Show Me How to Love (Caldwell Family Book 1) (32 page)

“There’s my prize.” His deep voice, helped by the microphone, reverberated throughout the room and bounced intently against her heart.

People at tables turned to follow his gaze. Everyone’s eyes were on her. Her hand went straight to her hair. Renee shot her an I told you so look. She could almost hear her friend’s thoughts. Always be cute.

“You look beautiful,” Andre said. “I’m not good at…grand romantic gestures. But today I’ll try. My family is full of shit. For too long I played into that. We’ve hurt you, embarrassed you, and taken your friendship for granted. The least, I can do, is stand up here and embarrass myself in front of all these people and let you know that I love you.”

Her eyes watered. Mikayla’s heart couldn’t pump blood fast enough to deliver oxygen to her brain. She thought she’d either faint or burst.

Then the music started, Lenny Williams, Cause I Love You, blared through the room.

Women swooned and one man yelled out “Yeah, man, that’s how you do it.”

She watched in both disbelief and bliss as he sang the words. When he got into the song and actually swung his hips, a shocked laugh escaped her.

Oh my, God, he’s really doing this.
He was really up there, singing in front of everyone, so she’d take him back.

When he went into the full “Oh, oh, oh, ooooh!” and stamped his foot, Mikayla knew her answer. She was his forever.

Instead of recounting the speaking part in the song, Andre stared at her.

“Mikayla, I’m sorry. My dad lied. I did not take Angelica back. But I lied to you before that.” His dark gaze pierced hers from across the room. “I have no excuse for what I did. It was all that I knew, but you showed me another way. You make me want to be better, for you.” His gaze swept the room and the people watching them. “I walked away. I quit my job today.” He zeroed in on Mikayla. “I’m starting over in North Carolina, and I want you to come with me. To hell with this family drama. Let’s start over, away from both sides. Forgive me.” He took a deep breath. “Marry me.”

The crowd erupted in cheers. Tears streamed down Mikayla’s face. People chanted “Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.”

She turned and ran out the door.

Outside she pulled in deep breaths of air. Did she forgive him? Marry him? Move to North Carolina or wherever? Trust him never to betray her again? Oh, man, she wanted too. But was going with him right?

The door to Rowdy’s opened and closed. She knew it was him without turning around.

“I warned you my family doesn’t fight fair.”

She kept her back to him. “So you did.”

She listened as his footsteps neared until he was right behind her. “The blackmail of Senator Leventis began before I knew you were involved with the deal.”

“But you still went through with it.”

“I did.”

She brought a hand to her temple. “Why?”

“You and I weren’t official. I wasn’t in love with you at the time. I convinced myself ruining the deal made sense. No different than how I operated before I met you and that if you never found out we could be friends and it wouldn’t mean a thing. Then when you figured out a way to salvage the land purchase, I thought things had worked out.”

She spun to face him. Her defenses almost melted at the pleading in his dark eyes. “You tried to ruin the deal again.”

“No, my dad tried.” He took her arm in his. She didn’t pull away and he drew her close. “That’s what I couldn’t tell you. I knew you’d be hurt if I told you, and I’d have to confess everything for you to understand. By then I realized I cared and couldn’t do that to you again. I told my father, and he threatened to ruin my name if I walked away.”

“You didn’t walk away. Your trip to Kansas City proves that.”

“I did today. Him lying to you was the last straw. I’m taking a job in North Carolina.”

“Angelica?”

He wiped away a tear that slipped from the corner of her eye. “I didn’t answer her calls or listen to her voice mail. I haven’t talked to her since that day she called me weeks ago. I’m so sorry my dad did that to you. I want to start over. I want the two of us to be together. Away from my family and the craziness they pull into our lives. I want to become that good guy you thought I was.”

“What if I don’t want to live in North Carolina?”

He winced, and the pain in his eyes pulled at her heart. He nodded and seemed to force himself to accept it. “I found out Charity is stealing from your Uncle. If you don’t want me, you can have your job back.”

“You got my job back, even though you hated me working for them.”

“I only want you to be happy. If you can’t move past this, at least I know I tried all I could to get you back.”

“Will that satisfy you?”

The hand on her arm tightened its hold. “No, but I’d learn to live with it.”

The war over what to do was over. He had her the moment she heard his voice in Rowdy’s. Still, she took a second to search deep in her heart. To make sure that she was ready to try and trust him again. She stepped closer to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Don’t lie to me ever again. Because I love you, Andre.” His body sagged with relief. “I forgave you the second you stepped on that stage. I missed you from the moment I hung up the phone. I only want you.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. Then his eyes stirred with something else. Heat and love filled her. She’d missed him.

“I’ll never lie to you again. I love you too much to risk losing you.”

She stared at him. “This wasn’t supposed to last.”

“No, they said it wouldn’t last. But we both knew from the start that no matter how unlikely it should be, there is something real between us. I need you, Mikayla. You showed me how to love. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He lowered his head and kissed her. A crowd of Rowdy’s patrons spilled out the bar, watched and cheered. Mikayla barely heard the cheers. She pulled Andre closer.

Acknowledgements

First I’d like to thank my fantastic beta readers who helped me massage this story into what it is today: Danita, Natoya, Kwana, and Liv. I truly appreciate your feedback and the time you took to read over Andre and Mikayla’s story. Many thanks to Delaney Diamond, Sharon Cooper, Candace Shaw and K.M. Jackson for your recommendations and advice as I navigated this self-publishing journey. A shout out to my cousin Sharon for sending me little bits of encouragement over the past few years. Thanks so much for looking out with books and contacts who’ve given me ideas and support. Finally, thank you to my wonderful husband Eric. You’ve cheered me on during this process better than anyone.

About the Author

Synithia Williams has loved romance novels since reading her first one at the age of 13. It was only natural that she would begin penning her own romances soon after. It wasn’t until 2010 that she began to actively pursue her publishing dreams. When she isn’t writing, Synithia is working hard on water quality issues in the Midlands of South Carolina and taking care of her supportive husband and two sons. You can learn more about Synithia by visiting her website,
www.synithiawilliams.com
, where she blogs about writing, life and relationships.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/synithiarwilliams

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/@SynithiaW

Books by Synithia Williams

You Can’t Plan Love

Worth the Wait

A Heart to Heal

Just My Type

Love’s Replay