Love Waits

by Gerri Hill

  “Looking for Gina, are you?” His hands switched hips. “I’m Darrell, by the way. And you are?”

  “I’m sorry. Ashleigh Pence. Gina and I are—”

  “Oh my God. You came.”

  “Took you long enough,” Darrell added before Tracy pushed him out of the way.

  “Ignore him. Please, come in,” Tracy offered.

  “Gina’s not here?” Ashleigh asked.

  “No. She left.”

  Ashleigh’s heart sunk. “Left? For good?”

  “Oh, no. No, no,” Tracy said. “She used to live here, in the apartment upstairs. She bought a beach house on Mustang Island and she’s just moving in this week.”

  “I see.” A beach house on Mustang Island? Was she actually living on their beach? Ashleigh took a deep breath. “I guess I should have called first, but...well, it’s been a few weeks since she invited me to come and—”

  “You thought she might say no?” Tracy guessed. “And for the record, it’s been over five weeks.”

  “So she’s told you—”

  “Everything,” Darrell supplied.

  “Don’t you have work to do?” Tracy snapped.

  “Oh, now that the good part’s coming, you’re concerned about my work. You didn’t seem to care earlier when you wanted to tango,” he said.

  Ashleigh smiled at their conversation. “It’s okay. Maybe I’ll just give her a quick call and see if—”

  “No, no,” Tracy said, smiling wickedly. “I’m going to give you her address and you’re going to surprise her.”

  “But—”

  “Oh, this’ll be fun. Can we come watch?”

  Tracy glared at him then turned back to Ashleigh. “If you’d called, she wouldn’t have said no. She’s going to kill me for saying this, but she was so heartbroken, so lifeless when she didn’t hear back from you. She bought this house on a whim and I’m so glad she did. It’s put a light back in her eyes. But you’re the one she’s been waiting for. All the years I’ve known her, she’s never been interested in anyone. Now I know why.”

  Ashleigh didn’t know what to say. She looked from Tracy to Darrell, then back to Tracy. She didn’t know these people and she wasn’t willing to share her feelings with them. But to know that Gina was waiting for her—had always been waiting—nearly broke her heart. So many wasted years.

  “If you don’t think Gina would mind, I’d appreciate you telling me where she is.”

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  Present Day

  Gina opened up the house, letting in the breeze from the gulf. Even on such a hot day, the breeze made it bearable. Her back was hurting from carrying boxes up the stairs to the beach house raised up on stilts, so she took a break, going out to the deck, her eyes scanning the water, looking at what was essentially her backyard. She was going to love it here. Stepping off the deck for her morning run, evening walks along the beach, watching the stars at night from the deck. Of course, there was one thing missing from that picture, but she didn’t want to go there.

  Instead, she planned a nice, long weekend alone. She’d get the house in order, set up the huge TV she bought and get the kitchen sorted out. She’d enjoy some holiday traditions like getting the gas grill fired up on the deck, thanks to Pat who insisted it came with the house. She would grill a steak or a burger, enjoy the sand and sun, the beach. She smiled. Yeah, she was going to love it here.

  But she still had half a trailer to unload, so she turned away from the water and went back inside.

  “Hi.”

  Gina visibly jumped, then gasped. “Jesus Christ,” she said, her hand holding her chest. “What are you doing here?”

  Ashleigh shrugged. “You said to come see you.”

  “Well, it took you long enough.” Gina moved closer, not sure if a hug was warranted or not. She motioned at the mess in the room. “Sorry. I’m just moving in.”

  “I know.”

  “And I’ve got the AC off so it’s a little warm in here. I was in and out so much, I didn’t see the point of having it running.” Gina went to the control panel on the wall and turned the AC back on.

  “Gina, it’s okay.” Ashleigh took a step toward her. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”

  “You mean after the reunion?”

  “That too. I loved your gift.”

