Drawn Deeper (25 page)

I cringed. Poor Kyle.

“You get my drift,” she said. “Don’t do this. Don’t tell him you’ll be back
if
things go a certain way. None of this is his fault.”

“You’re right.”

“I agree about you easing back on the boys right now, but not Kyle. I am
begging
you to go tell that man you’re sticking.” She furrowed her brow. “I mean, if you’re absolutely sure you are.”

I laughed at her expression. “I’m absolutely sure. I just wasn’t seeing things the right way, but I am now.”

She breathed out what looked like a sigh of relief and stood up.

“Thank you,” I said, getting up from my chair and walking around the desk to hug her. “You’re every bit as amazing as everyone says.”

She laughed and rubbed a hand across my back. “That’s sweet of you.”

“I’ll go see him . . . soon. Very soon. I think he may have a lot on his mind tonight with the boys seeing Kim, and this conversation needs to be in person. So tomorrow.”

“Good. And can we keep this conversation just between us?”

I nodded. “Absolutely. Thank you again.”

She reached for the door handle and then turned to look at me over her shoulder.

“So we’re friends now, right?”

“I hope so,” I said.

“Good.”

I held the door as she walked out, slinging her big bag over her shoulder and waving at me.

I’d owned my past for so long now. It was finally time for me to own my future.

Kyle

I cranked up the speed on the treadmill in my home gym, pumping my legs as I broke into a sprint. I was already drenched with sweat from lifting weights, but I still had lots of pent-up energy to burn off.

The boys had been at Austin’s for their visit with Kim for a little over two hours. I knew that must mean it was going okay, but I wouldn’t breathe easy until they got home and I could talk to them about it.

I’d been hoping Meredith would change her mind about coming over tonight, but she hadn’t shown up. The only one here besides me was Mason, who was putting the finishing touches on the security system he was installing for me.

No one would be able to walk into my home unannounced ever again. In the few days I’d had to think about Kim coming back, I’d realized that if Stephanie had been over here babysitting when Kim had shown up, Kim probably could have taken the boys, convincing them—and Stephanie—that it was for a quick joyride. I wouldn’t have put anything past her at this point, and I couldn’t risk my boys’ safety.

A closely supervised visit was one thing, but Kim being alone with them was another.

At the sound of running footsteps on the floor above me, I turned off the treadmill and ran upstairs from the basement.

“Where’s Hagrid?” Eric asked, looking around the kitchen.

“He’s outside,” I answered, still breathing heavily from sprinting.

“We made homemade dog treats with Mom and Aunt Hannah,” he said, heading for the door with a handful. “I want to give Hagrid some.”

Jordan was getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Hey, J, how’d it go?”

He shrugged. “It was okay.”

“Was it good to see her?”

“Yeah. She’s not drinking anymore.”

I hoped to hell that would stick.

“Good for her,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Austin walked into the room, and Jordan left, probably to play video games.

“Hey,” I said to Austin. “You want a drink?”

“You got a beer?”

“Nope. Water and juice boxes.”

He grinned. “Water’s good.”

“So, it went okay?” I asked him.

“Yeah. It was good. Hannah thought it might break the ice if she had something for them to do together, so they made dog treats. I just stayed in the other room with Alana.”

“Kim didn’t mention anything she wasn’t supposed to?”

“No. She stuck to the boys.”

I nodded, relieved but still wondering what would happen next.

“Did she say anything about leaving?” I asked.

“No. She’s staying with a friend. That’s about all she said.”

“Thanks for doing this. Tell Hannah thanks, too.”

He waved dismissively. “We were glad to. Anytime. You need anything else?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay. I’m taking off, then.”

Eric came back inside and searched the pantry for a snack. He and Jordan were eating cheese crackers and watching cartoons in the living room when I went in there a few minutes later.

“Do you guys feel like talking about seeing your mom?” I asked them.

“What about it?” Jordan said.

“You know, just . . . how it went and how you’re feeling.”

“It was fine,” he said.

“I’m gonna make her a picture,” Eric said. “She said she wants me to draw her a rainbow with a pot of gold.”

“Okay, that sounds good.”

I’d been prepared for tears and anger, but not this. It had thrown me for a loop.

“So if you feel like you need to talk . . . about anything, anytime, you guys know I’m here, right?”

“Yeah,” Jordan said absently, more focused on Tom and Jerry than me.

“I’m gonna go take a shower,” I said. “Uncle Mason’s around here somewhere working on the security system.”

I picked up my phone from the kitchen counter and texted Meredith on the way to the bathroom.

Me: The boys said they had a good visit with their mom. Austin said there were no issues.

Meredith: So glad to hear that.

Me: I’m relieved. What are you up to?

Meredith: Baking. Always a great idea when it’s ninety degrees outside, right?

Me: What are you baking?

Meredith: Banana bread and cookies.

Me: Just a reminder that I really like banana bread and cookies.

Meredith: I’ll have to bring some over, then.

Me: I hope so.

Meredith: Get some sleep tonight. You must be exhausted.

I realized she was right—I was.

Me: I will. Talk soon.

Meredith: Goodnight.

