Wanted (The Dare to Dream Series Book 1)

by Jennifer Kittredge

  Oh, my God! I was really going to do this. I wouldn’t tell Ryan until I arrived in Beaufort. He’d probably think I was nuts, but I didn’t care. I was taking control of my life, taking control of how I wanted to feel, and how I wanted to feel was everything I felt when I was with Ryan.

  I made arrangements to have a meeting with Jillian Monday morning at my house. She came over at nine for coffee.

  “So, I have something to run by you, Jill,” I said.

  “You’re not firing me, are you? Please tell me you’re not firing me!”

  “No! Of course I’m not firing you. I’m going to move to Beaufort to be with Ryan.”

  “What? Oh, my God, Kate. I’m so happy for you! You finally came to your senses,” she said as she jumped up and hugged me.

  “Wow, was I that bad?”

  “Yes! You were that bad. Those of us who love you could see how unhappy you were without him, how unhappy you were even trying this long-distance thing. You need to be with him, Kate.”

  “I know. I finally realized that at the wedding this weekend. It all clicked as I watched them saying their vows.”

  “Wait…what does this mean for Captured? Are you going to shut it down and move it with you? Of course you are. What a silly question.”

  “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to keep Captured open here. I want you to run it. I’ll also open another branch in Beaufort, but I don’t want to let go of everything I’ve built here. I know you’ll do a fabulous job, if you’re up for it.”

  “Are you kidding me? Of course I’m up for it! Oh, Kate! This will be fabulous. Thank you for including me in your plans. I love you, you know that, right?”

  I laughed. “Yes, I know that. I want to spend the next few weeks getting everything in order for Captured with you. I think Matt is a great addition to the team. The both of you will be able to handle things on this end, with you in the lead. We don’t have anything big coming up until March. I can always fly back for that if I’m needed, but I don’t think I’ll be needed. You both are amazing photographers.”

  “I’m proud of you, Kate. I know this wasn’t easy for you, but you’re doing the right thing. Love always wins, as my mom always says.”

  “I think she’s right.”

  I lied to Ryan. I told him that an event came up so I wouldn’t be able to fly up as planned. I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

  “I’m sorry, Ryan. It’s a high-end client. He’s requesting that I be there on-site, even though Jillian and Matt are perfectly capable.”

  “I understand. I just miss you. I was looking forward to some time together.”

  “I miss you, too. We’ll have to reschedule. What’s your February looking like? Mine’s pretty quiet.”

  “I’ll have to look at my schedule. Tim’s taking some time off, a much-needed vacation after a hectic holiday season. He’s only asking for five days, so we should be able to work something out.”

  “Okay, throw some dates my way when you have a clearer plan.”

  “I will. I miss you, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual.”

  I felt terrible as we hung up, but that quickly faded when I remembered my plan. Soon, I would be with Ryan full-time. There’d be no more part-time, long-distance nonsense. I called Camryn.

  “Hey, Mom. How’s it going?”

  “Good, how are you, sweetness?”

  “Good. Carson and I are actually headed to dinner. We got sick of cafeteria food so we’re going out.”

  “Oh, you’re together?”

  “Yes, why? Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, everything fine. Could you put me on speaker? I need to talk with the both of you.”

  “Mom, you’re on bluetooth in the car. He can hear you.”

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hey, Carson.”

  “Mom, is everything okay?” he asked. “You sound a little strange.”

  “Yes, everything is fine. More than fine, actually.” I let out a slow breath. “I’ve decided to move to Beaufort with Ryan.”

  Long pause.

  “What?” They both gasped at the same time.

  “Well, I…”

  “Mom,” Camryn shrieked, “I’m so proud of you! When do you leave? Oh, my gGod, Carson. Can you believe she really did it? Mom, we never thought you would do it! No offense.”

  I laughed. “I really didn’t think I would do it, either, but I was at a wedding over the weekend and something just clicked for me as I watched the bride and groom say their vows.”

  “Mom, I’m really happy for you,” said Carson.

  “Me too, Mom. I know you’re doing the right thing.”

  “I love you guys, you know that, right? I’m not abandoning you, you know that too, right?

  “Mom! Stop it. Yes, we know that. We want you to go. This is your time. You’ve got to go for it. I bet Ryan is so excited. When do we get to meet him?”

  “Jesus, Camryn, give her a minute to get settled,” Carson said between his laughter.

  “Oh, shut up, Carson. You know you want to meet him just as badly as I do. I want to meet the man who stole Mom’s heart.”

  “You two are too much.” I laughed. “I haven’t told Ryan yet. I’m actually going to surprise him. I want to see his face when I tell him I’m staying forever.”

  “Awe, Mom. That’s the best plan ever!”

  Camryn had a flair for the dramatic. In this instance, I loved every minute of it. Just to have their support meant the world to me.

  “My plan is to leave in a few weeks, the last weekend of January to be exact. I’m keeping Captured opened in Tampa. Jillian will run it. I’m going to open a branch in Beaufort, as well. I’ll put my things in storage until I figure out my living situation in Beaufort. I can come collect them when I’m ready.”

  “You go, Mom,” said Carson.

