by Lindsey Hart
“What did I give you?” Della whispered, hardly able to force out the words. She was well aware of the heat of Tommy’s hand burning into hers.
“Real, genuine love. Kindness. Compassion. Understanding.”
“So, what do we do now?”
Thomas’ eyes sparkled again and Della saw the love he felt reflected there. Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. “You could move if you want.”
“I could get an apartment in Denver. Go slowly. See each other on the weekends, if you want.”
“Or I could build you something out here. A cabin that’s all your own. I’ll pay you to do housekeeping or something. Or there are other people here who hire during the season for camps and housekeeping and what not.”
“You would really want me here? So close to you?”
Thomas actually laughed. It was such a true, genuine sound of mirth that it sparked a flame in her heart. “Of course. Or you can just move into my cabin with me, but I thought that might be taking things a little fast.”
“I actually have an idea.” It came to her then, like a burst of inspiration. “We could build a bigger cabin, when we’re ready for that and live in it together. We could open a kennel and board dogs or train dogs. Even though I know nothing about them, I want to. We could give dogs a second chance, train them so they’re service dogs or just able to live with a family when no one else gave them hope that they could ever be normal pets. We could take other people’s dogs too, to help fund it.”
“I certainly have the land for it. I think it’s a great idea. It’s a perfect idea. There’s just one problem.”
Della’s heart sank. “What’s… what’s that?” She stammered.
“I bought this cabin and it came with a bunch of old dishes. Chipped and broken and mismatched. That kind of thing. I’ve been using them because I don’t care, but maybe, when we head out to Denver to pick out a dog, you might want to take me shopping for new ones.”
This time it was her turn to laugh. She laughed so hard her shoulders shook and her stomach ached.
Thomas pulled her into him and she went easily. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, warm and strong. He held her against him and caressed her hair with infinite gentleness.
“I’m glad you never gave up on me, Della. I’m glad that you had a horrible, wild idea that you made work. I’m glad you had the courage to love me even when I didn’t deserve it.”
She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “You always deserved it. Always.” She closed her eyes when he bent his head.
His lips slanted over hers, warm and welcoming, filled with hope and just a hint of the passion that had always so easily and readily flared to life between them.
He pulled away long before he was ready but his face held the hope and promise for more. “Come inside. I’ll make you a cup of coffee and we talk more about this kennel idea. I have fifty acres of land and far too much money, so it should be an excellent fit.”
She pulled away and started to follow Thomas to the cabin when she remembered her car door was still hanging open. She whirled and quickly shut it. Afterwards, she leaned against the car, her breath a little raspy, her heart rate soaring and her pulse pounding at her neck. This was everything she’d ever dreamed of. This moment. The moment Thomas told her he loved her. Not her sister. Her.
“Are you coming?” Thomas laughed. “I know that the scenery here is beautiful. You never quite get used to it and I mean that in a good way.”
He thought she was hesitating because of the natural beauty. Della grinned. After all this time, he still didn’t realize it wasn’t the trees or the blue sky or the crisp air that took her breath away. It was him. Good thing she was going to have time to help him figure it out.
“Yup.” She smiled and ran down the length of the driveway.
Her hand curled in his, so right and true, where it had always belonged, and together they walked up the front steps of the porch.
The End
BONUS STORY
ROMANTIC TAKEOVER
#3
By
Rose Chapman
“Shh, shh,” Lisa whispered low, cooing to the baby. She shifted him to her other arm and bounced him lightly. Across the grave plots, people sent her sympathetic looks. She wished they wouldn’t. It was hard enough to be here, staring down at the caskets containing her one and only sister and said sister’s husband, holding the three months old child they’d left behind, and facing a future of uncertainty as the now sole caretaker of the baby. Yep, it was damn hard enough. She didn’t need people’s pity too.
“It’s gonna be all right, Jason,” she whispered, more to herself than to the infant. “Everything will be all right.” She nuzzled her cheek in his downy blonde hair, trying to blink the tears away. When she lifted her face she felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. There, standing directly across the still to be filled-in grave, was Alex Dawson.
She knew he would be here. Of course, she did. So why were her knees threatening to buckle?
And why should she be thinking about that, anyway? It was her sister’s funeral – and it was Alex’s brother’s funeral. This wasn’t the time to be going all gaga over a man.
Not that she had ever been gaga over him, exactly. No, she had never allowed herself to completely fall for him. She knew what Alex Dawson was like. He was a hardcore player, according to both his brother and sister-in-law. When they’d first told Lisa, four years ago, to stay away from him, she’d taken their advice for it. She’d messed with playboys before, and she knew how it ended. The girls got their hearts broken, while the men rode away into the sunset, like chauvinistic cowboys. Every. Single. Time.
