When I'm With You: Second Chance Romance

by Sandi Lynn

  I called my boss and asked him if he would meet me at the Sunset Bar for a drink.

  “Hey, Ben,” he said as we shook hands.

  “Hi, Lou.” I took the seat next to him at the bar. “Drinks are on me. I need to talk to you about my leave.”

  “What about it?”

  “I want to extend it. I actually want to take a personal leave of absence. I never took any time off after Amy’s death and there are some things I need to do and take care of.”

  “How long are you talking?”

  “Until after the first of the year.”

  “You know what to do. Fill out the paperwork, turn it into me tomorrow, and I’ll approve it.”

  “Thanks, Lou.”

  He placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’re welcome. Do what you have to do. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He smiled as he got up from his seat and walked out of the bar.

  I pulled my phone from my pocket and thought about calling Finn and telling him that I’d go to Vegas this weekend. Then I decided that if I went, it wouldn’t be because I wanted to. It would be to try and put Paisley out of my mind. It bothered me that I didn’t know where she was just as much as it bothered me that I didn’t know if she was okay. I didn’t want to spend Christmas without her. I missed her so much that I didn’t think it was possible for me to feel this way again. I needed her just as much as she needed me. She left for a reason and when she figured out her life, she’d be back, and I would wait for her for as long as it took.

  Chapter 36

  Paisley

  I took my tea and walked down by the crystal blue water. I’d been here almost three weeks and I’d accomplished so much. I kept up with my columns and I was on the last chapter of my novel. Writing about my experience and his death was therapeutic and it helped me to see that life can and does go on. I missed my family, but more importantly, I missed Ben. I was able to finally admit to myself that I was falling in love with him, a love and companionship that I didn’t think was possible ever again. As I stared out beyond the water, I could finally feel a sense of peace in my life. A different kind of peace that I’d never felt before. I smiled as I sipped my tea and headed back to my cottage. Tomorrow would be the day that I contacted Ben and hoped to God that he still wanted me.

  Ben

  I started off the morning with a run before heading to the station and turning in my papers. Brady wasn’t too thrilled that I extended my leave, but he understood. The morning air was crisp, and the sky was a bit overcast. As I ran along the pier, deep in thought about Paisley and listening to my music, I saw David out of the corner of my eye run up next to me. I turned off my iPod and looked at him.

  “Hey, David. Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been around, here and there.”

  “The last time we talked, you kind of seemed like you were mad at me or something,” I said.

  “Nah. I wasn’t mad at you, Ben. How are things?”

  “You mean between me and Paisley?”

  He looked over at me and nodded.

  “She left town. She’s been gone for almost three weeks.”

  “I see,” he said, deadpan.

  “She said she needed to figure out her life and to leave her alone.”

  “Have you left her alone?”

  “Yeah. That’s what she wanted, and I wasn’t going to bother her.”

  “How long is she going to take to figure out life?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’ll wait for her as long as it takes.”

  “Do you love her, Ben?” he asked as he stopped running and looked at me.

  “Yes.”

  “Then that’s all you need. Don’t wait for her. Go get her; tell her that you love her and bring her home. Isn’t life about getting what you want and fighting for what you want? Don’t sit back and wait for her to figure it out. Figure it out with her. Life’s too short, man. You of all people know that. If you love her like you say you do, then fight to be with her.”

  I stood there and stared at him. There was something about his words that suddenly sparked a fire inside me. He looked down at my hand and smiled.

  “You should take that ring off before you go and get her.”

  I looked at my wedding band and then at him. “Thanks, David. I know what I have to do.”

  He smiled and turned the opposite way. “I’ll see you around, Ben. Good luck.”

  I turned on my iPod and finished my run. When I got back home and jumped in the shower, I couldn’t stop thinking about Paisley and how I had to find her. I needed to tell her that I loved her, and I wanted to be with her.

  After throwing on some clothes, I decided to call Keaton. If anyone would know where Paisley was, it would be him.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Keaton, it’s Ben.”

  “Oh hey, Ben. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Listen, do you have time to meet for lunch? I want to talk to you.”

  “Sure. We can meet for lunch. What’s this about?”

  “I’ll tell you when we meet. I have to drop off some papers at the fire station, so how about we meet at noon at Panini on Sunset?”

  “Sounds good, bro. I’ll see you then.”

  I walked into the restaurant and saw Keaton sitting in a booth by the window.

  “Hey, thanks for meeting me.”

  “No problem. What’s going on?”

  The waitress walked over, handed me a menu, and took our drink orders.

  “I want you to be totally honest with me. Do you know where Paisley is?”

  He shook his head before answering me. “No. I don’t know where she went, and I haven’t talked to her either, which I totally feel bad about, but she didn’t want to be bothered.”

  I sighed.

  “Why are you asking?”

  “I need to find her, tell her that I love her, and bring her home.”

  The corners of his mouth curved into a smile as he nodded his head. “That is so cool. Okay, let me think for a second.”

