SWNOVELS Finding Hayes: Chapter 25
I’d ordered takeout before lighting a few candles. I wanted to do something nice for her. Something that I should have done weeks ago.
I heard the door open and close, and I hurried to the entryway to meet her.
“Hey,” Savannah said, pulling her coat off and looking around curiously. “It smells good in here.”
“I ordered us a pizza and a salad.”
“Wow. That was sweet. You seem like you’re up to something.” She chuckled.
“Come on, I have a little surprise for you.”
I led her into the kitchen, where a few flickering candles sat on the counter. The box of letters was sitting on the coffee table near the couch, and I’d set the food there with a bottle of wine.
“What’s all this?” she asked, heading straight for the box of letters. “You’re letting me read them all?”
“The box is yours. You can read them whenever you want.” I sat down on the leather couch, and she sat beside me.
“Thank you. I thought you liked torturing me by giving me one every couple of days.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, and these sort of tie into the whole thing.”
She ran her fingers along the top of the box and looked up at me. “Is this where you tell me that you don’t want to have your wagon hitched to mine anymore, and this is my parting gift?”
Her tone was light and laced with humor, but I also noticed the way her voice shook a little. We were in limbo. I needed to show her that I was trying. I wanted to fight for us, but I didn’t know how.
“Nope. This is me telling you that I’m crazy about you. It doesn’t matter where you are, because you live here, Sav. Right fucking here.” I reached for her hand and placed it over my heart. “I know I’m not good at this. I know I’ll probably fuck it all up. But I love you. So giving you these letters is my way of showing you all of me. There’s shit in there that I don’t want to remember, but maybe it’ll show you why I am the way that I am.”
She lunged forward and hugged me. My arms came around her, wanting to keep her close. “I love you exactly the way you are, Hayes.”
“I know you do. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
She pulled back, blinking several times to try to keep the tears at bay. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about a life together. I want you to stay here. With me. I can back you in opening your own business right here in Magnolia Falls.”
She didn’t speak as I reached into the pocket of my flannel shirt and pulled out the little black box I’d hidden there. I opened it up, and there was a platinum band with a princess-cut diamond sitting on top. Classic and beautiful, just like her.
“Hayes,” she whispered. “What is this?”
“That ring you’re wearing isn’t worthy of you.” I chuckled, because we’d gotten it off of Amazon for twenty bucks, because we just needed something to look the part for appearance’s sake. “I want my ring on your finger. I know we want different things, but maybe none of that matters as much as we think it does. Maybe all that matters is you and me. Because when I’m with you, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And I know it’s selfish to ask you to be with me when someone else can give you everything you want. But I’m a selfish man when it comes to you. I don’t want to let you go.” My voice shook, which startled me. I wasn’t used to being vulnerable, but I knew it was necessary. I didn’t want her to move. I didn’t want her to leave Magnolia Falls.
I don’t want her to leave me.
“Are you doing this because you don’t want to lose me as a friend again?” she asked. “Because things are different now. We’re not going to lose touch this time. You’re stuck with me,” she said, as the tears streamed down her pretty face.
“I’m not doing this because I’m afraid we’ll lose touch. I’m doing this because I can’t live without you. I don’t want to be friends who hook up. I want you to be mine. I want to grow old with you. I want to watch you chase your dreams and support you every step of the way. I want you, Sav. I want us.” I used the pads of my thumbs to swipe the falling tears away. “I want a life with you.”
She nodded, blinking a few times as the tears continued to fall. “I thought you never wanted to be married for real? Never wanted forever with anyone.”
“I thought so, too.” I shrugged. “But then you came back to town like a blazing wildfire and brought me back to life. Setting my world on fire. And I know without question that we belong together. We might not be perfect, and things might get messy, but I’ll fight for us every goddamn day if you take this chance with me.”
“I’ll take that chance with you,” she whispered. “Because you are all I want, Hayes Woodson. You are all I need. You are enough.”
Those were words I never thought I’d hear.
She took the fake ring off her finger, and I slipped the new ring on in its place.
There was an elephant in the room that we’d clearly decided not to discuss.
She wanted a family.
I wanted her.
At the end of the day, we’d figure it out.
I hoped that after reading the letters, she’d understand why I was the way that I was.
My intense fear of failing when it came to the people that I loved.
And right now, I just needed her to know that I was all in.
She stared down at her hand and smiled. “It’s gorgeous.”
“You’re gorgeous, Shortcake.”