Thinking of Sara and Daniel, now cold in the ground just a few feet away, put a comparable chill in Lisa’s chest. She felt like she’s just swallowed a whole tray of ice cubes. They were gone. Really gone. Ever since three days ago, when that giant semi plowed into them on the interstate. Lisa closed her eyes and thanked God one more time that Jason had been home with her when the accident had happened. She might not ever know the reason as to why Sara and Daniel had been taken, but at least – either through divine will or coincidence – the baby had been spared. And that was something to be eternally grateful for.
People were talking now; milling about, and someone was starting to fill the grave in. Was the funeral over? Here she’d been, completely lost in her own thoughts, and she’d basically missed her sister’s funeral. Come on, Lisa, she chided herself. Get it together. Hold it together.
The latter was much easier said than done because Alex was suddenly – and quickly – making his way towards her.
Several feet away, he stopped.
“Hi, Lisa.”
His voice was deep and smooth like velvet, just like she remembered it. It had been five months since she’d last seen him – at Christmas at her aunt’s house – and he was having the same effect on her that he’d had then. And the time before that. And the time before that.
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
His voice cracked, breaking over the last word. He wiped a hand over his eyes, and then looked up, staring at the baby in Lisa’s arms. “And now Jason’s an orphan.”
“Just like we were,” Lisa whispered.
Alex faltered. “God, that’s right. Just like you and Sara were. I’m so sorry…”
“It was a long time ago.”
Nineteen years, actually. Lisa had been two and Sara four when their mom had died of cancer, and their dad – unable to cope with his grief – had shot himself in the backyard. Lisa didn’t even remember her parents, and she definitely didn’t like talking about them. The whole growing up an orphan was just another thing for people to feel sorry for her.
Although now, it had happened to Jason. Except he was not going to be an orphan the same way that his mother and aunt had been. He wasn’t going to be shuffled around from foster home to foster home. He was going to be raised in a loving and secure hom
e, and Lisa was going to provide it for him, no matter what.
“Are you really going to raise Jason all by yourself?”
He raised his eyebrows, and Lisa felt a flash of defiance course through her.
“What, you don’t think I’m capable of it?”
“No, it’s not that-”
“Legally, I have a right to. I’m his closest living relative, and I’ve been living with him and his parents before he was even born.”
“I’m as closely related to him as you are.”
Lisa paused, not sure what he was getting at. Jason started crying again, this time turning the volume up a notch.
“He’s getting hungry. I need to get his bottle out of the car.”
“Okay, sorry.”
He turned to go, then stopped, and turned back around.
“You guys should move in with me.”
Lisa blinked, not sure she’d actually heard him right. “Excuse me?”
“You’re still studying for your major; I know that. And that house that you’re staying in, it’s not cheap. Rent in that part of town is crazy. I’ve got a three bedroom apartment that’s just sitting there. You can live with me – at least until you’re done with University. I can help with Jason.”
Lisa slowly shook her head. “I don’t think – ”
“Please.”
He stared at her, the blue of his eyes even more vibrant than the sky behind them. A wave of brown hair fell over his forehead, and she resisted the urge to brush it away.
“I wasn’t in my brother’s life as much as I should have been, and I regret that. It’s too late now, though. The only thing I can do is to try to be the right kind of uncle to my nephew. Please. Let me try.”
Lisa bit her lip. Jason cried again, even louder. It was true – she couldn’t afford to keep living in the house her sister and brother-in-law had been renting. In fact, they’d been kind enough to let her live there while she finished her studies. Now that they were gone, there was no way she was gonna be able to pay the bills on just three waitressing shifts a week. Jason’s parents had left a bit of money, but it wasn’t much. What with rent and daycare, she knew that it was more than likely she was going to have to drop out of school. This was a cold hard fact she’d been trying to ignore for the past few days, but she knew she was going to have to deal with it sooner rather than later.
“Let’s go get his bottle and talk about it,” he offered, gesturing towards the parking lot.
“Okay, fine,” she agreed, sighing. “Let’s talk.”
She knew without a doubt, though, that she was going to have to accept his offer – and whatever might come with it.
“That’s the last one,” Alex groaned, setting the box down in the living room. Lisa gulped and turned away, trying not to think about the way his muscles were straining underneath that tight white t-shirt.
“You’re pretty easy to move,” he commented. “You don’t like having a lot of stuff around, huh?”
She shrugged. “Stuff is stuff. It’s never really been that important to me.”
He nodded. “What is important?”
“Having something to say and saying it. Being with people… people you love.”
Abruptly, all the muscles in his face relaxed and he stared at her like it was the first time he was ever seeing her. Lisa blushed, feeling warmth bloom through her whole body. The conversation had gotten way personal, way fast. She needed to keep a better check on her behavior. Alex was not someone to be attained, and she wasn’t going to let herself forget it.
She cleared her throat, and moved towards the pack and play in the middle of the room. “I just need to give Jason his bath, and then after he’s asleep I’ll start unpacking.”
“I can do it.”
She stopped. “What? Unpack?”
