Love at Last (Finding Love Book 6)

by Delaney Cameron

  From the sounds coming from the living room of her suite of rooms at The Carlyle, her manager had arrived. No doubt Carl and Willow were discussing the best way to handle this latest public relations issue and quiet the speculation that Sage might not appear as scheduled.

  The hotel doctor had given her some pills to reduce the giddiness. The throbbing pain in her head and the queasiness in her stomach remained, but at least the room wasn’t spinning. For the time being, she’d have to grin and bear it. In addition to her performance tomorrow evening, she was scheduled to do several interviews and attend an awards dinner.

  In an effort to take her mind off her problems, she reached for her tablet. Just as going to the tree house in the backyard had been a way to be close to her father, reading Jase’s books was a means to stay close to him. So much of his personality was evident in his characters and in the situations he created for them. His understanding of human emotions and ability to express them so eloquently continued to draw her admiration.

  She had almost finished the last chapter when someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” she called out as she reached for her robe.

  The door opened, and Willow appeared. “How are we feeling this morning?”

  Rosemary couldn’t help but smile at the use of the word ‘we’. “Fine right now. My first interview is at three, right?”

  Willow sank down in one of the oversized chairs next to the bed. “That’s right, and the dinner starts at eight.”

  “What did Carl decide to say about yesterday?”

  “You were overcome by the heat of the lights.” She drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair, a sure sign that there was more to come. “Was it my imagination or were you having trouble remembering the words to a song you’ve sung hundreds of times?”

  Rosemary had hoped no one noticed that. “Can we not talk about it?”

  “We have to talk about it. This isn’t just fatigue anymore. When you get back to Nashville, you need to see a doctor.”

  “I know,” Rosemary said, setting her tablet aside. “I would have gone before, but the symptoms disappeared while I was away.”

  “From what I can tell, quite a few things happened while you were away.” Willow picked up the paperback sitting on the nightstand. It was the one Jase had given Rosemary. “This book, for instance. You’ve been carrying it around since you got back from your secret hiding place. Is the book that good, or is there more to this story?”

  “Nothing much gets by you, does it?”

  “It’s hard to fool someone who spends so much time with you.”

  “I met the author of the book. We were on the same flight, and then we ended up in the same town.”

  “That’s a lot of serendipity. What’s this J. T. Coltrain like?”

  Rosemary leaned back against the headboard and drew her knees up to her chest. “He listens to Phil Collins, knows how to fix a sink, likes cats, loves to laugh, is always smiling, and makes me wish I wasn’t Sage.”

  Her companion let out a low whistle. “I better look this dude up.”

  “Go ahead if that’ll make you feel better.”

  Willow opened her laptop. “I have to do something to earn my considerable salary.”

  “I was thinking about this the other day. There’s no upside for the man who gets involved with me. Once his name is linked with mine, his life will never be the same.”

  “I could find hundreds - make that thousands - of men who’d be willing to take the risk.” Willow turned the screen around to face Rosemary. “Is this your heartthrob?”

  It was Jase’s author profile from one of the online booksellers’ websites. Along with his bio was a picture of him leaning against the hood of his Mustang. On his lips was the smile that almost never left his face. She nodded because she couldn’t do anything else. A lump the size of Texas had formed in her throat.

  “No wonder you didn’t want to come back.” Willow flipped the screen back around. “I could look at him all day and be perfectly happy. According to this update on his blog, he recently released a new book. While you’re ordering your copy, I’ll order breakfast. What are you in the mood for?”

  Rosemary blinked away the tears in her eyes. “Just toast and coffee. I’m going to take a quick shower first. Is Carl sticking around?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I tried my best to get rid of him. Lisa is coming at noon to do your hair and makeup.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Once she was alone again, Rosemary didn’t immediately go to the bathroom. Instead she took Willow’s advice and downloaded Jase’s new book. It opened up to the dedication page. What she saw there stilled every other thought in her mind.

  To the girl I hope to meet again. Your beauty stirs my senses, your spirit touches my soul, and your sweetness has enslaved my heart.

  This time she couldn’t hold back the tears. They ran unheeded down her cheeks, ruining the satiny perfection of her nightgown. How much longer was she going to dance around the truth?

  Chapter Twelve

  As Rosemary walked through the frost-covered trees behind her house, she could still hear the calm, even-toned voice of the neurologist explaining the results of her MRI and the implications of a diagnosis that could alter her life considerably for the foreseeable future. She hadn’t shed a tear in the doctor’s high-rise office or in the long ride back to her house. Not until she was alone in her room had she given way to the shock and terror that seemed to come at her in ever-increasing waves. Hours later when Willow came to check on her, she was composed once more, her heart encased in a numbness that was strangely comforting.

  It was hard to believe that a few days ago her only concerns had been whether her new album would be released on schedule and when she could arrange a trip to St. Marys. Neither of those things was relevant now. The symptoms she’d been experiencing on and off since last summer weren’t fatigue or stress. They were the result of a tumor; a tumor that could be cancerous and whose removal carried significant risks as well as the possibility of mortality.

