Page 77 of When We Meet Again

“I’m going to head out, but I wanted to apologize again.” His face appears genuine; he wears a frown and sad eyes, and the color in his cheeks has faded from earlier. But every part of me knows he’s had an easy out our entire relationship. Never apologized. Never took responsibility for his actions. That’s why it’s nearly impossible for me to hold back.

I’m done.Done.

I toss the carrot back onto the tray with force and turn to the man who once had my heart. “Patrick” My eyes close and I inhale a deep breath. I ground myself. Smelling the lavender Janine has laying throughout the house. Tasting the minty gum I have in my mouth, rolling it around with my tongue. Feeling the velvet tablecloth under my fingers. Hearing the music shift from upbeat rock to a slow, alternate pop song that I can only describe as an instrumental soundtrack to my life. “I’ve already forgivenyou.” I’m still upset he lied, but I lied to myself, too. For six…damn…years. So I can’t really betoounforgiving. “You have to forgive yourself. Everyone has a past, and I’m yours and you’re mine.”

His brows pinch as if he wanted to hear something different. Well, he’s not getting what he’s looking for from me.

“I’m going to go find Roman.” I give him a tight smile. Patrick says nothing but gives me a short nod and walks away.

I turn the other way and run right into a brick wall. “Hey.” His low voice rumbles into my very core.

“Can we talk?” I see his hands reach for my arms but fall back to his side.

We haven’t really gotten the chance to catch up properly despite our brief run-ins tonight. So much has happened since we’ve last hung out, and he’s the only person I’m dying to tell. His gray eyes stare at me, begging for me to say something.

“You remember the hill—” I don’t get to finish before he does it for me.

“Our hill? With the bench.” He nods, a small smirk pulls at his lips. Oh, he knows the bench.

I exhale air instead of words. “Ha. Yes. So…I bought the land. The county owned it, but it’s been abandoned and run down for the past few years… since…”

“It closed the same summer we went.”

“Right. Well, it’s mine now. You’re looking at the owner of Angels Ranch and Sanctuary.” His mouth falls and his handsfinallyland on my mine. I’ve been aching for him to touch me, even if it’s simply holding hands. “I mean, it will mostly be for dogs, but I figured we will take in other animals too once we figure out spacing,” I start rambling in excitement.

“The acreage of the land is insane! Forty acres! Do you understand what we can do with that space?! How many dogs we can save from euthanasia?” It’s been a lifelong dream of mine.Those Sarah McLachlan commercials of sick and abandoned animals will be a distant memory once I get this ranch up and running. Or so I pray.

“Kensi… That’s amazing.” One side of his mouth tilts higher than the other like he’s trying to contain his excitement. He totally has a secret obsession with dogs. Roman would always come by the shelter on the days I would work—before he disappeared—and he would play with the dogs, take them for walks. I always wondered how he was running a boat sailing business if he was always rolling around in the grass with the dogs.

“Oh!” I almost forgot. “I hired a builder…I’m designing the layout of my house, which will also be on the piece of land. It’s all so bittersweet! You could even—” I stop myself, and my eyes fall to my feet. I’m already planning on him being a part of my life. For all I know, he’s dating someone in secret.

Finally chancing a glance at his face, he has an eyebrow raised. “I could even…” A slow dart of his tongue sweeps across his lower lip. Something I’m hyperaware of. And so is the saturation between my thighs.

“You…if you want…can come by. It’s close to your business.” I stop. What I really wanted to say was he could move in. But is this a conversation I want to have right now? Moving in after not seeing him for months?Slow your roll, Waverly.

As a forty-year-old woman, I’ve learned that relationships, friendships—they all have significantly different dynamics. While Patrick and I waited four years to move in together, the idea of living with him was never crucial. I was fine on the slow track with that man. But with Roman, I want to do it all. I want to make up for lost time. Forever is not long enough.

God spent extra time on the man in front of me. Somehow his happiness is contagious. It always has been. There is a specialglint in his eyes. That means he’s got something on his mind. “I’d love to talk more aboutcoming by.”

Oh shit.

“My parents went to bed. Join me on the deck?” Roman and I are toe to toe, inhaling each other’s exhales.

“Yes.” It comes out breathy and wanting. His closeness is like a drug, lulling me into euphoria, and he hasn’t even touched me yet—hands don’t count.

The man in front of me has somehow unlocked my heart once again. A deep gray gaze, a soft caress, boring into me with silent expectation.

I’m all yours, Roman Huxley.

CHAPTER 40

WAVERLY

And I am.All his.

I nervously bite my lip as he navigates us to the deck; the place we first saw each other after two years of no contact; where we shared deep conversations about life while Patrick was inside with his parents, we shared stolen moments filled with lingering looks, and deep breaths.

He glances back at our adjoined hands and up at me. His hair’s fallen over his forehead and his face shines with a smile so bright, I swear he’s the sun.

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