Skyscrapers & Camelot (Renovate Book 1) (31 page)

“I’ll take you, Aimee.”

“No, Keegan, I don’t want you to,” I tell him, looking him in the eye.

“What’s going on?” Reese is now standing in the doorway.

“Kate is taking me to the airport. I need to get back home. My dad had a heart attack tonight.”

Reese comes in between Keegan and me. “Oh, my God, is he okay?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I have to get out of here.”

She nods. “Just be careful and call me when you get there.”

I start to leave.

“I’m coming with you.” Keegan follows.

I turn on my heels. “No, you’re not. I don’t want you to.” I’m not backing down. The only thing I care about right now is getting to my dad as soon as possible.

“Aimee, you’re upset,” he states.

“I’m not upset. I’m numb,” I tell him then sigh. “Keegan, what I don’t get is, after all this time, why is she working so close to you? You must have realized this would end badly.”

He lets out a long breath. “Aimee, it’s complicated.”

I’m so angry right now.

“I’m not his assistant; I’m his partner. I own half the firm,” Gretchen interrupts.

I look at Keegan to get my confirmation, and he drops his head. Now it all makes sense. Why am I so blind? Aimee is always the last to know. What am I doing standing here?

Kate grabs my arm, and we both rush down the hall. I wait at the elevator while she tells Henry she’s taking me to the airport.

My heart is beating out of my chest. All I care about is getting to my dad.

Please God, let him be all right. He’s all I have, the only man who hasn’t let me down.

“Aimee, are you leaving?” Liz approaches me.

“I’m sorry. I just got a call that my dad is in the hospital. I need to get back to Indiana.”

“Oh, no, where’s Keegan?” she asks, concerned.

“Kate is taking me to the airport,” I answer.

She doesn’t pry, only pulls me into a hug. “No matter what, I’m here. Call me when you get there.”

Kate chooses the perfect time to interrupt. “Let’s go,” she says, holding up her keys.

I push the button for the elevator, and thankfully, it opens right away. We both get on, yet right before the doors start to close, Keegan stops them with his foot.

“Aimee, I love you to the stars.”

I turn my head without looking at him, because if he sees my eyes, he will know there’s still a chance. However, I’m not sure we will get a third one.

The doors finally close, and the tears start to fall. As the elevator descends, I ask myself,
How did everything fall apart so fast?

Epilogue

I told her I loved her to the stars, and she couldn’t even look at me. Why couldn’t she just look at me? Then she would see I wasn’t going to let her go. I promised her that I wouldn’t hurt her, and I did. I knew Gretchen was upset; I just didn’t think she would go as far as she did.

Our relationship has always been complicated. When she wanted to talk alone, I had no idea she would be so upset; therefore, I tried comforting her. I should have been honest with Aimee about my past with Gretchen, but getting her back was my main focus for so long I didn’t want to jeopardize it.

I know I’m an idiot, asshole, jerk. I can’t argue that.

Gretchen didn’t lie; she’s part owner of the firm. Kaleb and I didn’t have enough start up, so we needed an investor, and well, Gretchen’s family invested, but only if she was a silent partner. So we all agreed, but there was one stipulation: since she is majority owner with both Kaleb and I owning the other half, she can’t be bought out. We can only sell our majority to her. It wasn’t the best business decision, but at the time, we needed the capital, so here I am, standing in front of a closed elevator after my heart just left me.

I feel a hand on my shoulder.

“Keegan, you have to let her get to her dad. That’s what’s important right now.” I don’t turn around, but I can still feel my mom behind me.

“She loves you. Whatever happened, I’m sure it can be fixed.”

I’m not too sure she will ever forgive me, but I will die trying. I would give everything up for her. I have done all of this for her, and it doesn’t mean anything without her.

Can someone find their soul mate when they are seven years old? Aimee and I are legitimate proof that you can. Letting her go was the worst mistake I ever made, and I’m not giving up on her, not now, not tomorrow, not ten years from now. Not ever.

***

I don’t know what the big deal is. All I wanted to do is watch some wrestling on TV, but no, Kaleb wanted to watch some stupid game show. Now we are both grounded from the TV for fighting and destroying the remote. All I have to say is it wasn’t me.

Why can’t there be any cool kids on this street? I’m seriously going to die from boredom.

