CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Indiana
Meg has spent the whole week at my house, only going home to her parents’ at night to sleep. I’m worried about her. The last few days she seems withdrawn. I’ve asked her if she’s okay, but she keeps telling me she’s fine. She’s not fine, and I intend to get to the bottom of it when she comes over this morning.
I have all my things packed up for the move. I only have the last-minute things to do tomorrow morning. Carter is coming down, so I’ll have his car. Dad is driving mine and Elizabeth is going to follow us in hers, so it should only take one trip. I didn’t think I’d have so many boxes, but I do.
As much as I’m looking forward to moving in with Carter, I’m gonna miss my dad. He’s taken the next few days off work so we can spend some quality time together. I know I’ll only be two hours away, but I’m going to worry about him being here on his own. Sure he has Elizabeth living next door, but it’s not the same. It’s the only thing I’m struggling with. The only dampener on my big move.
I’m taping up yet another box containing more of my shoes when Meg arrives. Instantly I can tell she’s been crying. She looks like shit. “Hey,” I say standing and going to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replies, forcing out a fake smile. Nothing my arse. Grabbing her arm and leading her over towards my bed, we sit.
“Spill.” Instead of telling me what’s going on, she places her hands over her face and starts sobbing. “Hey,” I say softly, wrapping her in my arms. “Talk to me.”
“I’m okay,” she eventually replies, pulling away and wiping her eyes. Lying bitch. I raise my hand and pinch her arm. “Ouch,” she whines, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“You’ve got three seconds to tell me what the hell is going on.” It hurts me to see her like this. She’s usually so happy-go-lucky. I raise my hand, ready to pinch her again. “One.” God, I’m counting. I sound like friggin’ Carter. “Two.”
“I’m just sad, that’s all,” she answers, pushing my hand down.
“No shit. Why?” I ask, grasping my fingers around hers. “Are you homesick?”
“Huh,” she scoffs. “What home? I’ve had over fifteen in the past two years.” I squeeze her hand. I know moving around has been hard for her.
“Do you miss Drew?”
“Of course I miss him,” she says, tears rising to her eyes again.
“Well go to him. As much as I’ve loved having you home, you belong with your husband.”
“I told him last night I’m not coming back,” she admits as the tears stream down her face. Far out.
“What? Why?” I ask concerned and extremely shocked. I had no idea she was feeling like this. I wrap her in my arms.
“As much as I love him, Indi, I can’t live like that anymore. Coming home to Australia has made me see just how unhappy I am living over there. Every time we get settled, we up and move again. I can’t even leave the damn house without a friggin’ interpreter, because most of the countries we’ve lived in don’t speak English. I’m lonely. He’s gone most of the time. I just can’t do it anymore.” My embrace on her tightens when she starts to sob again. I’ve never seen her this upset before.
“Have you thought about starting a family? Maybe that will help fill in some of your time. Maybe then you won’t feel so lonely.”
“Drew said the same thing, but it wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into the world when we don’t even have a stable home.”
“Oh, Meg,” I say, sadness lining my voice. “Are you really prepared to throw away everything you have with Drew?”
“I can’t go back, Indi. I just can’t.”
“What did Drew say? Can he find another job?” I ask. I understand how she feels, but I can’t help feeling that she’s making a huge mistake.
“He was devastated. But he loves his job, I’d never ask him to leave it for me.” I continue to hold her why she cries. I don’t know what else I can do. Running may not be the answer, but I need to support her on this. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for her to make. I pray that they can come to some agreement. They’re perfect for each other.
A while later, my dad takes us both out for lunch. Neither of us are great company though. Megan is clearly broken by her decision, and I’m not only worried, but I’m hurting for her too. I’m not sure if I can leave her when she’s like this. I may need to call Carter and put the move off for a few more days. She needs me.
“Wanna stay over tonight?” I ask later that night when we’re lying on my bed. “We could have a slumber party like old times.” I don’t want her to be alone.
“I guess,” she shrugs.
