Chapter 21 #2
Ally had long hated air travel.
He waved me off. “Fine. Listen. I need to give you a heads-up on a question Taylor asked me this morning.”
“Aye?” I shielded my eyes against the morning sun, my brain already a little frazzled from being in the busy car park.
“She asked if ye could handle an angsty sort of conversation or would it harm ye.”
I furrowed my brow. “What does that mean?”
My brother shrugged, shouldering his sports bag. “No clue. I didn’t pry.”
“Sounds like she’s going to dump me.”
He winced. “Are you two even dating? I didn’t want to break the mood, but she’s still meant to be getting married, right?”
“As far as I know.” But I didn’t know it anymore. Not for a fact. I knew she cared about me and I trusted her not to hurt me. So where did that leave us? “We’ll talk,” I added, understating what needed to happen next.
“You do that.”
My brother gave me a friendly punch to the shoulder then disappeared into the crowd, while I put together another please don’t leave me speech and worked out the best way to deliver it.
For the next several hours, Taylor and I took turns at driving, heading for her mystery location.
We both seemed lost in our thoughts. She read emails from Mathilda and then made a call to my sister-in-law.
They appeared to be plotting out a new business venture and, when she got off the call, she explained it to me.
“Mathilda has all the staff she needs to run the catering part of her business but not the time. Plus, with her baby on the way, she doesn’t want more hassle when she isn’t going to be handling it.”
“What did you suggest?”
She tossed her phone back into her bag. “It’s such a waste to pay money to the companies she has shortlisted.
I think she needs to change the job of her part-time office manager and have them manage that section of the business, too.
It’s not that much extra work. Originally, I thought she should package it all up and outsource it, but I’ve come full circle now I understand it better. It would save her a heap of money.”
Taylor could do that management job, I was certain. A terrifying kind of picture built up in my mind. One where she worked with Mathilda. Lived with me.
One where she was mine.
She got on with her work, and I focused on the traffic ahead and shut down that train of thought. That was a road to nowhere and only fucked with my head worse than I could ever do myself.
Just after lunchtime, we rolled into a small village. Behind, mountains soared over the quaint hikers’ town. Taylor directed me to park up, and I squinted out of the window.
“Cute, huh?” She indicated with her head at the scene. Milling people in hiking kit, families, and day trippers.
I gave her a half-smile. Sure, it was pretty, but I still had the urge to get out of town and away from all the noise. This wasn’t a city, but it certainly wasn’t the refuge I sought.
Taylor unclipped her seat belt and blew out a breath. “This is just a quick stop off so we can pick up supplies.” She gripped her fingers together, impatience crossing her expression.
“Uh-huh. Supplies for…?”
“Our hike.”
I stared, and she hurried on.
“We’re going to climb one of those mountains.
Or walk up a beautiful part of it, anyway.
The hiking store will give us the map and water bottles and everything else we’ll need.
Even shoes.” She pointed to her pretty sandals.
“We’ll be completely alone, and by early evening we should be at our cabin. ”
“Cabin?” I gaped now. This was so perfect, and a weight lifted from my mind. The impact almost staggered me.
“Yes! It’s a little mountain shack and totally isolated. The place will even have a food delivery with all the ingredients we’ll need for dinner tonight and for tomorrow’s breakfast.”
“You organised this. A hike. In the mountains.” She hated hiking. She’d told me so back in Scotland.
“Well, you said when you get stressed your home is the best place for you.” A red flush crept over her chest and up her neck. “Oh God. You hate the idea. I know this isn’t the same, but I thought—”
No. No way was she thinking like that. “Come here.” I reached out and grabbed her from her seat, dragging her over to straddle me in mine.
She gave a startled laugh but settled on my lap, her knees either side of my hips.
Then I took her lips with mine in a hard kiss that left us both breathless. To hell with being in public. She’d done this for me? My mind was blown.
“I thought you were going to dump me,” I told her.
She gaped. “Why?”
“Because I’m a wreck. Because you have other plans, and this thing between us has got so intense. I’ve been expecting you to back away.”
She rested her forehead against mine. Around us, people got on with their daily lives, shopping in the little stores, herding kids, being normal, and Taylor only had eyes for me.
“How could I leave you? I’m falling in love with you.
” Her gaze fierce, she stared deep into my eyes.
Then she drew a shuddering breath and crumpled, dropping her face into my collar.
“I had this whole idea of telling you tonight. We’d be sitting outside our shack, drinking a glass of wine and watching the sun set.
It would be perfect, and I’ve just blown it because it wouldn’t stay in anymore. ”
She… I…
My brain stalled, and I tried again to let it sink in.
“I love you,” she repeated. “I don’t want to exist in this world for a minute longer without you knowing.”
Ah fuck. Dizzy, I closed my eyes.
Taylor pulled back and placed her hands on my chest. “Oh no, I broke you,” she whispered.
She almost had. Shattered, I couldn’t even look at her because of the answer to the next question I had. But that either made her declaration a thing of beauty I’d treasure forever or the straw that finally broke my back.
“Are you still going to marry someone else?” I managed and, with my hands to her hips, I grabbed hold of her like she was all that was keeping me on the earth. “All I need to know is that one thing, then I’ll share a thought of my own.”
“I really want to hear that thought,” she whispered.
“Taylor!” I growled out, opening my eyes to her perfect, gorgeous blue ones.
“No,” she answered, unblinking and appearing entirely terrified. “No. I don’t see how I can. I love you, and I won’t marry anyone else.”
My skies burst open, and I flew untethered. My brain an empty space, a trail leading from her heart to mine.
“Then I’ll tell you what’s on my mind. I’m in love with ye, too. Heart, soul, body, and mind. And Christ knows it has been a long time in the making.”
Taylor stared at me and gave a happy laugh. Then a single fat tear rolled down her cheek, and I knew, I just knew, that this love had cost her.
I kissed it away.
Whatever it was, I’d solve that problem. Whatever it took, I’d fix this for Taylor. For my lass. For my life.