For the rest of her life, Jodi would never forget what happened next. As Lyndsay reached out to embrace her father, he put an arm out to hold her back and Jodi could see him talking to her with a very serious expression. Seconds later, she saw Lyndsay collapse on the sidewalk, screaming uncontrollably. As Jodi watched the horrific scene unfold, she could see Lyndsay’s father drop down to his knees and pull his hysterical daughter into his arms. There was no amount of glass that could block out the heart wrenching sound of Lyndsay screaming and crying. As Jodi stood frozen in place, she could see tears washing down Mr. Welch’s face and his shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. For the minutes that followed, Jodi stood helpless, not knowing what to do as she watched Lyndsay’s father trying to console his grief-stricken daughter. Then suddenly, just as she was going to go to them, he scooped Lyndsay up in his arms, carried her limp body to his car, and within seconds they were gone.
Chapter Thirteen
The breakup with Nick and the death of her brother from a rocket propelled grenade was more than Lyndsay could bear. There were too many painful memories in Providence and she knew she needed to get away from them to start to heal. Finding the quaint, but run down bungalow in Bristol to start her own furniture and interior design firm was something she always dreamed about and knew that now was the time. She had saved plenty of money working at Deacon’s Nest to afford the down payment on the home, and with a small loan, she knew she could turn it into a space that would showcase select furniture pieces for sale and offer interior design services. The house even had a separate apartment in the back, and for now, she was going to live there while the house got remodeled. She chose this cozy seaside town because it was only twenty minutes from Providence, so she could easily stay in touch with her dad and Jodi. Because her dad was getting older, she didn’t want to go far, but she knew she had to leave Providence.
Allison Deacon hated losing Lyndsay, but she understood and promised she would do everything she could to help Lyndsay succeed on her new venture. Secretly, Allison was very proud of her because that’s exactly how she had started her business. The area that Lyndsay was going to was very affluent and Allison had no doubt the company would grow very quickly. As Allison said goodbye to Lyndsay on her last day at Deacon’s Nest, she could see from Lyndsay’s expression that after all the pain she had recently gone through, she looked hopeful about the future.
***
As was usual on Friday, Nick made his weekly pilgrimage to Rosen’s Deli for lunch. And as always, the staff greeted him with open arms and good humor. As much as he loved going to the deli, it was sometimes bittersweet because he could never really walk those entire three blocks without thinking about the abduction. It had been three months since he last saw Lyndsay and not a day went by when he didn’t want to stop at the store or her house to see how she was doing. He missed her terribly but knew that to contact her would only make things worse for both of them. As he paid for his sandwich and headed out the door, he was so distracted thinking of her that he ran right into a woman heading into the deli, almost sending her toppling to the ground. As he reached out to help her get her balance back, he was surprised to see it was Lyndsay’s best friend and co-worker, Jodi.
Suddenly realizing it was Nick, Jodi gave him a big smile and said, “Well, hello there Mr.…ummm, I mean Nick.” She had to catch herself at the last minute to not call him the Mr. Hottie Pants nickname she had grown so accustomed to giving him in jest with Lyndsay.
Pleased to see her again, they chatted for a moment until Nick finally asked, “How is Lyndsay?” He expected to hear Jodi tell him she was fine and kicking ass at the store. He didn’t expect to hear that Carl had been killed and that Lyndsay had moved away. Reeling from the brief synopsis she gave, Nick asked, “Do you have a minute to sit down and talk?” She agreed. After the waitress took her order and gave Nick a plate for his takeout sandwich, Jodi filled him in on all the details about how Carl was killed, Lyndsay’s grief and depression that followed, and her final decision to move and get a new start. Jodi had been to the bungalow in Bristol a handful of times as it was being worked on and she shared the progress of the remodeling with Nick and the goals Lyndsay had for the business.
Swallowing a bite of her sandwich, Jodi said, “Our boss, Allison Deacon, was so proud of Lyndsay for going out on her own, she gave her a huge bonus for her years of dedication. And that money is what has allowed Lyndsay to work on the house without having to get another job.” Nick was thrilled for her, but talking about her now made him miss her even more. “What about you Nick? How have you been?” Jodi inquired.
Perhaps it was something in her tone of voice but Nick couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’m not doing that great. I miss her. I fell in love with her. Not a day goes by when I don’t want to pull her into my arms. I have never felt so helpless with anything in my entire life.”
To Jodi, the answer was simple and obvious. Looking directly at him, she said, “You know, for a smart guy, you’re being really dumb.”
Looking at Jodi with a shocked expression, he had no idea what she was talking about. All he could utter was, “Why? Why am I being dumb?”
That was all Jodi needed to hear. She had been wanting to give Nick a piece of her mind for quite some time and now she was going to give it to him unedited. “Nick, do you know how hard it is to find a soul mate in this life? You and Lyndsay are perfect for each other and she misses the hell out of you. I think it’s actually killing her a little bit every day. I understand you have differences about your future together and the whole kid thing, but you’re letting go of something you already have and love, for something you don’t have now and may never have.
