by Abby Brooks
Mom lifted her chin and glared down her nose. “I haven’t spoken to Wyatt since that night you invited me to your apartment and proceeded to tell me what a terrible person I was. And even then, all I said was hello as we passed.”
“Well, I’m sorry to break it to you, but terrible people manipulate and blackmail.” I waited for the flare of anger, the indignant rebuttal, only it never came. Suspicion settled over me. “So, what’s with the place?”
“This is the only place I could afford.” She tossed her hair. “It’s only temporary, though. My new boyfriend is leasing me a new condo, but it won’t be ready for another couple months.”
I bobbed my head and finally got to the point. “And Wyatt?”
Mom’s smile darkened. “Believe it or not, your words have the power to hurt. I didn’t like hearing what you said about me, but I heard each and every word. I loved Burke. I didn’t want to honor his memory by ruining your life.”
“I’m not buying it, Mom. You were fine to ruin my life before I threatened to ruin yours…”
“I didn’t think I was ruining it.” She leaned forward as she spoke, frustration coloring her words. “I thought I was making sure you got what you wanted.”
Nothing about this conversation made sense. On one level, I could totally believe that Mom was crazy enough to think she was helping me by blackmailing Wyatt. On the other, my mom was a lot of things, but dumb wasn’t one of them. This story she was trying to feed me could be one last twist of the knife to drive guilt deeper into my heart.
Flabbergasted, I tried to find something to say several times before I realized it didn’t matter. Whatever reason she had to move here and stop blackmailing the Huttons, I might never know. And that was okay.
“So, the flowers Wyatt’s sending me aren’t because of you?”
Finally, I saw a hint of the woman I knew. She smiled wickedly as she delivered her final blow. “They aren’t because of anything I said recently.” With that, she went back into her apartment, leaving me to stare after her with more questions than answers.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Wyatt
Lucas had never looked as happy as he did tonight, laughing with his soon to be wife at their rehearsal dinner. From my perspective, it seemed as if they spent the evening in their own little bubble, only vaguely aware of the rest of us. Cat looked radiant and Lucas seemed thrilled to be in her presence. From where I sat with the rest of my siblings, things pretty much were as they should be for our oldest brother.
Caleb tossed a napkin at Eli, who was sitting next to me. It bounced off his forehead and landed unceremoniously in his mashed potatoes. “What the hell, Moose?” Eli flicked the offending item off his plate and glared.
“Switch seats with me.”
Eli shook his head. “Only if you apologize. I wasn’t done eating those.”
“Then keep eating. It was just a napkin.”
“Just a napkin,” Eli scoffed and turned to me with a look that said can you believe this guy? I offered a smile in return. My two youngest brothers could bicker about anything and I wasn’t in the mood to get between them today. After a bit more joking, they switched seats and Caleb leaned in.
“I’m really sorry I jumped to conclusions,” he said. “When I heard about everything.”
I shook my head as he spoke. “There’s no need to apologize. I understand.”
“There is a need to apologize. I let my emotions get the better of me and plopped all of Dad’s shit on your shoulders. You didn’t deserve that.”
“It’s easy to do.” It was, after all, exactly what I had done to Kara.
“Doesn’t make it right.”
Caleb’s urgency reminded me of my own need to apologize to the only woman I had ever truly loved. I would do anything to make things right between us, and I saw that reflected in my brother. “It’s all good,” I said. “I understand and I’ll accept your apology if you’ll accept mine.”
“Deal.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave it a squeeze before giving his attention back to Cat and Lucas. “What about that?” he asked, indicating the beaming couple with a jerk of his chin. “You think married with children is in your future?”
I swiped my water off the table and took a drink. “Probably not.” I watched Lucas laughing with the love of his life and tried to stay focused on where I was and who I was with, but my mind only had room for Kara.
Every day for the last week and a half, I had sent flowers to her store. While I didn’t expect a miracle, I had, at the very least hoped to hear from her. Instead, I got nothing but more silence. For all I knew, the flowers went right into the trash, the cards unread, my apologies unnoticed. I was trying to be patient, but was running out of that particular virtue. Quickly.
“Have you heard from Kara?” Harlow asked, in that way she had of always knowing what I was thinking.
I wanted to know how she knew, but that was a silly question. She always knew. She always had. I shook my head. “Nope,” I said and looked for something else to say.
Probably for the best.
Maybe she just needs time.
It’ll all work out.
It’s fine.
I’m fine.
Everything that came to mind was a lie, so I said nothing and turned my attention back to Lucas and Cat. Eli bobbed his head and sat back in his chair as Harlow frowned in my direction. She wanted to say something, but chose to stay silent. I approved of the decision.
There wasn’t anything to say.
I had something special.
I ruined it.
I tried to make it better.
Kara didn’t care.
The end.
But, as Cat leaned in close to whisper something in Lucas’ ear, I realized I wasn’t ready for the end. I wasn’t ready to stop fighting for Kara, not until she looked me in the eyes and told me there was no hope.