  “Is there a special place that she loved?” I asked.

  “Besides Los Angeles, I don’t think so,” he replied as he looked down at his phone.

  “Think, Keaton. You’re her brother and the two of you are very close; you have to know somewhere she’d run to.”

  His eyes lit up and he smiled as he held his phone up to me with a picture of Paisley standing in the sand with a grass skirt on and a lei around her neck. I looked at him in confusion.

  “This was taken on her honeymoon in Hawaii. I remember her telling me that if she could move there, she would. She loved it and I remember her saying something about Hawaiian healers and how they spent a couple of hours with one.”

  “Where in Hawaii?” I asked.

  “I think it had the name turtle in it,” he replied as he scrunched his nose.

  “Turtle Bay?”

  “Yes! That’s it, bro.” He smiled as he pointed at me.

  “But we don’t know for sure if that’s where she went,” I said.

  Keaton sighed. “I can find out for sure, but she’s my sister and it doesn’t feel right.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I can hack into her credit card account to find out, but—”

  “I love her, Keaton, and I want to be with her. I want her to come home,” I pleaded.

  He gave me a small smile and then started typing on his phone. After a while, he looked at me with a wide grin. “Yep. That’s where she’s at. The Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii.”

  “Thanks, man. I owe you big time and I promise that I won’t tell her what you did.” I winked.

  I got up from the table and drove home as fast as I could. I opened up my laptop and searched for the next flight out of LAX and into Hawaii. The only non-stop flight was at five o’clock, which would get me into Hawaii at eight forty-five. I looked at my watch. It was one thirty. I had time, so I booked my ticket and walked to the bedroom, grabbing my suitcase from the closet. I hapha
zardly threw my clothes into the suitcase along with my shaver, toiletries, cologne, and an extra pair of shoes. As I zipped up my bag, my eyes traveled to the finger that held my wedding band for the last five years. I had thought about taking it off before, but there was never a reason to, so I didn’t bother. I removed the ring from my finger and clenched it tightly in my hand.

  “I’m doing it, Amy. It’s time for me to move on and live life again. You told me to go be happy and that’s what I’m setting off to do. I will always love you and cherish every single moment we had together.”

  I opened Amy’s jewelry box and set the ring inside. The time had come for me to let go and taking off that ring was the first step towards a new future. Nerves settled inside me as I grabbed my bag and headed for the airport. I just prayed that Paisley would be happy to see me.

  Paisley

  I had dinner with Patti and Lisa. Patti was a woman that I met in one of the boutiques. We were both looking at the same handbag that happened to be the last one. She loved it and I loved it. We got to talking and I found out her husband had passed away a couple of months ago, and her daughter, Lisa, brought her to Hawaii to get away from the daily grind of life. As we stood in the boutique, she began to cry as she talked about her husband. She was married when she was twenty and they had been married for thirty years. He passed away in a car accident after a drunk driver hit him on his way home from work. As her daughter stood there and consoled her, I asked them both if they would like to have dinner with me. They graciously accepted and we met at the hotel restaurant. I told her my story, how I met Ben, what I was doing here, and about my novel. It felt good for once to be on the other side of the spectrum, to be the one talking to someone and trying to help them feel better. After we finished dinner, we sat and talked some more over a couple of drinks. When I looked at my watch, it was nine-thirty and I wanted to get some more writing done before I went to sleep. As we got up from our seats, Patti took my hand and smiled.

  “Thank you, Paisley. I’m a firm believer that people are put in our path of life for a reason.”

  I gave her a hug and told her that she was stronger than she knew. I walked the path back to my cottage and, as soon as I stepped through the door, the room phone was ringing.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Sorry to disturb you at this hour, Ms. Logan, but there’s a gentleman in the lobby that is asking about you and wanting us to give him your cottage number. He refuses to take no for an answer, so I thought I better let you know.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Would you like me to send someone to pick you up?”

  “No. I’ll walk. Thank you.”

  I hung up and rolled my eyes. Damn Keaton. How did he know I was here? I specifically told him that I would be in touch as soon as I was ready. I was irritated that he never listened to me. I asked one simple thing, and who was watching Romeo if he was here? I stomped my way across the path in a huff.

  Chapter 37

  Paisley

  When I reached the doors of the hotel, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Ben standing in the lobby. My heart started racing and I brought my hand over my mouth as he turned and looked at me. He stood there, looking sexy with his hands in his pockets and a bright smile across his face. I ran to him and right into his arms. He picked me up and spun me around as our lips pressed tightly against each other.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Are you mad?” he asked.

  “Of course not. Oh my God, I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you so much,” I said as I continued to kiss him.

  “I missed you too, Paisley, and I had to see you. I couldn’t stand being away from you.”

  I tightened my arms around his neck as he held me tight. “Come on; let’s go back to my cottage. We have so much to talk about.”

  He smiled and then kissed the tip of my nose. He grabbed his suitcase with one hand and put his other arm around me. I couldn’t believe he was here. It felt like a dream and I was scared that I was going to wake up.