I move to the front window, looking across the street, and my heart suddenly stops. A girl my age with long, dark hair is stopped at the edge of a driveway. She looks lost and a little sad, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a purple T-shirt paired with black chucks, the same shoes I’m wearing. This has to be fate.

I can’t look away. She’s the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

I sneak out the back of the house and peek around the corner, spying on her. Is she talking to herself? This girl definitely needs me. Whatever it is, I’m going to help her.

I make my way to the edge of our driveway and try to get her attention, but she doesn’t hear me. When I say hi a little louder, our eyes lock, and I can truly see her. I swear her eyes are sparkling.

Why is my heart beating fast? And why am I sweating? I’m going to be this girl’s best friend, you just wait and see.

I ask her what her name is, and when she speaks, the sweetest voice escapes her lips.

“Aimee,” she tells me.

I decide then and there that it is the most awesome name I have ever heard.

Aimee and Keegan’s story continues in book two of the Renovate Series

Coming early 2016

Acknowledgements

Writing this book has always been a dream of mine. I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement from my family and friends. Thank you to those who have offered me their kind words and support.

I would like to also thank some special people.

To my parents, who have supported me all of my life, especially my father who purchased my first library and who has been there for me in the good times and the bad.

To my best friend, Olivia, who has helped me every step of the way and allowed me to use her to bounce off ideas and keep me grounded through this whole process.

About Mindy A. Carter

Mindy has been in love with love for as long as she can remember. As a child, you could find Mindy engrossed in fairytale books and dreaming of her happily-ever-after. She was lucky enough to find her Prince Charming, and lives in Ohio with him and her four precocious children.

Social Links:

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Continue to read excerpt from
Lucky: A Love Lane Short
, #1 by: Olivia L. Thomas

Lucky: A Love Lane Short, #1

“Mmmmmm,” purrs deep from Henry’s throat as he takes a huge bite of his pizza and chews. “This is so good. I was starving.”

Taking a much smaller bite of my own slice as we sit on a carpet made of blankets in the living room, I just stare at Henry. I never thought watching a man eat could be so incredibly sexy, and such a huge turn on, but with Henry, it is. His eyes close with each bite as he revels in the taste, his lips pink and moist, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down with each swallow. The soft murmurs of pleasure coming from his throat cause an erratic beating in my chest. I want him to taste and savor me exactly as he is doing with that pizza.

“You certainly look like you’re enjoying that,” I say nervously, my cheeks flushed red with want. My body heating up with each passing minute as my iPhone shuffles to the next song. The raspy vocals and sensual lyrics of Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon begins to play, adding fuel to the already burning ache simmering low in my body.

Henry rests the pizza on his plate and looks pointedly at me with a wicked, knowing smile. In response, I timidly bring the bottle of beer to my lips and take a deep pull as Henry begins to chuckle. Like a contagion, I follow suit and begin to laugh, as well, not knowing what else to do in my nervous state.

A tiny trickle of cold beer spills from my mouth and drifts in a slow glide down my chin, cooling my heated skin. I bring my hand up to wipe away the amber liquid, which is quickly followed by peeking my tongue out of my mouth to capture the last of the malty flavor on my lips. It is then I notice Henry’s gaze has changed from jovial to something more serious. He assesses me with hungry eyes that I never would have known possible if I hadn’t seen it for myself.

As I continue to gaze at Henry, my body begins to hum with fevered anticipation. This is it. This is the moment when all my fantasies and daydreaming come to life—well, at least I hope it is. Attraction, awe at discovering just how amazing this man actually is, and regret that I didn’t take notice sooner all swirl in my mind. I swallow it all down with my next sip of beer.

“Don’t be nervous, Kate,” Henry says as he slowly reaches over and wraps his right hand behind my neck, pulling me in closer for a kiss.

Henry pauses mere inches from my lips and stares, and the heat reflected back into my eyes is enough to steal my breath away. In that moment, I realize how wrong I had been.  Henry is not the meek, quiet boy from work; he is a man full of passion, depth, and promise. I want whatever is about to happen between us more than I have ever wanted anything before. This new version of myself—this new Kate—wants to live life and experience everything it has to offer.

With that thought, Henry closes the distance between us and tentatively places his mouth on mine. With lips velvety soft and cool from the cold beer he has been drinking, he kisses me with a gentleness that is so tender I want to cry from its beauty.

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