I pushed my chair back before I even realized I had decided to leave and Harlow smiled at me as I stood. “Go get her, big brother,” she said as my brothers shot me questioning looks and I made my way to Lucas to explain.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kara
I left Mom’s and drove on auto-pilot back to the shop. It was closed, but Brooke still would be there, cleaning up and tabulating sales, and I needed to talk to her more than anything.
My heart told me to trust Wyatt one last time. My head reminded me that people were awful, and Wyatt was a people, so obviously I would be smart to stay away. And somewhere in between it all, I just wanted to talk to him because I missed him terribly. I was tired of thinking and being rational. Hopeful that Brooke could knock some sense into me, I pulled into the parking lot outside the shop and sighed when I saw the lights were out.
Why, today of all days, did she have to choose to go home early? I inserted my key into the lock, flipped on the lights, then headed straight to the workshop, crossing my fingers that Brooke would be in there.
No such luck.
I sighed and leaned against the wall as I tried to wrap my head around all the things Mom said and didn’t say. Up until the very last few moments of our conversation, I could have sworn she had changed. That she had heard what I said and was truly trying to be a better person. But then, that smile…she knew she was giving me an answer about Wyatt that would mess with my head. She knew it, she did it, and it made her happy.
What a mess. The more I tried to think my way through it, the more confused I found myself. The sound of the bells above the front door caught my attention. I had left the lights on and the door unlocked, so obviously someone chose right that moment to come in and buy some jewelry. I shook out my hair and swiped my fingers under my eyes, trying to get myself together enough to face a potential customer.
Painting a smile on my face, I pushed through the door. “I’m sorry, we’re closed—” I began, but stopped when I saw who was waiting for me.
Wyatt stood in the middle of the room, looking handsome in dark slacks
and a white, fitted button-down shirt. He stared, mystified, by the sheer amount of flowers taking up every possible inch of free space. His face softened when he met my gaze and he held up his hands as he took a careful step forward. “Please, don’t say anything. Just listen, okay?”
The giant lump of desperation in my throat kept me from speaking, but I did manage to nod. Wyatt smiled and the hope on his face unlocked something in my heart.
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he said. “I understand that. I messed up. Big. Twice. And I also understand that your silence was an answer in and of itself. But you kept the flowers and I’m here, so I might as well make the best of it.” He ran his hands into his hair and closed his eyes. “And now I’m rambling, but I’m nervous and I didn’t plan to come here tonight. I just…” He looked at me. “I just couldn’t not come.”
He stared at me and anticipation bloomed hot and violent in my stomach. He didn’t look like a man trying to manipulate his way into my life. He looked like a man torn to pieces with desperation. He looked exactly like I felt.
“I don’t know if any of the cards made sense. I wanted you to know that you’re in here, Kara.” Wyatt placed a hand to his chest. “You’re in there and you have been since the very first moment I laid eyes on you and you will be until long after my time on this earth is done. We are two halves of the same whole, forged through the fires of terrible parents, joined together through time. I am less without you. I…” Wyatt closed his eyes. “You are all I want out of this life and I know I lost you. I know you must hate me. But, Kara…I love you.” He shook his head and stepped forward, arms extended. “What I feel for you goes beyond love. I am connected to you. I respect you. I…” He hung his head. “I’m sorry for treating you like you’re anything less than a miracle.”
I stared at him, still trying to process all that he said. My feet begged to run to him. My hands wanted to grasp his face. My lips wanted to press against his. My heart beat a crazy rhythm in my chest and I swallowed hard, looking for anything to say that might make sense.
Wyatt watched me, the space between us seething with so many things that needed said and for once in my damned life, I couldn’t speak. Silence took on a life of its own, saying all the wrong things and Wyatt’s face fell. He let out a long breath and frowned.
“Anyway,” he said. “I just needed you to hear that.” Sadness tugged at his face and his shoulders dropped. “I won’t bother you again.”
My lips parted, my voice catching in my ever-tightening throat.
His gaze traveled over my face, my body. I watched his heart break as he took one step backward, bobbing his head as he forced himself to accept a truth he still wasn’t prepared for. Without another word, he turned and reached for the door and finally I found my voice.
“You don’t just have a piece of me,” I said to his back.
He turned and I gestured around the room. “Your notes. You said you had all these pieces of me.” I shook my head. “But you have all of me. Not just bits and pieces. All of me is for you.” Tears sprang to my eyes and I took one tentative step forward, desperate to wrap myself in him. Wyatt opened his arms and I rushed into them. He ran his hands through my hair, whispering apologies over and over, again and again.
I pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. “Wyatt? Shut up and kiss me.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kara
The thought of spending an evening with Wyatt’s family scared the crap out of me. I was a dark spot in their history, even though Wyatt swore I was the brightest light of his life. After six months of dating, and nearly eight years of loving each other, he swore it was time for them to start accepting me as his girlfriend. Intellectually, I agreed, but that didn’t stop my heart from pounding its way up my throat as we climbed the steps leading up to the front porch of The Hutton Hotel.
“So, this is where you grew up, huh?” I asked as Wyatt reached for the front door. I had asked the same question the first time we came here, but I was nervous, so that meant my mouth was working.
