“I was wrong to tell you I was when I really wasn’t.”
“Why did you?” Her voice trembled, and she refused to look at him.
He rolled his neck and a sigh escaped his lips. “It’s hard to explain.”
“It can’t be that hard.” She spat out the sentiment, but still didn’t look at him. “The words seemed to come easily that day.”
“I know.” He paused. This was the moment of truth. Erin could tell him to get lost or that she was leaving town immediately. But either way, she would make the decision with all the information he had withheld last time. “I saw the letter in your desk.”
“What letter?”
“Your resignation.”
Her head snapped around and her eyes locked on his, a storm brewing in their depths. “What? How?”
He raised his hands. “I wasn’t snooping, I swear. It was hanging out of your drawer that day when you went in the back to get Austin. I was tucking it back in and I saw it.”
“You read it?”
He lowered his eyes, shame flooding through him. He knew he shouldn’t have. And reading that letter put him on a course that led him here.
Her features relaxed and her head tilted like she was puzzling away at a mystery. “I’m confused. Can we go back? How did my letter make you tell me you were getting back together with Lindsay?”
“I’m sorry. I know this doesn’t make a lot of sense to you. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I thought it did at the time. But I was wrong.” He paused. It was really important that he get this right the first time. He didn’t want to drive her away again before he had a chance to make her understand. “Lindsay called me. She was back in town and wanted to talk, so we went out to dinner.”
“I know.”
Now it was his turn to be surprised. “You know? How?”
“I saw you. That night at Las Brisas. I was there with my dad and I saw you with her.”
He hung his head. That dinner was a disaster from start to finish. Knowing that Erin was there and drew the wrong conclusion was like a stab to his heart. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“You’re sorry? You hid it from me, telling me you had plans. You could have talked to me, told me she called you, told me what was going on. Instead, you kept things from me and lied to me.”
He had really screwed up. He saw that now. Everything she said was one hundred percent true. Hearing it come from her, it was no wonder she hadn’t sent him away when he first walked up. “Lindsay told me that night that she was miserable in LA. That she wanted to move back to Laguna Beach… and she wanted to get back together. I told her I had zero interest in getting back together with her, and that I was seeing someone else.”
“So then why did you break up with me?”
“When I came in the office the next day, I planned on telling you everything. About Lindsay. And how I felt about you.”
“But…”
“But then I found that letter in your desk. And I thought about all the times you told me about places you wanted to go and things you wanted to see. And the number of times you rubbed that tattoo on your wrist.”
She stilled her hands from doing exactly that.
“I couldn’t ask you to give up those dreams to stay here with me. As much as I wanted that, your happiness was more important.”
“So you lied?”
“I lied.”
She angled her body toward his. Her brows relaxed and a hint of a smile twitched at her lips. Finally, his words were sinking in. “You were never getting back together with Lindsay?”
His smile grew. “I was never getting back together with Lindsay.”
She leaned a bit closer to him. “Why didn’t you just ask me?”
His smile faltered. He wasn’t sure I’m an idiot was the right response, but that was the gist of it. “I didn’t want you to decide to stay here out of some sense of obligation. You’d done that your entire life. I wasn’t going to be another one of your regrets.”
She reached out, her soft hand stroking his arm. “I could never regret you.”
This was going so much better than he expected. But he still needed to lay it all on the line. To make it clear about his feelings and his hopes for the future. Then it would be up to her to decide if and how she wanted him in her life. “When you love someone, you need to do what’s best for them. Even if it’s not what you want.”
Her eyes widened. She sputtered. “Wait, what?”
“It’s not what I wanted.”
“No, before that.”
Jake locked his gaze on hers, his hands took her fingers in his gentle grip. “I love you, Erin.”
She covered her mouth with her other hand, tears running down her cheeks again.
“Please honey, don’t cry. I’m sorry I upset you.”
Her face brightened and even through the tears, there was a sparkle in the depths of her eyes. “You didn’t upset me. You love me?”
His grin grew even wider. “I love you. But I wasn’t going to trap you here in Laguna Beach when you wanted to be pursuing your dreams somewhere else.”
She closed her mouth and bit her lower lip. Maybe he’d jumped the gun. He didn’t care. She was listening and he’d explain himself over and over until she took him back… or told him to pound sand.
She finally released her lip. “I figured something out since we broke up.”
“What?”
“My dreams were never about feeling trapped in Laguna Beach. They were about feeling like I hadn’t had a chance at the life I’d always wanted. I thought I had stayed because of my father and my sister, but I was wrong. My father is doing so much better. He’s got a girlfriend.” Her voice was laced with shock and surprise as she said that. “My sister has a job. They’re both doing great. They don’t need me the way they used to anymore. I thought I was ready to leave. But I stared at that resignation letter every day for weeks and never turned it over to Austin. Do you know why it was still in my desk?”
“Why?”
“Because I couldn’t bring myself to hand it in. Because the life I always dreamed of wasn’t in some faraway place. It wasn’t a place at all, but a feeling. A feeling that I was where I was supposed to be. I’d never felt that before. Until you.”
