Meant To Be Family (Meant To Be Series Book 3)

by Amelia Foster

  The fear he wasn’t willing to acknowledge was trampled by four little words.

  Not really the words themselves, but the source. Flashes of her constant support through the years as he made a risky move, starting his own architectural firm with two of his fellow interns. Something that never should have worked and something that could have spelled financial disaster for them as they began their lives together.

  But Kelsey had been his backbone and his rock. She’d never let him give up on his dream when things were looking less than ideal. And his success had been wholly because of her.

  Relishing the opportunity to touch her in a completely nonprofessional capacity, Connor laced his fingers through hers and gripped tightly. The tension crackling through the atmosphere around them ramped up. Her slate eyes locked with his, a familiar sparkle lighting them up. The same one she’d get at night when he was engrossed in watching his brother compete in a national bull riding tournament when all she wanted was him.

  “Okay.” The hoarseness of his voice shocked him, and he cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s try.”

  Her lips parted slightly, but she shook off whatever she’d been about to say and released his hand before standing. “Grip the railing, but don’t forget I am right here. You’re not going to fall, and if you feel shaky, just sit right back down. I’m not taking your chair away.”

  Connor nodded, and his heart picked up an extra beat. As much as having Kelsey in his life every damn day, but not the way he wanted, tortured him, there wasn’t a soul alive he’d rather have with him if he could manage to stand on his own two feet for the first time since the accident.

  His knuckles whitened under the pressure he had on the support bars. Cautiously, and against the scream of every muscle unused to the basic movement, he lifted himself from the seat. He kept the majority of his weight balanced on his arms but slowly let his legs take some of the load.

  Long minutes ticked by before he was towering over Kelsey the way he always had. A centimeter at a time he, dropped his hands from the metal and stood. It was a simple thing, but now it was something he’d never take for granted again.

  One silent tear streaked down Kelsey’s cheek, followed quickly by two more on the opposite side. She looked up at him and pinned him with that radiant smile that had won him over half a dozen years ago. “I love being right.”

  Instinct and habit swirled with the overwhelming emotions burning in his chest and clogging his throat. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her close. With his lips a breath away from hers, he stopped. “Stop me if you don’t want this.”

  ***

  Kelsey

  Present Day

  She curled her fingers in the soft cotton of his shirt and pulled him the rest of the way to her. Months of pain, tension, and longing released as soon as his lips met with hers. His hold on her tightened, and she melted into his touch the way she always had.

  Her world righted itself as soon as they made contact. This was home for her. This was happy. This was…

  Not what she could have any more.

  Kelsey released him and took three steps back, breaking the kiss and the spell that had descended over them. When Connor swayed on his feet, the fire that heated her veins turned to ice, and her feet rooted to the floor. Her heart screamed to reach for him and make sure he didn’t fall, but she couldn’t make her body comply.

  Oxygen finally manage to fill her lungs when seconds—that felt like hours—later he steadied himself on the beams and slowly lowered himself back into the vinyl seat.

  He curled his top lip back in a sneer. “Was it that bad you had to run away? Hate to break it to ya, sweetheart, but that wall behind you makes it kind of hard to run.” Sapphire blue eyes that once blazed with passion or melted with adoration cut through her with their penetrating precision. “Although I’d say you’re damn near an expert at finding ways to leave.”

  A replay of her conversation with Izzy chose that moment to click to life in her mind. Every word she’d confessed to Connor’s sister-in-law choked her, begging to be voiced to the man himself. “Did you ever, for one moment, stop and think maybe I had a reason, a damn good reason, for leaving the way I did?”

  His nostrils flared. “Yeah, yeah, I did. That might be why I called, asking what happened. Why I left voicemail after voicemail begging you to tell me what the hell I’d done wrong and to give me a chance to fix it. Why I sent you texts and flowers and stopped by your office like a damned lovesick fool pleading for you to just talk to me. To look me in the eye and tell me what happened.” His chest heaved as his breathing shallowed. “Maybe you were just too busy banging your new boyfriend to give a shit about the fiancé you left behind.”

  Anger and shame mixed in an unholy amalgamation that shot her internal temperature through the roof. If he knew, he’d hate himself. But if he knew, he’d give up something that had always played a front and center role in the vision he had for his life. Their life together. And no matter what kind of bitter vitriol he spewed at her now, that was a dream she couldn’t allow him to give up.

  She swallowed back every word and moved to push past him, desperate to escape the platform and the house. And the man she would always love.

  He grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip. “This time it’s pretty damn apparent why you’re bailing, but do you think you could clue me in about the last one?”

  The pleas of her heart that she muffled under layers and layers of logic and self-sacrifice chose that moment to grab a megaphone and shout commands for her to walk through the wide open door he was offering. To explain every detail. To make him understand.

  To admit that she valued his future and happiness more than her own.

  Before a single syllable could be spoken, her mind locked down the rush of emotions that had flooded her logic and sense. Reason took control once more, and she ripped free from his hold.

  Denials tickled her tongue. And she silenced every one. “Good work, Connor. I’ll see you Friday.”