“Things have a way of working themselves out, Meg,” I say reassuringly, reaching for her hand as we lie side by side on my bed staring up at the roof. “Look at Carter and I. Who would’ve thought we’d be where we are today?”
“I’m glad things worked out for you both,” she replies.
“Things will work out for you and Drew too, you wait and see.”
“Thanks, babe. I hope so.”
And I was right. We didn’t have to wait long at all. Five minutes after I said that to her, my dad knocks on my bedroom door.
“Megan,” he says, popping his head around the door. “You have a visitor.” We both sit up just as the door pushes open all the way, and Drew waltzes in. Yes, I silently chant.
“Oh my God,” Meg squeals, leaping off the bed and into his arms. “What are you doing here?”
“I quit my job,” he replies, pulling her into a crushing embrace. I can tell by the dark circles under his eyes he’s been suffering too. My heart goes out to both of them.
“What? No!” Stepping back to make eye contact with him, she continues, “You loved that job.”
“I love you more,” is all he says.
“But—”
“No buts,” he interrupts, cutting her off. “I can always find another job, but you my love, are irreplaceable.” He tenderly caresses the back of his hand down the side of Meg’s face before placing his lips against hers. Awww. Tears well in my eyes as I watch them together. I’m so glad things worked themselves out.
••••
Carter arrives early Sunday morning. He was originally going to come Saturday night, but he still had some last-minute work to do at the apartment. God, I’ve missed him. As soon as I hear his car pull up in the driveway, I run outside to greet him. I’m still in my pyjamas, but I don’t care.
I jump off the front porch and bolt across the lawn as he’s getting out of the car. As soon as I’m close enough, I launch myself into his arms. “Fuck I’ve missed you,” he breathes into the crook of my neck as he wraps his arms around me tight.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“Let me look at you?” he asks placing me back on the ground. I smile up at him as he cups my face in his hands. “There’s my girl. I’ve missed your pretty face. It’s so good to see you’ve got your colour back.” My dad said the same thing yesterday. I even noticed how pale my skin was during treatment.
Before I get a chance to reply, his mouth covers mine. I’ve missed his kisses. He groans into my mouth when I deepen the kiss. When we finally come up for air, he rests his forehead against mine. “I can’t wait to get you home.”
That makes two of us.
••••
A few hours later we’re on the road. Well, Carter and I are. My dad and Elizabeth are going to leave in a few hours to give Carter and I a little alone time. They’re picking up Carter’s grandmother on the way. I can’t wait to meet her. We’re expecting them around midday, so Carter is going to take us all out for lunch when they arrive. The three of them are going to stay over tonight, and since my car will be staying up here, my dad will travel home with Elizabeth tomorrow.
Carter and I talk the whole drive. It’s so good to be together again. I fill him in on everything that happened with Meg, and he tells me all about the renovations. I can’t wait to see the new apartment. “I was thinking, while I look around for a job, I might see if there are any animal shelters in the area. I could volunteer.” Carter reaches for my hand, bringing it up to his lips.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding a job,” he says smiling. I’m glad he’s so confident. I’ve been so busy with Meg and packing I never got a chance to research how many veterinarian clinics there are in the area.
I’m excited to go upstairs when we pull up outside the tattoo parlour. As usual, Carter comes around to open my door. I love how sweet he is. After helping me out, he pulls me into his arms, planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“I need you to close your eyes,” he says.
“What, now? Shouldn’t I wait until we get upstairs?”
“Just close them. I need to show you something down here first.” What is he up to? He has that smug look on his face that has me instantly suspicious. Fine. I’ll go along with it. I close my eyes as he reaches for my arm and places his other hand on the small of my back, guiding me onto the sidewalk. “No peeking.” Peeking at what? I presume he wants to show me something inside the tattoo parlour, but he leads me in the opposite direction. Suddenly he stops walking. Moving around behind me, he tilts my head back so my face is looking up. What in the hell is he up to? “Open your eyes,” he whispers.