  “Good. I hoped you would.” Gina let a little of her hurt show. “Of course, when I didn’t hear from you, I assumed the print meant nothing to you and—”

  “It means everything to me.” Ashleigh reached for her, pulling her closer. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

  Gina went to her, her arms wrapping tight around her. The feeling of completeness nearly overwhelmed her. “I’m sorry too.”

  Ashleigh pulled away from her. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

  “Yes, I do. All these years—”

  “No,” Ashleigh said, stopping her. “No, that’s in the past. It’s over and done with.” She grabbed her hands, squeezing hard. “Can we talk, Gina? Can we just talk? Can we be honest with each other and just...talk?”

  Gina nodded. “Okay. I’ll start,” she said, swallowing down her fear. “I—”

  Ashleigh put a finger to her lips, stopping her. “I’ll start,” she said. “I’ll start with why I left Calloway.” She took a step back. “One day with you...one day and I fell in love with you all over again. And I left because I didn’t want you to hurt me again. I didn’t want to spend a few days with you, being with you, making love with you then have you leave me. I just couldn’t do it. So—”

  “So you left me instead,” Gina finished for her. “At first, I thought it was a payback for twenty years ago.”

  “No. I would never do that to you. But I thought maybe you’d call, maybe it meant something to you too.”

  Gina motioned out to the deck and Ashleigh followed her. The afternoon sun had shifted, offering them shade on the deck. I fell in love with you all over again. Was it true? Could one day together erase the betrayal, the hatred, the anger?

  “It did mean something to me,” Gina admitted. “That’s why I was so surprised when you left. I must have read your note a hundred times,” Gina said. “That’s why I didn’t call. Sometimes I’d read it and I thought maybe you wanted me to call.” She shrugged. “And other times, it would sound so final. I didn’t want to contact you if you had no desire to see me,” she said.

  “It was stupid of me to leave the note,” Ashleigh said. “And then I felt silly for leaving it, presuming you wanted to see me and trying to cut you off, yet not knowing if you even wanted to see me in the first place.”

  “I go to the state park on the island,” Gina said. “I used to go there to run. It was always so peaceful for me, comforting. I never realized it before, but it was where I felt you. After the reunion, when I went out there, it hit me. The years I’d been living here, that’s why I gravitated to the beach. It made me feel close to you, a part of you. Or maybe you a part of me, I don’t know.” Gina took her hand, letting their fingers entwine. “One evening, right at sunset, the sky was full of colors, the day was ending and I was thinking about you. I didn’t want to let another day go by without reaching out to you, yet I didn’t want to just call. I didn’t want to force you to talk to me if you didn’t want to. I felt so connected to you here, I thought maybe you’d feel it too. So I went to Pat’s gallery in Rockport. I saw that print and I knew it was the one. A beautiful sunrise, the beginning of a new day. Maybe a new life.”

  “Oh, Gina. I’m sorry it took me so long to come. I was just so scared. I needed to—”

  “I love you, Ashleigh. I’ve always loved you.”

  Their eyes held for long seconds, neither pulling away. In those blue depths, Gina saw the uncertainty fade away, the doubt melt. She waited, finally seeing what she needed to see. Ashleigh moved into her arms.

  “Tell me again.”

  Gina kissed her slowly, without the urgen
cy she’d felt the last time. “I love you,” she whispered against her lips. She pulled Ashleigh tighter into her arms, into her heart, into her soul. She would never let her go again.

  “Perhaps we should go inside,” Ashleigh suggested when their kisses turned heated. “I would love a tour of the house.”

  “A tour? Sure.” Gina closed the door behind them, then held her hands out. “Living room.” She pointed. “Kitchen. The utility room is—”

  “I want to see your bedroom,” Ashleigh said, her voice low. “I’d really, really like to see your bedroom.”

  “I see.” Gina took a step closer to her. “So the tour was only a ploy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Imagine that.”

  Ashleigh closed the distance between them. “We should probably talk first, but I just want to be with you.” Her hands moved under Gina’s T-shirt, finding her braless. “I swear, do you ever wear a bra?”