His heart stuttered and then thumped a rapid beat. A smile broke across his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. My adventure is with you. You’re my dream life. I just hadn’t found you yet. Now that I have, I have everything I ever wanted.”
Jake grabbed her and pulled her to him, not wanting to wait a minute longer to have her in his arms. She snaked hers around his waist and melted into his body. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. Once. And then again. She met him willingly, her arms tightening around him as she pressed her lips firmly to his. She tasted of sunshine and fresh air and a promise of the future.
He broke the kiss and pressed his head to hers. He drew in a deep breath of the fragrance of Erin he’d come to love—strawberries and flowers and sweetness all wrapped up in a single package. He’d missed her scent, among many other things, during his time of stupidity, as he’d come to call it.
They both turned back to the ocean, pressed their cheeks against each other’s, and stared at the horizon. The warmth of the deep yellow sun swept over them as it sank down into the deep blue ocean as they were wrapped in each other’s arms.
Epilogue
“NO PEEKING.”
Erin giggled behind her hands. She spread her fingers, trying to see what Jake was doing, but his back was turned to her and he wasn’t giving her a clue.
Frankly, she didn’t care where they were going for their honeymoon. She just cared that they were married.
Her life had been a whirlwind since the day Jake found her on the beach and told her he loved her. It took a lot of talking but they finally got everything out in the open. Everything. Her dreams of travel, his hopes for a family. And once they laid it all on the table, it was easy for both
of them to see that what was most important was that they were together.
Three months later, Jake took her into the national park where they had their first date. They hiked up to the same plateau where they had fallen asleep. When they reached the top, Erin saw that Jake had already spread out a blanket and had a picnic laid out for them.
Once she was settled on the blanket, he dug around in the picnic basket, but he didn’t pull out any food. Instead, he took her hands in his and asked her to marry him.
Of course, she said yes.
A whirlwind six weeks later… and here they were. Married. Jake’s family had come to town and Erin had immediately fallen in love with them all. His sister Nicolle was fun and energetic and the love between the two of them was evident. His family, and hers, his business partner Ryan, and Austin and Abby, had joined them in the gazebo in Heisler Park where they declared their vows. Neither of them wanted a big, fancy wedding. What they wanted was to be married.
And now they were.
But Jake hadn’t told her where they were going on their honeymoon. He’d only told her what to pack and for how long but had been secretive about the other details.
But he couldn’t hold out any longer. Their bags were on the porch and in ten minutes, they’d be leaving for the airport. It was now or never.
“Okay, you can look now.”
When Erin opened her eyes, Jake was in front of her, an envelope extended in front of him. His eyes sparkled and a huge grin spread on his face like a kid at Christmas. She didn’t care where they went. All she wanted was to spend some time alone with Jake. But the fact that he was so happy had her excited to find out.
“Go ahead, open it up.”
She took the envelope, lifted the flap, and slid a pile of papers out. She unfolded them and inside she found… airline tickets.
To Paris.
And Rome.
Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened. She stared at the words for a moment longer and then lifted her head and her gaze locked with Jake’s.
His smile lit the room.
She leapt up and threw her arms around him. “It’s wonderful. I can’t believe you did this.”
“It’s not the entire world, but it’s a start.”
She leaned back so she could look him in the eye. “It’s perfect. But you’re wrong.”
He tilted his head and quirked his brow. “About what?”
“You have given me the entire world. I don’t care where we go, as long as we’re together. Because you’re my world.”
“And you’re mine.” Jake lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. He tasted of promise and love and she gave herself over to the man she loved.
* * *
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* * *
INTRODUCING THE SISTERS IN BLOOM SERIES
Sisters in Bloom is a series of clean and wholesome, standalone contemporary romances about four sisters, each born in a different season of the year and named for a flower of the season by their horticulturist mother. Raised by their grandmother after the death of their parents, each sister has blazed a different path in life. A baker and nurturer, a free spirit, a caregiver, a historian—the sisters each made a life for themselves in small-town Sanders Corner, North Carolina.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Callie’s Second Chance for Love. Click here to order Callie’s Second Chance for Love!
* * *
Chapter One
Callie Parker surveyed her bustling waiting room. It had been quiet just thirty minutes ago. This was supposed to be her lunch break, such as it was. Let’s see—six patients, average ten minutes a piece, and she had already burned through the hour. She sighed. While she loved taking care of her friends and neighbors in Sanders Corner, she couldn’t maintain this pace. Her own health, and family time with with her son, Ash, were suffering. This wasn’t the practice she planned on running when she went to medical school, but it was the hand she had been dealt and there wasn’t much she could do about that right now.
“Phyllis, can you send the next patient back to Room One?”
“Absolutely, Dr. Parker.” The gray-haired receptionist had been with the practice since long before Callie was born. She had graced that very spot for most of Doc Winters’ forty years. Callie was lucky Phyllis had chosen to stay on when Doc died four years ago. The older woman had become receptionist, billing expert, and all-around office manager in recent years as their needs grew. This office couldn’t get by without her.
