Page 98 of The Acquisition

"You were right before. It's easier said than done."

Beck's attention strayed back to Evie. "Yeah, it is, but totally worth it." He walked away, leaving Colt and I alone.

"What are you thinking about, gramps?" I asked.

"The future."

"And what do you see when you picture it?"

"A second chance," he replied. By the look on his face I sensed he was talking about more than our relationship.

"We could all use one of those," I agreed. "Looks like Beckett and Evie are making the most of theirs."

"I want that," he said, staring longingly at Beck and Evie with baby Grace.

For a split second I almost brushed off his statement with sarcasm or outright ignored it. But I'd promised myself to be more fearless. The only chance Colt and I had was if we stopped hiding our desires behind the walls we'd erected.

It gave me an idea, but just like this event, some things needed the proper staging.

* * *

Back at the hotel we parted ways with Beck and Evie so they could take care of Gracie. I needed a moment to set up my surprise for Colter. Our suite was fairly large, although not as opulent as the hotel I stayed at in New York. Still it was big enough that Colt and I were in separate rooms while I set up the bedroom with my surprise.

When I came out, he wasn't there. He left a note on the coffee table for me.

Jana,

I needed to step out for a few minutes. I'll be back soon.

Love,

Colt

Maybe it was because of the connection we reforged over the last week, but I knew exactly where to find him. My stomach filled with nerves, hoping his emotions wouldn't cause him to drive me away again.

I wanted to trust him. Part of that meant I had to find a way to accept that Genevieve Holmes would always be a part of our story. Being jealous of a dead woman was hard. Her memory would always remain as a snapshot in his mind. I was okay with that. The part I struggled with was living under the "what ifs" he might still harbor about his life if she'd lived.

He was the one for me. I knew that without a doubt. If there was such a thing as "the one" then he was mine. It was a hard concept for me to swallow that he might not see me as his. Yes, he loved me. I believed that, but I wanted to know he would have chosen me over everyone else, not that I got him by default.

It was the one thing holding me back from falling even more in love with him than I already was. I didn't know how to overcome this feeling.

Following him to the cemetery might be the dumbest decision I'd ever made, but there were answers there I needed.

I managed to get a taxi to drive me. It set me a lot farther behind him than I'd have liked. I didn't know exactly what I hoped to find when I got there. Maybe he wouldn't be there. That would probably be the best scenario.

"Stop, Jana," I scolded myself quietly.

My heart squeezed when I saw the car we rented parked on the side of the road.

"Thank you," I murmured to the driver. My voice was thick with worry about what I was walking into. I handed him a wad of cash and silently walked up to where Colt kneeled in the grass.

His fingers lovingly traced the carved letters of her inscription.

Genevieve Holmes

1981-2005

Forever Young

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