine. “I missed you.”
“You missed me in the hour I’ve been inside of the house?” I teased him.
Austin laughed and pulled the ball cap tighter over his messy curls. Austin still wore a Yankees cap around the house since he claimed he’d fallen in love with the team while living in New York.
“Of course. I always miss you when you’re not by my side, Rebecca.” Austin kissed me again, and I grinned.
“It’s a special day for us today. I’m so glad that we’re having everyone over.”
He gave me a curious look. “It is?” Disappointment surged through me as he frowned thoughtfully. “No birthdays. It’s not our wedding anniversary, and we already celebrated the one for our very first date in high school.” Austin watched as my face fell before he barked out a laugh. “Gotcha, Rebecca. I know that I came to your parents’ door three years ago today begging for another chance. I’ll never forget that. It was the first time in my life that I ever felt complete.” He hugged me close to him, and I closed my eyes. “I love you, baby.”
“Any regrets?” I teased him as he kissed me softly and looked into my eyes.
“It will always be the same. Leaving you. I’ll never make it again.”
I heard a car and then the unmistakable sound of AJ calling my name. I playfully rolled my eyes.
“I love you. I am going to finish up in there and see what he needs,” I told him before Austin kissed me again. I turned to head back to the house, shaking my hips as I glanced back to see Austin watching me hungrily. I entered the kitchen, and AJ ran for my arms while Kim called me to the living room.
“Becs. You’ve got to see this!”
I carried my whimpering son, still tired from a nap, into the living room where our favorite gossip show was on. I took a seat as Sally came inside the house and greeted us before walking into the kitchen.
The segment was about Mia Laht. It seemed that her modeling career started to have problems a couple of years back, but now it tanked completely. She’d earned herself a bad reputation with her manipulative ways, and nobody believed a word that she had to say. Add some very high-profile social media mistakes, and the life that she knew was over. I looked at the picture of the woman,
no longer hating her but feeling sorry for her.
She lost Austin a long time ago, and now it seemed that she’d lost everything. “Karma is a bitch for a bitch,” Kim told me softly.
I looked at her and shrugged. “I let that go a long time ago. I am happy with my life here, and I don’t worry about other people now, Kim.” I smiled at her, and she wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I helped Sally with the strawberry shortcake she’d bought at the store, chopping up the berries and getting them into a bowl so we could just throw the dessert together later. She made a big bowl of coleslaw as well, making me laugh as I looked around at all the food. “You know that the neighbors are bringing stuff too, don’t you?”
“There should be more than enough food for a meal with friends. It leaves some to send home with everyone, and my son loves leftovers.” Sally shook her head. She was right. Austin had learned how to cook even more things since moving back, and we even watched shows together to get new recipes. I saw some of the people that he mentioned before and was surprised by how down to Earth Bobby Flay was when he came to North Reed to visit us. He and Austin spent hours in the kitchen just laughing and catching up, and we all ate very well that week. I loved seeing that little glimpse much more than the picture of Austin and Mia.
We lined up everything on the long counter inside of the house to keep the bugs from getting into the food. The twenty or so people that were there lined up to fill their plates, talking and laughing easily.
I felt the tears form in my eyes. This was everything that I’d ever wanted in life. Austin and I went last, getting a small plate for the baby before we headed outside.
Half an hour later, we all gathered outside at the tables that Austin built to eat, watching the sun set as our backdrop. It was perfect, and as I handed AJ another piece of fruit and Austin kissed me, I knew that everything was perfect for all of us.
After the last person went home with a full plate of leftovers, Sally helped me to get everything else into the fridge for us the next day. Dinner had been a hit, and I felt good as I gave the counter another wipe down and looked around.