Chapter 11

Taylor arrived at Newslink after ten the next morning. She hadn’t called Victoria to let her know she was back; she was hoping the element of surprise would work in her favor. Not bothering to stop at her desk, she went directly to her boss’s office.

“Knock, knock,” she said as she entered, forcing a cheery smile on her face.

“Taylor! You’re back!” Victoria rose and walked around her desk to greet her. “Why didn’t you call me and let me know you were back?”

“I got in late last night,” Taylor supplied as Victoria led her to a chair.

“So…?” she asked giddily. “How was it?”

Taylor had thought of this moment so many times since the assignment was first given to her. She’d dreamed of arriving back here to a hero’s welcome, all praise and glory. She drew in a deep breath and prepared for the inevitable. “Mr. Wade backed out of our agreement last night.”

Victoria sat in silence for a moment and stared blankly at Taylor. When she finally found her voice, she said, “Excuse me?”

“We were discussing the use of photographs in the piece and he was opposed to it. After I said I wouldn’t use them, he pulled out of the deal.”

Victoria stood and paced behind her desk. “Tell me that you still have your recordings…your notes…the files!”

“Yes. He has a copy of my draft on a flash drive. I thought it best.” Taylor’s head was hung low, as was her voice. She couldn’t bear to witness the look of disappointment she was sure to see on Victoria’s face.

“Well, we’ll have to see about all of this,” Victoria murmured as she picked up her phone and punched a few numbers. “Get me legal!” she snapped.

Taylor could do nothing but sit back quietly as Victoria ranted and raved into the phone at the magazine’s legal department about Jonathan Wade’s behavior and what they should be doing about it. There was still a soft side of Taylor that wanted to jump up and shout at Victoria to leave him be, that the man deserved his privacy, but she couldn’t find the courage to do it.

Sometime later, Victoria slammed the phone down and faced Taylor.

“I want you to rewrite the article—or do edits if you have a final copy on your computer.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“We have his signature giving us permission to write this piece. As long as you’re willing, we have a right to get this story out.”

“But…he said he had the right of refusal,” Taylor said, matter-of-factly. “He said it’s in the contract.”

Victoria waved her off. “There are ways around that, Taylor. Trust me.”

Taylor stood, slack-jawed, staring at her editor. She wasn’t fired! She still had a job! Her career wasn’t over! She should be thrilled. She should be whooping it up with relief. Instead…

“I can’t do that, Vic,” she stated.

“What?” Now it was Victoria’s turn to be stunned.

“I can’t write this article.”

“May I ask why?”

“I told him I wouldn’t. If I go ahead and do it, my credibility is shot.” There. She’d said it and the sky didn’t fall.

“Taylor,” Victoria said with a deadly calm voice, “the man doesn’t speak to anyone. No one will ever know you mistakenly said you’d abandon the project. Trust me, he’s not going to tell anyone. He’d have to go out in public, and I think we’ve all seen to what degree he’ll go to keep his privacy intact.”

It was a side of Victoria that Taylor had never seen before, and she really didn’t like it. What she was being asked to do was unethical and she wasn’t comfortable with it. “It’s in the contract, Vic. He has the right to back out.”

“We’ll get to press before he can stop us,” she countered. “Taylor, I want this story. You should want this story! More than any of us, you should be fighting for it!”

But Taylor shook her head sadly. “I can’t do it, Vic. I just can’t.”

“Then you leave me no choice, Taylor.” Her words were cold, but Taylor was prepared for them. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” she whispered as she walked out of the room.

* * *

After stopping at her desk for a few minutes to collect her things, Taylor found herself back home before noon. Dropping the box of her belongings on the floor of her living room, she collapsed on the couch.

Deep down, she knew she had done the right thing. Boosting her career by betraying someone’s trust wasn’t worth it. But what on earth was she supposed to do with herself now? Kicking off her shoes, she reclined on the sofa and rubbed her temples.

If it were any other time in her life, Taylor would be freaking out right about now, but for some reason, she felt a sense of peace with the situation. Was she sorry to see the job at Newslink go? No. It didn’t fulfill her the way she had hoped it would, but what was she going to do now to earn a living?

A glass-is-half-full person would be excited about all of the possibilities that lay ahead, but the glass-is-half-empty side of Taylor looked around her tiny apartment and wondered if she was going to have to move or get a roommate or start selling her belongings before she found another job.