  Gina sucked in her breath as Ashleigh’s hands closed over her breasts. “No. I’m not sure they make bras that small,” she said before Ashleigh’s mouth found hers.

  “They’re prefect,” Ashleigh murmured. She leaned her head back, meeting Gina’s eyes. “I love you. I don’t want to be apart any longer.”

  Gina nodded. “Me either. Houston’s not that far away. I could always—”

  “No. We belong together here,” Ashleigh said. “Besides, I kinda quit my job.”

  Gina raised her eyebrows. “So...you’re kinda free then?”

  “Kinda, yeah.”

  “So you can stay with me all weekend?”

  “Yes.”

  It struck Gina suddenly. Here they were, calmly discussing their future, acting like it hadn’t been two and a half months since the reunion. But then, it had always been like that between them. After twenty years of being separated, they’d picked up right where they left off, reconnecting, letting nature takes its course for them. Both of them should have known not to fight it.

  She smiled, pulling Ashleigh’s hands from under her shirt. “I love how we do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Just pick right up as if nothing’s happened.”

  “I’m sorry. I just—”

  “No, Ashleigh. I meant that sincerely. We could draw this out with lots of drama, but why? We both know we belong together. We’re connected,” she said, pointing to her heart. “We always have been.”

  “Yes.”

  “This is what I’ve always wanted. A life with you. The last twenty years have been so damn empty. We can’t get them back, but I hope we can make up for the loss.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve loved you all these years, Ashleigh. I promise to love you until I die.”

  Ashleigh’s eyes filled with tears. “And I promise to always be with you. I give you my heart, my soul . . . my life. I give you my love.”

  Gina leaned closer, lightly brushing her lips. “Did we just get married?”

  Ashleigh laughed as she wiped at her tears. “If we did, then I’m ready for the wedding night.”

  “I’m ready too.” Gina took her hand, leading her down the short hallway to the bedroom. She paused at the door. “Our bedroom.”

  Ashleigh stepped into the room, her gaze traveling over the new furniture, the polished hardwood floors and new rug, to the four large windows providing an endless view of the Gulf of Mexico. She slowly turned back to Gina.

  “It’s gorgeous. Everything is so beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you like it. If you want different furniture, we can always—”

  “Oh, no. This is lovely. It’s perfect here.”

  Gina nodded, pleased she liked it. But she felt they’d done enough talking. She pulled her shirt over her head, watching as Ashleigh’s gaze traveled to her breasts. Ashleigh walked closer, then stopped. She slowly pulled her own T-shirt off, her fiery eyes never leaving Gina’s as she disposed of her bra as well.

  “I’ve never seen a woman more beautiful than you, Ashleigh,” Gina whispered.

  “Gina, you, my darling, are a goddess. And I’m going to make love to you and show you how much I truly love you,” she said, her hands sliding over Gina’s shoulders and pulling them together. She paused, their lips only an inch apart. “You’re mine, Gina. I’ll never let you go again.”

  Gina lowered her head, their lips meeting, mouths opening to each other. Gina led her to the bed, pulling Ashleigh down with her. True to her word, Ashleigh took control, kissing Gina with such passion, she nearly whimpered. She wanted to tell Ashleigh to hurry, but the look in her eyes told Gina it would be a slow, glorious torture—her lovemaking. She gave in to the hands and mouth moving over her body, relinquishing the power to Ashleigh.

  There was no need to hurry. They had the rest of their lives to love each other.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Present Day

  “Come on, get up.”

  Ashleigh groaned and rolled over, seeing nothing but darkness outside the windows. “You’re kidding, right?” she mumbled.

  “No. I want to show you something.”

  “Gina, please. We just went to sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  “I know. I was up with you, remember?”

  Ashleigh opened her eyes again. “How can you be so chipper? We’ve had maybe two hours of sleep.”

  “You’re the one who kept waking me up so that you could—”

  Ashleigh covered Gina’s mouth with her hand. She knew perfectly well what she had done. And the thought of it aroused her again, despite her exhaustion. She reached for Gina, trying to pull her down to her but Gina resisted.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Gina said, standing up again. “Up. You’ve got to see this.”

