Page 84 of Love in Riverbend
Lifting my hands to his cheeks, I stare into his eyes. “You’re right. I’m not ready for a commitment. I like that you’re thinking about it and that you even talked to Dad. I want to trust you and believe in happy ever after, but I don’t want to rush it. Give me time.”
“I’m only going to wait forever.”
Our kiss is soft and sweet.
“When do you need to go, back to Chicago I mean?”
Dax rolls back to his pillow with an exhale. “I would love to go back to the hospital with you, help you at the store, and be there when you pick up Molly, but I should head back soon.”
“Soon?”
He nods. “Let’s check on your dad first.”
“You’re talking today?” I ask.
“I’ll be back on Friday.”
“But you drove all night. You can’t drive back now.”
His smile quirks. “I’m more awake now than I’ll be if I do all the things I want to do. And something is happening this week at the firm.”
“Can you tell me?”
“Let’s just say I have a business proposal to present.”
I nod. “Do you think the ghosts will give me back my clothes? Delivering Mom’s stuff in only a Cubs shirt may do my dad in.”
“I think I can find them.” Dax throws back the covers and stands.
For a moment, I’m lost in the view of him until he says, “Your SUV is at the farm.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“How about I go with you to the hospital to check on your parents and then I’ll take you to the farm?”
I do the math. “That will work. It will give me a few hours at the store before going to get Molly. I’m missing out on my weekend time with her, but she loves Chloe and Mick, and they adore her.”
“I’m glad you’ve had such a wonderful support system.”
Nodding, I look around the room. “Ruth was part of it.”
Dax slips his blue jeans on, tugging them up his toned legs before offering me his hand. “Let’s head back to Washington. Then you won’t need to do that alone or after dark.”
Placing my hand in his, I watch the way his long fingers swallow mine. Once I’m standing, I lean into his warmth, surrounded by his fresh scent. When our eyes meet, I grin. “Best nap ever.”
Chapter 31
Dax
As I pack my things, I should feel sad. Taking a moment to look out at the view of Chicago from the office I coveted only months ago, I see the city from a different perspective. I still see its beauty, but I also see it as I never have. The floor-to-ceiling windows are no longer simply panes of glass but the equivalent to bars on a prison cell.
The constant battle to climb the ladder of success is all-consuming in a way I was blinded to—or more likely refused to admit. I witnessed that climb as a child, watching both my parents. By the world’s standards they are successes in their own right. They made millions and are now living their dream in sunny Florida. Spending days at the country club playing golf is what they have to show for that climb.
When I was young, my parents rarely attended baseball or football games. I never doubted their love, but in hindsight, I can’t name a memory that reflects it. Again, they weren’t bad parents. I can glean both positives and negatives to help guide me in my new role of father.
My business proposal to the firm was to work remotely. This is modern day, and it’s done all the time. I would set up my house in Riverbend with the best available internet. I would travel when necessary, but my primary work would come from there. I even added the potential of small-town construction; according to the men eating breakfast at the diner, homes are multiplying in Riverbend’s outskirts. The entire state is growing with land to do so.
People are tiring of the larger cities on the coasts and looking for what the Midwest has to offer.
