Following Your Heart (Love Conquers All)

by Persons, Cheryl

  “Yet...you didn't.”

  Seth nodded, “I didn't because I didn't want you to have to make a decision. I wasn't going to give you an ultimatum and the Bed and Breakfast had just gotten back underway. I was worried that I couldn't provide you a life that you needed, a life that you deserved.”

  “Don't you see? My life wasn't complete Seth, I was still missing you and I didn't think that I would ever get over that loss. I would have completely and totally given up New York, if it meant being with you. I just wish you would have given me the opportunity to make that decision.”

  “I was scared that you wouldn't choose me and that I would be going back to Dallas, once again being by myself.” He paused for a moment and then shook his head. “It goes two ways, you know.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why haven't you attempted to see me in the past 10 years? I mean, we did say we would remain friends and yet you didn't do as much as call me once. Why is that?”

  Cassie snickered, “You think you have everything figured out? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I picked up that phone at least 20 times to call you. I wanted to explain why I felt the need to move on, yet every time I went to dial that last number I was reminded that life isn't a fairytale. We aren't going to ride off into the sunset together, without someone getting hurt. So, I would hang up. Then, when I graduated and was back in Texas I realized that I couldn't go on without knowing.”

  “Without knowing what?”

  “Without knowing if what we had was forever. So, I came to Dallas. I stood outside the front door and I practiced the words I would say to you. I imagined the moment that we would realize that we were forever and as I was about to enter the house I heard your voice. When I peeked around the edge of the house you weren't alone. You were with another woman. You were laughing and talking and in that moment I realized that what we had was fantasy and so I left. When I learned you had met someone and recently decided to marry, I figured that I must have happened across you and Rebecca.”

  Seth thought for a moment and then finally shook his head. “That couldn't have been Rebecca. We just started dating about 2 years ago. Probably about the same time...”

  “I started dating Chad.” She finished the statement. “If that wasn't Rebecca, then you must have been seeing someone else back then.”

  Seth shook his head, “No, Rebecca has been the only one since you. I was busy running this place and I didn't have time for meeting new women. So, I don't know...” he then started to laugh. “You must have saw Sarah.”

  “Sarah?”

  “Yeah, Sarah Mitchum...she used to work here. Was she tall, blonde, with a Georgian accent?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “It had to have been her. Around that time she had decided to quit, because her fiancée was coming home from Iraq and they were going to settle down once they were married and start a family. Sarah and Tony had the first wedding here and that's why we decided to keep it as a regular event.”

  “Oh...I...”

  “Yeah, it looks like we were both too stupid to realize what was right in front of us.”

  “I'm sorry Seth, I truly am.”

  Seth shrugged, “We can't go back in time. We can only work on the future.” He smiled at Cassie and leaned in to give her a kiss.

  “Are you sure it's not too late?” She asked; her voice barely above a whisper.

  “It's never too late, if it's worth the work.”

  A silence ensued as Seth took in how blue Cassie's eyes were. He was about to kiss her again, when he saw a shadow cross her face. “I don't have anything to wear to bed.” He laughed, not expecting those words to be the first thing on her mind.

  “I have a shirt you could wear.”

  She smiled, “Okay.”

  He got up and walked over to his dresser, removing a t-shirt that advertised the Dallas Cowboys. “You can change in the bathroom.”

  She grabbed it from him and was about to kiss him, but quickly pulled away. “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome.” Then she disappeared in the bathroom and he took a deep breath as he grabbed a pair of lounge pants. Things would be different; for starters they would take it slow. He knew that was the best way to make it work.

  ____________________

  Cassie got dressed quickly and was staring at herself in the mirror. She was sure she had been there for awhile when she heard a knock on the door. “Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah, I'll be out in a minute.” She ran her hands through her hair and slowly moved to the door. She didn't know why she was suddenly so nervous; it was as if she was back in high school and worried about who was going to make the first move. When she exited the bathroom, she saw Seth sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing just his lounge pants and she was immediately unsure of what she really did want. “Thanks for the shirt.”

  He smiled, “No problem. Want dessert?”

  She nervously laughed, but then realized he was talking about the cake that had arrived earlier. She walked over and looked at the cake and smiled. “Together Forever...” she read out loud. “That's really what you want?”

  Seth reached for Cassie's hand and pulled her closer to him; she slowly lowered herself so that she was sitting next to him. “I know that you have a lot to still think about and the last thing I want to do is pressure you, but yes...I would give up anything in my life to have you beside me.”

  Cassie looked around the room, “You would give up the Bed and Breakfast?”

  “In a heartbeat.” It was a reply without hesitation.

  “This place means so much to you...how can you say that?”

  “Cassie, as much as this place is a part of me...you're a bigger part and so I would give up this place. It's in good hands with Megan. I could walk away. I know what I need in my life and that's you.”

  “I wouldn't want you to have to do that, not just to make me happy. I have a good life in New York City, a great job with a wonderful promotion. Yet...”

  “Would you give it up to be with me?”