  Ashleigh groaned again and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her stomach rumbled. “Did we even eat last night?”

  “No.”

  “No wonder I’m starving. Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Me? You’re the one—”

  “Okay, okay,” Ashleigh said, holding her hand up, stopping her. “So I got a little crazy last night. It was just so perfect, and it felt so good to be with you.”

  “Ashleigh, we can’t make up for twenty years in one night. We’ll kill each other.”

  Ashleigh smiled, watching as Gina’s gaze drifted to the windows. The night sky was showing signs of light. Dawn.

  Gina turned back to her. “We need to hurry.”

  Finally Ashleigh understood. The sunrise. She nodded. “Okay.” She slipped into the shorts she’d discarded hours and hours ago then blindly put on a T-shirt that she immediately recognized as being Gina’s.

  “Looks good on you.”

  Ashleigh followed Gina into the living room. “Coffee?” she asked hopefully.

  “Yep.”

  Two mugs sat on the counter and Gina filled them. She searched through an unpacked box, pulling out a bag of brown sugar. “Will this do?”

  “Perfect.”

  “You don’t do cream, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Good. Because I don’t have any. I haven’t done any shopping yet.”

  “We can go together,” Ashleigh offered. She sipped from her coffee with a satisfied moan.

  “Come on. I promise to take you out to breakfast later.”

  They went out the back and down the stairs to the sand. Gina had a towel tucked under her arm and she led Ashleigh closer to the water. Gina stopped, looking back at the beach house, silently counting.

  “What are you doing?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She walked three paces to the east, then handed Ashleigh her coffee cup so she could lay the towel out. They sat side-by-side, quietly sipping their hot coffee, waiting for the day to come alive.

  Ashleigh leaned her head on Gina’s shoulder, feeling total and utter contentment. Which, considering the last couple of months of turmoil, was a huge change. Gina was right. She had been trying to make up for twenty years last night. It just felt so good to be together. So right. There was no apprehens
ion, no fear or dread. No concern as to what tomorrow would bring. They were together. There would be no games between them. They made a pact last night that no matter what happens, they would talk. They would communicate. They would build a life together.

  “Listen,” Gina whispered.

  Ashleigh did, finally hearing the first stirrings of the birds. Gulls off in the distance, the distinctive call of a heron as it flew out into the bay, the tiny chirps of the shorebirds as they returned for their morning meal, sounds she remembered from so long ago. She followed Gina’s gaze as the first colors of the morning began painting the sky—the softest of pinks before a darker red appeared.

  She put her coffee cup down, snuggling closer to Gina as the sun rose out of the water, the giant orb turning the sky a beautiful crimson, the colors streaking out in all directions. The sky, the water, all bursting in reds and oranges. She absorbed it all, taking it in, shocked by the familiarity of it. It had been twenty-one years since she’d sat on the beach and watched a sunrise, yet it felt like only yesterday. She sat up straighter, her eyes widening.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  “Do you see it now?”

  “This is...this is the picture,” she said, knowing it was true. She’d stared at this scene for hours on end, this beach, this sunrise.

  “Yes. Pat told me she took that shot right here. It’s the main reason I bought the house. I thought maybe, even if you weren’t here with me, maybe you’d look at that picture occasionally. And you’d be looking at what I was looking at.”

  “Oh, Gina. That’s so romantic. That picture was the perfect thing to send me. I stared at it constantly. The picture became you. I took it with me everywhere. To work, back home again. I slept with it beside my bed. It was my connection to you.”

  Gina leaned closer and kissed her lightly. “It’s right here. I’m right here.”

  Yes, Gina was right here, in her arms. Where Ashleigh vowed she would always be.

  “I love you, Gina. Always.”

  “I love you. You’re the light in my life. The light that’s been missing.” She kissed her again then stood, pulling Ashleigh to her feet. “I promised you breakfast,” she said.