52. Harle
HARLE
A fter all the days, the ache, the quiet agony of missing her, Cassidy was here.
Still, all those nights I’d spent alone in this kitchen, imagining her here with me, hadn’t prepared me for the reality of her. Not one bit. Standing in my kitchen in my Yale sweater, her hair still damp, waiting for me to finish making the tea. The simplicity of it made my heart squeeze, because how many times had I pictured her here with me, during those empty days without her?
Countless times, that’s how many.
I poured the steaming tea into two mugs, adding a splash of honey to Cassidy’s, just the way she liked it. My hands shook a little, no matter how cool I tried to play it. But can you blame a man? The love of his life just walked back into it, giving him everything he’s ever dreamed of, and more.
Damn, but I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her.
She looked different somehow. Not just because she was drowning in my sweater, but like some invisible weight had lifted from her shoulders. As though she could finally breathe again.
“Let’s drink this outside,” I nodded toward the deck. “It’ll be nice and warm in the sun.”
“Sounds perfect.”
As we stepped onto the deck, my eyes caught on her purse sitting on the side table, with a manila envelope resting unopened on top of it. Mills Investigations was typed neatly in the top corner.
Settling onto the double recliner, I pulled Cassidy close as Buddy and Max flopped down at our feet with contented sighs, and handed her the mug of tea.
Then I reached down and grabbed the envelope. “So, Hannah gave you this, I take it?’
Cassidy rolled her eyes. “She did.”
“Don’t you want to open it?”
“No, Harle. Hannah told me all about what happened with the PI, just before I left to come here. The only reason I brought it with me was to show you I hadn’t opened it. I trust you, Harle. I trust us.”
I pressed a kiss into her hair. “Well, how about you read it anyway, just for fun.”
“Honestly, it’s not necessary, I?—”
“Just for fun, darlin’. Don’t go overthinking it.”
She looked at me closely for a moment, then conceded. “Okay, if you insist,”
“I do,” I replied, settling back and draping my arm around her shoulders. The feel of her body against mine felt like pure bliss.
Cassidy tore open the envelope, her fingers trailing over the pages inside. The sun caught her hair just right, turning it to spun gold, and I marveled at how perfectly she fit against my side. As though she belonged there. Always had.
As she began to read, I studied her face. The way her brow furrowed slightly in concentration, the slight quirk of her lips as she scanned the pages. I’d missed every little detail about her.
“Well, this is thorough,” she murmured, flipping through the pages.
I chuckled. “Shelby doesn’t mess around. What’s it say?”
Cassidy cleared her throat dramatically. “Harle Robson, age 35. Born in Asheville, North Carolina. Graduated from Yale University… blah blah. Already knew that. Worked for Goldman Sachs before leaving to start his own investment firm.”
She paused, glancing up at me with a raised eyebrow. “You worked for Goldman Sachs?”
I shrugged. “For a bit. Wasn’t really my scene.”
Cassidy nodded, returning to the report. “Left his successful firm after the death of his best friend, Jackson Miller. Has since dedicated his time to various charitable causes and volunteer work.”
She lowered the papers, her eyes soft on my face as she pressed a kiss to my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Keep going.”
“Hmm.” She continued reading. “Multiple character references. Oh, there’s even a section about your dogs.” She scratched behind Max’s ears. “Says here you rescued them from an illegal breeding operation.”
“That’s right.”
I leaned back, closing my eyes as Cassidy snuggled closer to me. Her warmth against my side felt like a balm, soothing away the ache of the past weeks without her. The gentle rustle of paper filled the air as she continued reading the report.
“There’s a whole section here about your financials,” Cassidy murmured, her voice a soft hum against my chest.
I chuckled. “Bet that makes for riveting reading.”
“Mmm.” Her voice trailed off, and I felt her shift slightly. “Oh, well, this is interesting.”
“What have you found?”
“You.” She was staring at me now, her mouth hanging open. “It was you…”
I grinned at her.
“The two hundred and fifty thousand dollar donation to the wildlife rehabilitation center was from you.”
“Yeah.”
“But, why?”
“Just didn’t like seeing you stressed. And besides, who doesn’t want to help squirrels and opossums?”
She got a little misty eyed. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now I’m seriously wondering what else I’m going to find in here.”
She turned back to the report, resting her head on my shoulder. The minutes ticked on until finally, “Oh. Fuck.”
There it was.
“Harle.”
“Mmm?”
“This says your net worth is over twenty million dollars.”
“Really? Is that where it’s at these days?”
I chuckled at Cassidy’s reaction. Her eyes were wide, darting between me and the report in her hands. I’d known this moment was coming, but seeing her process it was something else entirely.
“You okay there, darlin’?” I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
She blinked a few times, then shook her head as if to clear it. “I... I don’t even know what to say. How is this possible?”
I shrugged, trying to keep things light. “The investments have all picked up, I guess.”
Cassidy set the report down and turned to face me fully. Her green eyes searched mine, a mix of emotions swirling in their depths. “You. Are. Amazing.”
Well, that’s one way to make a man blush. I shrugged again. “Not really. I just got lucky. And I wanted you to know all there was to know about me. Now you do.”
“I think that’s enough reading for now.” She climbed into my lap, straddling me as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pressed her forehead to mine. “I love you. I will love you for the rest of my days.”
“I love you, too, darlin’. I promise that you’ll never regret taking a chance on me.”
With a sigh, she buried her face in my neck and just held me. We sat there for a moment, breathing each other in. The feel of her body against mine was so achingly familiar and yet brand new. Everything was absolutely right with the world. Because finally, after all the heartache and longing, Cassidy was here. In my arms. Where she belonged.