Rising from the sofa, she refused to give in to the negative thoughts. “Power of positive thinking,” she chanted as she walked into her bedroom and changed into casual clothes. Stepping back into the living room, she grabbed the box and put it in a closet so she didn’t have to look at it—or have it sit there mocking her. Out of sight, out of mind. Grabbing her coat and keys, she left the apartment—determined to find something to fill her days and hopefully give her a sense of purpose.

The air in the city was cold and she felt like she’d walked about a hundred blocks, but it paid off. On a tiny street, not too far from her apartment, she had wandered into a mom-and-pop bookstore not unlike the one she had shopped in up in Maine. After striking up a conversation with the owners, she found out they were looking for some part-time help. It wasn’t ideal, but it was something Taylor knew she’d enjoy and if she had to take on a second job for a little while, so be it.

She left the store with a renewed sense of purpose, and as she walked home, she began to think about Mike. Would he realize what she had given up for him? Should she call him now that this interview was no longer between them? No. He had once decided to wait until he had gotten his life together before contacting her; she could understand that now. She didn’t feel comfortable calling him fresh off of losing her job; it might look like she was blaming him for her misfortune.

No, waiting was definitely the way to go.

No matter how much her heart ached to go home and call him right now.

* * *

A month after her return from Maine, Taylor came home after a full day at the bookstore. Her arms were full of groceries and mail and her phone was ringing. She dropped everything and fished her phone out of her purse.

“Hello?” she answered, breathless.

“Taylor? It’s Victoria! How are you?”

Taylor pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment and looked at it in disbelief—and disappointment. “Oh…hi, Victoria. I’m fine. How are you?” She had no idea what her former boss could want. Ever since she had refused to write the Jonathan Wade story, no one from Newslink had contacted her. She never even got reimbursed for her expenses from the trip.

“I’m fine, sweetie. Just fine. But the big question is—how did you do it?”

It had been a long day and there was ice cream that was going to start melting on her living room floor. She was in no mood for confusing conversations. “What exactly did I do, Vic?” She took off her coat and wearily sat down on the sofa.

As if not even hearing Taylor’s question, Victoria went on. “I want to meet with you tomorrow as early as possible. Can you come to the office around eight?”

“Look,” Taylor began diplomatically, “I do have another job to get to and—”

“Forget that!” Victoria interrupted. “You’ll have to quit it. Trust me, Taylor, you’re going to be thrilled at what we’re offering.”

She’d had enough. Sighing heavily with aggravation, she snapped. “Victoria! What the hell is this all about?”

“Jonathan Wade agreed to have the interview printed! It’s hitting the newsstands tomorrow! Newslink gave it the cover! You’ve got a cover story, Taylor! Can you believe it?”

Taylor dropped the phone and fell to the floor as nausea overwhelmed her.

“Taylor? Taylor!”

She picked the phone back up. “Why am I just hearing of this now? How did you get a copy of my story?” she demanded.

“I was all Mr. Wade’s idea. When we notified his people of our displeasure at his refusal to do the story and your subsequent dismissal, he reached out to us, and he was furious. These were the terms he demanded in order to print the story—you weren’t to be told until it was a done deal and on the stands. You obviously made quite an impression on him, Taylor. Bravo!”

Her eyes filled with tears. He’d given it all up for her. Wiping furiously at her eyes, she cleared her throat to finish the conversation. “Um, what does this mean to me in regards to Newslink, Vic?”

“We want you back, Taylor. I am so sorry for how I behaved when you got back from Maine. I cannot even begin to explain myself.” She paused. “The important thing here is that we all got what we wanted, didn’t we? You’ve got your job back with a cover story, we got the exclusive of the year, and Wade’s got publicity for his new book!”

“Oh…right.”

“It’s coming out tomorrow too, funny, huh?” Victoria let out a laugh. “What timing! So, when will you be in? I’ll pick up a couple of lattes and those muffins you like so much.”

“I won’t be,” Taylor replied flatly.

“Excuse me?” Disbelief oozed out of the phone.

“I do, however, expect to be paid for my article and to get reimbursed for the receipts I submitted after I was fired. But honestly? I have no desire to return to Newslink. You have my address. Just mail me my check.” With that, she hung up her phone and then shut it off.

