49. A New World
49
A NEW WORLD
Ford
A month later, Dad was home and feeling a lot better. No new a-fib episodes, which was a relief.
I checked the small dog door Kincaid had helped me install. The flap swung freely. Last weekend he’d brought over his tools, and we’d made quick work of cutting a hole in the door of the utility room. Now Zephyr would be able to go into the fenced back yard anytime he wanted. Having a friend who owned a construction company had its benefits.
Someone rapped on the front door and then opened it.
“Hi. We’re here,” Mara announced. As I walked into the foyer, she let Zephyr off his leash. He made a beeline for me, dancing excitedly around my feet. When I crossed my arms, he immediately sat and stared up at me expectantly.
“I think he’s looking for one of those treats you always give him,” Mara said.
“That’s because he’s smart,” I said as I pulled the biscuit from my pocket and gave it to him. He devoured it with a single crunch.
“I have a surprise for him,” I told Mara as I pulled her into my arms. She felt perfect there. Exactly where she was meant to be. I kissed her, tasting toothpaste. God, I was crazy for this woman. The touch of her. The feel of her. Even the minty flavor of her toothpaste.
As we separated, I inhaled, catching the scent of her hair. I loved that too.
“Come on,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her toward the back of the house. “Let me show you.”
She let out a low laugh. “You’re really excited about this.”
I took her straight to the utility room, and Zephyr followed. When I pointed at the new dog door, Mara’s eyes widened in delighted surprise. “You did that for Zephyr?”
“Of course. He’s my favorite dog in the world.”
Her eyes softened at that.
I took a high-value treat from my pocket. As soon as he saw it, the little beggar sat without me saying a word.
I grinned up at Mara. “I guess bully sticks incentivize him.”
“He loves those things, which is totally gross.”
I pushed open the flap on the dog door, and said, “Come get your treat.”
As soon as Zephyr’s butt left the ground, I let go of the treat so it fell outside the dog door into the backyard.
I had to hand it to him, that dog didn’t even hesitate. He headed straight out the door to claim his reward. He even turned around and came back in again with it in his mouth.
“Smart dog,” I said.
“He picked up on that fast,” she agreed.
“Let’s sit outside,” I said, pulling open the human-sized door. “I have lunch waiting on the patio.”
I’d made a salad ni?oise, which had taken a lot longer to prepare than I’d expected. Salads should be easy, in my opinion. Boiling the potatoes and eggs, making my own dressing, and cooking the green beans took time, but seeing the delighted expression on Mara’s face made it all worthwhile.
I loved cooking for her. In fact, I loved a lot more than just that about her.
“Destiny and I have a business call later today. She’s been hinting about making some changes of her own,” Mara said as she sat, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “I need to make a decision about my apartment over the store, but she’s been talking about moving and shaking things up on her end too.”
I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. “What kind of changes?”
Mara shrugged lightly. “She’s mentioned feeling restless in Boston a few times, like she’s looking for a fresh start. Today, I think we’ll talk about how it all fits with our plans. I have a feeling she’s thinking big.”
I smiled, heart racing at the thought of a shared future. “I’m glad you brought it up. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. I want you to stay here—to move in with me, I mean.” My nerves tingled, but I pushed on. “I won’t get to see you nearly enough once you move to Boston, and I want to make every moment we’re together count.”
Her eyes lit up, and a radiant smile stretched across her face. My heart swelled with joy at the sight of her happiness. “I was thinking the same thing,” she admitted, leaning forward and squeezing my hand. “Destiny might be thinking about big changes, but so am I. And you’re a huge part of that.”
“You can set up a home office, too,” I added, my voice brimming with excitement. “There’s plenty of space in the old servants’ quarters on the third floor. My office is there. There’s a small kitchen and a common area, along with four small bedrooms. One of them could even be set up as a private office or conference room.”
“For reals? You’d do that for me?” Mara bounced off her seat and slid onto my lap, peppering my face with kisses.
Her touch ignited a spark within me, and I pulled her close as I chuckled. She was as excited as a kid who’d just found out she was going to Disney World. “Of course, I would. Don’t you know by now I’d do anything for you, Mara Stellar? I love you.”
She stilled, and I could see tears glistening in her eyes. “I love you too, Ford Ross.” She gazed into my eyes with wonder. “I can’t believe how lucky I am. You and I are like magic together. I couldn’t have found a more perfect man if I’d created him from my imagination, because I never would have dared to imagine that someone like you would fall in love with someone like me.”