He nodded, a knowing smile tugging at his features. “This is the place.”
I gripped his arm before he could open the door. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“You have every right to be nervous, but I promise you, they’re going to love you.” Wyatt bent down and pressed a kiss into my forehead. I took a deep breath as he opened the door and stepped over the threshold of The Hut.
Wyatt’s mom greeted me with a warm hug. I froze at first, then let the surprise fall to the wayside and wrapped my arms around her. “It’s so good to finally meet you under better circumstances,” she said and there wasn’t one hint that her words were anything but the truth.
Wyatt offered another round of introductions as if this was the first time I had met his family. In a way, it was. The last time I came here, I was the enemy. That wasn’t true anymore. He introduced Lucas as Robocop, which set off a long groan from the rest of the Huttons. Wyatt had warned me about Lucas’ intensity, but the warning wasn’t necessary. The man had the same friendly smile as his younger brother and I liked him instantly. Cat, Lucas’ wife, had this way about her that had me feeling immediately at ease. She was bright and airy, the perfect counterpoint to her husband.
Harlow was every bit as beautiful as I remembered her. Eli immediately put a drink in my hand that was so strong, I had to put it aside. And Caleb had softened toward me, wrapping me in a hug as warm as his mother’s.
“Easy, Moose,” Wyatt said. “I’ve called dibs on this one. If you want a beautiful woman, you’re going to have to find one for yourself.”
My nerves faded as the night wore on. The food was good. The conversation was better. And for the first time in my life, I finally felt like I understood the meaning of family.
“Wyatt told me you run a jewelry store?” The question came from Rebecca, Wyatt’s mom. She was the complete opposite of my own mother in every possible way. Her love for her children was deep and obvious. Nothing she said had an ulterior motive running underneath it. She was warm and genuine and I felt honored to get to know her.
“That’s right,” I replied with a smile, hoping she didn’t notice what a difficult subject this was for me. Brooke and I had come to the conclusion that we weren’t going to be able to keep the doors open any longer. Our lease ran out at the end of this month and we had been searching for more reliable forms of employment.
“And you make your own pieces?” Rebecca’s keen eyes settled on mine. They were much like Wyatt’s, pale blue and filled with insight.
I nodded. “Yeah. I started out making bracelets when I was younger,” I began, holding up my wrist to show the one I wore that evening, “but moved on to necklaces and earrings.” Before I knew it, I had slipped the bracelet off and as it made its way around the table, I explained the intricacies of planning the look for each set, how I lost hours as I twined and twisted bits of metal and stone. “I’m so sorry,” I said, cutting myself off mid-sentence. “I’m sure you don’t care about that much detail.”
Wyatt placed his hand on my knee under the table and gave it a squeeze. I leaned into him, thankful for the contact. “I told you she was talented,” he said to Rebecca who studied my bracelet with a shrewd eye.
“My son told me about the difficulties you and your friend are having, keeping the shop open. He also told me that the two of you just needed a chance to get more eyes on your work and it would basically sell itself.”
I glanced at Wyatt who beamed at me.
“And looking at this piece,” she continued, “I agree with him.”
Before I knew what was happening, Rebecca offered us a chance to sell our jewelry out of the gift shop at The Hut. “You wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of renting a space or paying utilities. I can promise a steady flow of customers and if this any indication of the quality of your work, I can promise that it will sell.”
Excitement sent my pulse racing. “I’ll have to talk about it with my b
usiness partner, Brooke, but I’m sure she’ll be as thrilled about this as I am.”
The evening felt like a dream come true, to be sitting in this house, with this family—who I spent my childhood stalking online, wondering if their life was as charmed as I imagined. I said as much to Wyatt, who gave me a look I couldn’t decipher, his eyes locked on mine as if he had fallen into them.
“Speaking of dreams coming true,” he said, then awkwardly cleared his throat so his family fell silent. “I have something else I want to ask you about.”
Harlow covered her mouth with her hands, while I stared at Wyatt, my heart pounding its way up my throat.
“I wanted to do this tonight, because I wanted all the people I care about the most to be in the same room when I asked you to be my wife.” He slid out of his chair and onto one knee in front of me, digging into his pocket and presenting me with a beautiful diamond solitaire. The cut was simple and elegant and so perfect that I found myself crying.
I slipped out of my own chair to kneel with him, nodding and sobbing as I reached a trembling hand to press against his chest. “You have all of me,” I whispered. “You always have, and you always will.”
He pressed a hand against mine, then lifted it away to slide the ring into place. “All of me,” he agreed as he wrapped me in his arms and his family cheered.
A month later, Wyatt and I quietly got married on a beach in Fiji. Brooke swore she would hate me forever for stealing her chance to be maid of honor, but I knew she understood my reasons. After all the drama and chaos that brought Wyatt and me together, the simplicity of eloping was poetic. We held hands on the beach as waves tickled our bare feet and the wind blew my dress tight against my thighs.
“This is a piece of me that belongs to you,” Wyatt said as he slid a thin band into place on my finger. “And a piece of you that belongs to me.”