Page 149 of Homecoming

“It is you.”

“It’sus, Renata. You and me, but mostly you. We’re a team at work, and we could be so much more than that outside of work. You asked why you, and all I can tell you is that it’s always been you for me. From the beginning. Do you know how often I’ve wished I made it official with you before my dad retired and changed the dynamic? I thought we had time, but he surprised me with an early retirement, and then it was too late. Or so I thought.”

“The beginning” had been close to a decade ago. And in that time, she’d never known him to date anyone else.

“Have I finally rendered you speechless?”

“Not quite, but close.”

“Never thought I’d see that happen.”

She flattened her hands against his chest and smoothed out the wrinkles she’d made in his shirt, making another interesting discovery. “When did you get all these muscles?”

“Had to do something to deal with the frustration.”

“What frustration?”

He looked her dead in the eyes. “The frustration that came from being madly, deeply, completely, torturously and permanently in love with my coworker.”

Once again, she was rendered speechless. And when she recovered enough to form words, they were halting. “You…”

“I love you, Renata.”

“Oh.” In a voice several octaves higher than usual, she said, “You do?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Is… is that why you asked me to be a partner in the business?”

He shook his head. “I asked you to be my partner because you’ve earned it by your hard work that’s helped to grow our business exponentially. But that’s only a small part of the overall equation. If I had my way, you’d be my partner in all things… life and business. And love. Mostly love.”

Renata stared up at him, as if seeing him for the first time. Now that she knew how he felt, she could see it in the way he looked at her so tenderly, as if she was everything he’d ever wanted. “I feel stupid.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Sure you did. You just weren’t ready to acknowledge it. I hope you are now.”

Was she? How did one know if one was ready for something like this? “I’m kind of messy… What if I screw it up?”

“I won’t let you. And PS, you’re not messy. You’re perfectly yourself, and yours is the best self I’ve ever known. All I want is to spend as much time with you as I possibly can. That’s all I’ve wanted for as long as I’ve known you.” He ran his finger lightly over her cheek, setting off a wildfire of sensation she felt everywhere. “If you give me the chance, Renata, I’ll make you happy. I promise.”

He was offering her everything he had to give, and she had a choice to make. Dive in headfirst and hope for the best or continue to keep him at arm’s length in an effort to protect herself from ever being hurt again.

Her heart, it seemed, was working way ahead of her brain as she slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

He put his arms around her and held her tightly.

She fit perfectly in his arms, with his chin resting on top of her head, like two pieces of a puzzle.

“What’re you thinking? I’m kind of dying over here, out on the biggest limb I’ve ever been on, dangling over the edge of the abyss.”

Renata laughed at his dramatics. “I think,” she said, “it might be safe to come in off the limb.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s possible that the reason I’ve been so freaked out about this is because I love you, too, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.”

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