Page 77 of Devoted Enough

I laughed as I blew on my stew and then tasted it. Closing my eyes, I let out a moan. “This is heavenly!”

Nate tasted it and shook his head. “It’s missing something.”

“A mother’s touch?” I asked with a smile.

He chuckled. “Maybe that’s what it is.”

“It’s like when someone else makes a sandwich like a BLT or something. It is the best sandwich you’ve ever had, even if it is just a BLT.”

Pointing to me, he said, “Yes! That is exactly like that.”

“I think it is amazing. Warms me up as well.”

He took another bite. “It is pretty damn good.”

We ate in silence for a few minutes before Nate broke it.

“How are things coming along with the dog park? I know Doug just came on board, but do you have a start date?”

I leaned back in my chair, full of the stew and the roll I ate. “I think everything is finally set. The bank has all of Doug’s information now, and I think we’ll be ready to go in a couple of weeks. I’m just not sure how much we can get done with winter coming.”

“You’d be surprised by what they can do, even in the winter.”

“I hope everything goes okay. I have to admit, I’m nervous.”

Nate reached for my hand. “It’s okay to be nervous. I’d be worried if you weren’t.”

“Thank you, for everything you have done. You’ll never know what it means to me.”

Looking down at our clasped hands, Nate softly said, “The feelings that I feel for you, Haven, is nothing I’ve ever experienced before. When you’re not with me, I can’t stop thinking about you. I never again want to ever bring you pain or sadness. Ever.”

“You won’t.”

Nate closed his eyes as he spoke. “When you’re with me, I feel like I can…breathe. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

I could feel tears burning at the back of my eyes.

“Life just seems to make sense now, and the only thing I can think about when we’re apart is you. What are you doing? Are you safe walking the dogs all alone? What can I do to make your dreams come true?”

A sob slipped free as I slid off the stool, bringing Nate with me. “You have no idea what you’ve done for me, Nate.”

“You would have done the dog park without me.”

I shrugged. “Well, I don’t ever want to find out.”

“My biggest regret is the time we lost out on because of me.”

Placing my hand on his face, I drew in a slow, deep breath and exhaled. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but I wasn’t sure where to even start. I’d loved this man for so long, and a part of me had given up ever being with him. Now he stood before me, baring his heart and soul, and the only thing I wanted to do was tell him I felt the same exact way.

Placing my hands on his chest, I stared at one of the buttons on his shirt. “I read a quote a few years back from Zora Neale Hurston. ‘Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.’ I never really knew what that quote meant. To me, if you loved someone, you screamed it from the top of your lungs. But, that’s not how love works, and the push and pull of us over the years left me even more confused.”

He went to say something, and I pressed my finger to his lips. “I love you, Nate Shaw. I’ve loved you for as long as I canremember, and I only want to focus on our future. You and me and where this takes us. Because I honestly cannot imagine ever returning to a life without you in it.”

Before I could say anything else, Nate lifted me into his arms and took me straight to his bed, leaving everything a mess in the kitchen.

Chapter Fourteen

NATHAN

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