Restoration & Forgiveness (Renovate Book 2)

by Mindy Carter

  Frank's car is still in the driveway when we return, which is a relief.

  Keegan and I enter the house hand in hand. My dad and Frank are watching sports highlights, and don't even look up.

  "Hi, Dad."

  "Hi, honey, I see he found you." He smirks without looking at me.

  "Are you hungry? I can make dinner."

  "Frank and I already ate. Before you get yourself in a tizzy, it was on my list of approved foods."

  Well, he told me. Looks like I'm not needed after all.

  Keegan pulls me up the stairs. I'm not sure what he has in mind, but my dad is downstairs. We reach the top of the stairs, and he leads us into my room. Quietly he shuts the door behind us, and before I know it, my back is against the door and his lips are devouring my own. A moan escapes my lips, because he's lighting me on fire.

  I invite his tongue to enter my mouth, and the kiss becomes even more heated.

  There is a loud knock at the door, and I let out a scream.

  "Aimee, rules, door stays open when you have boys over," my dad's voice demands.

  We both start to laugh, both at my dad's words and being caught like horny teenagers. If he only knew what we did a few hours ago.

  Keegan backs away from me, and I open the door to find my dad with his arms crossed. He gives Keegan a warning look over my shoulder.

  "Son."

  "Rick."

  They are in a stare down. Dad invited Keegan to stay with us, but the minute we are alone in my room he's getting all dad up in here.

  I clear my throat. "Don't you have a guest, Dad?"

  He still hasn't taken his eyes from Keegan's.

  "He just left after you two snuck up here."

  "Dad, I'm an adult, and please stop with the staring contest," I tell him, irritated.

  Keegan's warm hand strokes my shoulder, relaxing me.

  "I know that, but those are the rules, and they will still be the rules when you're forty."

  I retreat. I don't want to turn this into stress on my dad. "Fine, no closed doors when I have boys in my room," I say, adding air quotes with my fingers.

  Keegan chuckles behind me.

  "I'll be in my room, resting. Don't forget, son, what we talked about." He points behind me.

  "Of course."

  What are they talking about? Now I'm curious. I follow him across the hall. "What was that?" I ask.

  "With Keegan? Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about."

  I pull down the bedcovers so he can lie down.

  "You should be resting, not getting all worked up," I say with a hint of annoyance.

  "I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible, because you're my daughter and I love you, but Aimee, you have to stop the hovering. You're not my mother, and I'm fine."

  I interrupt, even more irritated. "I won't stop hovering. You're not fine, you had a heart attack, and for the first time in my life I was scared that I would lose you." I sit on the bed and grab a tissue from the box on the nightstand. The tears are flowing, and my dad slowly approaches, sitting down next to me and pulling me against his chest.

  "Shhh… Now listen, I may not be in the best health, but I'm fine. The doctors aren't worried, and I'm going to do as they say, but Aimee, I'm not going to live forever. When the time comes, just know that it is my time. You'll be fine."

  The thought makes me cry harder. My emotions are high, and I don't even know what to say.

  "Aimee, if I have any say in it, I'm going to be around for a long time. You are going to have a family of your own someday soon, and I plan on being there with you."

  I look up at him and wipe my eyes and nose with the sleeve of my shirt. The tearstains on his shirt are evidence of my breakdown.

  "This is what I want, no arguments. You have put your life on hold for me, and I'm glad you came to help, but I'm fine and I'm not as alone as you may think. I have friends here. I'm not just living here biding my time. I think it's time for you to get back to your life. You are welcome here, don't get me wrong, but there isn't anything else you can do for me."

  I want to argue, but he's right, there isn't anything I can do. He's getting better. I would never have guessed he was in the hospital just days ago. I've put my focus on my dad, much more than I needed to.

  "Okay. I'll stay the rest of the week, and head back on Sunday," I tell him.

  I hug him tightly, and he kisses me on top of the head.

