Page 59 of Worth the Wait

“Okay, princess, she gets it,” he teased.

He spun her around, and she giggled. Her voice was pure joy.

I mouthed,I’m sorry, to Patrick because the last thing I’d wanted to do was confuse or upset Clarabel.

“Oh, Miss Addi, you have to see my room!” she exclaimed as she started clapping, and it warmed my heart to see that she still did that whenever she was excited. “Are you coming inside?” she asked before running back toward the house, Jasper hot on her heels.

I looked at Patrick, his blue eyes piercing through me. There had been a time when I could so easily read his mind, but over the years, I’d lost that ability somehow. Or maybe I was just a little rusty. I wasn’t sure what to do until he reached out his hand and took mine.

“Let’s go, love.”

“I didn’t know Clarabel would be here. I’m sorry,” I apologized, and he stopped walking.

“She’s just here for a couple of hours while my brother and Brooklyn go do some wedding stuff,” he said naturally, like I should know all of this.

“Thomas is getting married?”

He threw his head back. “I forgot you didn’t know. Yeah. Brooklyn McKay. Not sure if you remember her from high school or not? She graduated when I did.”

I shook my head slowly. “I know the name, but I don’t think I ever talked to her before.”

“She’s amazing. We all love her. He proposed on Christmas Day. Clara couldn’t be happier.” He smiled as he filled me in, and my heart hurt and soared, all at the same time.

He started walking again, leading me up a set of wooden stairs, careful with each snow-covered step.

“I can’t believe this place is real,” I whispered as I looked at all of the details, but he heard me because he squeezed my hand extra tight and didn’t let go until we walked through one of the doors at the top.

I gasped out loud once he pulled me inside, and I spotted the massive fire blazing in the oversize fireplace. Every single thing inside the home was just as perfect as the outside was. Dark wood accents were everywhere, except for the kitchen, which almost made me bawl with just one look.

“This kitchen.” I practically drooled. It had been made for a chef.

It was made for me, I thought to myself.

“It has all the best equipment.” He dropped my hand and shrugged, almost like he was embarrassed. “I did my research.”

“I can see that,” I said softly, running my fingertips over the stove.

“Starfish Addi!” Clarabel shouted, and I craned my head to see where she was. “I’m over here!” She started jumping up and down at the base of a set of stairs.

“Is your room up there?” I craned my neck to glance upward.

“Uh-huh!” she said, sounding so happy.

I turned around to find Patrick. “You built her a room?”

“How could I not?” he asked.

I wholeheartedly agreed.How could he not?

I followed Clarabel up the stairs and into an open loft area that looked to be filled with her things. It was absolutely adorable and only made me love this man more.

God, how I still loved him.

“Do you like it? Look, Miss Addi, there’s a place where I can sit so Uncle Patrick can braid my hair!” she squealed before running over to her little table and sitting down.

“Doing a lot of braiding, are we?” I grinned at Patrick, knowing damn well that I was the one who had taught him how to braid.

“He’s the only one who can do it. Well, except for Mama Waffles. She can do everything ’cause she’s a girl. Like you. But the boys can’t. Only Uncle Patrick.” She stood back up from her chair and spun around with her arms out. “Don’t tell, but Uncle Patrick’s my favorite.” She pretended to whisper, but her voice was loud.

---