A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) (34 page)

Sullivan couldn
’
t wait anymore. He pulled back
from Jess and put his hands to the bed, hovering over her. He was right there.

“
Jess,
we need protection,
”
he
whispered.

“
It
’
s all taken care of,
”
Jess said and smiled.

“
Where?
”

“
Sullivan,
it
’
s okay. I
’
m okay. Get it?
”

Sullivan looked down Jess
’
s beautiful body and let out a
groan.

He got it. Oh yes, he got it.

Jess touched his ass and pulled,
wanting him.

So Sullivan gave Jess everything he
had to offer and then some.

When they finished after a
shuddering climax together, Sullivan rolled and pulled Jess on top of him and
held her there, studying her eyes, face, inhaling the scent of her desire and
their lovemaking. Words lingered on his tongue. Words that meant more than
Sullivan ever shared before with someone because he never felt the way he did
with Jess.

“
That
was amazing,
”
Jess said.

“
That
was the start,
”
Sullivan
said.

Jess smiled and kissed him.

Then their passion took over again.

The passion and romance intertwined
in moments that captured a place in Sullivan
’
s
heart that he would hold for the rest of his life. When the night came to a
close and Jess had fallen asleep with her head on Sullivan
’
s chest, his fingers gently
touched her back. In the darkness of the bedroom, Sullivan thought of his
father.

Bob was in the hospital bed,
waiting to die, and all he wanted was to meet Sullivan and leave him with words
that had meaning.

And he
’
d done just that.

If something seems too good to
be true it doesn't mean it probably is... it means you probably found something
you were meant to find. Don't question it. Don't walk away from it
…

Sullivan smiled and closed his
eyes.

He hugged Jess and mentally said
goodbye to his father.

___TWELVE___

At 4:13am, with Leslie by his side,
Robert Strate Sr. took his last breath.

There was nothing Leslie could do,
along with the other doctors and nurses that came rushing to the room after
Leslie hit the red emergency button to call for help. The doctor declared him
gone and Leslie stared in disbelief. She had expected to break down and cry
when it finally did happen, but in that moment Leslie realized that the man
with such a big heart had given something else to her and the entire town of
Ferry Creek.

Time.

Bob had hung on to give everyone
the time they needed, including himself. That was a miracle. When she finally
left the hospital room she found the first seat and collapsed. She began to
make the necessary phone calls, starting with Bobby. The moment she heard Bobby
’
s voice, her heart crushed and
she lost control of her emotions. She didn
’
t
need to say a word to Bobby, he knew. He was silent, sniffling, and asked the
basic questions.

When did it happen?

How did it happen?

Be honest, did he suffer at all?

Leslie answered all the questions
as tears fell from her eyes. If it were up to her she would have kept Bobby on
the phone for the entire night. Better yet, she would have talked to him as she
drove to his apartment, especially since Bobby confessed that Sullivan wasn
’
t there. He apparently had spent
the evening with Jess at her place. Leslie thought it was nice. Maybe that
would keep Sullivan around. She secretly hoped that Sullivan wasn
’
t going to just attend the
funeral and then bolt out of Ferry Creek. Bobby needed Sullivan. And Leslie
needed Bobby. She hated herself for going to the diner and saying what she said
to him. It was a dumb move. One filled with worry, doubt, and fear. If she had
acted differently she would have been with Bobby in those precious moments
following the news of his father
’
s
death.

Instead, Bobby said he had to go
make phone calls and arrangements. He said he was going to open the diner and
that anyone was welcome to stop in to reminisce.

Leslie hung up and stood from the
chair. She wasn
’
t going to
go to the diner. Not after everything Bob had done for her with the place. She
used to study there. She used to escape there. Bob made sure it stayed in business
for everyone in Ferry Creek. On top of that, she couldn
’
t imagine really seeing Bobby. To see him would
mean her urge to want him, to need him would just be unbearable.

Leslie walked to the nurse
’
s station and told everyone she
was leaving. Nobody said a word. They all understood. There were some
circumstances in a nurse
’
s
life when they just needed to walk the hell away from it all. The thin line
between life and death and miracle and tragedy was sometimes just too fine and
too hard to deal with. Leslie never left the hospital until then. Bob meant too
much. And he forever would mean the same.

