Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
A few hours earlier
Water soaked through Leo’s clothes. It didn’t feel like summer.
Not with the downpour he was currently standing in the middle of.
He eyed several people hustling from building to building with their black or red umbrellas.
Water sloshed onto the sidewalks when cars drove in the puddles from the road.
He glanced up at the building again, blinking when a raindrop collided with his lashes. Maybe he’d gotten this whole thing wrong.
It was the first bit of doubt he’d experienced since showing up in New York. He didn’t want to admit that Noah was right. He didn’t want to hear the pity in Jane’s voice when she told him that he needed to come home and let Kat decide what to do next.
Even Reese had told him he needed to know when to cut his losses.
The more time he spent in the city, the less he wanted to settle here. When he’d first shown up, he’d toyed with the idea of telling Kat that he’d sacrifice his own life to move here if it meant he could be with her.
It had been short-lived. And looking back, he made himself sick just thinking about how weak he’d been in that moment. Or maybe it had been an unrealistic kind of hopeful.
Leo scowled.
He’d never done so much to prove to a woman he wanted her—that he wasn’t going to give up on her no matter the consequences.
He’d alienated his own family just to show Kat that she meant the world to him.
Sure, they’d accept him with open arms when he returned, but if he didn’t have Kat by his side that seemed like a dismal future.
A groan escaped him. He pulled his cowboy hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair before replacing it. Then the rain wasn’t falling on his shoulders anymore. He looked up to find an oversized umbrella hovering overhead just as a large form took the space beside him.
Tatum Jerris was intimidating not just because of his stature, but because of so much more. The way his face gave nothing away. The utter calm he could use like a weapon. He was controlled until he wanted his prey to know they’d messed up.
Leo didn’t budge. He was exhausted and he wasn’t going to run off just because Kat’s father demanded him to. There was something about the man’s presence that had his stubborn tendencies rearing their heads. “I’m not leaving,” Leo muttered.
The man chuckled. Actually chuckled. “I respect you, kid.”
Leo stiffened and turned wide eyes to Mr. Jerris before he thought better of it and schooled his expression.
“You remind me of me.” He gave Leo a side-eyed glance. “Mostly.”
Scoffing, Leo folded his arms and stared at the building he could probably draw from memory. “What do you want?”
Jerris was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed and stared at the building before them.
“Kat has always been a fighter. She’s known what she’s wanted from the moment she could talk.
” He let out a sad chuckle. “But sometimes when she was little, she’d insist she wanted something only to realize too late she was wrong.
” He turned his head toward the building as if to study it.
“Kat never wanted to be wrong. She’d dig her heels in the dirt and swear that she’d made the right choice.
” A sad smile formed on his lips. “I never wanted to pass that trait onto her.”
“I’m sorry sir, but I fail to understand what this is about,” Leo hedged. “Kat—”
“Made a mistake.” Jerris glanced at Leo again, his eyes beseeching as if he wanted Leo to read his mind. When Leo didn’t speak, he sighed. “I made a mistake.” His shoulders hunched and for the first time since Leo had met the man, he looked beaten down. “She’s not happy, son.”
Son?
“She hides it well, but lately I’ve seen the cracks. She’s miserable. This isn’t the life she wants to lead. It might have been her dream before…” He frowned. “Before her mother passed. Before she went to Montana.” His eyes flicked to Leo again. “Before you.”
The ache in Leo’s chest throbbed. Jerris wasn’t actually saying what Leo thought he was saying, right? He straightened upright, staring at the man openly, not daring to hope and yet unable to stop it.
Jerris rolled his lower lip between his teeth then nodded firmly—more to himself than anyone else.
“I’m not going to force her to do anything.
I’m not going to manipulate the conversation I plan on having with her tonight.
But I will point out what I’ve noticed. And I will give her the opportunity to carve her own path.
” His eyes hardened. “That being said, if she chooses to stay even though we both know she’d be miserable doing so, you will need to leave. ”
Leo’s words remained stuck in his throat. What was he supposed to say?
“I mean it. If Kat decides to follow through with the arrangement we’ve made with Charles Weitz Jr., you will pack your things and never come back to this bench.”
“Sir—”
“I’m not against filing a restraining order. I’ve got friends in high places and—”
“It’s a deal, sir,” Leo murmured. He nodded.
“It’s a deal.” His heart thundered for a completely different reason.
Kat was being given free rein to choose her future.
She didn’t have to conform to her father’s recommendations out of fear she’d hurt him or anger him.
All she had to do was look into her heart and follow the path that would make her the happiest.
He prayed it would be him.
Tatum Jerris let his eyes drift over Leo’s form. Amusement flashed in his eyes. “You’re going to need something nicer to wear tonight.”
