Seven Days (30 page)

“You okay?” he asked as soon as we left the office. He asked the same thing every week, and every week, I answered:

“I’m getting there,” I nodded, snuggling under his arm in the chilly February air. “Ready to go home.”

“I’m ready to take you home,” he winked as we came to the passenger side of his truck. Leaning in, he captured my lips with his, pressing me against the cold metal of the door as he devoured my mouth. Desire swept through me like a forest fire, and pushed against his hard chest, resisting the urge to climb his body.

“Take me home,” I panted, breaking the kiss and reaching for the door handle. “Take me home, now,” I looked at him, letting him see the heat burning in my green eyes.

“Fuck,” he groaned, banging his forehead against the window with a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, putting my hand on his cheek to stop his continued abuse of himself.

“I want to take you home so badly,” he answered, pulling my body flush with his so I could feel his erection against my stomach.

“Then do it.”

“We can’t. We have somewhere we need to be,” he whimpered, stepping away from me and letting me open the door to his truck.

“Well, whatever it is, we can be late,” I said, accepting his assistance into the seat. “Sex now, plans later.”

“Plans now,” he said, resolutely. “Sex will have to be later.”

“I never agreed to that,” I growled as he shut the door and rounded the cab. I was so worked up that I was in danger of mounting him as soon as he got in the truck.

“I know,” he said as he took his seat behind the wheel. “But I promise you, it’ll be worth it. And the sex will be that much better in the end,” he winked at me and cranked the truck, laughing at my pout. “You know I’m immune to that, sweetheart,” he admonished, pulling out of the space and making a left out of the parking lot when we usually make a right.

“Where are we going?” I asked, suddenly curious.

“I told you, we have plans,” he said, simply, reaching over to turn on the radio and signaling the end of my mounting inquisition.

“Fine,” I huffed, folding my arms over my chest and resting my chin to my chest in defiance.

“You are so fucking cute when you don’t get your way,” he chuckled while Brand New’s
Jesus Christ
played over his speakers. “Oh, and keep your eyes closed. We have to pick something up, first and I don’t want to give away the surprise,” he threw out, prompting a deeper frown, but I obeyed and closed my eyes.

**

From the fringes of an unplanned nap, I heard the back door to the truck slam shut.

“Cutting it kind of close, aren’t you?” Britton’s voice brought me back to the present.

“Your sister distracted me. It couldn’t be helped,” Ryan brushed off.

“Well, then you weren’t late enough,” she quipped. “Are you trying to tell me you are a minute man, Ryan? Cause my sister deserves better than that.”

“Quit flirting with my boyfriend,” I mumbled. Secretly, I loved the banter they’d developed over the last six months, because we really felt like a family. My life and the despair I felt a year ago was like night and day compared to the elation I felt every day now. “Can I open my eyes yet?” I asked, hoping I could because I was tired and didn’t want to fall asleep again.

“No,” they both answered, quickly.

“But keep talking so you don’t fall asleep again,” Ryan prompted, making me feel like he could read my mind. “I get enough of your snoring nightly, I don’t need it right now,” he joked. I didn’t even answer him; I just shot a one finger salute in the direction of the driver’s seat. “I think you’re number one, too, sweetheart. Thank you,” he accepted, mirth dancing in his words.

After a few minutes, we came to a stop again. My internal compass told me that we probably hadn’t even left the college campus, but I could’ve been wrong though. The drivers’ side door opened and closed, as did the door behind me, leaving the cab completely quiet.

“Okay,” Britton said, now beside me as my door swung open. “Open your eyes, but keep them down and get out of the truck. Then, close them again,” she instructed. “I’ve got you.”

“Where’s Ryan?” I asked, curious to know where he’d disappeared to.

“You’ll know soon enough,” she answered, cryptically, guiding me down a sidewalk and finally into grass. I could feel the sun against my left cheek, barely heating me in the waning light of the courtyard we seemed to be standing in. She let go of my elbow when we stopped and stepped back, the chill of the shadow I was standing in brought a shiver to my body, but not in a way that scared me. It only served to remind me that I was outside at sunset in February. “Open your eyes, read the sign, and then follow the directions. All will be revealed,” she whispered before I heard her feet on the grass to my right.

Opening my eyes, I saw the sign she’d warned me about, it was large and gray with a long list of instructions. Was I really supposed to read the whole thing? With a deep sigh, I started:

Point of Interest

Telepathy Garden

Stand very still and close your eyes. Focus on the person with whom you would like to communicate.

I stop for a second and resist the urge to turn around and look for Ryan. I know this is who I’m supposed to be trying to connect with telepathically.

Clear your mind and channel your energy toward that person. Say the person’s name silently and wait for a reply. You may have to repeat the name several times before connecting.

When you hear a response, proceed with the communication, continuing to channel energy. Connections can last several minutes, depending on skill and experience.

I resisted the urge to chuckle at the next instructions. I couldn’t believe this sign existed on the campus of a major University. Wasn’t this kind of thing considered silly to the scholastic type?

If you wish to communicate a subliminal message, press your index fingers on your temples and channel a message.

Repeat until evidence suggests the message has been received.

“I’m really supposed to do this?” I murmured out loud.

“Just do it, Carrie. Don’t question it,” Britton said, sounding annoyed. With a sigh, I closed my eyes and followed the instructions set forth. I repeated Ryan’s name over and over again in my head until I felt the heat of his body against my back.