Sitting in silence, she looked around her. In the last month, she’d had to sell her beloved bike, some jewelry, and had eaten more ramen noodles than she’d thought possible, but it had been worth it to have her peace of mind. Now, however…now people would see her article and doors could possibly open for her again. Reality hit her and she jumped around her apartment with glee. She had stood up for what she believed in again and it felt great!

Taylor thought about her job at the bookstore. As much as she loved it, it wasn’t what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Perhaps if she went into freelancing, she’d have some freedom to write what she wanted to and actually accomplish getting her life back from this setback.

She’d get herself a new bike.

The thought made her smile.

At work the following day, Taylor stocked the shelves with the latest copy of Newslink. Her bosses took great pride in pointing out to all of their customers how it was their employee who’d written the cover story! Next came the task of stocking the shelves with Misty’s Return, the new Jonathan Wade book.

She couldn’t help the sense of pride for Mike as she placed the numerous copies on the shelf. Taylor took one for herself and held it behind the counter. She’d curl up with it tonight, maybe even splurge and download the audiobook, too. Not a night had gone by that she hadn’t listened to Mike’s voice on her iPod, listening to one book or another each night on her walk home and then again as she lay in bed trying to fall asleep.

Eager with anticipation for the workday to end, she bolted out the door at 5:01 p.m., waving to her bosses as she left. Deciding she deserved one more splurge, she stopped at a local Chinese restaurant and grabbed some celebratory takeout. Once her check from Newslink came in, she’d be okay, and the thought of one more night of ramen noodles almost made her stomach turn.

In the comfort of her apartment, she quickly changed into a pair of yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt, curling up on the couch with the Chinese food and her book. Four hours later, she found herself crying. The hero of the story had finally found the woman he had been longing for, Misty. And she didn’t leave him or escape in the night. The ending had made it abundantly clear that the series was over. Misty had returned and our hero could finally live happily ever after in peace with the woman he adored.

Placing the book down on her coffee table, she went in search of tissues. “Dammit,” she cursed as she saw her reflection in the bedroom mirror. She looked frightful—red puffy eyes, a red nose, and mascara running down her cheeks.

“Why me?” she asked her reflection. “Why didn’t I put up more of a fight? Why didn’t I go back to him?” She had no answers. Walking into the bathroom, she quickly washed her face, but even that didn’t make her look—or feel—any better. Then she shifted the blame onto Mike. Why hadn’t he called her? Why didn’t he come after her? What was the message at the end of the book supposed to mean? Was she Misty? Was Mike supposed to be the hero?

The damn questions were giving her a headache. Clearing up her dinner mess, Taylor headed to bed, setting the book on the nightstand next to her. She realized she’d never downloaded the audio version—but tomorrow was another day.

* * *

Wednesday was her day off, so Taylor took advantage of the opportunity and slept in. Or at least she tried to. Rising from the bed earlier than she wanted to, she was surprised to hear a knock at her door. Padding into the living room, she peered through her peephole to see who it was. Her neighbor, Mrs. Martinez, was standing there.

“Good morning, Mrs. Martinez,” she greeted sleepily as she opened the door.

“Good morning, Taylor. How are you this morning?” The plump and petite gray-haired woman entered her apartment without waiting for an invitation.

“I’m fine,” Taylor managed to say with a smile. “What can I do for you today?”

“I’m sorry to come by so early, but the mailman delivered this to me by mistake yesterday,” she said as she handed Taylor a small package. “I got home late last night and forgot to bring it over, dear. I’m so sorry.”

Assuring the woman it was all right, they chatted about the weather and other niceties before her neighbor was on her way. Closing the door behind her, Taylor glanced at the package. There was no return address on it. Tearing into it, she found an iPod wrapped in a sheet of paper.

“I know you enjoy listening to these” was all that was written on the paper, but Taylor was certain it was Mike’s writing. She searched the room for her earbuds and then plugged them into the iPod, sitting down on the couch. It didn’t take long for Mike’s voice to start speaking—it was the audio version of Misty’s Return, read by him.

Smiling, Taylor curled up on the couch and let the sound of his voice wash over her. Hours later, when the story was coming to an end, Taylor sighed. It was an even more emotional experience than reading the physical book, because she heard the emotion in his voice as he read it. Not only that, the happily ever after would be so hard to hear coming from his voice—especially because they never got to have one.

