Chapter Twenty-One
It was moving day. I didn’t really have much to move, actually. I had packed my clothes from our house earlier in the week but decided to leave pretty much everything else until we told the kids. I didn’t want them coming home to something totally different than what they expected. The news of our divorce would be hard enough. Walking in to their home with things missing didn’t need to be a part of that just yet. The furniture would be delivered that afternoon.
I packed my car with everything I had bought for the house and headed off. Jen would meet me in an hour. I’d asked her for some time by myself in the house before the furniture arrived. I pulled into the driveway of my new home. The old front porch wrapped around one side of the house. I walked up the steps to the front door and took a deep breath before unlocking it and walking inside.
“Okay, Kate Jones, this is the beginning of the rest of your life.”
I walked in and immediately felt a sense of peace. I knew this was the right place for me. Beautiful large-planked, dark hardwood floors created a warmth that I loved. They were throughout the entire house. Downstairs was the family room, dining room, laundry room, kitchen, and two bedrooms for the kids. They had a Jack-and-Jill bathroom between their rooms. I figured they could share since they had been doing it their entire lives.
Upstairs was the master bedroom, master bath, and a beautiful little office where I could work. It was loft style, so the office opened up to the family room below. I walked through the house slowly, taking it all in. The kitchen was my absolute favorite. It was the only room in the house that didn’t have hardwood floors. Instead, it had beautiful gray and white marble floors which set the tone for the comfort in the room. The gray granite countertops and white cabinets gave it a warm, welcoming feel. I couldn’t wait to cook on the gas stove. I loved to cook, so having a kitchen that I loved was important to me.
There was a door at the back of the kitchen to the back yard, which had a wooden deck that I could envision get-togethers on. Bougainvillea surrounded the perimeter of the yard and the magenta blooms were out in full force.
I smiled and hugged myself, then whispered, “You’re home.”
The day went by in a complete blur. Furniture trucks showed up, set up, and left in record time. Jen helped me unpack and get everything organized, although I wouldn’t let her touch the kitchen. I was saving that for me. We made beds, set up bathrooms, and rearranged furniture until I was happy and then collapsed on the couch when we couldn’t move another muscle.
“Ready for a glass of wine?”
“I thought you’d never ask. But I have something better.”
She got up and went to the kitchen. When she came back, she had two champagne glasses and a bottle of Veuve.
“This calls for a toast and a celebration,” she said as she popped the cork.
She handed me a glass and said, “To new beginnings, my friend. You deserve all that you desire.”
“To new beginnings.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as we sipped our champagne. We sat in comfortable silence, taking in our surroundings.
“This place really suits you, Kate. I know you are going to be happy here.”
“I actually believe that, Jen. I’m so ready for this next chapter.”
Derrick picked Jen up at eight. We downed the entire bottle of champagne and giggled throughout the course of the night. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without her support and was forever grateful. When Jen left, I walked through my new home, taking it all in. At night, when I was by myself, Ryan was always at the forefront of my thoughts. I wondered what he was doing, if he missed me, if he’d already met someone else.
My heart hurt when I thought of him. Funny how my heart ached and longed for Ryan yet didn’t for Daniel. I mostly felt sadness when I thought of Daniel, but no ache or longing. I was sad for what we had lost, for how we got to this point, but there wasn’t a part of me that wanted to try with him anymore. Ryan had showed me so much in that one short week we were together. I knew I wanted more than what Daniel could ever give me.
I was glad I’d deleted Ryan’s number from my phone. In my bubbly, champagne state of mind, I would have liked nothing more than to call him and hear his voice. But I had resolved to let him go. He didn’t need someone like me complicating his life. It wouldn’t be fair to him. I had so much to work through and a divorce to get through and didn’t know how long it would take to divorce Daniel. I hoped that, after our dinner together, he would be more amicable toward the divorce.
My only fear was when it came to money. Daniel loved money, and for him to have to part with any of it would be difficult. He didn’t like to lose. I knew he would fight hard to keep his money. Part of me wondered if I should simply let him have it all. I could figure out a way to make it on my own. Yet, the other part of me knew I was entitled to half. We, at one time, had been a team, a unit. We had built this life together, regardless of what Daniel thought. He didn’t do it on his own. I supported him wholeheartedly so he could build his dream of becoming district attorney.
“Enough, Kate,” I whispered out loud.
I made my way upstairs to my bedroom after I locked the house up. It seemed weird to be in this place all by myself. I showered and got ready for bed, enjoying what was now mine. I worried about the kids’ reactions to our divorce, but I had a few weeks before they would be home for break. It would give me time to settle in and see where Daniel would take the divorce. I hoped the gentle side of him would come out for this, so that we could get through it quickly and amicably. I knew that part of him still existed. I’d seen it the other night at dinner. I just hoped it showed up when it came down to it.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I waited for Jen at Caramel. It was our go-to spot to meet and have drinks, and I couldn’t wait to see her and catch up. It had been about a month since I had seen her.
“Hey there, my friend,” she said as she hugged me.
“Oh, Jen! I’m so happy to see you!”
