Chapter 22
“I Did a Thing.”
Wyatt
After dropping Caroline off at the big house, I walked down to the dock and watched the moonlight on the water.
Her words swirled through my head. I see you, Wyatt.
I love you. I choose you. I wanted to believe it all.
But I didn’t dare. When I returned to the cabin, Emma had left, and Greg was nowhere to be seen.
He really was engaged. Sally Scott couldn’t stop talking about his new fiancée who was from a nice family and clerking for a federal judge.
Though it was hard to tell he was engaged, watching him flirt with Emma, or even in the way he looked at Caroline.
I was totally thrown when I found Caroline in the cabin with Greg.
Seeing them in the same room together, I was blindsided with emotion: jealousy, hurt, anger, joy at seeing her.
The thing was, it had only been a little over twenty-four hours, and I had missed her so much.
Tossing and turning in my bed, I wondered if I was letting my pride keep me from happiness.
The more I thought about it, the more I was certain I was making a mistake.
And the more I felt bad for watching her cry and say she loved me and then coolly telling her I didn’t believe her.
First thing in the morning, I planned to apologize.
With that thought, sleep became truly impossible.
At 4 a.m., I gave up. I decided to go for an early morning swim.
I grabbed a towel and headed down to the water.
I had just reached the dock when I noticed a figure walking toward me from the big house.
Everything was shadowed in the silver and blue predawn light.
Still, I recognized the woman walking toward me, even with her bright hair covered by a hoodie.
Caroline wore jean shorts; her legs flashing white against the dark lawn. I called her name.
“Wyatt!” She ran toward me with bare feet. We met at the edge of the dock.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I explained.
“Me too. Wait.” She raised one finger to my lips. “I have something to say to you.”
“Go on,” I said, speaking against her finger. “I won’t stop you.”
“Not a word,” she said sternly, peeking out from her hoodie. “You said you didn’t believe me when I said I loved you.”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t very nice.”
“Not a word,” she repeated. She stared me down.
“You’re right, it wasn’t very nice. But I deserved it.
I wanted to... no, I needed to show you that I am serious about you, about us.
That I choose you, Wyatt. You are not just anybody to me.
You’re my everything.” She stepped closer so that we were only a inches apart.
“I’m sorry that I even suggested that you could ever treat me the way Greg did.
You’ve shown me over and over that you are nothing like your cousin.
I should have never let fear dictate my behavior.
But I’m done with that. I’m all in. I’m determined to meet you fully without holding back, the same way you’ve been there for me. So... I did a thing.”
She whisked off her hoodie. My mouth fell open. I was lost for words. I could not believe Caroline had shorn her golden hair for me.
“Wyatt?” she asked. “Do you hate it?”
“Are you kidding? I freaking love it!” I reached up to touch her soft hair, cropped in a pixie cut on top and far longer in the back.
Caroline. Bingham. Had. A. Mullet.
The hairstyle was surprisingly flattering. It perfectly framed her lovely face. I always thought Caroline was beautiful, but in the pre-dawn light with her eyes shining with fierce love, she took my breath away.
I leaned closer until our foreheads touched. “Who cut it?” I whispered.
“Your grandma. Emma wanted to, but she was too tipsy.”
I traced my fingers through her short, silky hair. “You crazy fool, you didn’t have to cut your hair for me. I am already utterly and ridiculously in love with you.”
“I know.” She smiled brilliantly. “But I wanted you to know that I am totally in love with you . Wyatt Scott Knox.” She gave me a hopeful smile. “So what do you think?”
“I hate to tell you this, Your Majesty, your lips are moving but I have no idea what you’re saying.” I placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her cold, adorable nose. “All I hear is mullet, mullet, mullet .”
Caroline snorted, then cackled. I shut her up soundly with a long, thorough, glorious kiss.