Page 59 of Loving Carter

I really want to say yippee, but before I do, I need to tell him my plan. “It’s wonderful you came back, but you don’t need to give up your job. I’ve decided to hire a manager for the bakery and move to Dallas to be with you. I’ve always worried about being a failure, but the thing I don’t want to fail at is being with you.”

His smile grows even bigger. “I think we’re both doing the same thing. But I’m not in Dallas anymore.”

I’m unsure what’s going on. “What about your job?”

“I left my job. I want to be here, with you.”

“But you loved that job. Call them. Get it back. I can find a manager here.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to go back to Dallas. I was miserable there without you,” he says. “Leaving the job was an easy choice. Having a great job is meaningless unless you’re in my life.”

“Carter, you don’t need to leave your job,” I tell him again, wishing I’d had my idea sooner. “Let me get a manager, and we can both live in Dallas.”

“That’s not necessary. When I told them I was leaving, they immediately tried to change my mind. After some back and forth, we decided I’ll open a new branch in Tyler, which means I can live here and commute.” He flashes his sexy grin at me, and it’s impossible to resist. “You can stay here with your bakery; I can have the job I want, and more importantly, we can be together.”

Happiness washes over me like warm water. I walk over to him, slide my arms around his neck, and kiss him. I have a million questions to ask, and we have a long list of things to discuss. But I know we will be able to sort everything out. All that matters is that he’s come back, and at the moment, I just want to kiss the man I love.

Epilogue

Skylar

“Icannot believe wegot talked into helping with the expo again,” I say, snagging my purse off the kitchen counter and heading to the front door. Carter and I are off to the first meeting at the town hall for this year’s business expo. “Don’t sign up for anything. We’ll be too busy.”

“I’ll try not to, but we’re good citizens. We might spontaneously volunteer.” Carter locks the front door, and together, we walk side by side to his truck parked in the driveway of our new house. We moved in three weeks ago, and I still haven’t found most of the stuff we packed. But I know where he is, and hey, that’s what matters.

He takes my hand, as he often does when we’re walking. I love holding his hand. I love everything about him. After he came back to Endearing, we dated for almost a year, although it wasn’t really necessary because we knew where things were going to end up—with us getting married. Now, we’ve been married for almost two years. Everything worked out in the end.

Carter set up the new office in Tyler and loves his job. I tease him all the time about what a lucky guy he is. He got the girl and the job.

He always agrees with me that he’s lucky, but let’s face it, I’m lucky, too. I got the boy and the job. Not only did I marry the person I love more than life itself, but I also married my best friend. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Carter opens the passenger door of his truck, and when I start to walk by him, he leans in for a quick kiss.

“I don’t think I’ve told you recently that I love you,” he says.

“Um, well, you told me this morning, and then again this evening over dinner, but hey, I can’t hear it too often.” I smile at him. “I love you too.”

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