I could feel her vulnerability, and it melted my heart. “I guess you don’t quite get it, then. You’re my perfect woman. Kind and intelligent and gorgeous. The whole package. I’m the lucky one here. I’ve been searching for you all my life.” My heart swelled with love and gratitude as I held her close.
“And to think,” she teased, “we only met because you came into my store to get out of the rain.”
I shook my head. “I actually met you the night before, outside the Not a Yacht Club.”
“Nearly ran me down, you mean. That doesn’t count.”
“As you decree,” I told her. “I bow to your wisdom on the matter.”
Her eyes softened, and she leaned in, her lips meeting mine with a gentle intensity that took my breath away. Our bodies pressed together in a sweet embrace, and I lost myself in the sensation of her touch. It was like all the pieces of my heart finally clicked into place, and I knew I was right where I belonged. When she finally pulled away, her eyes were shining with emotion.
“My video call with Destiny is in half an hour,” she murmured, her voice low and husky. “But right now, all I want is to stay here with you.” She leaned in again, and we kissed with a slow, lingering passion that seemed to savor every moment of our newfound love.
When we finally broke apart, I pressed my forehead to hers. “You take my breath away.”
“Good. I hope it’s always that way between us.”
She shifted in my lap. “When I talk with Destiny, I want to bring up telecommuting.”
I was a little distracted by the way she was tracing her fingers along the back of my neck, but I managed to nod. “You mean from Pittsburgh? So you could be in town more often?”
“That was my idea. Is that okay with you?” She gave me a playful, sidelong look. “You aren’t going to back out of asking me to move in, are you?”
I grinned, pulling her close again. “Absolutely not. I want you here with me, always.” And with that, I kissed her again, reveling in the way her lips fit perfectly against mine.
My watch chimed with an incoming call. Dad. My stomach clenched at the sight of his name. Even though he was recovering, that scare still echoed in the back of my mind, reminding me how fragile life could be. I didn’t want to go through that again. Not with him. Not with anyone I loved.
Mara noticed and gently pulled away, sliding off my lap. “You should take that.”
I gave her a quick nod and tapped my watch. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hey, Ford,” came Dad’s voice, warm and steady. “Just a quick call. I wanted to let you know how happy our new investors are. They can’t stop singing your praises.”
Relief swelled in my chest, but it didn’t settle completely. “That’s great news, Dad,” I said, but even as I spoke, my mind ticked through the work that still needed to be done.
Mara leaned closer. “Hi, Don.”
“Hi, Mara,” Dad replied. “I won’t keep you two. I’ve got a few more calls to make.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked, before he could end the call. The question burst out before I could stop myself. His health scare still haunted me, lingering at the back of my thoughts no matter how much I tried to push it aside.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying,” Dad chided, his voice light, but I wasn’t fooled.
Even though he brushed it off, hearing him sound like himself again—joking, steady—it eased a knot deep inside me. For weeks, I’d been imagining worst-case scenarios, my thoughts spiraling late at night. Knowing he was really okay now... I could finally breathe a little easier.
“Yeah, well, that won’t be happening for a while,” I replied, my voice betraying a mix of lingering worry and cautious optimism. “Not after that scare.”
“Focus on the movie, son,” he said. “Everything’s in motion. You and Max still need to solidify things, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
I ended the call, and for a moment, the tension lightened, though not entirely. Mara’s gaze met mine, concern still clouding her expression. She’d heard it all, the investor update, the reassurance from my dad—and she knew, just as I did, that there was more work ahead.
“Sounds like it’s moving forward,” she said, but the hesitation in her voice mirrored the uncertainty in my gut.
“It is,” I agreed, though the weight of the next few steps loomed large. “But Max and I still have a lot to do. We’ve got to convince these investors that the risk is worth it, even with Dad’s backing. We’ve come this far, but nothing’s set in stone yet.”
Mara squeezed my hand. “You’ll get it done. You always do.”
I smiled, but it didn’t fully reach my eyes. There was so much riding on this—on the movie, on Dad’s health, on everything. But at least, for now, I knew he was okay. And that was something.
Zephyr jumped to his feet, his body quivering with excitement, and it struck me how easily he’d become part of my life—our life. Just like Mara, he belonged here. This wasn’t just my house anymore. It was becoming something bigger.