“No. Bathe Jason.”
“Umm… No offense, but really? Have you ever bathed a baby before?”
“Sure.”
“Seriously?”
“Okay, no. But how hard can it be?”
Lisa lifted Jason out of the pack and play and rested his head against her shoulder.
“Most guys are afraid to even hold babies.”
“I’m not most guys.”
Gulp. I know you’re not, Lisa thought.
“You’re tired from moving all my boxes,” she argued.
“And sweaty.”
Just hearing him say the word ‘sweat’ sent Lisa’s legs quaking. If only he could stop being so… so… him.
“Right. So why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll bathe Jason in the kitchen sink?”
“Okay. Deal. Sooner or later, though, I’m going to have to learn how to do it. You can’t take care of him all by yourself, you know.”
And with that, he was gone, a hundred and eighty pounds or so of sheer perfection walking away down the hall. Lisa sighed. What the hell was she getting herself into?
That night, after Jason was finally asleep, Lisa sat in her new room. Everything about it seemed out of place. She missed her old room. She missed Sara. She missed Daniel. For the hundredth time in the last two weeks, she wiped a tear from her eye. She knew she was doing the right thing by accepting Alex’s offer to move in, but still, it was so much so fast. Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. And, on top of it all, she couldn’t stop having dreams about Alex – the hot, sweaty, groaning kinds of dreams.
She stared into the mirror on the wall. She looked so much like Sara – they’d both had the same blue eyes, fine blonde hair, and splattering of freckles across their noses. Just looking at her own reflection made her miss her sister even more.
“God damn it!” she screamed, picking up a pillow and throwing it at the mirror. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm down. There was no sense in losing herself and completely wrecking the room.
A soft knock interrupted her attempt at meditation.
“Lisa?”
Alex. Shit. He must have heard her outburst. Quickly, she wiped her eyes again and straightened the pink nightie she had on. “Yeah?”
The door creaked open. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Fine.”
“You sure?”
He stepped around the door, inviting himself into the room. Lisa’s breath caught as she saw him shirtless for the very first time. He was perfectly hairless and so supple-looking that it ought to have been a crime.
“Um, sorry. What did you just say?”
“Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yeah, I just….”
She paused. She wanted to tell him everything – she wanted to pour her feelings out, right there, right in front of him. She wanted to sting – she wanted to bleed like she had never bled before, so that – maybe – she could one day start to heal.
But could she even trust him with her feelings? All she really knew about this guy was that he had left his parents’ house right after school, then went on to a relatively successful career in real estate before buying this apartment. The word – from everyone – was that he went through girlfriends like days of the week. He showed up at family holiday gatherings, but other than that, he tended to be a no-show. Was he really someone to be trusted?
“It’s gonna take some time,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yeah, exactly.”
He paused, looking like he wanted to say something else, but then just smiled sadly. “Goodnight, Lisa.”
“Goodnight, Alex.”
The door closed, just as softly as it had opened. Lisa threw herself back onto the bed. She had no idea how she was going to get to sleep in this apartment – ever.
“Where are my keys?” Lisa moaned, searching desperately across the couch one last time. Remote controls, burp cloths, and baby clothes waiting to be folded went flying.
“It’s like they just freaking disappeared!” Quickly, she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Shit. I have to leave, like, ten minutes ago.”
“Lisa.”
; “Not right now, Alex,” she snapped, grabbing the two couch cushions and tossing them on the floor. No keys. Not even crumbs or dirt. Alex was surprisingly clean for a man.
“Lisa.”
“God! What?”
“You’re holding them.”
“Huh?”
“In your hand.”
Slowly, Lisa looked down. Sure enough, there they were. Wow. Did she feel like an idiot. Suddenly, Lisa wanted to cry. It wasn’t just because of the keys, and it wasn’t because she was late to class. It was everything. She and Jason had been living with Alex for a week now, and things didn’t feel any better than they had the day they’d moved in.
“Let me take Jason to daycare,” Alex said, leaning against the wall, his arms folded. He looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ when he did that, and Lisa wished that he wouldn’t. If only he could just stand there like a normal human being and not have to look so damn sultry all the time. But no. Nothing about Alex was average.
“You’ll be late to work,” she argued.
“And you’re already late to class. Besides, it doesn’t matter if I’m a little late.” He smiled. “I am kind of the boss.”
Lisa sighed. She knew she needed more help. That’s why she and Jason had moved in with Alex in the first place. But still, she was hesitant whenever he offered his help, and she didn’t really know why.
“Stop resisting my help.”
Okay, so the man was definitely not average. Average people do not read minds.
“Okay. Fine… I mean thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, his voice getting soft. “You guys are family.”
“Yeah.”
She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as she moved towards the front door.
“Thanks though. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight.”
“He sounds freaking perfect.”
Lisa dropped her tray onto the cafeteria table. “Don’t say that.”