“I need you to know that if it’s just you and me for the rest of this lifetime, I can live with that, Hayes. I just needed to know that you felt the same way. You are my family, and that’s enough for me.” Her voice wobbled, and I knew what she was saying.
She’d give up her dream of a family for me.
And I was the selfish prick who was going to let her do it.
Because I loved her that much.
“We don’t need to decide anything today. All we need to know is that we’re going to make this work. Whatever it takes. And I think it will help if you read the letters.” I tucked her long hair behind her ear, and she nodded.
I tugged her down and kissed her hard, my tongue exploring and claiming her the way I was desperate to do.
When I pulled back, she was smiling at me.
“I couldn’t wait to get home today, but you surprised me, and I know you hate surprises, so thank you.” She sighed. “So, I’m staying in Magnolia Falls. We’re really doing this.”
“Fuck yeah, we are. If you want this, Sav, I will be by your side. However you need me.”
She nodded, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “I want this.”
“That’s all I need to hear.” I tipped her back and tickled her as her laughter filled the air around us.
When I paused to look at her, a loud rumble came from her stomach, which made her laugh harder.
“Sorry. I didn’t eat much at the shower, so I think I’m hungry.”
I tugged her forward to sit and reached for a plate, filling it with salad and a slice of pizza. “Start with this. You need to eat, woman. You’ve been pushing too hard lately.”
She’d been working long hours at the house, and she spent hours a day on the phone with the doctors in Dallas, getting things moving for her father.
“I got a call today,” she said after she finished chewing. “From Dr. Dorsey.”
“What did he say?”
“Dad’s approved. He’ll go to Dallas as soon as the next spot opens up. It’s just a waiting game now. The spot is his.” Her eyes were wet with emotion again. “It’s his chance at a life.”
“Holy shit. That’s amazing. You got him in. Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“I was going to, but then you were all mysterious when I walked through the door.” She laughed. “And then you sort of proposed again, which was slightly distracting.”
“Looks like all good things are happening, huh? Have you told your father yet?”
“Nope. But he’ll do it. He knows it’s his best shot. I’ve been sending him material about it every day. Nadia and I are in constant contact, and she’s keeping him updated, as well. He agreed if he got the spot, he’d take it.”
“Does he know you’re paying for it?” I asked, because her father was a proud man. I knew he’d struggle with that side of things.
“He knows that his insurance is going to pay a portion, and the program covers a certain amount for each patient selected for the trial. But he knows that doesn’t come close to covering it. He’s aware that I have my inheritance check coming next week, but he doesn’t know the cost of the trial, and honestly, neither do I. So I’m just going to set it all aside, and whatever it costs, we’ll make it happen.”
“That’s a good plan. I did want to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“Are you sure you want to sell the farmhouse? I know how much you love that place. And you’ve made it your own. We could sell this place and keep that one if you want. I want you to be happy, Sav.”
“You said it yourself. It’s too much house. It’s massive and has all that land. I think a family should live there and enjoy it.” She smiled.
A family she knows I have no intention of giving her.
“I just know that you’ve poured your heart into that place,” I said. “We don’t need the money. I’ll be getting a raise with this new position, and this house is paid off.”
“I could use the money from the sale of the farmhouse to start my own business. I want to set the inheritance money aside for my father’s treatment. The trial could very well use it all up and then some. So the house money could be something I use to get on my feet.”
“You don’t need to get on your feet. That’s what I’m for.”
“Hayes.” Her eyes were hard now.
“Savannah.”
“I’m doing this. I’m fighting for us. But I’m still me. I love my work, and if I’m not going to take those job offers that have come up, I’ll need to start my own business here in Magnolia Falls, which is going to cost some money until I get things up and running. The farmhouse will make that all possible. Renting a space is going to be expensive, and I have no money coming in yet.”
I sighed. She was giving it all up for me.
And what the fuck was I doing for her?
“I just want to help you. I want to be a team. You aren’t in this alone.”
“I know that.” She held up her hand and then reached for the box of letters and tapped it. “You’ve given me more than you realize.”
I just hope it will be enough.
We spent the next hour eating and talking about our future.
When she’d gone to the bathroom, I’d texted the guys to ask them to put out some feelers about office space for her downtown.
It was the least I could do.
They’d responded quickly and said they’d be on the lookout and keep me posted.
There was a knock on the door, and I pushed to my feet just as Savannah came back.
“Who could that be? It’s late,” she said, falling in stride beside me.
I pulled the door open and startled at the sight of her.
Kate fucking Campbell stood on the other side.
And just like that, our perfect evening just got shot to shit.