But Sawyer’s anger is still fresh, and I swallow my words.
Maybe he’s right.
I shouldn’t push my luck. Moving here is one thing. Sawyer’s forgiveness was always within reach.
But my parents?
They’re cut from a different cloth. I don’t even know how they’ll react when I go back down to Houston in three weeks and tell them I quit. What if they disown me, too?
But what if they don’t? What if they understand? Wouldn’t that be worth the effort?
As Lucy and Roman come back inside, and Sawyer’s shoulders relax, we leave that difficult conversation behind. Sawyer paints a smile on his face and picks Roman up, throwing him up in the air as the toddler giggles so hard he slobbers all over himself.
Instead of making me happy, the sight makes my heart feel like it’s caving in.
I can’t do this without at least trying to bring my parents up here.
I’ll have to go back to Houston and ask them in person. They’ll understand. Despite what Sawyer thinks, they’ll want to meet their grandson. They’ll want to see Lucy and Sawyer again.
Naive? Probably.
But I still have hope.
A couple of days later, I’m almost through sorting out the garage’s paperwork. It’s been a mammoth job, but it’s looking like I’ll be able to start taking a wage from the business. Benji knocks on the office door, poking his head in.
I smile. “Hey, you.”
He slips inside, closing the door behind him. His lips tug into a smile and he walks around the desk to put his hands on my shoulders. I groan as he starts to rub, leaning my head back against his stomach.
“I was thinking about Sarah’s birthday party next week. It’s coming up quick—just ten days away.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, everyone will be there.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, my eyes closed. His hands rub my shoulders, my neck, and all the way down my back. I groan. His touch feels incredible.
Benji takes a deep breath, pausing the movement of his hands. “Maybe we should take the opportunity to tell everyone about us.”
I open my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to hide our relationship, Rae. Sawyer already knows, and he’s okay with it. I don’t want to go there and sneak around, kissing you behind closed doors. I want to hold your hand. Tell all my friends and family that you’re my girl.”
My heart thumps and a smile stretches over my lips. I turn to look at Benji, tears shining in my eyes. “You do?”
“Don’t you?”
I laugh, wiping my eyes as I nod. “Of course. I don’t remember the last time I had a boyfriend. Is that… are you…?”
Benji’s hand moves to stroke my cheek. “This is serious, Rae. You and me. I want to be with you.”
I think my heart explodes. At least that’s what it feels like. My chest feels tight and my whole body feels hot, but I jump up and throw my arms around Benji.
He hugs me back, sighing as his face nuzzles into my neck. We hold each other and I melt into him, feeling completely at peace and totally at home in his arms.
No, I haven’t had a boyfriend in a long time. It’s not what I expected when I moved up here. It’s never been a priority for me.
But now that I’ve met Benji, everything seems different. Better.
He pulls away, cupping my cheek with his large palm. His eyes glimmer as a smile tugs at his lips.
“You make me happy, Rae. I would have never gone to my father’s house if I hadn’t met you. You’ve taught me so much about family, forgiveness, and relationships.”
“We’ve only known each other a little over a month.” I grin, even though my heart is thrumming happily in my chest.
“Feels like I’ve known you my entire life. I’ve just been waiting for you to show up.”
When Benji kisses me, happiness floods through my soul. I feel so euphoric, it’s hard to contain. I wrap my arms around him and hold him close.
Coming to Woodvale was supposed to bring my family back together again. I never expected to meet someone who completes me the way Benji does. Someone who understands me. Celebrates me. Appreciates me.
Even when he was supposed to dislike me, Benji was the one who told Sawyer to come back. He was instrumental in bringing my siblings and me back together again, and he did it despite his promise to be loyal to Sawyer.
Benji understands me, through and through. He’s the only person who knows what family means to me and respects it. He shares the same values as I do, and it connects us on a level so deep, I didn’t even know it was possible.
As he kisses me, my heart feels full.
All my fears about family, parents, the future…they all melt away. For a few, blissful moments, I’m just a woman in Benji’s arms.
Soon, at Sarah’s party, we’ll tell the whole town that we’re one. That we belong together. Made for each other.
Then, hopefully, I’ll be able to bring my parents up here and introduce him to them. They’ll meet their grandson and reconnect with Sawyer and Lucy.
We may be a dysfunctional Brady Bunch, but it’s worth a try…
…right?
23
Benji
I’ve never planned an event in my life, and I’m glad I have Willow by my side. She meets me at the Woodvale Skydive airfield, her long, blond hair tied back in a low bun. When I park my car, she walks over to me with a smile on her face.
“Just over a week now,” she says. “Have you figured out how you’re going to get Sarah over here?”
“She’s been wanting to try a skydive but has been too nervous, so I told her she could come watch how it’s done on the weekend. Oliver is on board, so they can’t back out.”
Willow grins. “Clever.”
We walk to the big hangar, where Finn and Esme had their engagement party. That’s what sparked the idea for me to have Sarah’s surprise party