  Kelsey ducked beneath the railing and fled the room, the house, but most of all Connor. Once she was safely encased in her SUV, the sandbags holding back the avalanche of tears were swept away by the sobs racking her entire body. Her head fell to the steering wheel, and wet splotches formed on her navy blue scrub pants.

  She waited for the hiccuping to subside enough that she had a measure of control over her voice before reaching a trembling hand into her pocket and pulling out her phone. Two taps on the screen later and it was ringing on the other end.

  On the fourth one, just as she was about to give up and proclaim defeat, a breathless woman answered. “Hello?”

  “Mom, can I come home for a little while?”

  Her mother and sister were the only two who could understand. The only ones—well, and now Izzy—who knew the truth and understood her motivation. With her sister gone, she had to rely on her mother’s strength. She would reassure her that she made the right choice. She’d stop her from turning around and begging Connor for another chance at their happily ever after.

  She would make sure that Kelsey kept the promise she made three and a half months ago to give Connor everything he ever wanted in life, even when that meant taking herself out of the equation.

  A five and a half hour drive for that kind of wisdom and perspective was worth it.

  And then she’d instruct Terry, the newest therapist she’d added to her team, to take over Connor’s regimen whether he wanted to or not.

  “Oh, honey, you can come home whenever you need to, but…” Concern poured from every word her mother spoke. “I don’t think you need to be driving in whatever condition you’re in. Why don’t you let me drive out there?”

  Kelsey closed her eyes and dropped her head back against the headrest. “Can you come now, please?”

  “I’m packing right now.” Rustling clothes filled the void on the line just long enough to make Kelsey squirm. “It’s Connor, isn’t it?”

  Fresh waves o
f desperate tears washed over her. She shoved the key in the ignition, put the car in gear, and sped from the curb. She needed to put distance between her and the house, most especially the man occupying it, before the tiny shards of resistance she’d managed to erect were swept away like ash in the wind. “Yes.” The single word was all she could manage.

  All activity on the other end of the line stilled. “Honey, if you told him—”

  “If I told him, he’d give up on his dream life for me.” She blinked rapidly in a vain attempt to clear her vision. “I can’t let him do that.”

  “You aren’t going to win nobility points for breaking your own heart to save his, you know.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Connor

  Five Years Earlier

  The blaring of the alarm dragged Connor from an exhaustion-induced coma, and he squinted at the ceiling as he tried to orient himself. Something was happening today…

  His sleep-muddled brain fought to bring reality into focus for thirty seconds until it dawned on him, and an involuntary and impossible to shake smile appeared on his face. He threw back the covers and nearly leapt from the bed. Finally, Kelsey was moving in. Finally, they’d spend every day together. Finally—

  He wiggled his feet in the pile of dirty clothes strewn across the floor. This was exactly why his alarm was set to go off at six a.m. on a Saturday. Kelsey’s borderline obsession with cleanliness would not handle his current bachelor pad status of their first home together. He gathered all the clothes from the floor and shoved them in the stacked washer and dryer hiding in a nook beside the kitchen.

  The release of the lock on the front door was louder than the clang of the washer lid as he dropped it and jumped away. Soft auburn waves framed a glowing face with a smile that fell as soon as Kelsey took inventory of the open concept living room and kitchen he hadn’t yet touched.

  Stacks of dishes dating back to at least Monday with dried-on food sat piled in the sink. Five pairs of dirty socks were scattered about the living room, mixing with his gym shoes, work shoes, and empty drink bottles.

  Everything that would constitute Kelsey’s worst nightmare and he knew it. He winced when he saw her gaze land on the dining room table completely covered in his art supplies.

  All the things he had intended to have completely stored away long before she arrived. He’d planned on not only having everything to a Kelsey-level acceptable of clean, but also stock the fridge with all her favorite things and have fresh cheese Danishes from the bakery around the corner waiting.

  Except she’d shown up more than four hours earlier than they’d discussed.

  His arms itched to hold her, two weeks without her had been too damn long, but the mixture of shock and disbelief made him hesitate. “You’re early.” He scrunched his nose and mentally kicked himself for leading with that. He crossed the room and wrapped her in a firm embrace and nuzzled into her neck. “Don’t get me wrong, I am damn near giddy you’re here already. I am just sorry as hell that you walked into this. I know it’s killing you.”

  Without a word, she cradled his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers. Deep passion immediately took control, and they devoured each other where they stood until they eventually broke countless minutes later, both breathing heavily.

  “You are so much better at ‘hello’ than I am.” He bent forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, unable to resist.

  The gold flecks in her hazel eyes sparkled as she took in the area around them. “And clearly better at picking up after myself.”

  Connor winced. “Kels, I promise I was going to have this spotless for you. I just didn’t plan on you being here so early. This week has been a killer at work, and…I’ve basically just come home and collapsed every night.”

  Her brows lifted. “Early? I told you I was going to be here at ten.” She stretched out her arm and looked at the silver watch on her left wrist. “It’s nearly ten-thirty.”

