Page 11 of The Billionaire's Second Chance
Pierce snorted, and they said their goodbyes.
She knew exactly what she was going to do, and she knew who could make it happen. By tomorrow, Link would know just how serious she was about him and their future.
Chapter 10
Rubbing his face, Link worked to wake himself up as he sat in the front pew of the brand-new small chapel. He’d been up all night thinking about Hadley. She’d arrived at the dinner with no makeup on—a look he’d always loved—and he’d noticed her puffy eyes. Normally, he would’ve tried to find out what was wrong and console her, but he was tired of being runner-up to her career. His decision to give her the cold shoulder, on top of Maddison’s ridiculous plan, had upset her, and he knew it when she left before she finished her meal. He’d almost rushed out after her, but he’d forced himself not to. For once, Hadley was going to have to be the one doing the chasing.
“Is everyone here?” the minster asked, looking from Pierce to Bethany.
Bethany looked around. “Uh, one of my bridesmaids is missing. Just give her a few more minutes.”
Link rolled his eyes. Of course, Hadley would be running late. She was probably on the phone with someone and lost track of time. “I’ll bet she’s dealing with a client or something.”
“And you’d be wrong, Link Novak,” Hadley said as she walked from a room situated to the left.
He gaped at her. “I didn’t even know you were here.”
“Me either,” Pierce added. “When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here since about 8 am. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t late.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin a little. Then she settled her gaze on Link. “You and I need to talk.”
“This isn’t the time, Hadley.” He could feel everyone staring at him. “We can talk later.”
Her chin lifted a little higher. “No. We can’t.” She looked at Maddison and back to Link. “I am in love with you. I have been since our second date to that carnival when you spent the entire ride back home throwing up after eating a bad turkey leg. And you’re going to listen to me.”
He stood and walked to her. “Hadley,” he whispered. “Not now.”
Bethany laughed. “Oh, no, please continue.”
Hadley smiled wide. “Thank you. It’s taken too long for me to realize that nothing is more important than you. Nothing. My career, my life in California, the friends I’ve made. None of it matters as much as you.” Her phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket.
Link worked his jaw. “You know what? Take the call. I’m done talking.”
He went to walk away, and Hadley grabbed him by the arm. She held up the phone, putting it on speaker. “Hi, Janessa. What do you think of the proposal?”
In the middle of a church full of people, during their friend’s rehearsal, here Hadley was, working on a real estate deal. He pinched his lips together and then opened his mouth to speak.
Hadley lifted on her toes and clamped her hand over his mouth. “Listen.” She held his gaze. “Yes, Jenessa?”
“I think Hadley Shaw Reality would be a fantastic addition to Harris, Piedmont, and Fray Real Estate Firm. My assistant will get a meeting set up with your assistant, and we’ll hammer out the details then. We’ll talk soon.”
Link had to be hallucinating. He took Hadley’s hand from his mouth and said, “What?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Hadley beamed as she ended the call.
“What was that?”
“It was me showing you that I would rather be with you. There is nothing on this earth that I want more than you. I don’t care what mountain I have to move, how far I have to walk, or how many bodies I need to crawl over. Whatever it takes, I’m going to show you—prove to you—that you are all I want. I’m just sad I wasted five years without you.”
“But your business? Hadley, that’s not what I wanted.”
“I know. You wanted me to let you be a part of my journey, and I wouldn’t let you because I thought I had to do it alone. It was stupid and selfish and—”
Link took her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers. “I have always, always, always loved you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “I’m not too late?”
Taking his hands from her face, he wrapped his arms around her. “I think I would have gone to my grave waiting for you. I just… Once you stepped into my life, there was never anyone else I wanted to be with.”