  “I thought you were Keaton when the desk called me. I was so mad, and I had everything planned out of what I was going to say to him.” I laughed.

  “So you are mad?”

  “No. If you were Keaton, yes. I’m so happy that you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you more.” He kissed the side of my head.

  We reached my cottage and I slid the key card in the lock and held open the door while Ben wheeled in his luggage. I stared at him as he looked around the room.

  “This is beautiful, Paisley.”

  “It is. Isn’t it?” I smiled as I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, laying my head against his strong chest. “Would you like a drink? I have a bottle of wine sitting over there that I haven’t opened yet.”

  “That sounds great. If you don’t mind, I’ll open it.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  We took our wine and sat out on the lanai while we stared at the moon glistening over the ocean water.

  “How did you know I was here?” I asked.

  “I talked to Keaton and he figured it out. I mean, I didn’t know for sure, but I took my chances. So this is where you spent your honeymoon?”

  “Yeah, and it’s why I came back here. I needed to revisit my past, so to speak, in order to start my new beginnings. I find it very spiritual here and very therapeutic. I came back to the place where we were the happiest and to put closure on the darkest time of my life. He would have wanted it that way and being here is when I finally realized it. I was ready to come home, and I was going to book a flight in the next couple of days.”

  “Why didn’t you call me or text?”

  “To be honest, I was scared that you didn’t want anything to do with me because of the way I just up and left. I’m sorry. You’re such a good man and I couldn’t weigh you down with my issues. I needed to do this on my own.”

  He pursed his lips into a small smile and softly stroked my cheek. “Come here,” he said as he held out his arms.

  I got up from my chair and sat down on his lap, wrapping my arms lightly around his neck.

  “I wasn’t happy with the way you left, but I understand why you did it, and I made a promise to myself that I would wait for as long as it took for you to figure things out. I wasn’t going anywhere, Paisley. Even if you took two years to come home, I still would be waiting for you.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I stared at this amazing man. This man who was brought into my life for a reason; a reason that I now fully understood. I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. Lips that were soft and smooth and that I desperately missed. We stole small, soft kisses as we looked into each other’s eyes. We both knew what was going to happen next and I felt like I was ready. I pushed my mouth into his so our lips locked and our tongues met with desire. He placed his hand around the nape of my neck and pulled me even closer. It felt good to be kissed with such passion again and to be kissed by him. I broke our kiss and climbed off his lap, holding out my hand to him. He placed his hand in mine and stared into my eyes as he traced my lips with his finger. The familiar ache down below was at an all-time high and begging for release. I slowly took down the straps of my sundress and let it fall to the ground, revealing my strapless bra and lace panties. He took in a sharp breath as he stared at my semi-naked body.

  “You’re so beautiful, Paisley,” he whispered.

  Our lips met again as he pulled me into him. I could feel his erection pushing into me, sending more heat than there already was between my legs. He lifted his shirt off and dropped it on floor as my fingers fumbled with the button and zipper on his khakis, releasing his throbbing erection. I deftly ran my fingers over his muscular chest. He was in such good shape and so well-defined that it sent shivers down my spine. His hands reached behind me and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the floor. He swallowed hard as he tenderly ran his fingers along the edge of m
y breasts.

  “I’ll say it again. You’re so damn beautiful.”

  “So are you,” I whispered as his lips trailed along my neck and his hand ran down my torso until it met the edge of my panties. He stopped and I could tell he was unsure or frightened because of how I reacted last time. I placed my hand on his and guided it down until he cupped me. A moan escaped his throat as he felt the wetness that had emerged because of him. My fingers hooked around the waistband of his underwear and slowly moved them down his hips, taking his thick, rock-hard cock into my hands and slowly stroking his shaft. His moans became deeper and his fingers found their way inside of me.

  “You feel so good, baby,” he whispered in my ear.

  His hot breath swept across my neck as his breathing became shallow with each stroke of his cock.

  “I want you so bad,” he said as he picked me up and laid me down on the bed, hovering over me and pushing the stray strands of my hair out of my face.

  “I want you too, Ben.”

  His lips pursed into a small smile as he reached down and placed his fingers inside me while softly stroking my swollen nub. Arousal swept through me like a tornado and I was already on the edge of an orgasm.

  “I want you to come like this first before I make love to you.”

  I lifted my hips and threw back my head as I begged him not to stop.

  “I’ll never stop,” he said as he made circles around my swollen nub while moving his fingers around inside of me, bringing my body pleasure and sending me into an exploding orgasm that left me breathless.

  He smiled as he watched me reel from the excitement he gave me. His mouth breathed warm air over my breasts as he brought his mouth down to my erect nipple and gently took it into his mouth, sucking lightly while his other hand grasped my other breast. The moment was drawing near. The moment where our bodies would become one and we would give ourselves to each other for the first time since our spouses passed away. As he hovered over me, his lips left my breasts and trailed up to my lips. He placed his hands on each side of my face.