Once in her car, Leslie sat and
cried. She cried for Bob. For Bobby. For Ferry Creek. She cried for acting so
dumb around Bobby. Originally, she had planned to go to the diner to kiss
Bobby. She purposely waited until the diner was closed. In fact, she circled
the block three times to ensure the parking lot was empty. She wanted to grab
Bobby by his shirt and pull him close for a kiss. And then some. She wanted
everything. The second she saw Bobby though, standing with the door open, she
froze up. Her courage ran and took all her strength with her. Leslie had always
used her job as an excuse not to date or if she was dating someone, it was an
excuse to not go to the next level. It had been two years since her last
relationship and as far as bedroom activity went
…
it had been a long while. Too long of a while for Leslie.

She possibly had her chance with
Bobby and she blew it. He wanted her to come into the diner. He came close to
begging her yet she just stood outside and made up some dumb excuse.

By the time Leslie got home, she
was all cried out. Her eyes were sore and tired. Her stomach actually ached as
though she had done five hundred sit-ups. Leslie then hit the couch with her
cell phone in her hand. She realized there was never a right time for anything.
There was never a right time for love. For death. There was never a right time
for a career change or to move hundreds of miles away. There was never a right
time because time was either there or it wasn
’
t.

For Bob, time had expired.

For Leslie, it was still there.
Ticking by, second by second.

Leslie had to make a phone call.

It rang and rang
…
she closed her eyes and hoped
for a voice, but ended up with a voicemail. It would have to do. There was no
more reason to waste anymore time.

“
Bobby
…
it
’
s me. It
’
s
Leslie. I have to confess something
…”

The day had simply become a blur
for Sullivan. He woke feeling like he had been having the greatest dream of his
life, with Jess next to him, sleeping peacefully. His ears had been trained
through years of experience to hear his phone no matter what. Even on a
vibrating setting. When he looked at the clock and saw the time, the worst came
to mind. When he saw it was Bobby, the worst became reality.

His father was dead.

Their father was dead.

Sullivan spoke as softly as he
could but ended up waking Jess. The moment she sat up in bed and looked at the
clock she knew. They hurried to dress and leave. They found Katey on the couch,
sleeping, and Jess woke her to tell her the news. Katey grabbed a sweatshirt
and they all went to the diner. By the time they got there, the lights were on
and people had already started to gather to pay their respects to the place, to
Bobby, and to celebrate Bob.

That was the one thing Sullivan
quickly realized. Not everyone was upset. They were there to celebrate and
share memories.

Ten people were in the diner when
Sullivan, Jess, and Katey got there. Sullivan searched for Bobby. When he found
him, he hugged his brother tight. Bobby broke down in tears and Sullivan didn't
let his brother go until Bobby forced him to do so.

"I'm good," Bobby said.

"No, you're not,"
Sullivan said.

Jess hurried to Bobby next to hug
him. She started to cry and Sullivan went to the front to see everyone. To
listen to the stories. To get lost in the conversation about his father. As he
stood at the counter he saw the door open and more people came in.

"Listen to me," Sullivan
called out. "Everything is on the house today, okay? I want everyone to
stay as long as they want. Eat. Drink. Cry. Laugh. I don't care. I don't want
to see this place empty out."

Everyone nodded and began to thank
Sullivan. He nodded and smiled. He accepted handshakes and hugs. The overwhelming
response of the town made it even clearer just how important his father was to
everyone by how accepting everyone was.

Before long it was becoming late
morning. People came and went from the diner. The usual crowd sat at the
counter, cups of cold coffee in front of them, feeling that sting of loss. Bob
being alive made everything feel okay and normal. No matter his condition, his
life had felt essential by everyone.

And it was gone now.

Sullivan poured coffees, looked at
the pictures on the wall, and thought of everything Bob had shared with him in
the hospital. He learned the truth of his life, spoken from the mouth of his
dying (now dead) biological father.

When he was able to do so, Sullivan
snuck out back and sat. He noticed how beautiful the day was. The sun hung in
the clear sky. Somehow it made sense that it would be beautiful the day Bob
died.

Jess joined Sullivan and squeezed his
shoulders.

"Hey you," she said.

Sullivan looked up. He'd never seen
anything so beautiful in his life. "Jess, I'm in love with you. I have to
say it. I have to get it off my chest."

Jess gasped but didn't let go of
Sullivan's shoulders. "Sullivan..."

"I'm sorry if it seems too
soon," Sullivan said. "But if I feel something, I'm going to say it.
If I want to do something, I'm going to do it. The worst thing we can do in our
lives is let time slip by. Even if we don't get the response we want, at least
we can share the truth."

"Where did you learn that
from?" Jess asked.

Sullivan smiled. "My father.
Bob. In the hospital."