  It was this uncertainty – the not knowing how things were going to turn out – that scared her the most. How was she supposed to plan or act under these conditions?

  In his usual, efficient way, Carl handled the canceling of her immediate engagements and released a general statement to the press that gave no hint of the real situation. Only a handful of people knew she would be undergoing surgery in ten days’ time at a private clinic in Alabama.

  Telling her mother had been almost as bad as hearing the news herself. No parent wanted to think that their child might be significantly impaired or worse. Rosemary could still remember the day she came home from school and found her mother collapsed on the couch. Someone, she couldn’t even recall who, had taken her into the kitchen and explained the situation. She could hardly comprehend what had happened. How was it possible for the father who’d made pancakes at breakfast to be dead six hours later?

  Perhaps that experience was why she was walking around in the cold, February air trying to decide what to do about Jase. Was it fair to bring him with her into this maelstrom? No matter how things played out, it was going to be a long, painful process that could very well have a bad ending. Wouldn’t it be selfish to put him through that when she could spare him? What was the point in disrupting both their lives? Their relationship was in its infancy. If she was going to walk away, this was the time to do it.

  As she made her way back to the house, she knew what she had to do. When viewed through the lens of love, the decision was actually quite easy. While it seemed contradictory, her first act of love toward Jase would be breaking his heart.

  * * * * *

  Jase strolled out the back door of Rosemary’s house and sat down on the steps. To the east, dark, angry clouds were piling up on the horizon. They reminded him of Rosemary’s reaction on the plane to the storm. It was only later that he found out her father had been killed when he was struck by lightning. He couldn’
t imagine how hard that must have been for her, losing someone so suddenly.

  With the final item on his list of jobs complete, he no longer had a reason to keep coming here, but he knew that wouldn’t stop him. This is where he first met Rosemary. Her scent still lingered in the rooms and evidence of her recent visit was everywhere. He felt more at home here than he did at the cottage.

  The squeaking sound made by the spring of a screen door took his attention to the left. Mrs. Jenkins had come outside to water her plants. “Hello, Jase.”

  “Hey, Mrs. Jenkins. Are we still on for tonight?”

  Her cheeks turned slightly pink at the mention of her visit to see Gramps. This would be the third time she’d accompanied Jase to Magnolia Manor.

  “I’m looking forward to it. I made some brownies to take with us.”

  “I believe brownies are his favorite dessert.”

  “Rosemary liked them when I made them for her.”

  “Then they must be good.”

  “I’m so happy she bought Nora’s house. It would be even better if she could live here all the time.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me about that.”

  She sent him a shrewd glance. “The house might have brought her here, but it will be love that brings her back.”

  Jase laughed as he stood up. “Have you been reading the tea leaves again?”

  “Don’t need to. I’m not blind.”

  He walked over to the fence separating the two yards. “I’m finished for today. I need to go home and change before I head to the library for story time. I’ll be back to pick you up at six-thirty. Put on something pretty.”

  She waved a hand at him. “Don’t start that stuff with me, Jase Phillips. You’re as bad as my daughter and much harder to ignore.”

  “That may be, but I’m not blind, either.”

  When he stopped to pick up the mail from the box at the end of his driveway, Winnie yelled at him from her bedroom window.

  “Hey, Mr. Jase. Did you know Valentine’s Day is next Thursday? Mommy and I picked up my cards today.”

  “I hope I’m going to get one.”

  She laughed. “They’re for my class. I got some candy hearts for you, Dr. Phillips and Miss Ellen. But don’t tell them. I want it to be a surprise.”

  “My lips are sealed.” He put his fingers to his mouth and mimicked turning an imaginary key.

  “I gotta finish my math homework, or I can’t watch television.” She made a disgusted sound. “I really hate fractions.”

  “If you need any help, let me know. I’m pretty good at math.”

  As he waited for the garage door to go up, he glanced through the pile of mail. There were the usual assortment of bills and advertisements, most of which were for his brother. Stuck in the middle was a pink envelope addressed to him. He glanced at the return address and his heart almost stopped. Why would Rosemary write him a letter?

  With more haste than usual, he carried Quinn and Ellen’s mail into their house and laid it on the counter. Then he turned and walked back to his place. Once inside, he leaned heavily against the door and removed the folded paper inside the envelope.

  Dear Jase,

  I’ll always look back on our time together with great happiness. You came into my life when I needed a friend, and a friend you’ll always be. I’m sorry that I can’t give you more than that. I know we agreed to wait until I returned, but that wouldn’t be fair to you. You deserve to find someone who can return your feelings fully and without reserve.

  I’m not sure when I’ll be back in St. Marys. If you find that you no longer want to keep Ambrose, I ask only that you find him a good home. I hope you’ll keep him, though. I want to think that he’ll be with you.

  Please try not to think too badly of me.

  Love,

  Rosemary

  A tortured groan erupted from his lips, and for a moment Jase felt as if he was suffocating. He barely registered Ambrose rubbing against his legs as his eyes ran over the words on the page again and again, looking for anything that might give him some reason to hope he’d misunderstood. But there was nothing to misunderstand. The separation that intensified his feelings had allowed hers to wane.