“You rang?” he whispered, huskily, against my ear. The heat of his breath had me shivering again for a completely different reason. Mentally, I start to ask him what the fuck I’m doing this for when he starts to answer, “Because I want to show you that our communication goes beyond what we say to each other, Carrie. It’s in everything we do, from our thoughts to our actions, even when we think we aren’t communicating at all. It’s the way you trust me enough to curl up beside me and sleep, even from the beginning.”

I tried to open my eyes, but he moved his hands over them to stop me. “What—”

“We have more to say without words,” he said, and I could feel him move to stand in front of me. His hands left my eyes and settled on my hips pulling me into his body again as his lips found mine. This time, the kiss was chaste, but held the promise of something more. “I love you so much, Carrie.”

“I love you, too, Ryan,” I answered, immediately, and I felt him step away from me again.

“Open your eyes, Carrie,” he instructed, but when I opened them, I was only met with the sign again, until I looked to my left and down, where he was waiting on one knee. My hands flew to my mouth in shock as I took him in. Tears fell unchecked as he waited, his brown hair was unruly and I could see a wet patch forming under the knee of his jeans from where he was kneeling in the grass, but his amber eyes were glassy with emotion as he held out a simple diamond solitaire set in white gold.

“I’ve had this ring since the day you were discharged from the hospital,” he shared. “But I knew it was too soon to ask you the question I’d wanted an answer to the second I saw you. I joked about marrying you in a year, but I’m not sure I can wait that long,” he proclaimed. “I’ve missed calling you Mrs. Kelly every day since we walked out of that room together in August.”

“I’ve missed it, too,” I admitted.

“I wanted to continue our tradition of visiting quirky and original places, but I didn’t know how to do that without giving away my plans,” he explained. “But then, your sister heard about this place and she told me that you’d always dreamed of a sunset proposal. So together we hatched a plan,” he continued.

“I haven’t seen it all yet, but it’s beautiful,” I smiled, looking at the blanket of grass in the winter and the limestone building serving as a border for the garden.

“So, what do you say? Will you put me out of my misery? Will you marry me? Soon? Like tomorrow?” he asked.

“I don’t know about tomorrow, but I will marry you…soon,” I nodded, and suddenly, he was off the ground and kissing me again, holding the back of my head, his hand fisting in my hair, as the hand with the ring box lifted my legs around his waist so that he could deepen the kiss. I could feel the tremble of his lips against mine, showing me that he’d been nervous about my answer, as if there was any doubt I wouldn’t say yes.

“Yay!” Britton cheered behind us, remind me that we weren’t alone. Reluctantly, we broke apart long enough for him to put me down and slip his ring on my finger. “It’s beautiful!” my sister said, yanking me from Ryan’s embrace to engulf me in her arms. “I missed the fake wedding, you’d better include me in the real one,” she scolded.

“Of course,” I laughed, slipping back into Ryan’s arms.

“Alright! Let’s go party,” she declared, heading back toward the truck. “We’ve got a few people that want to celebrate your engagement at my favorite restaurant down the street,” she announced.

“We have what?” Ryan asked, confused. “I have plans to take her home and celebrate properly,” he scowled.

“Well, big brother,” she stopped, turning back to him with a formidable glare. “You need to get used to me thwarting your plans like this. Marco and Tildy and a few other people want to show you guys how much they love you. So get your ass in that truck and drive us,” she bossed, pointing the way. “I have a few surprises up my sleeve, too.”

“Is she always like this?” he whispered in my ear as we walked back to his truck.

“Um, yeah, haven’t you learned that by now?” I asked with a laugh.

“I guess not,” he mumbled as we returned to the truck and headed to our engagement party. Luckily, Britton didn’t complain when we bowed out right after dinner so that we could head home and celebrate privately.

It had been six months to the day since we walked out of that hospital. Meaning we’d known each other six months and two weeks. Twenty-eight weeks total. One hundred and ninety-six days. It didn’t matter how many minutes or seconds it had been, because it all amounted to forever.

THE END

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, always, I have to acknowledge my partner and best friend, Jeremy. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive husband. He’s put up with a lot throughout the last year and a half since I released my first book. Ten years isn’t long enough and I’m not sure a lifetime will be either.

Second, I have to thank my author friends, Brittiany C. Cherry and Laura Brown. They have been instrumental in the development of my craft and I’m so glad to have such an honest group of ladies that aren’t afraid to tell me if something I write is crap. This goes DOUBLE for the other half of my literary Hoe-mance, J.M. Stone. Thank you, lady, for constantly being there and trading buckets of water and plane tickets.

Third, my awesome betas: Samantha, Toni, Ronda, both Michelle’s, Wendy, and Tracy. This book would not be what it is without their feedback and not calling me crazy with my questions and quick timeline.

My biggest thanks for this book go out to three people: David, Angela and Danielle. David- Thank you for pushing me to be more than I have been and telling me not to settle for less than my best. I appreciate your role in this book and in my future books so much more than I can vocalize. Angela- You are a freaking rock star. I asked you to help me with this cover and you blew it out of the water. The location, the model, the layout- all of it was so much more perfect than I could’ve even imagined. I can’t wait to work with you again. And Danielle- YOU ARE CARRIE! Thank you so much for volunteering to get naked in a pretty creepy and gross place to take a beautiful picture. Your dedication has inspired me.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who has supported me over the course of my last three books and four novellas. I hope that I continue to write books that you want to read.

About the Author

Josie Leigh is an independent author who focuses on writing Romance because she loves a story with a happy ending. Writing has been an escape for her from a very young age, and she cherishes the time she gets to spend with her characters. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition in 2008, she pursued a challenging career in the field of nutrition insecurity and anti-hunger advocacy. She is grateful to be able to feed hungry families on a daily basis and chase her literary dreams in her off time.