Page 24 of The Right Time

A jolt of fear shoots through me. I immediately know which one he’s talking about—the Trent kiss.

“I didn’t…”

He raises a hand to halt me. “Thank you.”

I blink, unsure that I’ve heard correctly. “Wh-wh-what?”

“I needed to see that.” He exhales. “You’re the patient one, the one willing to wait to get what you want. I hadn’t realized until you made that bold move that I had pushed you to the edge of your patience.” I nod, pleased he understood my intent and doesn’t harbor any hurt feelings. “Can I ask you to do something for me?” A strange laugh escapes his mouth, and he shakes his head. “Rather to not do something for me.”

I’m way ahead of him. “No worries. I’m not going out with Trent ever again. He’ll be gone in another week, anyway.”

“Maybe not.”

Lucas takes my hand and leads me to my bed. We slip down, side to side, our knees touching. “You know about the Fairbanks interview?”

I nod. I recall the three pen lights on his desktop.

“They offered me the job on the spot.”

“Oh my God, Lucas, that’s great.” I give him a playful shove.

“I turned it down.”

I hold my breath. It’s the right choice for him. He has never been Fairbanks material and would have grown to hate working there. Lucas, however, isn’t impulsive. If he turned it down, there’s more. I bite my lower lip and pray it’s not what I think it is.

“I gave Dad’s friend Trent’s CV. Trent doesn’t know it yet, but they’re going to reach out next week for an interview. He’s going to crush it.”

“Does this mean…?” My mind races ahead.

“If he gets it, he’s welcome to stay with us. Mom and Dad are already on board. They like having him around, and something tells me he’d enjoy some home-cooked meals.”

I press my hands to my chest. Lucas has the world’s biggest heart, always looking out for others. I bask in his prideful grin. He’s a special man.

The twinkle in his eyes continues to sparkle. There’s more. I take a deep breath and prepare.

His palm lands on the top of my hand. “Before I came over just now, I sent an email to the consulting company back east. I accepted their offer.”

I nod. It’s the job he’s made for. It’s the one he wanted. The one he deserves. “I’m happy for you, Lucas. You’re going to crush it there.” I wish my voice carried the joy he deserves to hear from a best friend, but it’s the best I can muster after visions of having him home full-time still fill my heart. This isn’t a homecoming; it’s just another pit stop for him. “How long do we have you?”

His hand lands on my knee, a gentle squeeze. “The rest of our lives.”

I’m confused by his answer.

“I negotiated eighty percent remote work. I’ll only have to travel one week per month. I told them I have a Mesa girl who has been waiting for me for too long. Her patience has worn out.”

I barely capture his golden smile as he shakes his head. “When I left Mesa before I thought I needed to see the world, I thought I needed to see all the goodness, beauty, and treasures the world had to offer. Do you know what I discovered?”

I lean onto the tips of my toes, my lips parting, waiting for his reveal.

“I realized I had seen my best friend toss her head back and snort out an uncontrollable laugh after sharing an inappropriate joke.” His finger lands on my thigh, his pinkie slipping underneath the edge of my shorts. “I had seen you in cut-off jeans and an orange tank top climb a boulder on a ninety-five-degree day.”

I clamp my lips together as butterflies swarm in my stomach.

“I had felt the woman of my dreams brush past me for no reason in a hallway wide enough for it not to happen.” He twists slightly and places his hands on his lap, palms up and my hands slip into his without thought.

“I had tasted you on my lips one time, a memory that still echoes in my heart. There will never be a reason to ever leave again because anything in the world I had ever thought I would need is here with you. You’re my world, Adrienne.”

I can’t believe my ears. I leap at him, climbing on top of him.

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