  “Thanks, guys. I love you. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and Ryan’s reaction.”

  “We love you, too, Mom,” they said in unison.

  The support of my kids meant everything to me. I don’t think I could have made this jump without them nudging me and supporting me.

  I texted Jen to see if she wanted to meet for dinner the next night. I wanted to see her face when I dropped this bomb on her. She was going to lose it.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  I was meeting Jen at our usual jaunt. I arrived early, as always. She was ten minutes late, no surprise there. My friend was notoriously late for everything, so waiting for her had become the norm.

  “Hi, my friend,” she said as she hugged me. “I’m glad we could finally get together. You’ve been so busy with work, I thought I’d never see you again,” she chided.

  “Very funny, friend. But I know. This holiday season was something else. It was good, busy good, but I’m definitely looking forward to a slower pace for a little while.”

  “I bet. How’s Mr. Long Distance?”

  “Mr. Long Distance is doing just fine. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’ve broken it off and aren’t speaking to him again. Every time you do that, you’re a freakin’ mess.”

  “I didn’t break it off, Jen. I actually decided to move to Beaufort to be with him.”

  “Holy shit,” she yelled as she choked on her wine.

  “Shhhhhh, Jen. Geez, everyone’s looking at you.” Her face was priceless. I think that, for the first time ever, my friend was speechless.

  “Cat got your tongue?” I teased.

  “I’m just trying to process all of this. Holy shit, Kate. This is B-I-G. I mean, really big. When did you decide this? What changed?”

  “Over the weekend, I was shooting a wedding, and something clicked for me. It’s time.”

  “It’s about damn time, my friend,” she said as she stood and wrapped me in her arms. “I’m so proud of you. I bet Ryan is ecstatic.”

  “H
e doesn’t know yet.”

  “What? What do you mean, he doesn’t know?”

  “I going to surprise him, like I just did to you. The look on your face was priceless. It’s something I’ll never forget. I want to see Ryan’s face when I tell him I’m staying forever.”

  “I want to see his face when you tell him too, friend!”

  I laughed. “I bet you do. You’ll have to come up to meet him when I get settled. I know you’ll love him.”

  “All that matters is your happiness, friend. Seeing you happy after all this time makes my heart happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you happy. I love you, Kate. I’m glad you’re going after your life. I’m glad you’re choosing to live the life you desire.”

  “Thank you, Jen. I wouldn’t have gotten through this time without you. You helped me through the hardest time of my life. I’m going to miss you so much.” And cue tears. I really was a leaky faucet.

  She had tears in her eyes, too. “I’m going to miss the hell out of you.”

  We celebrated by drinking way too much wine. Derrick and his friend Adam came to pick us up so we wouldn’t have to drive home. It was totally worth it. Jen and I had so much fun celebrating, reminiscing, laughing, and crying with each other. Derrick took us back to my house, while his friend drove my car. We were a complete mess but totally didn’t care.

  “Thank you, my friend,” I said, hugging her hard.

  “Thank you, too, my friend. Now, go get on to the next chapter. Please. You’ve been in this one long enough.,” She laughed but hugged me for just a little longer.

  “I’ll see you before I leave, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Let’s go, ladies, it’s time for bed for the both of you. Kate, get into your house and lock the door so I know you’re safe,” said Derrick from inside the car.

  We both saluted him and fell into hysterics.

  “You two are quite the pair.”

  I made my way into the house, locked the door, and headed upstairs. My heart was happy. It would be hard saying goodbye to Jen and Derrick. They had been in my life constantly since the kids were little. It was funny how quickly life can change. If you had asked me two years ago if this was where I would be, I would have balked and said absolutely not. I always thought my life would be with Daniel. I thought he and I would grow old together, become grandparents together, and fill up the rest of our days traveling like we had always dreamed of. Now, I couldn’t imagine him in my life, except as the kids’ dad. My future was Ryan.

  The next morning, I woke with a slight headache. I popped two Advil, then headed downstairs for coffee. The headache was worth it. I’d had so much fun with Jen last night. I could handle a little headache. We had needed that girl time. Damn, I would miss that. She’d have to come visit so that we could have our girl time. I, of course, would stay with them when I came down for Captured. My hope was that Ryan could accompany me sometimes when I had to come back. I’d love for him to meet Jen and Derrick. I knew they would hit it off. Jen and Derrick had tolerated Daniel for my sake. In the beginning, they liked him, but as he turned into a money-grubbing manipulating asshole, their like for him waned.

  I called my landlord to let him know I would be leaving at the end of the month. I thanked him for being so patient with me and for allowing me to rent month-to-month. He thanked me for being such a wonderful tenant and wished me the best. My next task was to begin packing. I had some large bins in the storage shed out back that I could begin with. I packed up the kids’ rooms first. They really didn’t have anything personal there, so it was easy to get it all sorted and packed up. I made arrangements with movers to help me move everything into storage over the weekend. I’d stay with Jen and Derrick until I left.

  I spent the week packing, getting Captured settled with Jillian, and tying up other loose ends. The main thought that continually ran through my mind was ‘this is really happening.’ Ryan still had no idea. I felt jittery when I thought about it. What if he’d changed his mind? What if he got tired of waiting?