“There’s no guarantee you’re going to find a woman as great as Lyndsay who you will want to marry, let alone have kids with. That’s an arrogant assumption. You could find down the road that you gave up your one true love, only to die alone without a partner or children.”
Nick was speechless. He had never thought of things that way.
“And one more thing,” Jodi said, like she was talking to a child. “You guys had a fairly new relationship when you brought this up. It was way too soon in her career for you to be talking about settling down. And we all know how that probably would have ended up. You would keep building your career and moving up the corporate ladder while she would need to give up her career to take care of kids. That’s not fair and it’s not realistic in this century. Lyndsay wants more out of life than taking care of kids all day. Look at her now! She’s starting her own business! She wants to accomplish things and grow as a woman. We all know you could afford to take care of her financially, but she doesn’t want you to. She’s an independent woman who wants to take care of herself and not be dependent on someone, at least financially speaking. The thing I don’t get is why you would require any less from her than that?”
Bringing the final hammer down, Jodi said as she gave him a level stare, “There is always a compromise, Nick. Rarely are things black and white. My guess is that Lyndsay is just scared of having a family because of the loss of her mother. My other guess is that if you two had continued to foster a deep, loving relationship, she may still not want a bunch of kids, but she would compromise out of love for you. Do you get that now?”
All of a sudden, Nick felt like such an idiot. Why didn’t he think of these points? Shaking his head in resignation, all he could say was, “I blew it, didn’t I?”
Softening her tone just a bit, Jodi answered, “At the time I know you didn’t know it, but you brought up a sensitive subject way too early and then instead of letting it lie for a while, you abandoned her.”
Hearing that last sentence left Nick feeling like he was on the losing end of a boxing match and felt the pain of what Jodi said as much as if he had been knocked out. With lunch now finished, they stood up, shook hands, and Nick said, “Thanks for talking today. I appreciate everything you said even though it was hard to hear. I will weigh what you’ve said
carefully.”
Satisfied she had made her point, they said goodbye and Jodi walked back to work with a smile on her face.
Chapter Fourteen
Lyndsay couldn’t have been happier that the remodeling of her store was finally done. The contractor and his crew had done an amazing job and the place looked like new. She had spent countless days and hours working on the details and now with the furniture and accessories finally purchased, delivered, and arranged for sale in the various rooms around the store, she was almost ready to open for business. She had hired a local landscaper who did a magnificent job on the front yard and the old dilapidated wooden fence was replaced with a beautiful new iron one. Everything about the bungalow looked elegant and inviting. The sign boasting the name of her business, Harborside Furniture & Design, had been erected just yesterday and she was feeling proud and excited.
The next thing Lyndsay needed to do was find an apartment because she wanted to turn her apartment at the back of the house into an office and design suite for private interior design consultations. The space was perfect to accommodate a big table, comfortable chairs, book cases for all her design books, a desk for her computer, and best of all, a big drafting table which she had always wanted for doing her initial sketches. With a mini kitchen in the space, it would be nice to be able to offer her clients refreshments. Because she wanted to fill every room with furniture and accessories, she had asked the construction crew to gut the main kitchen. Keeping this little kitchen area in the back not only made the space more home-like and cozy, but it was perfect to be able to keep food and drinks at the store. Everything for her design suite had been ordered, but in the meantime, she had a sales desk in the main room of the bungalow where she could sit with clients and customers until everything arrived.
As Lyndsay stood in the main room of the store organizing the fabric samples that were hung along the shorter wall of the room, she could feel a light, warm breeze blowing off the ocean through the screened front door. She knew summer would be winding down soon and she kept the doors and windows open so she could enjoy the fresh air before the season turned colder. Throughout the course of the renovation, residents poked their heads in almost daily to see what was going on. She had met so many wonderful people and everyone who stopped by had been genuinely happy that the old run down bungalow was finally getting restored to its original beauty. When she explained to the curiosity seekers that it was going to be a furniture and interior design store, they were thrilled and promised to come back and shop when she opened. Hearing someone coming up the porch steps, Lyndsay smiled, knowing it was yet another resident full of questions. She had pretty much rehearsed her speech from talking with so many people that she was now able to easily answer the who, what, when, where and why.
Just as Lyndsay was about to turn around to see who was there, she froze in place when a very familiar voice from her past asked from the other side of the screen door, “I’ve been looking for a particular interior designer who can help re-design a stupid, selfish man who has made a very big mistake.”
All at once Lyndsay could feel her heart thumping in her chest and she could barely breathe. Despite the way her body was nervously reacting to hearing his voice again, she decided to have a little fun with him and responded nonchalantly while not immediately turning around.
“Why yes. I do believe we have numerous design books to help just that kind of man.” When the screen door opened and shut, Lyndsay finally turned around and her eyes started to tear up seeing his very familiar, handsome face. At that moment, she could feel every minute they had been apart and she suddenly felt exhausted.
Without saying a word, Nick walked over to her and hugged her as tears came to his eyes. She looked so beautiful and he had missed her terribly. Instead of lashing out at him in hurt and anger for letting her go, she responded with humor and grace. It was at that moment for Nick when Jodi’s words from the lunch they shared came back full force. “Do you know how hard it is to find a soul mate in this life?” In that very second, it was clear to Nick that Lyndsay was his soul mate and his heart overflowed with love for her.
