CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - DEAN
Caroline was finally released from the hospital and my plans were finally in place. She arrived at her parent’s house early that morning, her father called me on the way to let me know they made it safely. I wanted to drive her myself but her dad insisted. As worried as I was, I didn’t want to stand in the way of their relationship. Ever since her surgery, things had begun to improve between them. Caroline’s mom wasn’t around much but at least her dad was finally stepping up.
As I finalized a few things, my heart began to pound in my chest. After a week of preparations, I was finally able to tell Caroline everything. Now that she was home and on the mend, it was the perfect time. My excitement was overwhelming as I tucked the package in my pocket and hurried toward the front door.
“Where are you running off to?” Mom asked before I could leave.
“I need to see Caroline,” I said. “She just got home.”
“Okay,” Mom said, smiling. “Give her a hug for me.”
“I will.” I promised.
I left feeling lighter than I’d felt in years. My mom’s presence in my childhood home no longer worried me. After my brother’s surgery, she’d been sober for an entire week. I knew the process was a long one and I was prepared for her to slip off the wagon again but something felt different now. It was like life had been breathed back into her. She was no longer a zombie, walking around without any true sense of purpose.
She seemed awake for the first time in years, ready to start over. I hoped it would last and I had faith that it would. She’d been by Daniel’s side almost every second of this recovery. He was healing quickly and with the healthy kidney, his body was bouncing back faster than ever. He too had a new lease on life. He wanted to be healthy and not take Caroline’s gift for granted.
My family was finally coming together and that, more than anything, propelled me forward as I drove to Caroline’s house. I was anxious to see her, to hold her and kiss her again. In the hospital, we hadn’t had any time to ourselves. Instead, she spent every second healing. Now that she was home, I was desperate for a little alone time.
It wasn’t about sex. God, I hadn’t even thought about that in a full week. All I wanted was to see her face, to kiss her lips, and feel her body against mine. She was home. Safe and healing. Everything worked out exactly how she said it would and now, I wanted to celebrate. I knew I would never be able to thank her for the gift she gave my brother but I was desperate to try.
When I pulled up to the front gate and punched in the number, I felt my palms begin to sweat. I didn’t know why I was nervous. My news was good news. Caroline would be thrilled and I would be even happier. From here on out, our lives were going to be amazing.
I parked my car and jumped out, patting my pocket to make sure the package was still safely tucked away. As I knocked on the front door, I heard footsteps hurrying forward.
“Dean,” Mr. Michaelson said. “Come on in.”
“Thank you,” I said, stepping over the threshold.
“She’s in the living room,” he said. “She’s just resting on the couch.”
I nodded and hurried forward. Walking through the marble entryway felt like a dream. I hadn’t been back in this house since that summer seven years ago. Things were so different back then. I was so different.
My entire outlook on life was grim. I never imagined a time when I would leave this town and now, after years of hard work, I could go wherever I wanted. It was funny how I no longer wanted to leave. My work was in Atlanta but I ran the damn company, I could move it wherever I wanted.
With that thought in mind and a grin on my face, I stepped into the living room. Caroline was laid back on the couch, her eyes focused on the television and a distant look on her face. When she saw me, she sat up quickly, wincing slightly, and motioned for me to join her.
“Don’t get up,” I said with concern. “You’re still healing.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just a bit sore. I’m glad you’re here.”
I smiled and brushed my lips against hers. She grabbed me just as I was about to pull away and held me to her, kissing me long and full of meaning. I immediately felt my dick twitch but I shoved down my desire and pulled away. There were more important things for us to do right now.
“Where are you going?” She pouted. “I haven’t been able to get you alone all week.”
“I know,” I said, laughing softly. “But right now, isn’t the time. Besides, you can’t even do that yet. Doctor’s orders.”
“Screw the doctors,” she said, huffing and crossing her arms across her chest. She looked adorable, laying back against the couch cushions and pouting. I wanted to kiss her again but I knew I had to remain focused. I’d been planning this moment for a long time and I wouldn’t let it slip through my fingers.
“Listen,” I said softly. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while now. First of all, thank you.”
“For what?” she asked.
“Saving my brother’s life,” I said.
She rolled her eyes and said, “Enough of that. You don’t need to keep thanking me.”
“I do,” I said seriously. “What you did is more amazing than you’ll ever know. Because of you, my family is together and whole. That’s a huge gift, Caroline.”
“I was happy to do it,” she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am that I came home,” I said. “When I left town, I really never thought I would be back. They released me from prison and I just ran as far and as fast as I could. I threw myself into my work and never once looked back. Except, when I thought about you. There wasn’t a single second of the past seven years when you didn’t cross my mind, Caroline. I never stopped loving you.”
She smiled and wiped her eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing. I smiled back at her and kept going.
“You mean everything to me,” I said. “And I’ve been trying to think of a way to show you that. It took me a while but I think I’ve finally figure out how.”
She frowned and watched as I pulled the package out of my pocket. I unwrapped it slowly, letting the key dangle from my fingers. She frowned deeper and reached out her hand to take it.
“What is it for?” she asked.
“That key is to your art gallery,” I said simply.
Her eyes flashed and her mouth fell open. She stared at me in shock, unable to speak. I just laughed and kissed her lips before I explained.
“Stephanie told me everything,” I said. “About your dream to open the art gallery and café. I thought it was brilliant the minute I heard it. I bought you a space. It’s not far from here but I think the location is perfect because it’s right around the corner from my new office.”
“From your new office?” she stammered.
“Yup,” I said, nodding with excitement. “I rented a place earlier this week and my company is moving everything here next week. The job sites can run without me and I can organize everything from here. We’ll open up a few new jobs in Austin to keep me local but other than that, everything’s set.”
“You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“I had to show you how much I love you,” I said. “Words weren’t enough to express it, so I thought this might work.”
“You bought me an art gallery?” she asked weakly.
“Just the space,” I said. “It’s up to you to fill it. But, I know you’ll be amazing. Caroline, I believe in you and your dream. This is exactly what you were born to do and I want to help you do it.”
“I can’t believe you did this!” she said, finally coming to life. “You’re amazing! This is incredible!”
“Breathe.” I laughed. “You can’t get too worked up right now.”
“Are you kidding?” she said. “How can I not freak out about this?”
I laughed again and kissed her. She quieted immediately, sighing against my lips and sinking into the kiss. Our kiss deepened and it took everything in me to pull away. When I did, she stared at me with wide eyes and excitement still on her face.
“And you’re staying here?” she asked. “You aren’t going back to Atlanta?”
“Well, I’ll have to go back a few times,” I said. “But, I’ll be living here, yes. Once the office is transferred, I won’t have to go back to Atlanta except to start and finish new job sites. Otherwise, I’ll be here. With you. And since I’ve been building ranches for everyone else these past two years, I can finally start building my own.”
She pulled me to her and kissed me again, this time not letting go until we were both out of breath. I wrapped my arms around her and let her rest her head on my chest. This was exactly what I wanted, this moment.
I spent years longing to have Caroline back in my arms. I never imagined it would happen, let alone that we would find each other under these circumstances. Now that we had, I knew I would never let her go again.