Broken Hero

I back away from Ginger’s box stall. Whatever she’s come here to say, I can’t let her say it. Please, dear God, don’t let it be too late.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Really? I just met Sarah, and she made it seem like you wanted to be left alone.”

“I don’t. Come, let me show you something.” For a long, nerve-wracking moment, I’m not sure if she’ll take my hand, but then she grasps it and gives me a small smile.

“Okay.”

I pull her along, out from the stables and into the bright July sun. She feels right next to me like this-walking together, in full view of any staff or guests that might see us, our hands interwoven. Together.

Lucy shoots me a surprised glance.

“People already know,” I say. “And we have nothing to hide.”

“Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes.” There’s a steel band of nerves across my chest. The idea that she might walk away from this place, away from me… I have to stop it from happening.

Lucy is quiet beside me, but her hand is gripping mine back firmly. It gives me hope, warring with the fear inside.

She stops dead as soon as the spa comes into view.

“You did this?”

“Yes.””Oliver…”

The entrance to the spa is transformed. I ordered a gold-plated sign weeks ago and it finally arrived. Spa and Wellness Center. It’s a bit grand, perhaps, but it matches the sign for reception. Sarah put in the same massive pots of hydrangeas that we have by the main house. The bench is newly painted.

I pull her forward. “Come on, look inside.”

The yoga studio has a new coat of paint. I’d left the double-doors to the back open, so there’s a clear view of the picnic table I’d placed in the meadow beyond. There’s a picnic basket there, too.

Lucy doesn’t speak-all she does is stare. I have no idea what she’s thinking.

“It was meant to be a surprise. Sarah was going to whisk you away as soon as your shift ended in the bakery. A few things aren’t quite finished yet.”

She swallows audibly. “But I beat you to it.”

“Yes. You’re one step ahead of me, like usual.”

Lucy comes to a stop again when she sees the glass door in the corner. “No… what’s that? No way.”

Oh yes, baby. “Take a look.”

She opens the door with soft, reverent hands and peers inside. The look on her face makes everything worth it-the splinters, the long hours, Logan’s promises of retribution.

“You built a sauna?”

“Yes.””In one weekend?”

“I had a bit of help.”

Lucy stares at me, and for a long moment, I lose myself in her gaze. See me, I think. This is how much I need you in my life.

Her eyes fill with tears, and the panic in my chest explodes. This can’t be happening. I reach out and pull her closer. She doesn’t protest, leaning in to rest her cheek against my chest. It’s time to fight.

“Don’t give up on us, Lucy. The rumors are idle talk. I’ll fight them all if I have to.” I run a hand down her back. “This isn’t Dallas. This isn’t the same.”

I tip her head back gently. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “You’re afraid,” I murmur. “I understand. The things that some people might be implying… it’s beneath this town, and it’s beneath us.”

“It doesn’t scare you away?”

It hurts me that she would think such a thing-that what happened at her old job continues to haunt her. I run my thumb over her cheek and wish I was good with words. That I knew the right thing to say.

All I have is the truth.

“They don’t know us, Lucy. They don’t know us at all.”

She presses her lips to mine. The touch is achingly sweet, our bodies barely touching. I can’t tell if she’s kissing me goodbye or not, but if she is, I’ll be damned if I let her.

I slide my hands down her shoulders and deepen the kiss. Her soft lips open and lets me in, and I’m rewarded by her soft sigh of pleasure. She feels like heaven in my arms and I never want to let her go.

“Stay,” I tell her. “Stay in Claremont. We’ll face the rumors together. They’ll pass, Lucy. They always do.”

“Oh, Oliver. We’re so silly.”

“We are?”

“Yes.” She grabs the front of my shirt, her smile widening. “Do you know why I came up here today? To tell you that I don’t care what people say about us. That I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I came to apologize.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

“For getting spooked.”

I bend to kiss her again, relief and happiness sweeping through my body. We’re both breathless when we finally break apart. I grin and reach down, grabbing her thighs to lift her up.

Lucy smiles and wraps her arms around my neck. “Oliver?”

I carry her out to the picnic table. “Baby, if we have to apologize every time one of us gets spooked, that’s all we’ll be doing.”

Her giggle is sweet in my ear. “Did you really prepare all this for us? For today?”

“Yes.” I sit down on the bench and fit her on my lap. I never want to let her go, not today, not ever. “About what Gavin said…” I shake my head. “It wasn’t true. None of it.”

Her eyes are warm. “I know that.”

“I’m truly sorry about the reason why you had to come to Claremont, but Luce, I’ll never be sorry that you ended up here.”