Page 38 of Playing for Keeps
Caroline glanced from Justin to Alicia. “Did you make these?”
Leaning down, Alicia whispered, “Mom did.”
Mom was in on this? Oh biscuits. Now Caroline’sthoughts and feelings were tangled up in an annoying knot.
She’d known her parents might be upset when they found out about the secret relationship she’d had with Justin, but she never expected them to support them.
Justin reached his hand across the table. “Can I pray for us?”
She smiled as she laid her hand in his, fingers barely touching.
“Father, we humble ourselves before You today and every day. We don’t deserve Your love, but we’re grateful You give it anyway. Please bless the food to our bodies so we can do more work for You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.”
Caroline pulled her hand back as soon as the prayer ended. The brush of his palm against hers felt too safe. It was enough to make her forget why she needed to guard her heart.
“So, when did the Burrows hand over the bakery?” Justin asked as he picked up a bacon-wrapped shrimp.
Work. Sure, she could talk about work. “A few years ago. Mr. Burrows was going through some health problems, and it was just too much for them at the time. Plus, they wanted to retire.”
Justin nodded. “I knew you would do it, and I knew you’d do well. I just didn’t know you’d be a rockstar boss.”
“Ha! Rockstar boss?” Ugh, why did his praise make her feel like a queen? She was supposed to be resisting!
“I watched you run the place today. You’re completely in your element, and both the employees and customers love you.”
Caroline picked up a shrimp and stared at it, frowning while trying—and failing—to find a dark motive beneath his nice words. “Thank you. I love them too. How was it playing in the major league?”
He wiped his fingers on the napkin in his lap. “It had its pros and cons.”
“Like what?”
“Like, I was able to afford the best assisted living facility for my grandparents. I could also visit them a lot, and it was great to know they were happy.”
Caroline hung her head, unable to look at him when he confessed that the best things about living his dream were helping others. “That sounds great.”
“There were downsides too. I know I messed up our chances. I missed out on a life with you. I thought you’d be better off without me. I thought you’d find someone better and… But that doesn’t mean I wanted you to. I’m still selfish enough to want you, even though I don’t deserve you.”
His confession kicked the breath out of her, and her voice was breathy as she stood up. “You can’t say that.”
“Can’t say what? It’s the truth, Caroline. I nevermeant to hurt you, but I was afraid it would tear you apart from your family if you left with me when they needed you and you needed them.”
She took a small step away from the table. “You didn’t even ask me to leave with you.” Fudge, why did her voice have to break now?
Justin stood but didn’t advance. “Because I knew you’d regret it later. Dom had just been sentenced, and your mom was grieving. You all were. I couldn’t even comfort you like I wanted to because we hadn’t told them this big secret that we were in love, and telling them with all of that going on would have caused more trouble.”
Great. The tears stung at the back of her eyes, and her nose tingled. She was going to cry onto the shrimp, and nothing could stop it. “I waited by the door for you. I waited by the phone. I waited and screamed because my life—my happiness—was breaking apart when you never came.”
Justin rounded the table to be beside her. “I’m sorry for not trying harder to make this work. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I know I made the worst mistake of my life. I wish I could go back and change it, but I understand if you can’t forgive me.”
She couldn’t be this close to him, and hear the exact words she’d been hoping for since he left, without crumbling. Rubbing her hands over herface, she whispered, “The more you say, the less I know. It’s safer to be upset with you than let myself believe this is real.”
His dark-brown eyes locked with hers, taking her back years with one look. “I’m going to show you, day after day, that you can trust me. This isn’t some temporary thing. I’m back for good, and I’m back because I always want to be where you are. The season of my life where I felt like baseball was the answer is over, but the only place in this world that has ever felt like home was beside you.”
Caroline swallowed and fisted her hands against her stomach. “Do you mean that?”
“I’ve never lied to you.”
That was something she could believe. The only thing that had been easy about their relationship was the way they’d loved each other. Everything else they’d done had been a way to protect that happiness until Justin left.
