Chapter Forty-One
The pilot came over the intercom. “We’ll be touching down in about twenty minutes. Prepare the cabin for landing.”
Garrick sat at the table furiously signing papers to sell the company Hastings had been involved with to his father. It was a way to force him to come to Garrick. Apparently, they had been planning to wait until next week to finalize the sale. After a call to his father, they were finishing it this evening.
I thought back to the conversation the day before while we roasted marshmallows after dancing in the snow.
The fire had been crackling in the outdoor fireplace. Space heaters had kept the temperature comfortable as we’d sat on the couch with our sticks in the fire. Earlier that morning, Garrick had talked to his father for about an hour.
“Does your dad know about all this?”
Garrick had seemed to pull himself out of deep thought. Since the call, he’d been more contemplative. “I gave him the highlights—that Hastings is causing me grief and it seems he wants you, somehow.”
“Did something else happen? You seem a little out of sorts.”
He’d set down the skewer. “I was thinking about something Dad said.” I’d waited for him to continue. “He mentioned that Hastings may be playing this game to get me to do something. But I can’t, for the life of me, figure it out. Navarro and Hastings were watching you before I knew you existed.”
“What if you’re a coincidence? An inconvenient coincidence.” A sip of my hot chocolate had distracted me from that uncomfortable thought.
After a minute or so, Garrick had taken my skewer from my hand and brought me into his lap. “I think it was Christopher and Tonya who got you noticed. But I want to make sure I haven’t missed something.”
I’d snuggled into him. “I don’t know why he noticed me.”
He’d shaken his head. “You’re gorgeous. He’s a man who appreciates beauty, from what we’ve seen. I know it would have been nearly impossible for me to leave you alone if you’d been in a relationship with someone else. The pull was undeniable. It consumed me from the start.”
“But it’s different for us.”
“It might not be for him.”
As I’d watched the flames, the words had hit home—especially after my conversation with my therapist. I’d pushed them from my mind, not ready to digest what they meant.
A tray dropped in the galley of the plane, and Camille appeared. “I apologize for the noise. The handle got stuck. I’ll have maintenance check it out.”
Garrick seemed unfazed and kept signing. I responded, “It’s fine. Please don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you.” The warm smile had me giving her one in return.
I turned my gaze out the window. Clouds filled the sky, obscuring the world below. Almost time to leave my bubble completely. I hated being a pawn in someone else’s game… especially someone else’s mob-related game.
What would have happened if Garrick and I hadn’t found each other?
I forced the thought away. Once we landed, we were headed straight to Garrick’s parents’ house. Being worked up when meeting the rest of Garrick’s family would not be good.
Garrick’s family.
Oh geez, I would meet all of them tonight, which had my nerves a little frayed.
I hoped they liked me and weren’t skeptical of my intentions.
Taking a deep calming breath, I pushed the nerves aside. I heard the landing gear coming down and thought about all I’d experienced this weekend. It was indescribable. Even with the upsetting news, we somehow managed to salvage the weekend and make it something I would forever treasure.
The whole time, we’d focused on getting to know each other more than we already did—quirks, likes, dislikes. In some ways, I felt a little guilty for falling for Garrick so hard and so fast. And it was fast, but at the same time, it felt like I’d known him for a lifetime.
“My soul knew yours from the moment we met.” Garrick’s words as he made love to me still affected me to the core.
I’d always thought Dylan had been my soul mate, but it was different with Garrick. He completed me in a way I never dreamed possible. I was finally ready to admit it. Two halves fitting together perfectly—it was the only way to describe how it felt. When he moved, I moved with him.
From my session with Brooke, I considered a question she posed… What if Dylan wasn’t who I was meant to be with all along? What if I’d been in Dylan’s life to know what love felt like, but my entire heart was being saved for someone else? You have been two people in a sense—the person who loved Dylan and the one who now loves Garrick. Who you were at the time fit perfectly with Dylan, and who you are now fits perfectly with Garrick. I think you’re ready to process the possibilities.
It was heavy. And it wasn’t until now, on the way home, that I’d been able to truly contemplate the meaning of her questions.
I might have been Dylan’s soul mate, but he might not have been mine. Deep down, I wanted to believe people could have more than one soul mate, but didn’t that negate true love? Dylan’s death had changed me. My new identity was half of what was needed to complete a perfect whole with Garrick. Regardless, it didn’t lessen the love I had for Dylan. To the inner depths of my heart, I would always love him. He was my first love. Hopefully, Garrick would be my last.
Tears gathered in my eyes.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
Quickly I swiped at my eyes. “I was thinking about our amazing weekend. And what I talked about with my therapist before we left.” Garrick closed his laptop, put away the papers, and came to sit next to me. I took his hand. I needed to change the subject for a minute while I figured out what I wanted to share. “Why is the house in Utah on the market?”
“The owners are getting a divorce.”
It broke my heart when I heard about people moving on from each other. I wanted fairy-tale endings for everyone… including myself. “That’s sad. I hate that for them.”
“Did you like the place?” Garrick rubbed my thumb with his. The motion helped ground my thoughts.
I thought back to the place. The warmth, the light, the perfection. Sighing, I said, “It was a dream. One of the most beautiful places I imagine on earth. That home deserves to be filled with love and happiness.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Another minute passed. “Do you want to talk about what else is on your mind?”