I do as he asks. When I see what he wants to show me, I gasp. “Oh. My. God. Carter, you didn’t,” I say turning to face him.
“I did,” he replies. “I was right when I said you wouldn’t have any trouble finding a job.” Throwing myself into his arms I bury my face in his chest and start to cry; tears of shock, tears of happiness, tears for Lassie. “Don’t you like it?”
“I friggin’ love it.” I stand back to look up at him. I smile widely through my tears. “I’m just overwhelmed.” He kisses my forehead before turning me in his arms so I’m facing the shopfront again. There’s a sign in the window that says ‘opening soon’. His hands wrap around my waist as his chin rests on my shoulder. I can’t believe he would do this for me. Again, I look up at the large sign that’s spread across the whole front of the building. ‘Lassie’s Veterinarian Clinic’. It even has a picture of him on the side.
“Do you want to take a look inside?” he asks. Do I ever.
“Please. I’d love to.” He laces his fingers through mine as we walk towards the door.
“Here you go,” he says passing the keys to me. “It’s yours, so you should do the honours.” After I take the keys from him, I slink my arms around his neck and pull his face down towards mine.
“What did I ever do to deserve someone so wonderful?” I ask, brushing my lips against his. He chuckles at my question.
“You annoyed the crap out of me until I fell in love with you.”
“I did not,” I screech, pinching his arm.
“Ouch,” he says laughing, rubbing his bicep. “Your fingers are lethal.”
“I’m sorry,” I reply, planting a soft kiss where I’d pinched him.
“My dick hurts too, will you kiss that better?” I narrow my eyes at him when he grabs hold of his crotch, and we both laugh.
“Nice try.”
“Well you’ve gotta give me ten points for trying,” he says putting his hand on the small of my back and leading me inside. I’ll gladly kiss his dick after the tour, but I’m not telling him that.
You can smell the fresh paint when we enter. The walls are painted in a soft lemon. The floor tiles are white. There’s a long white reception counter on one side, and a row of white chairs along the floor to ceiling window at the front of the reception area. A green indoor palm tree sits in one corner in a tall white ceramic pot. It looks so clean, so fresh. I love it.
My eyes dart everywhere while Carter moves to disable the alarm. “The code is two thousand and ten,” he says coming to stand beside me again. “Just like my shop. It was a very important year.”
“It was?” My mind starts to race. What was so important in two thousand and ten?
“It was the year my life changed for the better. It was the year I met you,” he says leaning down to kiss the top of my head. Awww. He says the sweetest things sometimes.
Grabbing hold of my trembling hand, he leads me through to the back. There are two large examination rooms. They’re both identical. It makes me think of the pissy little room I had when I worked for Mark. This place shits all over his. Both rooms are complete with stainless steel examination tables in the centre of the room, and white custom-made benchtops running the whole length of the far wall. It has drawers and cupboards for storing supplies and equipment in.
“I know the walls are bare, but I wanted you to be able to add your own touch. I’ve just set you up with the basics.”
“It’s perfect,” I say squeezing his hand. I’m still in shock that he has done this for me, but I’m beaming as he shows me around. We move further down the corridor until we come to a larger room. It’s completely decked out for surgery, with two large stainless steel operating tables in the centre of the room. I’m flabbergasted. Lost for words. This would’ve cost him a fortune to set up. How he managed to do this in a little over a week amazes me. “I love you,” I tell him, sliding my hand around his waist and resting my head on his arm.
Eventually leaving his side I walk around the room, skimming my hands over everything. I can’t wait to get this place up and running. Adjacent to the room is a door that leads to the recovery area. There are cages stacked three high, lining both walls. This will be not only for the animals that have to stay after surgery, but any sick animals that need to be here for observation or treatment overnight. Living upstairs is going to make keeping an eye on them so much easier.
“Oh, Carter,” I say, throwing my arms around him when the tour is complete. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything, babe. I’m glad I could do this for you. I probably should confess. I did have an ulterior motive.”
“You did?” I ask.
“Yes. This was my way of guaranteeing you’d stay up here with me,” he says smiling sheepishly.