Jess moved around and sat on
Sullivan's lap. She stared at him. "I hope you aren't speaking because of
the moment. Because you're afraid. Or because you aren't sure what to do
next."

Sullivan touched Jess's face.
"Never. I'm scared out of my mind because I finally have things money
couldn't come close to buying. And I am very sure of what I want to do next.
Before that... just listen to me when I say it again, Jess. I'm in love with
you."

Jess put her head to Sullivan's, bit
her lip, and blinked a tear from her eye. "Sullivan, I'm think I
’
m in love with you, too. That's
why I was almost afraid of us... my heart is twisted because of you. I'd
probably give up my life in Ferry Creek for you. That's how much I care about
you. I've never felt that way before. Not even close."

"Well, I promise you, Jess,
you won't have to give up your life in Ferry Creek for me."

"No?" Jess asked.

Sullivan shook his head. The small
town had opened its arms wide and had taken him in. The town made sense of a
life that Sullivan had enjoyed, but didn't feel fulfilled with. It was the only
place that truly felt like home because what mattered most was the people.

"There's something else I have
to ask you, Jess," Sullivan said.

He touched her lower back and moved
her off him. She stood and Sullivan slid to the edge of the chair. He bent one
knee and looked up at Jess.

"What are you doing?"
Jess asked.

"I'm going to ask you
something," Sullivan said.

Sullivan took Jess's hand and
looked up at her. The way the sun bounced off her hair and face, she was like
an angel.

"Jess, will you..."
Sullivan hesitated. "Will you give me the name to a realtor in Ferry
Creek?"

Jess touched her chest and looked
annoyed for a second. "I hate you."

"No you don't," Sullivan
said as he stood up. "I'm staying in Ferry Creek. Today. Tomorrow.
Forever. I'm going to get a place and move out of Bobby's apartment. Then I'm
going to buy some of those properties we looked at and begin the next chapter
in my life... and yours, Jess."

"That's a proposal I can deal
with," Jess said.

Sullivan wrapped his arms around
her and lifted her, kissing her.

He could never walk away now.

The funeral services were longer
than both Bobby and Sullivan thought they would ever be. The viewing was
supposed to be done in two two-hour sessions. Bobby suggested making it three
hours, just in case, but what ensued was an eight hour non-stop line of people
paying their respects to Bob. Some people left and got back in line. Sullivan
felt like he had met every person that lived in North Carolina as he stood next
to Bobby at the casket. Sullivan offered to take a seat more than once. He told
Bobby that he didn't want to impose. The fact was Bob raised Bobby and not
Sullivan.

Bobby refused. He made sure
Sullivan, his brother, was next to him for the entire service. The funeral home
was supposed to close for a resting period but the people were lined up,
waiting, and both Bobby and Sullivan couldn't turn anyone away. For Bobby, it
was his way of mourning and understanding. For Sullivan, it was the living
proof of everything his father had accomplished in his life. It did hurt
Sullivan because he wished he had more time with his father, but what he did
have was the lasting memories. The pictures on the walls of the diner. His own
brother, Bobby, with years of stories. And he had the town of Ferry Creek. Bob
may have been dead, but he would not rest in the hearts or memories of anyone.

The convoy to the cemetery was a
mile long. Everyone joined in. Tyler led the way with his lights flashing and
upon arriving to the cemetery, there were flowers everywhere. In the late
summer ground, Bob would be properly laid to rest. When the final service
ended, Bobby made an announcement that the diner would be opened for the night.
They would serve food and drink and everyone was welcome to come celebrate his
father's life. When the crowd broke up, it left Bobby and Sullivan standing at
their father's casket.

"I guess we say goodbye,"
Bobby said.

"Or not," Sullivan said.
"Goodbye is forever. I still have plenty to learn about him."

Bobby patted Sullivan on the back.
"I'm glad you're staying around here. We all need you, Sullivan. You bring
something to this town. Not sure what, but it's important."

"Thanks," Sullivan said. Then
he nodded behind Bobby.

Leslie stood a few feet behind
them.

"Company," Sullivan said.
"Go on, I'll catch up in five."

Bobby nodded and walked to Leslie.
The look on her face was somber, much like the look of everyone else who had
come to the viewing and final services.

"Hey," Leslie said.
"I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm okay," Bobby said.
"Are you coming to the diner?"

"Not sure," Leslie said.
"This has all been too much."

"You should come. So we can
talk."

"I'm not sure we should,"
Leslie said. "I left you a message, Bobby..."

"I know," Bobby said.
"It's just
…
"