“I know—how long has it been?”
“A freaking month! Can you believe that?”
“Well, yes, I actually can. Miss big-time photographer has been so busy, she doesn’t have time for her friend anymore.”
“Oh, shut up. You know that’s not true. But yes, I am so busy with bookings. Sometimes, I wonder how this is my life. Can you believe it’s been a year since I walked in on Daniel cheating on me, Jen?”
“I know. It seems like a lifetime ago, yet it also seems like yesterday. Weird, right?”
“Same for me. I can’t believe he was so amicable with the divorce. BTW, I signed the papers two weeks ago, so it’s official. We’re divorced.”
“I’m so glad he didn’t fight you! I’m glad he came to his senses and let you go. How are the kids?”
“You know, they’re really doing well. Of course, the shock of everything has worn off by now. They’ve settled into their new normal. We’ll spend the holidays as a family this year. Daniel and I thought it would be best for them. I’m okay with it, too. I think if he and I can remain friends for the kids, it will make their transition so much easier.”
“I agree. You look happy, my friend. Truly happy. Tell me what’s been going on. I hear rave reviews about my hotshot photographer best friend.”
I giggled. “You have, have you? Well, things have been going amazingly well! I absolutely adore what I do. I get out of bed every morning excited for the day. I feel as though I have a sense of purpose that I didn’t have before. Captured has become my life. Did I tell you I leave next week for Charleston? I’m shooting a destination wedding up there for a client. It’ll be beautiful.”
“Charleston, huh? Are you going to stop by Beaufort and visit a certain handsome, hot man called Ryan?”
“Oh, come on, Jen. That was a long time ago. I’m sure he’s forgotten about me by now. If he really wanted me, he would have tried to reach out in the last year. I let him go a long time ago.” “Mmmm hm
mmm.”
“Seriously, Jen. It was amazing for that week, but we are miles apart and my life is so different now. I’m sure he’s met someone and has fallen madly in love.”
“Whatever you say, friend.”
“Listen, I did the right thing, letting him go. I had to figure out who I was on my own. It wouldn’t have been fair to drag him through this year with me. He deserved better than that. My heart still aches for him. When I close my eyes at night I see him so clearly. I see our time together. I play it over and over again in my mind. But that’s the extent of it, Jen. He deserves to be free of me.”
Jen, of course, disagreed with me. She thought I should try to touch base with him. I didn’t feel it would be right after all this time. I had chosen to let him go when I returned home to Tampa last year. He deserved to have a life free of a wounded woman who barely knew herself. Yes, my heart ached for him. When I thought of him, tears were always close to the surface, but I had my life now. I was as happy as I could be. I had built Captured up to be the ‘who to call’ for special event photos. It kept me deliriously busy. I adored what I did, adored my clients, and felt for the first time in my life that I had something that was solely mine.
Jen and I spent the next few hours catching up on kids, work, dreams, and planned to get a girls’ weekend in before the holidays started.
“Let’s head to the beach the weekend after I get back from Charleston. I don’t have anything booked that weekend because I know I’ll need a little break before the holidays start.”
“Done,” said Jen, “I’ll book us a room at the Sand Pearl. It will be a weekend of pampering for just us girls. I’ll book us a massage and facial, too.”
“Sounds perfect! I can’t wait.” We hugged tightly as we said our goodbyes.
“I’m happy for you, friend. It’s the first time in a long time I’ve seen you glow.”
“Thanks, Jen. I couldn’t have gotten through this year without you. You are my rock.”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Hey, no crying. I’ve seen too many of your tears this last year,” she teased.
“These are happy tears!”
We both laughed, hugged again, and got into our cars.
As I drove home, I went over the last year in my mind. Telling the kids was awful. They both cried, got mad, yelled, and then eventually accepted. Daniel actually came around throughout the divorce and surprised me. At first, he was a complete asshole. I’m not sure what changed for him, but he finally came to a place where we could settle amicably. Maybe he figured out he was happier divorced, too. I don’t know what it was, but we actually came out of our divorce as friends. We decided putting the kids first should be at the forefront of our lives and whatever differences we had needed to be put to the side for their sakes.
So far, it was working. I could actually call him a friend. Daniel kept the house and I still rented my little bungalow in South Tampa. My landlord extended the lease for three more months until I decided on what I wanted to do. I had the option of signing another year lease with him, but I was considering buying something that could actually be mine. I had Lisa looking around at places I could buy, so if something caught my eye, I had the option to jump on it. Life was good right now. I was as happy as I could be, even though my heart continued to long and ache for Ryan.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Today was the day I was leaving for Charleston. The wedding was on Saturday, but I wanted a few days to get acclimated and walk the venue so I could be prepared for the big day. The client was actually the bride’s dad, who was a big-wig financial planner in Tampa. Derrick had referred me to him and I was forever grateful. I was a bit intimidated when I found out who Tom actually was, but upon meeting him, he was one of the most pleasant and humble human beings I had ever met. He and his wife, Tonya, adored their little girl, Madison, so nothing was too good for her.