  Cassie turned to face Seth and slowly smiled. “I see how much I have been missing, I love this place Seth.”

  “Maybe we could find a compromise?”

  “I don't know how that would work, but I suppose I would be willing to look for one.”

  “What about Chad?” When Seth asked the question, Cassie was taken aback.

  “I need to talk to him. I didn't really end things, so it would need to be finalized.”

  “Cassie, I will make the last 10 years up to you. I promise you that.”

  “I'm going to hold it to you,” she teased.

  As he moved in to kiss her, she turned her head. Surprising him, but also surprising her. “I'm sorry...I just thought...”

  “Seth, there's something you need to know.”

  The look of worry on his face was clear, so she reached out and touched his hand. “Go ahead.”

  Cassie swallowed hard and then looked away. “I've never been with another man, not since you.”

  The look of surprise on his face was nearly laughable. “Really? Not even Chad?”

  Cassie shook her head, “Not even Chad. I wanted to make sure that I was certain our love was forever. Now looking back on it, I realize that it's a good thing it never got that far. I mean the night that I found out he was cheating on me, I was about to make love to him. Then my mom and sister interrupted and so, it never happened. A higher power must have been watching over me, to ensure that it didn't happen.”

  “Cassie...”

  “I know that you can't say the same thing. After all you were about to get married, so...I don't expect you to understand.”

  “Cassie, Rebecca and I...we never made love.”

  “What?” Cassie asked as her eyes got big. “Are you serious?”

  “You were the only girl I ever went that far with.”

  Cassie tried to process the words. “I just figured...”

  Seth laughed, “I guess I
wanted to be sure the marriage happened. Now, seeing the place that I am in, I know that I made the right decision.”

  Seth squeezed Cassie's hand, “I can't believe this. Then you don't mind if tonight isn't about reconnecting...that way?”

  Seth shook his head, “I love you and knowing that you feel the same way is more than I need. Tonight can be about making up for the time we lost.”

  Cassie leaned in and kissed him, “Thank you.”

  “Now...how about that dessert?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Seth cut a piece of the cake and they talked and laughed until neither one could keep their eyes open. With Seth's arm wrapped around Cassie's shoulder they fell asleep. A smile crossed Cassie's face as she drifted into a deep slumber.

  Chapter 15

  Cassie felt around the bed, barely remembering how the night ended. She then smiled to herself, remembering his arms around her as they fell asleep. Knowing that he could be in bed with her and not take advantage of her, made her realize that he was even a better guy that she realized. As she sat up she saw that he was on his cell phone. “Can you make that happen?” He was saying to the person on the other end. “I would be grateful.” In that moment their eyes connected and he smiled softly. “I got to go, but thank you and I will be talking to you soon.”

  As he disconnected the call, he walked over and brushed a kiss on her lips. “Good morning beautiful, did you sleep well?”

  “I sure did. So, who were you talking to?”

  “Nothing that you need to worry about. Just some business that I needed to take care of. So, do you want some breakfast? The cook was informed to cook all your favorites,” he replied with a wink.

  “That's not necessary.”

  “I know, but last night was special and I want to make sure it continues to be.”

  “In that case, breakfast sounds wonderful.” She threw off her blanket and stared at the t-shirt she was wearing. “I don't have a change of clothes. I guess I could borrow a pair of sweats and then run to a store. I wasn't planning on staying over.”

  “Megan thought of that, she brought up an outfit you can borrow of hers.”

  Cassie looked at the jeans and shirt that was sprawled on the edge of the bed. “She really did think of everything. So, did you explain to her what happened here last night?”

  “Ruin all her thoughts in her imagination? Never!” He smiled and Cassie gave him a mortified look. “Relax, I'm teasing. She knows that the only thing that happened was we talked.”

  “You didn't tell me she was pregnant.”

  “It never came up. I'm sorry; when we were together...the last thing I wanted to talk about was Peter and Megan's love life.”

  Cassie smiled, “I suppose so. She seems happy.”

  “They are both happy; they live just down the street. It makes things easier and I just decided to remain here so that one of us was available in case the staff had questions or concerns. Hey, I'll leave you to get dressed and ready and come downstairs whenever you're done.” Cassie watched as he left the room and she quickly got up and got dressed.

  As she was pulling on the jeans she heard her cell phone ringing. She looked over on the table and saw that it was Chad that was calling her. She quickly dismissed the call, there was plenty of time to talk to him and she wasn't ready for her happiness to end. She grabbed a comb off of Seth's dresser and began to brush out her tangles, just as she was about to pull her hair back she heard the phone ring again. Seeing that it was Chad calling again, she dismissed it again. This time fighting annoyance that he wouldn't leave her alone. When she was finishing and was about to leave the room she heard her phone, once more. However, this time when she looked at the caller id she saw that it wasn't Chad. “I can't believe it,” Cassie started out with anger. “You lied to me and to leave me here like that, I don't know that I will ever forgive you.” Her frown faded and she chuckled to herself. Let her sister have it and then she would tell her how relieved she was that she had done it.

