Page 44 of Worth the Risk
“Maybe. Now, are you going to show me what projects you’re thinking about? I’m kind of excited about starting a few over here.”
“Come on then, Honeybee.” He starts for the staircase and I trail behind him looking around me. “We’ll start with the upstairs and work our way down. What about a book quote!”
“Perfect and no, why would I cover up a book quote?” I follow him around from room to room only making a small detour in the master suite. If he really lets me loose in here there is so much potential for an absolute masterpiece. We make it back to the kitchen before he really says anything.
“So, what do you think?”
“Rhett, it's beautiful. I love it! I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on this place.”
“I can think of some other places I wouldn’t mind those hands.” He winks, but before I can think of a reply he continues talking about the house. “I know I want to change out the tile in the kitchen. I loved the green tile you had in yours. I also want to change out some fixtures, maybe just refinish all the doors but keep the hardware. A black cat?”
“I love all those ideas, I think I would go with a slightly darker green in your kitchen. And no, but honestly I would liketo get one.” I grin and his phone starts ringing from upstairs where he left it after showing me how comfortable his bed was.
“I’ll be right back.” He kisses my lips and races back up the stairs when the doorbell rings. “My wallets on the island! I have cash!” He yells down. I walk around the island, grabbing his wallet as I walk toward the front door. I open and smile at the delivery guy.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good, can’t really complain.” He hands me the pizzas.
“Total is $29.63.”
“Right…” I set the pizzas on the desk by the door and in the process drop Rhett’s wallet onto the floor and spill the contents. Oops. How very on brand for me. I grab the wallet and start picking up some cash to pay this poor guy so he can get on with his night, but I freeze when I see a crinkled photo amongst the scattered coins and dollar bills. It’s me. From that summer. I’m sitting in the back of Rhett’s truck with his Silverthorne hockey sweatshirt on and my hair piled on top of my head, a sweatshirt I still have and is very well loved. The same one he saw me in the night of the accidental strip tease. Pizza guy clears his throat and I grab a $50 dollar bill and hand it to him still kneeling on the floor.
“Have a good night, keep the change.”
“Thank you! Have a good night!” I hear the glass door shut but just stare at the photo. I can’t believe he has this or that he kept it for this long. I hear him finishing up his conversation as he comes down the stairs.
“Love you too, dad. I’ll be out next week to help load up. Bye.”
“Win? Are you okay? Did you trip?” He smirks.
“Uh, actually no. I just accidentally dumped your wallet out, trying to pay the pizza guy. I uh…I found this.” I hold up the photo and his eyes widen a little.
“Ah. That photo.” He scratches at the back of his neck.
“Yes. This photo. Of me.” I shake it a little and he walks over and gently takes it from me, shutting the front door, then sitting next to me on the floor. I just gawk at him.
“You kept that.” I swallow. “I didn’t think you…I…”
“You didn’t think what?” His jewel toned eyes blaze into mine. “You didn’t think I was so gone for you that I would print a photo of you out at a drug store? So that when I went back to college and was missing you so much I could keep you with me everywhere?” My throat feels too tight. My nose is stinging and my face feels wet. I cough out a sob.
“The reason it’s so beat up is because I kept it in my hockey gloves until recently.”
“Hockey sticks.” I get out somewhere between a gasp and sob.
“What?” The confused look on his face is adorable. “Is that like some kind of safe word? We never discussed that…” He reaches over and wipes my cheeks.
“No, you idiot.” I’m laughing but also crying. “The tattoo…it was hockey sticks.”
“You got hockey sticks tattooed on you?” I nod.
“I was gone for you too, Barrett Holloway.” He smiles and yanks me forward, kissing my face, my cheeks, my eyes, my throat and then my mouth finally. He kisses me deeply and longingly. Our tongues tangle and then our limbs. We’re still on the floor but I don’t care as I pour all the feelings I’ve been holding back into this moment. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. The information is banging around in my ribcage or maybe that’s my heart about to beat out of my chest. I pull back and look at him. We both start laughing.
“And to think if one of us had just said something back then…”
“Who knows what would have happened then. We have now though.” He kisses me softly again then grabs the forgotten pizza box from the desk beside us.
“We have now.” He says and we sit on the floor in his entry way and eat pizza, without even realizing it I’m teetering on the edge of a cliff, knowing Rhett will be there if I allow myself to fall. I just have to decide if I can.