Madison was marrying one of Tom’s employee’s, Michael. He had been with Tom’s company for ten years, having moved to the Tampa office a few years before. He and Madison met at one of the company’s events and hit it off immediately. They had been together ever since. Madison was lovely in every way. She knew what she wanted for her wedding and set the vision that I could totally see in my mind’s eye. I was looking forward to capturing the entire wedding with the vision she had in mind.
The ride to Charleston brought up a lot of memories from a year ago. Leaving hysterically after catching Daniel cheating, crying like a leaky faucet daily, meeting Ryan at The Pub, the scrumptious week I spent with him, discovering a side of me I hadn’t known existed, painfully saying goodbye to him when my time was up. God, saying goodbye to him was worse than saying goodbye to Daniel. I hadn’t wanted to leave him. He made me feel alive again. He made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. Most of all, he made me feel wanted.
I turned up Taylor Swift’s “Begin Again” and decided then and there that it was time for me to begin again in the dating world. I knew exactly what I wanted and exactly what I didn’t want. One of the things I didn’t want was to be alone forever. I had grown so much in this past year, I was ready to open my heart again to love. I just didn’t know if anyone could replace what I felt for Ryan.
I pulled up to the hotel at six p.m. Tom had reserved a suite for me at the Belmond Charleston Place. I tried to decline, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Nothing was too good for his little girl, and he wanted the photographer of the wedding to have a nice place to stay. I thanked him and told him my plan of arriving on Thursday night. He made all the arrangements and even had me checking out on Tuesday morning so I could have a few days in Charleston to myself. He also booked a spa day for me on Sunday so that I could “relax and rejuvenate” after the wedding on Saturday. Such a thoughtful man.
The Belmond was luxurious, and my suite was to die for. From the grey suede sofa in the living room to the Italian Marble bathroom, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I plopped myself down on the king-size bed and stared at the ceiling.
“You’ve come a long way, Kate Jones. You should be proud of yourself.”
I made arrangements to have dinner in my room. I wanted a good night’s sleep before I set off for the venue tomorrow. The following evening was the rehearsal dinner, and Tom had requested I be there for that as well.
The following day, I spent the morning at the William Aiken house, taking it all in. What a venue. It was absolutely breathtaking. I knew the pictures I captured would be magnificent, and I couldn’t wait for the wedding tomorrow. Madison would be exquisite. The personnel at the venue went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed for the wedding. They walked me around and showed me everything I needed to know.
I headed to the venue for the rehearsal dinner, Cannon Green. The restaurant was as lovely and welcoming as the event venue itself. The dinner would host fifty guests, the wedding over three hundred. Again, no expense was spared for this occasion. Madison was their only child, so they were going big for this one-time event. Having seen both venues, I made my way to the marina. I wasn’t sure know why I went there. I knew it would be painful, but I was drawn to it. I stood there for a long time, looking out on the water, remembering my time with Ryan. God, thinking about him made my heart ache. I so desperately wanted to touch him again. I wanted to feel his touch on my body. Just the thought of it made my skin warm.
“That’s done and over with, Kate. You need to get a hold of yourself,” I said aloud.
If I let them, tears would fall. I couldn’t afford to fall apart right now. I had a wedding weekend to shoot. They didn’t need their photographer a complete mess for the affair.
The weekend went off without a hitch. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I knew the pictures would capture the essence of all the love the couple were surrounded with all weekend. Madison herself was a sight to behold, so lovely walking down the aisle. Tom had a hard time keeping it together when he handed her over to the groom. It was sweet. I could see Daniel do
ing the same when it came time for Camryn to marry. She was, and always would be, Daddy’s little girl. The wedding wrapped up around eleven. Madison and Michael would leave for Santorini the following evening. Tom came over and thanked me as I was wrapping up.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve captured, Kate.”
“I think you’re going to be very pleased, Tom.”
“I’m sure I will be. Thank you for coming all this way. I know it took a lot of time away from your business.”
“Nonsense, this is my business. I absolutely adored my time with your family. They made my job easy.”
“Thanks again, Kate. Enjoy your next few days in Charleston.”
“I am definitely going to. Thank you for extending my time here. You didn’t have to.”
“I know, but I wanted to. So enjoy and don’t think any more about it. I have it all taken care of.”
I gave Tom a big hug.
“Thank you again.”
The next morning, I woke up late. The weekend must have taken its toll on me. I never slept past seven, but it was nine when I finally popped an eye open to look at the clock. With nowhere to be until eleven, I ordered room service and stayed in bed until it arrived. I finished breakfast, showered, and made my way down to spa.
“Ms. Jones?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Wonderful. If you’ll follow me, please.”
Beth escorted me to the locker room where I changed into my robe and slippers. I made my way to the luxurious waiting area so my massage therapist could find me when ready. I sat looking out the large bay windows. The day was beautiful. I was looking forward to exploring the city later today. The door to the waiting area opened. As I turned my head, I expected to see my massage therapist come through the door. Instead, I looked into those blue eyes I missed so much.
Wanted (The Dare to Dream Series Book 1) Page 11