Authors: Cheryl Douglas
Envious (23 page)
He laughed, pulled her through the door, and handed her the purse hanging on the coat rack by the door. “You weren’t saying that the last time we worked up a sweat together.”
She blushed furiously, muttering, “Shut up,” as she fit her key into the lock.
Before she could side-step him, Chris wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. “I’ve been dying to do this ever since I walked through the door.” He was risking rejection, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to know if she would still respond to him the way she had the last time they’d been together.
Katie’s head rolled back, resting on his shoulder as she linked hands with him. “That feels amazing.”
He was relieved she wasn’t trying to hide her reaction, but that didn’t mean he was home free. The only way he could make her realize he was in it for the long haul was to paint her a picture of the life they could have together. “Come on, gorgeous.” He kissed her cheek. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”
The short drive was quiet as darkness descended. The soft country music added a backdrop that matched his mood: one minute he was hopeful, the next dejected. Katie held his hand, but he felt the tension. Her silence spoke volumes. He tried to engage her in small talk a time or two, but her mind was obviously wandering. Not that he could blame her. An hour ago, she’d believed he was gone for good, and then he was back and asking her for another chance. When they pulled up in front of the building he’d bought, he cut the engine.
She asked, “Why are we here?”
“Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain.” Chris had been thinking of little else since he decided to come home. He couldn’t wait to share his ideas with Katie.
Katie followed him to the door and waited as he fit a key into the lock and turned the knob. The building was flooded in light as soon as he flipped the switch. Katie looked from room to room in awe. “I forgot how perfect it is.”
“It can be perfect, Katie. All you have to do is say the word and we’re back in business.” He held his breath as she poked her head into the room that would be the main office for the administrator and receptionist. “Can you picture it? The brightly colored rugs and plastic bins? Can you smell the chalk and magic markers? I picture a few big round tables right there.” He pointed to the center of a big open room that would serve as one of their classrooms. “And that spot would be perfect for an art station, don’t you think?”
Shaking her head, she said, “Chris, don’t.”
He knew she was afraid to get her hopes up, but he wanted nothing more than to convince her to believe in the dream they’d been building. The place could be the catalyst for Katie becoming everything she’d ever dreamed, and he wanted more than anything to be a part of that. “It’s going to be a couple of solid months of hard work to get this place up and running by fall. I’m up for it, if you are?”
She looked hesitant but hopeful. “But you have your business. It’s not like you could—”
“I was going to work from Arizona. I could just as easily set up an office right here. That way, I’d be here to help you as much as you needed me.”
Turning into his arms, she looped her arms around his neck. Tears filled her eyes. “I do need you. I was afraid to admit it, even to myself, but I do need you.”
“I need you too, baby.” He pulled her into his arms. “There’s no shame in admitting that. It’s okay to need someone.”
“I was so afraid I’d lost you,” she said softly, holding him tighter. “I kept telling myself I’d get over it, but nothing had ever hurt like that. Every night, I’d fall asleep staring at the phone, fighting with myself over whether I should call and tell you how much I missed you.”
“I wish you had. I may have come to my senses sooner.”
Gripping his shoulders, she pulled back to look him in the eye. “Being a good dad means everything to you. Are you sure about this? Are you sure coming back to Nashville is the right thing to do?”
“It’s the only thing to do. I can’t deny it’ll break my heart every time I have to say good-bye to Bianca, but that’ll be nothing new. Being a part-time dad sucks, but I got used to it. I’ll get used to this too.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help”—she brushed her lips over his—“just let me know.”
“You could leave your door unlocked after Hannah goes to bed.”
Katie laughed. “It’s a deal.”
“Speaking of deals, how about it? Are we partners?”
She turned around, pressing her back to his front as she settled into his arms. “You really think we can do this?”
“I believe in you. Maybe more than you believe in yourself. I know you can do anything you set your mind to.”
She smiled. “Where have you been all my life?”
“Biding my time and waiting for you to figure out we belong together.”
She closed her eyes with a sigh of satisfaction. “It may have taken me a while, but I’ve finally figured that out.”
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