  "Everything will be perfect, kiddo, I promise."

  I tell my dad that I'll let him rest, and he reminds me to keep my door open when Keegan is within fifty yards. I roll my eyes at the comment, because really, there isn't anything that is going to stop us.

  "He's right, you know?"

  I bump right into Keegan in the hallway. "What?" I ask, startled.

  "I wasn't eavesdropping. I heard you crying, and I was concerned."

  "I've worn out my welcome," I say, disappointed.

  "He just wants the best for you, and there isn't anything else you can do. He just has to take care of himself and follow the doctor's orders."

  "I know, I'm just afraid." I lean in to him, needing his arms around me. The instant they are wrapped around me I am warmed with protection.

  "Everything is going to be fine, you just have to trust him."

  I look up at him. "I trust him. I'm afraid to leave and go back to what we left behind. I'm afraid that when it's not just the two of us, things will change. You'll want more, something you can't find with me."

  He looks at me with shock on his face, like I've grown two heads.

  "Are you out of your mind? Why on earth would you think that?"

  "There is so much that's unresolved, that I'm not sure I understand."

  We will finally be forced to face it all. I'm afraid that Gretchen is going to make his life hell. I don't want him to lose the one thing he poured his heart and soul into for years.

  "If I have to, I'll drill it into your head. What we have is forever. That's the exact reason we met when I was seven years old. We are lucky enough to have one another, and anything that comes at us we'll figure out together. I pinky promise."

  He holds out his pinky and I link mine with it, sealing the promise. I'm confident that this vow is unbreakable.

  We spend the rest of the evening in my room with the door wide open. Keegan and I lie on my bed, cuddled together, and talk. He reassures me that everything will be fine when we return to the city in a few days, that he will never let anything or anyone come between us again.

  We even make out like teenagers, with a little soft petting. Not quite going all the way, but having a little bit of fun. Since we can hear my dad snoring, we figure the risk is slim to none.

  "I love living in the city, but being here with you like this, I wouldn't miss it one bit if we never went back," I confess.

  Keegan runs his fingers through my hair, twisting strands around his fingers. The gesture is intimate. Something shifted in a big way this afternoon, and it wasn't just our bodies melding together. I may still be on the high of our reunion, but my heart feels like it's going to leap out of my skin. I'm happy, and I would do anything, even hide away forever, to ensure the feeling never ends.

  "You know if we don't go back that Reese will hunt us down and most likely cut off my balls."

  "Probably." I giggle.

  If she didn't love him, she wouldn't be so hard on him. Just think, someday we will all be one big family.

  "I love seeing that smile, the kind that makes your face hurt." He softly touches my lips with his own.

  We fall asleep under the covers, warm and content. How long this all will last, I'm still not positive, or the outcome. Sleeping in his arms makes me believe that we are on our way to a happily ever after.

  When I wake the next day I'm alone, and Keegan's absence makes my heart drop for a moment, until I hear the front door close and a set of keys being thrown on our kitchen table downstairs.

  I pull myself out of bed and I'v
e gotten the best sleep in years. Funny what true love can do.

  I find Keegan setting up a tray that has a giant bear claw—the pastry of my dreams—and coffee, set off with a vase with a rose. My presence startles him.

  "I'm guessing those are for me,"

  "I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed, with the door open of course."

  Yeah, he's pretty fantastic, and he's all mine.

  "Don't you remember the other rule, no food in my bedroom?"

  "Oh, yes, after your grandmother found the Duncan Hines frosting you were hiding under your bed."

  Surprisingly, my addiction to the chocolaty topping led to very few cavities. My grandmother hit the roof, and forbade me from even having a pack of gum in my room.

  "Your dad has already been up, and asked us to make ourselves scarce."

  "Really? Why? We're leaving in a few days."

  Keegan takes my hand while pulling the kitchen chair out for me, and serves me breakfast.

  "I think he wants you to relax, and what better way than with your amazing and handsome boyfriend." He winks.