“Well I hate to tell you, but you wasted your money because I would’ve stayed regardless. You’re stuck with me Mr. Reynolds.”
“Damn,” he says, and we both laugh. “I’ve organised a rep to come meet with you on Wednesday so you can stock up on the supplies you’re gonna need before you open.”
“You’re amazing,” I reply placing my lips on his.
“I know.”
“And extremely modest,” I add, kissing him again.
“That too,” he chuckles.
“And all mine.”
“You better believe it, baby,” he says.
Next we head upstairs so I can see the renovations he’s made to the apartment. “Wow,” is all I say when we first enter. I can’t believe how much bigger it looks. They’ve knocked down the majority of the wall that divided both buildings, opening the space right up.
“We have three bedrooms now. Our room has moved. I’ve even added an en-suite so our guest can use the main bathroom. Come, let me show you.” I can hear the excitement in his voice as he pulls me along. It’s infectious. I’m still on a high from downstairs. Of course he leads us straight to our new room.
“Wow,” I say when we walk in. The bedroom is now in what was the building next door. Carter has installed floor to ceiling windows in this part as well. Our new bedroom now has the same view of the ocean, like the lounge room does. It’s breathtaking. I’m not sure what is going to be better, waking up to Carter’s handsome face everyday, or the ocean.
As pretty as the ocean view is, I think Carter would have to win that one.
“As you can see I bought us a new bedroom suite. I put the old one in the spare room. Your drawers are over there,” he says pointing to the ones on the left. “Come look at the walk-in-robe I had built for you.” I’m smiling as he drags me across the room. I look back over my shoulder at my new room, trying to take it all in.
The suite he bought is so nice. There are two large, matching timber chest of drawers that are painted white, but the drawer fronts are finished in a dark timber stain with white handles to tie it all together. The bedside tables are the same. The bed is ginormous, so much bigger than the last one. The room is painted in a deep, musky, sky blue colour, still keeping its masculinity, but the large white mirror hanging on the far wall, the sheer white curtains, and white covers on the bed, soften the room. There is a large oval blue and white rug on the floor, and a few blue cushions on the bed that blend in with the wall colour. Honestly, I love it. He must’ve had some help decorating this room. Although masculine, it definitely has a feminine touch.
“Holy crap,” I screech when we round the corner to the walk-in-robe. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.” He chuckles at my comment.
“I knew you’d like this. Look, it even has little shelves for the ridiculous amount of shoes you own.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” I say, playfully elbowing him. “I’m a girl. Girls need a lot of shoes. It’s in our genetic makeup.” He rolls his eyes, but doesn’t respond. My eyes dart everywhere. This is one mother of a walk-in-robe. Carter already has some of his clothes hanging. “This is absolutely breathtaking.” I open my arms wide and twirl around in a circle. “I could seriously live in this space.” He laughs at my craziness.
“As long as you’re in bed with me every night, I don’t care how long you spend in here.” When I finish my little twirl I saunter over to him, reaching for the button of his jeans. “What are you doing?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Kissing your dick better. You said when we were downstairs it was hurting.” He growls when I say that.
“It only hurts because it’s been missing you.”
“Well maybe we need to get reacquainted,” I say, falling to my knees.
“Fuck, yes,” he hisses out through a clenched jaw as soon as I set his dick free. “First you need to reacquaint me with your mouth, then your pussy. I’ve missed your fucking pussy, babe.”
He groans when I slide his shaft between my lips. His fingers thread through my hair as he tilts his head back making a feral sound. I only get to work on him for a minute or so before he puts his hands under my arms and lifts me to my feet. “I need to be inside you now.” We don’t even make it back into the room. He has me stripped of my clothes in seconds before pinning me up against the wall. “Wrap your legs around me,” he commands, lifting me. In one swift move he impales me.
“Yes,” I moan when he pushes all the way in. I love the way he makes me feel when we’re connected like this. It’s like we become one. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too, baby,” he says before his mouth covers mine.