The next morning, I dropped the boys off at Reed and Ivy’s house to spend the day with Ivy. I’d given Stephanie the day off of babysitting because I still wasn’t sure what Kim might do.

After stopping by the floral shop to order Meredith’s flowers, I went to the hospital for a full morning of surgeries.

I felt slightly back in the swing of things since the boys were doing well. But I was still unsettled over Meredith.

I needed to convince her that not only did I have room in my life to handle work, the boys, the Kim situation,
and
my relationship with her—I needed it. Spending time with her every day was important to me, even on the days it was just a few minutes.

There was a medical student scrubbed in to help with my surgeries today, though she was only observing. Explaining things and doing some stuff more slowly to demonstrate for her put me slightly behind, and it was nearly one p.m. when I left the hospital’s main operating room for the final time.

My afternoon office appointments didn’t start until two, so I had time to grab lunch. I checked my phone, hoping for a text from Meredith that she’d gotten the flowers, but there wasn’t one.

When I pushed open the double doors that led to the elevators, Meredith was standing near the wall.

“Hey,” she said, her smile a little shy.

“Hey.” Grinning, I pulled off my surgical cap and scooped her into my arms. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

I lifted her feet from the ground and gave her a little spin. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tightly, letting out a small squeal.

“Thanks for the flowers,” she said in my ear.

“You’re welcome. I would’ve sent them every day until I saw you, but this is much better.”

I set her feet back on the floor, and she looked up at me.

“Did you just drop by to say hi, or do you have time for a quick lunch?” I asked her.

“Actually, I was . . . watching you.”

“Watching me?”

She nodded. “From the window you can watch surgeries from.”

“I didn’t see you.”

“Well, it’s so high up, and I was standing in the back of the booth . . . or whatever you call that place.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled nervously. “I just wanted to see you doing what you do, if that makes sense.”

“That means a lot. Most people can’t stomach watching surgery.”

“I guess I just want to know everything about you. What you do and how you do it. Because . . . I think I might love you.”

My lips parted with surprise, and my heart felt like it might jump out of my chest.

“Meredith—”

“Sorry.” She closed her eyes, her cheeks reddening. “I didn’t mean to just—”

The double doors flew open, and two nurses walked out, both laughing.

“Hey, Dr. Lockhart, are you coming down for lunch?” one of them asked me.

I shook my head at him and turned back to Meredith.

“I think I love you, too.” I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “Actually, I
know
I do.”

She smiled, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “I had to come here to tell you that, and to say that I’m sticking.”

“Sticking?” I arched my brows with curiosity.

“Not running. Not even easing slightly away to give you space. I want to be as much a part of your and the boys’ lives as you want me to be.”

I pulled her back into my arms and lifted her up again, kissing her and then spinning her around again. She cupped my cheeks, giving me the smile that lit up my whole world.

“I want you to be a very big part of our lives,” I said. “I can’t be impulsive and get married right away or anything because of the boys—”

“Oh no, I’m not asking you to.” She put her fingertips over my lips, her eyes wide. “I just want to be with you.”

“I’ll want to get married at some point, though,” I said against her fingers.

She whipped her hand away from my mouth. “What did you say?”

“I’ll want to. A real wedding, not some bullshit tiny one since I’m divorced. With the boys in it.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I could definitely do that.”

“And we can have more kids.”

“You . . . Really? You’re sure?”

I nodded and set her feet back on the ground. “When we get there. I need more time than a guy without kids might, but I want you to know I’m all in. I want us to have it all—together.”

Tears fell onto her cheeks, and she wiped them away. “I never thought any of this would happen for me. I mean, I love the boys so much already, but more . . . I’ve always wanted a big family.”

“I’d like that, too.”

I kissed her again, then pulled back, remembering the worry that had been dogging me for days. “So Kim might try to cause problems for us, and I don’t want that to scare you away.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve waited too long to feel this way about someone, and I’m here to stay. I’ve waited my whole life, really.”

“Me too.”

“And I’m sticking.”

“So am I.” I nodded toward the hallway that led to the elevators. “I wish I could take the afternoon off to be with you, but I can’t. Can I interest you in a lunch date in the hospital cafeteria?”

“Sounds kind of perfect, actually.”

I took her hand and led her down the hallway.

Karma had come through in a very big way for me today. But then, I was pretty overdue for that in the love department.

Meredith

The morning of April and Mason’s wedding, Kyle woke me up early for our first-ever morning-sex session.

His hair was a mess and dark stubble coated his face—a look I found
very
sexy.

“You’re gonna make me come,” he said, his face a few inches from mine as he fucked me slow and deep.

“How?” I said breathlessly.

“That shit with your hips.
Fuck
.”

I was on my back in his king-size bed, my arms pinned above my head by one of his hands and his other arm hooked beneath my knee.

“Come, then,” I said, arching my back to take him just a little deeper.

“You first.” His voice was strained as he dipped his head to close his lips around my nipple.

That did it. I cried out and locked my legs around his waist as I came, and with just a few more thrusts, he did the same, saying my name in a deep, satisfied tone that made my toes curl.