  He hands me the coffee that tastes divine. I think my chocolate addiction was replaced with coffee when I became an adult. This coffee is from the bakery, and freshly brewed. He's spoiling me, and I love the attention.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I spend the rest of the week with Keegan and my dad. We have several date nights and a family game night, for which I invited Delaney over. I'm glad we're able to get together before I go back to the city. She keeps staring at her phone, and after I ask her who she's waiting to hear from, she lets me know that she and Nate, the bartender and owner of Al Patti's, is supposed to call her. They went on a date a few nights ago and had a great time—or at least she thought so. The funny thing is, from what I remember from high school, they hated each other. They were constantly fighting, and there was an incident with Post-It Notes and his car that didn't go over well senior year.

  It's our last day here and Keegan wants to check up on the house before we leave tomorrow. I jump at the chance to go with him. I'm going to miss being able to visit it.

  We drive over together in my dad's car. When we pull down the drive there are fresh tire tracks and wonder if there have been any additions. It's only been a few days, so I can't imagine there has been any major work completed.

  Everything is as we left it, and I follow Keegan into the house. It smells like before, and I breathe it in, the smell of sawdust and paint.

  He looks at his phone, which I haven't even seen in his hands for days. He flips a light switch on the wall near the stairs illuminating our path.

  He grabs my hand and pulls me behind him as we make our way to the second floor. The door to the massive ballroom is open, flickering light is coming from the doorway. I'm confused about what would cause that, but when we walk into the room, I'm surprised to see large pillar candles placed strategically around the room. In the middle is a small round table for two covered in a white tablecloth, another candle lit on top, two covered dishes, and champagne flutes. I'm speechless as Keegan looks at me.

  He walks me to the center of the room. If I'd known he had a romantic gesture planned, I might have worn make-up, and something other than a pair of old sweats and a t-shirt.

  I take a seat as he pulls it out for me. He disappears for a minute or two, and I look at my reflection in the silverware, trying to improve my frumpy appearance. I should have known better; Keegan is the king of surprises. I should have expected some sort of romance.

  He returns swiftly, carrying a bottle of prosecco and smiling down at me.

  "This is nice," I say, taking a napkin from the table and smoothing it on my lap.

  He's still smiling at me. "What?"

  "I love pulling one over you and rendering you speechless. Well, that's what I was aiming for," he says as he pulls his own chair out to sit.

  "Your surprises are starting to bore me, actually." I yawn as if I'm not impressed. The truth is, I'm totally impressed, despite my appearance. It doesn't matter, it's just the two of us, and he's seen me at my worst.

  "We'll see if you feel the same way at the end of the night, my love."

  What does he have up his sleeve? He reaches for my plate, removing the cover. Steam is released, and the delicious smells of garlic and cheese escape.

  "Chicken parm from Benjamin's," he states as he removes his own lid.

  Benjamin's is one of the things I miss a lot. I haven't been able to find a better restaurant that makes my favorite meal. Of course, Keegan knows that, and I'm surprised yet again. Is this what our life is going to be filled with? Thoughtful, romantic gestures? I'll never grow bored, ever.

  "Have I told you how much I love you?"

  "To the stars?" he asks.

  "Always."

  We eat in silence, and for some reason the silence seems different. Keegan is concentrating very hard.

  "Is everything all right, your dinner? You are being strangely silent." I point to his plate.

  "I'm fine, what about you?"

  "I'm great. This is really good. The best on the planet, actually." I tell him the truth, and his reaction, or lack thereof, is starting to worry me.

  "Are you going to open that?" I gesture toward the prosecco thinking maybe it will help him loosen up.

  "If that's what you want. I was going to save it for—" He stops.

  "For when?"

  "Ignore me." He picks up a corkscrew I didn't notice before.

  I am always afraid I'm going to get hit with the cork when someone opens a bottle of champagne. Keegan has it pointed away from me, but I've been pelted with one more times than I can count. I tense at the loud pop, but thankfully I'm safe from harm.