  He grabbed her forearm and stared at the rose-colored hands ticking the seconds away. After three slow blinks, he finally met her far more amused gaze. “It’s ten-thirty.”

  She tilted her head back and laughed as he repeated her words. “You feelin’ okay there, Picasso?” She lifted the back of her hand to his forehead. “I just told you that.”

  Connor fumbled with the phone in the pocket of the athletic shorts he slept in and pulled up his alarm app. “I swear I set the alarm for six…”

  Kelsey took the device from him and set it on the counter before brushing his hair back. “And you probably hit snooze about ten million times.”

  He leaned forward and pressed his head against hers. “This isn’t the welcome home I’d planned for you.”

  “Oh yeah?” She stepped out of his embrace and peeled her tank top over her head. “What exactly was your plan there, Picasso?”

  Connor stood completely still, trying so damn hard to remember how to breathe. How in the hell was it possible she’d gotten more beautiful over the past two weeks since their last visit? “I, um, I…Danish?”

  A slow smile spread across her face, and she nodded. “You know all my favorites.” Her hands fell to the hem of his shirt and tugged until he lifted his arms, and she pulled it off, tossing it across the room. “We are definitely going to clean this place, but…” she pressed her lips to his bare chest, “…but how about later?”

  His arm circled her waist, and he dragged her tight against him, her feet lifting off the ground and his mouth landing on hers, all the lust and desire only Kelsey could incite roaring through his veins and pouring themselves into the kiss. “Damn, I missed you,” he murmured against her lips.

  Kelsey moved to trail her mouth along his jaw and down his neck. He growled and stalked into the bedroom, carrying her. She let out a small yelp but didn’t stop driving him crazy with her lips and…oh damn, that tongue.

  He dropped her onto the mattress and quickly covered her body with his, unable to let more than half a second pass without feeling her, touching her, tasting her. “Please tell me your car is locked, because I swear I’m not letting you out of this bed for at least three hours.”

  Her laugh sent waves through him, heightening the need that was already off the charts. “You’re frickin’ adorable when you’re protective there, Picasso. Don’t worry, the car is locked,” she nipped at his chin and slid her mouth over to his ear, “and the front door is most definitely locked. We can spend all damn day right here.”

  Connor pulled his head back and stared into the mischievous eyes that managed to hold his heart, soul, and libido firmly in their possession. “I’m so glad you’re the brains of this operation, gorgeous.”

  ***

  Kelsey

  Five Years Earlier

  She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and glanced at her watch for the fifth time that minute. Never before had three minutes ticked by so slowly.

  Finally a single pink line with a stark white counterpart gave the answer she was hoping for and dreading. She and Connor had been planning their family almost from their second date. Three kids, each two years apart.

  But not yet. She still had to finish up grad school and sweet talk her father into backing the opening of a second office of Donovan Rehab. And opening it in Asheville. When the looming summer break had been on the horizon, their discussion of how to navigate their separation had led to including their entire future. After some research, they agreed they wanted to make Asheville their home. As soon as her graduate school in Chapel Hill was done, they were going back.

  Everything with them was easy. Their vision for their futures collectively and individually mirrored or complemented the other to a level that made them completely disgusting to all their friends.

  But the missed period had given her a momentary scare she hadn’t even shared with Connor. Although the largest part of her was relieved at the negative result, a teeny, tiny corner ached.

  She rejoined the rest of the class and finished her clinical ro
tation for the day, fighting the exhaustion she never managed to shake, no matter how much sleep she got. Today seemed worse, and she barely made it through the front door of their apartment before collapsing.

  Right onto the basket of clothes she’d set on the couch and asked Connor to fold since he had the day off work. Her even temper evaporated, fueled by an overworked brain and tired body.

  “Connor, what the hell?”

  His head popped up from behind the canvas propped on his tabletop easel. Shock reflected back at her in his sapphire eyes as he peered over the top of the wire-framed glasses he wore for fine, detailed work. Surprise melted into adoration, and he grinned. “Hey, gorgeous, when did you get home?”

  Kelsey held up a hand. “A better question is, when were you planning on putting away the clothes I asked you to take care of six hours ago?”

  Crimson tracked from his neck to his cheeks. “Six hours? Damn, Kels, I’m so sorry.”

  Irritation warred with her normal desire for calm and peace. “Now these are gonna be wrinkled as hell.” Tears burned the back of her eyes. “I can’t wear these tomorrow like this. I’ll have to rewash them, dry them, and still fold them and…”

  Her lower lip trembled, and Connor quickly rounded the table to pull her into his arms. As much as he was the source of her frustration, he also somehow centered her, and she rested against him, gripping the cotton back of his shirt tightly in her fists.

  “Hey,” his deep voice vibrated through her, even on a muted whisper, “I’m sorry, Kels. I will take care of it. I will wash and dry and fold and everything as close to Kelsey-level perfect as possible. Just please don’t cry.”

  The sincerity in his voice was the final crack to break the dam of tears she’d been trying to avoid. Ones that she didn’t understand. Ones that had absolutely nothing to do with laundry.