  “Cassie, I'm sorry. Why haven't you been answering your phone?”

  “When? The only calls I've gotten has been Chad.”

  “Exactly...why haven't you answered his calls?”

  Cassie stared at her phone, confused that Courtney knew he had called her. “Maybe because I'm not prepared to talk to him, but I will. I know what I have to do.”

  “Cassie, he's in Dallas.”

  “What? How do you know?”

  “He called the house and said that he was looking for you and wanted to know if you were available to talk.”

  “What did you tell him?” Cassie could feel her throat tightening.

  “I told him the truth. I told him that you were at the Bed and Breakfast and he's probably on his way there.”

  “Courtney, why did you do that?”

  “I didn't know what to say. I was surprised that he got this number and then realized there isn't any other Jamison's in Avery. So...I panicked. The point is he'll be there soon, if he isn't already.”

  “I'll talk to you later.” Cassie quickly disconnected the call and hurried out of the room. As she rushed down the stairs, she looked around the lobby and didn't see any signs of Seth. She spotted Megan in the dining room and hurried to talk to her. “Hey Megan, do you know where Seth is?”

  “Yeah, he went out back to give a tour to a prospective guest.”

  Cassie's heart fell, “Do you know the guests name?”

  Megan shook her head, “No, I'm sorry...I didn't catch it.”

  “Thanks.” Cassie rushed from the room and made her way to the backyard where she saw Chad and Seth talking as Seth showed him the Wedding Gazebo.

  Seth looked up and smiled at Cassie. “Hey Cass. I'm just showing this gentleman around the yard to give him ideas about his future wedding. When are you getting married?”

  “The date is undecided.” Cassie didn't take her eyes off of Chad. Her mind was racing of how she was going to get out of the mess they all were in.

  “I'm sorry; I don't think I caught your name.” Seth replied quietly and Cassie saw him turn to look at her.

  “Oh...my mistake. It's Chad...Chad Davies.”

  When Cassie saw the realization hit Seth, she wanted to pull him to the side and beg him not to get upset. “Chad, what are you doing here?”

  “When I didn't hear from you...I got worried. Plus, I wanted to see this part of the Country.” He leaned in and brushed a kiss on her cheek and she flinched.

  Seth looked sick and it pained Cassie that he was feeling the way he was. “Seth...I...” she began.

  “I have some things to do. I'll let you two be so you can talk.” He walked away from them and Cassie forced herself not to follow.

  When he was out of sight she turned around and faced Chad. “What are you doing Chad? Why are you really here?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. After all, it's been awhile since we talked and I needed to apologize again. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

  “Yeah...I bet you are.”

  “Baby, I am. Since you've been gone I really see that I can't live without you.” To Cassie's surprise he knelt down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. “Cassie, I will spend every day showing you how much I love you. I can't imagine the pain I have caused but from this moment on...I will die before me, or anyone else, hurts you. Please say you'll marry me.”

  Cassie looked away from his inquiring eyes and she could feel a tear form behind her eye. “You can't just waltz back in here and say you're sorry and expect to just go back to where we left off. It doesn't work that way. You did hurt me and it's going to take awhile to repair that damage. The fact that you don't know that makes things even more difficult. Please get up.”

  “Cassie,” he slowly stood to his feet, ring still in hand. “I don't expect you to just forgive me, but what we once had was great and you shouldn't forget that.”

  “Really? What we had was amazing, but you took that for granted. Ho
w's Monica?”

  “We haven't talked since that night, she doesn't matter to me. You do.”

  “You had a funny way of showing that.”

  “How's Seth?”

  “What?” Cassie stared at him, “Seth has nothing to do with any of this.”

  “I don't know if I would go that far. After all, I saw the way he looked at you. I don't blame him, because you look amazing. It's just that last I knew...we were still dating.”

  “How dare you question me. You were the first one to break our trust. Seth and I have a past; maybe you need to deal with that.”

  “Okay, but I'm just making an observation Cass. It didn't seem like it was in the past. Why don't you start being honest with yourself?”

  “You're right Chad. It isn't completely in the past. He still loves me and I can't do anything to change that.”

  “How do you feel?” Cassie looked away and shrugged. She didn't know why she couldn't just tell the truth. It wasn't like their relationship was a happy one, yet she couldn't tell him that.

  “So...did my infidelity change the love that you once had for me?”

  When Cassie looked at him she realized that she couldn't deny they once had a love for each other. “Chad, I haven't stopped loving you. It's just that...”

  “Then give me another chance. Let me make it up to you. Call your boss and request another week off. I have already told them that I won't be back yet. You don't have to answer right now, just please don't give up on us.”

  “I don't know if I can get the time off, but...I suppose I could try. I can't make you any promises Chad. I don't know what will happen.”

  “That's fine, just give me a chance. Will you do that for me?”

  Cassie slowly nodded her head. He smiled and pulled her closer to him, their mouths connected sweetly. Cassie made sure not to linger too long; she didn't want to get his hopes up. “I'll grab my stuff and meet you at the car. I guess we're going home.”