It was fate.It was fate after all – Dane was right, the world wanted us to be together and this trip was a sign.
I had her backed up against the wall and her voice was quiet as she broke our kiss, “Lee,” she whispers it against my lips and searched my eyes.“I have to tell you something.”Her fingers thread through my hair and I pull her against me, aware of every inch of her, the curves of her hips, the heat of her breath, the hitch in her voice as if something is wrong, something…God, don’t play this trick on me, don’t let her tell me she’s married.
I exhaled a rough, shaky breath and pulled my hips away from her, dropping my head so that my eyes were looking at our feet.She had gold sandals on, her toenails were painted pink.My eyes drifted up, and I shook my head.“Please don’t tell me you’re married.Ellie, I don’t think I could bear to hear that.”
“I’m not married.”I blew out a puff of air and she smiled.
I remember her smile.
Her smile still makes her eyes twinkle.
Her smile still makes me weak.
“But I do need to tell you something.”She brought her hands down from my neck, lacing them into my mine between us and pulled me through the warehouse door.She led me into a small office, looking at me the whole time, while she walked backward.My eyes drifted to her hand, flickering in recognition of the silver ring I had given her that summer.It was there on her thumb –shekept it all these years.She picked up a picture frame from her desk, holding it in front of her, hesitating before turning it around and placing it into my hand where hers just was.She didn’t say anything while I looked at the picture.
It was a boy.
It was that boy.
The boy from the restaurant.
I looked at her and she could see the question playing on my face before I asked it.“He’s yours, Lee.Dylan.He’s … our son.”My fingers traced his face in the picture.That was why I thought I knew him.I have a son!
“We have a son?”I ask her, the smile spreading as the realization hits me and she nods.
“He’s seventeen.He’s amazing.Oh my God, he’s so you!”She’s laughing and she’s crying, and I put the picture of my son down and bring her to me.
My chin rested on top of her head as she laid her head against my chest, “I missed a lot.I’m so sorry, Ellie.There’s so much I need to tell you.”She lifted her head and for the first time, noticed my flight suit.Her eyes flitted to my name patch, and she used her fingers to trace the letters – the letters of my fake name.
“McCormick?”she asks, looking up at me.
“Part of the long story I need to fill you in on.”I tell her, bracing myself for the explanation I had been holding onto for so long.
“Not yet.”She shakes her head softly and lifts onto her tiptoes to kiss me again, sucking in my bottom lip and reinforcing the chemistry that once set me on fire.
I pinned her against the desk, my body pressed into hers, and I kissed a trail down her neck while her fingernails dug into the back of my suit.“Tell me to stop, if you don’t want this.”I tell her, nipping at her earlobe.
“Don’t stop.”She breathes.
“Good.I’ve been waiting years to do this again.”My voice is rough, dry as I swallow down the sight of her.My hand makes its way to the hem of her sundress, pushing it up to reveal her thighs and I kiss her hard.
“That’s all?”she says.
“Not even close.”I trace my fingers across the lacy edge of her panties, and I’m suddenly brought back to that summer and our crazy, reckless love but this is more.It’s so much more.
She moans and pushes her hips toward me, giving me the permission I wasn’t asking for.Moving the bit of fabric out of the way, I swept my finger down the center of her, and she gasped.It was all I needed to hear, all I needed to know that we were wanting the same thing.My fingers found their way to her slick opening, and I watched her as I gradually drove them deeper and deeper until she broke, and I could feel that familiar tightening as I pushed her over the edge.My mouth covered hers until she came down, shuddering against my chest and I whispered in her ear, “I’ve got you, Ellie.”
Chapter Forty
ELLIE
Present Day
After the exhilarating rendezvous in my shop, where my life had been flipped, tossed, and thrown around in circles, I told Lee I wanted him to come home with me.I wanted to dive right in and tell him everything he missed, hear everything I missed.I didn’t want him to ever leave me again.
I wanted him to meet Dylan right away but then I remembered that he was going to be spending the night at his friend’s house tonight.We drove separately so that his rental car wasn’t sitting in the parking lot at The Pub, and I pulled into the garage, letting him bring the car all the way up the driveway.
He got out of his car and stared up at the farmhouse and smiled, “It’s your dreamhouse!”he walked over to me and took my hand, “You did it.You built a life.”