An instant later, he went tearing across the grass, barking like mad. A squirrel turned tail and scampered up a tree. When Zephyr reached it, he put his front paws up on the trunk and continued to bark for a few more seconds. When he was satisfied the squirrel had been vanquished, he came trotting back to us, head held high.
“That’s one happy dog,” Mara said. “I think he’s gonna love it here.”
“That’s good since you’re both moving in. Think we can get everything packed up over the next couple of weeks?”
Her smile widened, but I could see the flicker of something behind her eyes—was it excitement or maybe a sliver of hesitation? Moving in together was a big step. “That sounds like an excellent idea,” she said, her voice steady, but I couldn’t help wondering if she was giving herself time to fully process the change.
As we ate lunch, we compared our schedules and made some plans. It was easy to decide where we’d put her furniture. I hadn’t fully furnished the place yet, so adding her things would be simple enough.
Mara glanced at her watch. “Destiny should be calling soon. Would you like to meet her? It’ll be a video call.”
“Absolutely.”
Mara rinsed our plates as I loaded the dishwasher. We’d just finished cleaning up when her phone rang.
“Well, hello, Destiny Woodward. How are you today?” Mara asked in a singsong voice.
“I’m absolutely fabulous, Mara Stellar,” she replied playfully. “How are you this fine summer afternoon?”
Listening to their banter, I could tell their exchange was typical for them.
“Absolutely amazing,” Mara replied. “I just finished an amazing lunch with my even more amazing boyfriend, and he just asked me to move in with him. Life couldn’t get much better than this.”
“Squee!” Destiny said. “That’s so adorable. Good for you.”
“Here he is,” Mara said, turning and tilting the phone so both of us showed up on the camera. “Destiny, this is Ford Ross, and Ford, meet Destiny Woodward.”
We both raised our hands and waved.
“I hear you make movies,” Destiny said.
“I do. In fact, I’m working on a new one right now. I’m filming it here in Pittsburgh. That should keep me busy for quite a few months.”
“Pittsburgh! That’s wild,” Destiny said. “I thought everything was filmed in Hollywood.”
“Mara said pretty much the same thing when we first met,” I told her. “When we finally meet in person, you’ll have to tell me some college stories about her. Is it true that all she did was study and hang out in the computer lab?”
Destiny flashed a bright smile. “You better believe it. That girl was a complete nerd. Even if she wasn’t, what makes you think I’d spill any dirt about her? As if.”
Mara hip-checked me. “Turns out all you wanted was to get some insider information on me.”
“You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Mara ignored me as she crossed the room and sat at the kitchen table. “We need to finalize some decisions,” she said to Destiny.
“We sure do,” Destiny said. “First of all, let’s talk about where we’ll be based. I’d assumed it would be Boston.”
“Boston is fine,” Mara said. “That’s what I assumed too.”
“Wait, wait—honestly, it doesn’t really matter to me. With that gorgeous man in your life, and girl, how did you not tell me how hot he is? And your family, and that store, you have a lot of good reasons for wanting to stay in Pittsburgh. Since I already planned to move out of this apartment and buy something a bit posher, why don’t I leave these Boston winters behind me and head to Pittsburgh? After all, you have all those Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh grads looking for jobs. It should be easy to hire some uber-talented people there.”
“Destiny!” Mara shot out of her chair, her excitement almost too big for the room. But even with her wide grin, I couldn’t help noticing the way her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the chair. I wondered if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop—if she was letting herself believe, even just for a second, that life could actually be falling into place this easily. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you? That would be awesome!” She looked over at me, her eyes glowing with excitement. “But, just to be fair, Pittsburgh has winter too.”
“I know, I know,” Destiny said. “But you don’t get nearly as much snow as we do. I like winter, don’t get me wrong. Some parts of it are great. Like wearing leather boots and drinking hot chocolate and snuggling up under a blanket—but these crazy amounts of snow we get in Boston? That I can do without. Thank you very much. I already checked. Pittsburgh gets twenty-eight inches of snow a year. Boston gets nearly fifty inches. Easy decision.”
Mara faced me, her eyes filled with excitement. When she saw how relieved I was, she turned back to the phone and said, “Done. I’ll even get Ford to give you a grand tour of Pittsburgh when you get here. He’s a fantastic tour guide.”