  “Knock it off, Kate,” I said out loud.

  That man adored me. He’d been waiting for me for over a year. It was time to stop making him wait. I decided to leave on Sunday. The movers would have everything moved into storage on Saturday. I’d stay with Jen that night, then head out early Sunday morning. I would be in Beaufort by mid-afternoon. My heart did somersaults when I thought about it. I hadn’t seen Ryan in over a month and a half. My heart ached for him. My body yearned for him.

  I had one last thing to do. I had to call Daniel. I didn’t know how he would receive the news, but I couldn’t leave without telling him. I picked up my phone and dialed his number.

  “Hello, Kate,” he said when he answered on his end.

  “Hey, Daniel, how are you?”

  “Good, good. Prepping for a trial, actually. What’s up?”

  “I need to talk with you. Is this a good time?”

  “Sure. I have a few minutes. Is everything okay, Kate? Are the kids okay?

  “Everything’s fine, Daniel. The kids are fine. I was calling to tell you I’m moving.”

  “That’s wonderful. You found a house, then.”

  “Um, not exactly. I’m moving out of Florida, Daniel. I’m moving to South Carolina.”

  You could have heard a pin drop.

  “Daniel? Are you there?”

  “Yes, I’m here. When did you decide this, Kate? Why South Carolina? What about the kids?”

  “The kids are fine, Daniel. They’re actually excited for me. It took me a long time to come to this decision, seeing as how my entire life has been here.”

  “So you pick South Carolina? I don’t understand.”

  “Daniel, I’ve met someone. I’m moving so I can be closer to him.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’m sorry if that’s hard to hear, but I wanted to be honest with you. You deserve the truth after all we’ve been through. Are you okay?”

  After a long pause he finally said, “I’m fine, Kate. Just processing. I’m happy for you. I really am. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see this coming, but you deserve to be happy. I hope he makes you happy.”

  “Thank you, Daniel. We’ll stay in touch. The kids already know. They’re happy for me, too.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ve got to run. Duty calls.”

  “Okay. Goodbye Daniel.”

  “Goodbye, Kate.”

  I knew that wasn’t easy for him, but I couldn’t leave without him knowing the truth. My heart felt a little sad for all that we had lost.

  Saturday night was spent out back on Jen’s patio. Derrick left us to ourselves, knowing it was our last girls’ night for quite some time.

  “I’m scared, friend,” I said, as I sipped my wine.

  “I know. This is a big step.”

  “It is. What if I’m making the wrong decision, Jen?”

  “Kate, what does your heart tell you? What do you feel?”

  “My heart tells me to go…actually it tells me to run to him, now. I feel excited. I feel exuberant. I feel truly happy for the first time in a really long time.”

  “Then you’re making the right decision, Kate.”

  “I am, aren’t I?’

  “You definitely are.”

  I squeezed her hand.

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  I was on the road by seven. Traffic was light since it was Sunday. So many thoughts raced through my mind as I drove the seven hours to Beaufort. I was nervous. I was excited. My palms were sweaty. I laughed out loud numerous times because I was so anxious. I knew he was working today, so I made arrangements with Susan to let me into his place. She didn’t know I was there for good, either. She merely thought I was surprising him with a visit. I met her at the inn at three.

  “Hey there, sweet girl,” she said as she drew me in her arms.

  “Hi, Susan. It’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s so good to see you, too. I
know someone else who’s going to be thrilled to see you.” She laughed.

  “You think so?”

  “I know so, darling. That boy is missing you something fierce. I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s going to be ecstatic when he walks through his front door and finds you behind it.”

  “I’m excited to see him, too. I’ve missed him.”

  “Well, let’s get this plan of yours in place. He’s getting off at four today, so you don’t have much time.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Susan and I walked over to Ryan’s apartment. She had gone grocery shopping for me so I could cook dinner for us. She even chilled the wine I had asked her to grab. Two dozen white roses sat on the counter.

  “Thank you, Susan. I couldn’t have pulled this off without you.”

  “I love surprises, Kate. I can’t wait to hear all about it tomorrow, if you two come up for air.” She winked at me, and I blushed.

  “We’re all grown adults here, sweet girl. I’m just happy my son has finally found someone who makes him happy. I’m going to get out of your hair so you can set up. Have fun.” She winked again as she walked out of the apartment. I absolutely adored that woman. I was thrilled when I found out she was actually Ryan’s mom.

  I had to get moving as I didn’t have much time. I wanted to take a quick shower before Ryan came home. Home…the thought made me smile. This would be my home. I jumped in the shower quickly and didn’t bother washing my hair—it was too long and thick and would take way too long to dry. I wrapped Ryan’s robe around me and went to the kitchen to grab the roses. I plucked all the petals off. I scattered the rose petals from the front door and down the hallway to Ryan’s bedroom. I lit candles throughout the apartment, made sure all the lights were off, grabbed two wine glasses, put the wine in an ice bucket, and made my way to the bedroom. The cozy space glowed softly with candlelight. I was so nervous.