When at last it ended, there was a short silence and she was about to shut the iPod off when his voice came back on. “Baby, I love you. Please come home. I miss you.” Taylor stopped the recording and rewound it, playing the message over and over again.

Running to her bedroom, she jumped across her bed and grabbed the book. Nowhere in the end did it say those words. He was saying them to her—it wasn’t part of the book at all! It was his message to her, Taylor!

Dare she hop in her Jeep and drive up to Maine? Of course, she’d have to take the train out to the Island to pick the car up first before she could leave, but…if it meant going back to him? It would be worth it. Walking quickly across the room, she picked up her phone and called the bookstore to let them know she needed a couple of days off. Her boss gave her more grief than she’d anticipated, but he finally gave in. Next, she showered and packed. Anticipation bubbled up inside of her and her hands were shaking when she finally picked up her bags and locked up her tiny apartment—feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of her.

She had packed lightly, but it was still going to be a little awkward to carry it all the way to the subway and then around Penn Station to catch the train out to Suffolk County. “It will be worth it…it will be worth it…” That’s what she kept telling herself as she made her way up the block.

Taylor was minding her own business when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

“Can I give you a lift somewhere?” came a voice from behind her.

Everything in Taylor stilled for a second before she turned around. “Mike?” She was stunned by the sight of him. “What…? How…? What are you doing here?”

“I sent you a package yesterday,” he said instead of answering her question. “Did you get it?”

She nodded. “This morning. It went to one of my neighbors by mistake.” Her eyes wouldn’t leave his face. She couldn’t believe he was standing here in front of her, in the middle of the city. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here. Or how you found me.”

“I was making sure you came home,” he said confidently as he moved closer, until he was toe to toe with her.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want me,” she said huskily, wanting so badly to lean in and kiss him.

“Oh, I want you, Taylor. I’ve always wanted you.” Pausing, his loving eyes scanned her face. “I was pulling up to your place and saw you walking away. I double-parked so I could get out and catch up to you.”

“Wow,” she said with a happy sigh. “Talk about perfect timing.”

She got up on tiptoes as she tried to kiss him, but he dodged her advance. At the look of confusion on her face, he chuckled. “If I kiss you here, I’m not going to stop.” He rested his forehead against hers. “And if I don’t stop, I’m going to end up making love to you right here in the middle of this city street. People will recognize me now and it will be all over the tabloids.” He pulled back with a knowing smirk. “There’s a big story on me in Newslink. Maybe you’ve seen it?”

She swatted playfully at him. “Oh, I’ve seen it and I’m going to want to hear all about how you came to change your mind.”

“Well,” he began, “I realized—”

She cut him off by putting a finger to his lips. “Later. We’ll talk about it later. Right now I want to get out of the street and go someplace where we can be alone.”

His gaze heated. “I like the way you think.” He took her bags from her hands. “Let’s get back to my car so I can park it properly. Hopefully before I get a ticket.” She nodded and they began walking back toward her place.

At his car, he kissed her quickly and promised to be right back. “I’ll meet you inside as soon as I find a spot.” She almost argued that she’d just go with him, but it seemed silly.

“Okay,” she said with a small pout. Now that he was here, she didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

Within minutes, he was back. And when she opened the door to him, she felt embarrassed for him to be there, knowing how Mike lived. Sensing her uneasiness, he pulled her into his embrace. “I don’t care where you live, Taylor.” It was a hushed whisper against her throat as he began to trail kisses upon her. Her head fell back in abandon. “Besides, after today, hopefully you won’t be living here anymore.”

That got her attention. Snapping her head up, she met his eyes.

“I meant what I said on the recording, Taylor. I want you to come home with me and stay there.”

“You want me to move in with you on the farm?”

He shook his head. “Baby, I want you to marry me and live with me on the farm. Will you?” His plea was so full of emotion and Taylor could read it all in his magnificent eyes.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I will marry you and go home with you and stay there with you forever.”

He lifted her into his arms and wrapped her in his embrace. He kissed her thoroughly before setting her back on her feet.

“Thank you for coming back for me,” she said, looking up at him, smiling with pure joy.

“I should have done it years ago,” he said solemnly and then took her hands in his to lead her toward the bedroom. “But I believe you were worth the wait.”

Kicking the bedroom door closed behind her, Taylor intended to prove to him how much she appreciated his patience.