Finding the Way Back (Book 1 in the Forgiving Hearts Trilogy) (21 page)

“Greta was out sick so I had to borrow one of the other secretaries. It didn’t go well. I had more than one complaint from my patients. The only thing Kiera can do is make coffee. I can’t understand how she keeps her job.”

“Is it something serious with Greta?”

“She thinks strep throat.” There was a loud knock on the door. “Our dinner has arrived.” Colton paid the delivery guy and returned with a large bag.

As he unpacked the containers, Laurel’s eyes grew wide. “Shrimp cocktails, Caesar salad and lobster! Isn’t this what we had at Juliet’s rehearsal dinner?”

He nodded. “I don’t know if this version will be as good, but if not, hopefully dessert will make up for it.”

“Either way, it was a nice thought. You remember so many things that I’ve forgotten.”

“I spent a year reliving every moment I had with you.”

She took his face between her hands. “We’re going to make new memories, Colton.” Then she kissed him softly on the lips.

As she drew away, he asked, “Will you do that again later when I don’t have my hands full of food?”

Laurel laughed. “Maybe; right now, I’m going to fix the drinks.”

* * * *

As they cleared the table, Laurel said, “Wow! That was delicious. I can’t eat another bite.”

“How can you say that?” Colton asked with a grin. “You don’t know what’s in the box.”

“Okay, I’ll take a small piece of whatever it is.”

He brought the box to her. It wasn’t heavy enough to contain a cake; Laurel wondered if it was truffles. Colton knew she liked them. She lifted the lid and found a small jeweler’s box inside. Her eyes flew to his face.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and find out.”

Inside was a large square sapphire suspended on a gold chain. “Colton, it’s lovely!” she uttered in an awed voice.

He removed it from its lining and put it around her neck. “It doesn’t compare with the beauty of your eyes, but it comes close.”

“Is this an early birthday present?” she asked as she fingered the stone.

“You can call it that if you want, but it’s really an ‘I love you’ gift. I saw it and wanted you to have it.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, “That’s the best kind of gift. Thank you!”

He ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ve missed you, Laurel. That’s why I’m here tonight. I couldn’t stand the thought of going another day without seeing you.”

She drew back enough that she could see his face. “I’ve missed you, too. We’re going to have to adjust our dating methods.”

“Do these adjustments involve us repeating what happened in the car the other night?”

“I think we should consider it,” she said with a smile.

Colton’s hands slid down her back to her waist. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

As he bent to kiss her, Laurel put her finger on his lips. “There’s something else we should consider.”

“Can’t it wait?” he asked softly.

A serious light entered her eyes. “I think you’ll want to hear it. This involves you coming home.”

The teasing smile faded from his lips as his arms tightened around her. “Are you sure you’re ready? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be with you all the time, but there’s no need to rush things. I want this to be an enjoyable time for us, not one where you feel pressured to do something you’re not comfortable with.”

“Do I look like I feel pressured? I love you, Colton, and I believe we can get to the next step in our relationship more easily by being together as opposed to living apart.”

He bit his lip. “Human emotion is so difficult to figure out. I’ve spent months dreaming about this moment, hoping for another chance to be a part of your life and now that it’s here, I don’t know what to say.”

She gently drew his head down and whispered against his lips, “Say you’ll stay with me. The rest will take care of itself.”

Epilogue

Laurel rolled over in her sleep and bumped into something warm. Her arms went around Colton’s waist. Eleven months had passed since his return to her. Last night had been their final one in the apartment. Today they were moving into a house not far from Rose.

She leaned forward and kissed the nape of his neck. It never failed to wake him. He turned to face her, a sleepy grin on his face. “Excited about today?” he asked.

“Yes. I can’t wait to get started on the nursery.”

“As long as you understand that you’ll only be giving orders. No lifting, no climbing, no nothing.”

Laurel kissed the tip of his nose. “That’s fine with me.” She moved to a more comfortable position, the nightgown she wore not able to disguise her condition. “Our child has been kicking me since four this morning.”

His hand moved to caress her stomach as he took her lips in a long kiss. “You stay here and rest. I’m going to take a shower. Spence and Greg will be here in an hour to help load the moving truck.”

When he walked back into the bedroom, Laurel was sitting up in bed, a stack of papers on her lap. He sat down beside her, his fingers tugging the folder from her hand. “You’re not resting.”

“My feet are off the floor so technically I
am
resting.” She looked around their bedroom. “It’s strange, but part of me doesn’t want to leave. We’ve been so happy here.”

Colton ran his fingers gently down her face. “This will always be a special place to us, Laurel. It’s where we shut the door on the past and began a new life together.”

The End

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