  I hold my glass out, and the sparkling bubbly is poured into my flute.

  "Thank you, fine sir." I nod, and clink my glass to his. As we take a sip he stares at me, not pulling his eyes away.

  I take a second sip, but it's more of a gulp. His staring is making me nervous.

  "This is all wonderful, all of it. Perfect in every way. I wish we could take this place with us tomorrow," I confess, sadness in my voice.

  "Maybe I can give you something better, more meaningful."

  What is he getting at?

  He grabs my hand, and turns it palm up, tracing my love line. It feels good, and I can't ever remember a time when a simple touch made me melt.

  "Remember when you bought those tarot cards and book on palm reading when we were little?"

  "Yeah, I wanted to be like the psychic at the summer carnival, and I needed you to be my partner."

  Keegan pauses for a moment, a faraway expression in his eyes.

  "Keegan?" I take him out of his daydream drift.

  "I thought, since I never got the chance to read yours, I'd do it now." He says it while holding my hand a bit tighter.

  "Um, okay, sure." Why not? Maybe he'll tell me that I will meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger. I laugh internally, because I met that person when I was six.

  "You remember, this is your love line." He taps on the line he's been gently touching.

  "I remember." I smile nervously at him.

  "Yours is very interesting. It reaches your index finger, meaning that marriage, family, and love are very important. You willingly sacrifice for those you love."

  I gulp. This is pretty much spot on, but he knows all of this about me. This doesn't seem to be something spontaneous. I wonder if he has a cheat sheet with him.

  "What else do you see?"

  "Your love line is very strong. There are no breaks whatsoever. That means you are very attractive to the opposite sex. You have many admirers."

  My cheeks heat at his words. I look away, clearing my throat, so he doesn't see how he's affecting me.

  "See, this stuff is the real deal." He sexily smirks.

  "Is there more you see?" I ask.

  "So much more, Aimee. I'm just getting warmed up."

  "Is that so? Ple
ase continue, then."

  "I can see a lot of branches coming from this line. Dozens? Wow."

  I can't remember any of this, and I'm convinced he brushed up on some of this.

  "Is it bad?"

  He brushes his other thumb along my cheek. "Just the opposite, it means you will be blessed with many children, but that's not the most interesting thing I see."

  I cross my free arm over the one he's holding to take a big gulp of champagne, because this is getting intense. Keegan eyes me curiously.

  "Tell me, what is so interesting?" My palm is sweating.

  "Relax, nothing here is bad." He looks at me hard, and for a moment I think he's never going to tell me.

  "It's very deep, your love line. That's very good; it means you will have a very successful marriage with your spouse, many years. But look, here it meets with your life line at about six years old." He winks at me, putting a happy smile across my face.

  "What does that mean?" I whisper, leaning in closer to him.

  "That's when you met your soul mate. A dark-haired boy, who fell hopelessly in love with you but was just too stupid to realize it at the time."

  "That boy who was so stupid, if he was here now what do you think he would say?"

  "He would say that you were made for him, for each other, and even though years separated you from him, he never let you out of his heart. The thing about finding the one so early, is that they stay with you here." He pats his chest where his heart is, and mine pounds wildly.

  "What else would he say, Keegan?"

  "He would say that his world doesn't mean anything without her in it, with him, every day, for eternity. That if she knew how much he pined for her, she might rethink being with him, but he would just chase her anyways. He also would say that he was sorry, for so many things, and she would forgive him, because she loved him as much as he loved her."

  "To the stars?"

  "Farther." He laughs, amused.

  My heart drops and I actually start to shake, because he stands and drops to one knee. He's still holding my sweaty hand; he turns it over and takes my other, less damp one in his other hand.

  "I've waited what feels like my entire life to ask you this. Aimee Brennan, the most smart, sweet, beautiful, and sexy woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Will you do me the honor of agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me?"