Leo looked at his wet clothes. The jeans, the jacket, his boots. “They’re soaked, but they’re—”
Jerris pulled out a card from his wallet. “I have a guy just down the street who can fit you for a suit in a couple of hours. Tell him I sent you.”
Pushing the card away, Leo shook his head. “With all due respect—”
“With all due respect, son, the restaurant I’m taking Kat to this evening has a dress code.
Now, I have nothing against your career choice or the clothes you wear.
On the contrary, I have more respect for you than you will ever fully comprehend.
And part of that respect comes from knowing the kind of man my daughter fell in love with wouldn’t get hung up on wearing a suit when the opportunity calls for it. ”
Leo snapped his mouth shut. His eyes bounced to the card when Jerris held it out between two fingers. “And what do I do with this when I’m done?”
Leave it with Jameson at the shop. He’ll be sure to get it back to me.
” With that, Jerris rose to his feet. “I’ll have my driver pick you up this evening at six sharp.
That should give me enough time to speak to my daughter.
” He paused then, hesitating only briefly before making up his mind and clapping Leo on the back. “You’re a good man.”
“You don’t even know me,” Leo argued.
“I know my daughter. And if these past weeks have taught me anything, it’s how much she cares for you.” He gave Leo a parting smile then left, taking his umbrella with him.
“Hey, Princess,” Leo rasped.
Kat looked beautiful. But then she always did. She was wearing her usual business attire. Heels, a form fitted skirt, and a blouse that accentuated her curves. She would have looked just as beautiful in those jeans and boots she’d tromped through Rocky Ridge with, though.
Kat’s eyes were red-rimmed and her skin was splotchy with color. She blinked several times before she rose to her feet to face him.
Leo was only partly aware that her father had also risen to his feet. When he came to stop beside him, he grinned. “You clean up well, Mr. Chambers.” He held out his hand and Leo took it, shaking it firmly. “Take care of my daughter, son.”
“Of course, sir.” He watched Jerris walk away for only a moment before turning his eyes to Kat. Her expression was full of so many emotions he couldn’t read them all. There was happiness. Uncertainty. Longing? Or was that wishful thinking.
Her lower lip trembled as she took a step toward him.
He held out a hand to her and that was all it took for her make her final move.
Kat threw herself into his arms and kissed him deeply. It was a searing, searching kind of kiss. One full of apologies and heartbreak but also full of promises and love.
The concept of picking a point in one’s life where they could die happy had never sat right with him. If there ever was a moment he would choose, it might be this one. The strange thing about that sentiment was the loss of all the good memories that would come after.
Leo could admit he was selfish. He wanted more of this. More time with her. More laughter. More teasing. And yes, more heartache. Because in those darkest moments, he could see the absolute joy he laid claim to when she was in his arms.
He pulled back, chuckling as several restaurant goers clapped for them. Pressing his forehead to hers, he murmured, “This doesn’t seem like the kind of place you’d pick for a first date.”
“Oh? And what kind of place do you think I’d pick?”
Leo shrugged. “You think there are any remote cabins with no power? It’s still raining outside. I was thinking it might be fun to get stranded together.”
She tossed back her head with a laugh.
Dang, he loved that sound. More than life itself.
“No, I don’t think there are any cabins around here.” She chewed on her lower lip. “But I heard there’s a club about thirty minutes from here where they play country music and serve a mean steak.”
He let his gaze roam over her body unabashedly. “I wouldn’t say no to seeing you in a pair of Daisy Dukes and those boots that drove me wild.”
Kat tilted her head. “Yeah?”
Leo nodded, slanting his mouth closer to hers. “Yeah,” he rasped. “Then again, I think I’ve waited long enough to have you home. Maybe we just catch a flight now and sneak away to Rocky Ridge where you belong.”
Her eyes widened and already knew she’d argue.
Kat Jerris wasn’t someone who did things spontaneously.
She was a planner and if they were lucky, she’d be ready to move back at the end of the summer.
He ignored the pang of disappointment, reminding himself this would be a big change for her. “I’m kidd—”
Kat grabbed her purse. “Let’s go. Maybe if we’re lucky, your mom will have leftovers in the fridge and we can stargaze in the front yard.”
His mouth hung open and she laughed again.
“What?” she asked. “There’s plenty of time to figure this stuff out and it’s not like I can’t handle things remotely for the most part. Sure, there will be some back and forth in the beginning, but—”
Leo wrapped her into his arms and swung her around, careful not to let either of them hit the tables or guests surrounding them. When he finally put her down, he pushed his forehead to hers again. “I love you, Princess.”
Her hand came to his cheek. “I love you, too. Always.”
With that, she slipped her hand into his. “Come on, big guy. Take me home, Leo.”
“It’d be my pleasure.”