Page 28 of Coming for His Second Chance
"I'm willing to bet you hear from him pretty soon. Just a hunch, he isn't going to stay away from the sound of it. He lost you once, and now that he knows what he's missing, I don't think he’ll let you go that easily again."
I just shrug. "It doesn't matter. He's there, and I'm here, so unless he has some miracle way to bridge the gap, I don't see it working."
"Well, at least you made it back to see Oakside done up in all its Christmas glory," he says.
Lexi and the team really outdid themselves with decorations. There’s a massive Christmas tree in the lobby, and the lights and decorations have transformed the whole place.
Each patient got the option to have a small tree in their room, and most agreed to it. They have done a bunch of events that I helped plan out for the patients, and our two biggest donors came in and got every patient a Christmas gift.
Teddy, who was a patient here, and his wife, Mia, and her best friend, Ellie, have volunteered at Oakside many times. Both Teddy and Ellie’s husband, Owen, have massively successful companies and are constantly donating money and doing things like this for the patients.
I finish up with Levi, and then head out to the lobby, only to find Grayson there with his eyes locked on me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice a bit shakier than I'd like.
He hands me a folder. "The DNA test came back negative. I told her to stay away from you and me, so if she's smart, we won't hear from her again."
"You told me that in a text, but it doesn't matter. I won't be visiting again."
I tell him, and even as I say the words, my heart is yelling that I can't stay away from him, and that I don't want to stay away from him.
He gives me a soft smile and takes a step closer, before reaching out and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
"I wouldn't be here, if I hadn't figured out a solution to that."
"What did you figure out?" I ask.
"I got a job on the base here and just closed on a house for us today."
My knees give out, and I barely make it to the chair next to me. There’s no way I heard him right.He took a job here in Georgia?He bought a house? Did he say he bought it for us?
A million questions race through my head, but the only one I’m able to ask is, "What?"
“I'd never want you to stop working here, because I know how much you love it, and it's a great place. I’ve seen the photos of you working, and the smile on your face. You belong here."
The photo frame on his desk flashes through my mind. The photo of me from Oakside's social media.
"That being said, I'm not ready to walk away from you. I wasn't the first time, and I'm sure as hell not going to let you go this time. Dating means being near each other, and if you have no plans to come back to Kentucky, then I'm coming to you. But I do have another surprise for you." He says with a smile so big, that you can even see it in his eyes.
"What's that?” I ask.
His smile grows, as he steps to the side, and my dad comes around the corner. He doesn't stop walking, until he pulls me into his arms and holds me tight.
Instantly, all the things I said before I left, flash into my head, and I feel guilty. The tears start, and I have no idea how to turn them off.
"I told you so." Levi says, coming up to us in his wheelchair with a smile.
"Keep it up, and I’ll make you do two extra rounds of your exercises tonight," I tell him.
"Worth it." He winks at me and heads off to the dining room.
Grayson
It's been a hell of a week. I have barely slept, knowing that not only was Kaitlyn not in my arms, she wasn't even in the same state. I hated every minute of it, but there was a lot to sort out and take care of.
When her boss, Lexi, saw her crying and figured out what was going on. It wasn't long, before they sent her home for the day, so we are now sitting in her living room. She’s tucked into my side on the couch, and her dad is sitting on the chair next to us.
"You have to tell me what’s going on," she says.