  The sound of Quinn’s voice outside alerted him to the passage of time. He couldn’t deal with this right now. It didn’t matter that his world was coming down around him. He had to be at the library in a half hour. In a way, he was glad to have somewhere to go and something to occupy his mind. Being alone with his thoughts was the last thing he wanted.

  The company of twenty excited children helped tremendously in giving his thoughts a different direction. So did spending the evening with his grandfather and Mrs. Jenkins. It was impossible to be gloomy while witnessing the beginning of a friendship and knowing that he’d had a small part in making it happen.

  Quinn and the faithful Max were returning from an evening run when he arrived back at the cottage. “How did the chaperoning go?” his brother asked.

  “I’m starting to feel like a third wheel which means they’re ready to go it alone.”

  “That was a good idea you had. Gramps is certainly a lot happier these days. By the way, the couples’ shower for Kelly and Zander is Sunday afternoon. I hope you haven’t forgotten that you, Terry, and Lucas agreed to watch everyone’s kids.”

  “I didn’t forget. I’m in charge of the games, and Terry’s doing the snacks. As long as it doesn’t rain, we’ll be fine.”

  Quinn sent him a long, thoughtful glance. In spite of their age difference, they’d always been close. No one knew him better than the man standing a few feet away. “Anything wrong?”

  Jase smiled faintly. That was the understatement of the year. “You could say that, yes.”

  “Does it have to do with Rosemary?”

  “You’re two for two, Quinney. I got the dreaded ‘I just want to be friends’ letter today.”

  “I’m sorry, Jase.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “Yeah, me, too. I thought we had something special, but obviously she didn’t.”

  “I won’t give you any of the usual platitudes. You’ll find your way through this.”

  “Thanks, man. I better go take care of Ambrose. He’s all I’ve got left.”

  Perhaps because his heart was breaking, Jase tortured himself by going on Sage’s website. He was surprised to find that she’d postponed the launch of her Love at Last tour. When he dug a little deeper, he discovered that Sage had missed several appearances on various television and awards shows.

  Taking a break from the grind of touring was one thing. Backing out of commitments and postponing others was something else. Had something happened to Rosemary? Or to someone in her family? His own disappointment was forgotten in his concern for her. He spent a restless night telling himself it was none of his business. This useless exercise didn’t make it any easier to sleep. Neither did the little voice in his head telling him that if she’d wanted him to know, she would have told him.

  When Ambrose crawled on his chest the next morning, Jase was already awake. He’d also decided what he was going to do.

  * * * * *

  The first thing Rosemary saw when she opened her eyes was a huge arrangement of pink tulips sitting on the glass-topped table next to the couch in her sitting room. The sight of the floral harbingers of spring brought a tired smile to her face. She sat up slowly so as not to trigger a spell of dizziness and then bent to inhale their subtle fragrance.

  The card inside said ‘Please be my valentine.’ Was it February 14th already? She’d been so caught up getting ready for the trip to Birmingham that she hadn’t even realized it was Valentine’s Day.

  Willow breezed into the room with her usual quick step and cup of coffee. “Someone is saying it with flowers.”

  “It seems so, but whoever it is didn’t give his or her name.”

  “Maybe they think you know who it is.”

  She knew who it wasn’t. Rosemary pulled out one of the tul
ips and absently rubbed the petals against her cheek. Jase would have received her letter by now. She’d prepared herself for some kind of response from him, but there had been nothing. He probably thought her cold and unfeeling for telling him something so important in such an impersonal way, but a text would have been worse and there was no way she could have made it through a phone conversation. He would never know that writing those words had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.

  “It was probably Carl.”

  Willow rolled her eyes. “Carl doesn’t even remember to send flowers to his own wife. Maybe it’s your author friend.”

  The stem of the tulip slipped out of her hand. She reached down to pick it up. “I don’t think so.”

  “How can you be sure?” Willow persisted.

  “Because I ended things with him.”

  Willow took a sip of her coffee. “I thought you liked him.”

  All of this would have been easier if she’d only liked him. She wouldn’t ache inside, she wouldn’t feel as if she was only half alive, and she wouldn’t regret not letting him finish what he was going to say. Now she would never hear him say that he loved her. She slid the stem back into the vase.

  “This isn’t the best time in my life to start a relationship.”

  “I’m not sure he agrees.”

  Rosemary could feel the blood draining from her face. In her agitation, she actually rose to her feet. “How do you know that? Have you talked to him?”

  “Yes, I have. How come you never mentioned his adorable accent?”

  Rosemary moved so quickly she almost knocked over the flowers. “Never mind his accent. How did you talk to him?”

  “He texted you a couple days ago when you were lying down. I called him back, and we had a very interesting conversation.”

  She stopped pacing and shot Willow an indignant glance. “You left out the part about deleting the text and call from my phone.”

  “You can sue me for invasion of privacy or whatever, but talk to Jase first.”

  “I can’t right now. Maybe after all this is over.”