Internally, I debated how much I should share as the plane descended through the clouds. Since the night we first made love, I hadn’t brought Dylan up again. I wanted to share everything with Garrick. I knew it was the only way. “I’ve been struggling with how strong my feelings are and how fast they came. I was attracted to Dylan from the beginning, but the relationship built slower. I thought we were inseparable and it was love at first sight, but…” I stopped to gather my thoughts, looking out at the ground. From up here, everything looked peaceful.
“But what?”
I focused back on Garrick. My throat felt a little thicker. This became harder the more I talked. “What if he wasn’t my only soul mate? What if I was never supposed to be with him my entire life? What if you and I were meant to be all along?”
Garrick look stunned for a second. I knew this was a heavy topic. The silence lingered. He must have been at a loss for words, too. So I continued, “I know it’s deep, and I’m not asking for anything in return. It was just on my mind.”
Turning to the window, I watched as we drew closer to the runway. Inside I felt more torn up at Garrick’s silence, and if I was honest, a little hurt. But that was ridiculous. We’d had an amazing weekend, and he loved me. That was what mattered. Mentally, I sounded clingy—and to a man who was suddenly in a committed relationship… who never did relationships. Then I’d gone into a too-deep subject with my implications.
It was okay for us not to be in the same spot. Hell, this was fast, and I understood it.
The wheels touched down, and we taxied to the Shaw International private hangar.
The captain came over the intercom. “We’re taxiing to the hangar. Your car is already there waiting for you.”
Garrick’s hand tightened on mine. I refused to let self-doubt rule me and pushed the ache inside my heart away. We were going to meet his parents then spend the evening with each other. He’d asked, and I’d chosen to share what I was thinking. If I hadn’t been ready to hear that type of revelation, I would have shut down, too. Actually, I had that first day Garrick tried to turn my day around.
I unbuckled as Camille approached. “Your luggage will be moved to the car, which is waiting outside. Is there anything else you need?”
Forcing my face to remain neutral, I responded. “I don’t think so. Thank you.”
“Can you clear the plane, please?” Garrick spoke the words so low I thought I might have misheard him.
Camille must have thought so, as well. “Excuse me?”
“Clear the plane, please. Everyone can wait in the lounge area of the private hangar.”
This seemed a little drastic for what I’d said. What’s going on? Garrick’s face was unreadable. He was not going to mandate me to the lounge. I cleared my throat. “I’ll be in the car.”
“I want you to wait here in the plane.”
“O-Okay.” This was bad. I shouldn’t have said anything. It was too early. I felt my heart break a little bit as everyone cleared out of the plane.
I watched out the window as the crew disembarked and kept my face averted from Garrick, willing my lip not to tremble. This might be the end of us. Am I wrong about how I feel? Did I misread all the signs? My feelings? My heart? All weekend long, I’d truly believed we’d been dancing around the subject of more in our relationship.
“Is it true?” Garrick asked.
“Which part?” I asked, barely above a whisper as I didn’t trust my voice.
The lengthy pause caused me to turn his way. The unreadable look was gone, and the loving way he looked at me gave me hope. “You believe I’m your soul mate? That you were made to be mine all along.”
The possessive word mine sent a shiver through me. I fiddled with my fingers. I looked at him, beseeching him to understand. “I loved Dylan. I truly did.”
“That’s not what I asked, sweetheart. I don’t doubt your love for him. I never will. What we feel for each other has no bearing on what you had.”
I searched his eyes, trying to figure out where this was going. Fear crept in, and I pulled my hand away. “Garrick, can we drop it? I shouldn’t have gotten so deep.”
He grabbed my hand back, and the contact eased me a little. Warmth and light entered his eyes.
Is that delight? Happiness?
“Please tell me, Knoah.”
The please was my undoing. “Yes, what you thought is what I meant. I’m not rushing you. And you don’t have to return my feel—”
“Marry me.”
“What?” My mouth dropped open. What? What did he say? Did I hear him right? Marry him?
Now, with my heart galloping in my chest, it was my turn to be speechless.
He got down on one knee in front of me. “This isn’t conventional. And it’s not how I imagined proposing, but I want you to marry me. Throughout the weekend, I wanted to ask you but thought it was too soon. You’re it for me, Knoah. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for all my life.”
He just asked me to marry him. What if…
I closed my eyes. No what-ifs. This isn’t a what-if situation. Just listen to your heart. “Yes.” The word was out before I realized it. I wanted this… him… us… a future together.
Pop.
I opened my eyes to see a square diamond solitaire ring in a black velvet ring box. It was gorgeous. My eyes shot up to Garrick’s. “I got it Wednesday before we left, and I’ve been carrying it around ever since. I’d planned to do something special and ask you properly. But I didn’t—”
“This is perfect.” I cut him off. It was impromptu and straight from the heart. The ring was simple and brilliant as it sparkled. “I only want you.”
He took the ring out and slipped it on my finger. “All I want is you, sweetheart.” It was a perfect fit. “I love you, Knoah Knox.”
I threw myself at him. “I love you, too.”
Putting myself out there was a scary thing. But the risk would be worth the reward. Love would conquer all. I believed it.
“Now I get to introduce you to the rest of my family as my fiancée.”