Releasing her from his embrace, he cupped her face in his hands and said, “Can you ever forgive me? I love you and I don’t want to live without you. You mean the world to me and I should never have let you go.”
Seeing a tear fall down his cheek touched Lyndsay to the core. Nick was putting his pride and vulnerability on the line, potentially setting himself up for the worst kind of rejection. Instead of making excuses for himself, he was focusing on her and taking responsibility for his actions, even though Lyndsay felt responsible for the breakup, too.
Looking up into his eyes, she responded in the most honest way she knew how. “Nick, so many difficult things have happened to me over the last few months. My mind and emotions are all over the place. It’s taking every ounce of energy and concentration that I can muster to get this house and business ready for opening. I don’t know if I have anything left to give right now, as much as I want to.”
Pulling her once again into his arms, Nick whispered, “I’m so very, very sorry about Carl. Jodi told me. I can’t stand knowing how devastated you must have been and all of the horrible emotions you must have felt. I should have been there for you instead of wallowing in my own selfishness. I don’t blame you if you never forgive me.”
As much as Lyndsay felt so alone when Carl died, she didn’t blame Nick for not being there. He had no way of knowing that Carl was going to get killed and she didn’t want Nick returning to her life at that time because it would always feel like he came back just because he felt sorry for her.
As they stood talking today, Lyndsay was actually grateful he didn’t know until months later. His return to her life now left no doubt that it was because he loved her, not because of any sense of obligation to her for Carl having rescued him in the warehouse. Standing so close to Nick now was making her feel more confused than ever. She had been so terribly hurt when he never contacted her again after their conversation about having children. He had made his point very clear about his family goals and she didn’t understand why he was here.
Just when she was about to ask him, he took her hand and asked, “Please, Lyndsay. Let me take you out to dinner tonight so we can talk. I know this is a bit of a surprise. How about I pick you up at 7?”
Not one to hold a grudge or be purposefully vengeful, Lyndsay agreed and had to smile at how pleased that made him. He looked like a kid who had just been given a big bag of candy. Giving him a dismissive wave of her hand, she said sarcastically with a wink, “Now get out of here. I have to get a bunch done and you’re in my way!”
Giving her a formal salute, he said “Yes, Ma’am.” Not wanting to push his luck, he left the store with a smile on his face.
***
As Lyndsay got ready for her dinner date, she thought back to their previous time together and how much fun they always had. She had never felt so fused with anyone like she felt with Nick and she couldn’t ignore the sexual chemistry between them and how he had taken her to new heights of pleasure.
As she thought back to some of those intimate times, she could feel her body starting to react like it always did when she thought of him that way. Having been in nothing but jeans and shorts the past few months, she was excited to get dressed up and go out. After taking a nice long shower, Lyndsay chose a sleeveless light blue dress, strappy sandals, and her favorite matching pink bra and panties. Her skin was tan from the summer even though she’d worked inside for much of it. She had managed to take her breaks outside in the sun, which had given her a healthy glow. Fluffing out her golden curls so they cascaded around her shoulders, she applied a bit of lipstick and then poured a glass of wine to calm her nerves as she waited for Nick. Sure enough, it was another beautiful summer evening and she took her glass out to the big covered front porch and relaxed on the outdoor furniture that was also for sale. Within ten minutes, she saw the familiar black BMW coming down Mai
n Street heading for her store. Grabbing her purse and a light shawl, she locked the front door and joined him in his car.
When they arrived at the restaurant and sat down, they first admired the view while waiting for the server to bring them a glass of wine. It had been many years since she, Carl, and her dad had visited Bristol. There were many things about the town she didn’t remember from visiting here at such a young age, but each time she ventured out, she was pleasantly surprised and glad she had chosen this town to start her new venture.
It seemed like the minute he picked her up, they talked and laughed non-stop. Nick filled her in on all of the cases he had been working on and he told her how happy he was living in his new home. Lyndsay, in turn, talked about the death of Carl, the funeral that was held when he was shipped home from Iraq, and the grief that she and her dad had gone through. Although it was a somber conversation, Lyndsay felt some relief talking about it and Nick listened, completely awestruck at her strength. Nick was incredibly sad for her terrible loss. He had connected with Carl immediately in the hospital room and never thought the dinner they shared the last night before he deployed again would be the last time he would ever see him.
After dinner, they ordered some dessert and Lyndsay filled Nick in on everything that transpired with her decision to leave Deacon’s Nest and get a new start. She told him how she had fallen in love with the bungalow the minute she saw it and knew it would make an incredibly unique furniture store, staying in keeping with the town’s architecture and character. There was enough property that came with the home that if she was successful enough and wanted to add on to the structure, there was plenty of room to do it. Nick was so proud of her, and said as much. Lyndsay beamed at his honest praise and compliments on her initiative, so much so that her face flushed. After three hours of catching up, it felt to both of them like no time had passed and being together again came as naturally as it always did.
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