Callie checked her watch and mentally counted the patients in the waiting room. At this rate, she wouldn’t be getting home for dinner, either. But she couldn’t turn away a neighbor who needed medical care, not when the closest full-service hospital was more than two hours away. So, like every other day, she would push through until the last patient had been treated.
But if she didn’t eat something soon, she was liable to pass out on one of those patients. That wasn’t the kind of doctor she wanted to be, either. There was probably a power bar tucked in her desk drawer. She could at least scarf that down before she saw the next patient.
She hurried down the hall and brushed past Emily, her nurse.
“Room Two is clear.”
“Thanks, Emily. Phyllis is bringing the next patient back to Room One.”
“Perfect. I’ll get a history and vitals.”
That would give Callie five minutes to relax and carb load before diving in again. Emily was a godsend, taking on more than she had signed on for since, until recently, they’d been unable to find another doctor willing to relocate to a small town in western North Carolina. If you weren’t from Sanders Corner, you wouldn’t even know where to find it on the map. Most young doctors were looking for a more high-profile position at a hospital in the city.
She couldn’t blame them. There were days that being anonymous to her patients had a certain appeal. But she loved her hometown where everyone smiled and waved when you walked by. And she loved raising her son here.
She made it to her office without further interruption, sank into her chair, and sighed as she laid her head back. There were more jam-packed days than not in any given week, and she couldn’t handle it. She had never planned to run this clinic alone—it had always been a shared dream.
But life had other plans.
Knock. Knock. Emily poked her head in. “Gilly Davis and her mom are ready in Room One.”
“Thanks.”
Callie snuck a power bar out of her top drawer and shoved a few bites of chocolate and toffee flavored goodness in her mouth as she hustled out of her office. She grabbed the clipboard out of the holder on the outside of the door, knocked, and stepped into the room. Gilly Davis, who wasn’t much older than Callie’s son, Ash, was sitting on the exam table clutching her arm. Her mom Mandie was perched on the edge of the guest chair, her brows furrowed and her hand resting on Gilly’s leg.
Callie cleared her throat.
Mandie leapt to her feet. “Oh, Dr. Parker. Thank goodness.”
Callie had never gotten used to her friends calling her by her title, even in a professional setting. She’d tried over and over to get them to call her Callie, but most insisted on the formality. She may have gone to medical school, but she was still one of them, regardless of her title. “What’s going on with Little Miss Gilly today?”
“She fell on the playground at school. Mrs. Chambers called me afterwards because Gilly wouldn’t stop crying. I dashed out of the diner and left Daisy in the lurch. John’s still out on his run so it’s just me right now.”
Gilly piped in, her face brightening. “Daddy’s going to be home in five days.”
Mandie had it rough, wrangling three kids while her husband John was on the road as a long-haul trucker. But despite their challenges, Callie envied her friend. She and John had married out of high school, and Callie wasn’t
sure she’d seen a more devoted couple. “That sounds great about your daddy. I’m sure he’ll be so happy to see you. How about you let me take a look at this arm, Gilly, and we’ll fix you right up?”
Thankfully, Gilly’s wrist was only sprained, and a few minutes later, Callie had wrapped her in a flexible bandage and strapped her into a brace.
“This means no climbing on the jungle gym for at least two weeks, young lady.”
The smile fell from Gilly’s face. Callie knew how Ash would feel if he were in the same position. He’d be sulking, just like this little girl. That gave Callie an idea. She whipped out her phone and dashed off a text to Holly. Her sister responded immediately, and Callie smiled, sliding her phone back into her pocket.
“Maybe this will make it a little better. Stop by One More Page. Holly has set the newest Charlie Jensen, Girl Detective aside for you. My treat.”
Mandie’s lips flattened into a straight line. Mandie and John struggled, like many of the residents of Sanders Corner, but this was something Callie could do for Gilly.
It wasn’t the first time, and wouldn’t be the last, that one of her patients needed a hand up. Callie laid her hand on Mandie’s arm and smiled.
The woman finally sighed. “I don’t know how to thank you. Gilly loves those books and we just don’t get to the library in Libertyville that often.”
“You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure.” Callie escorted the Davises out of the exam room with reminders to return in two weeks if Gilly’s wrist didn’t feel better. Helping others was why Callie had gone into medicine, and helping her friends made her decision that much more fulfilling.
She reached the front desk to find Emily leaning casually against the counter, chatting with a young man Callie didn’t recognize.
Callie cleared her throat, and Emily stiffened. “Oh, sorry, Dr. Parker. Did you need something?”
Callie raised her eyebrows and stepped away from the desk. It wasn’t Emily’s fault that there were more patients than hours in the day. It was hard for Callie to remember that she’d been that young once, too. Her responsibilities made her feel a lot older than her thirty-two years.
Built To Last (Sweet Contemporary Romance) Page 11