Chapter 9 Last Hope
Kaya sped blindly down the hospital corridor, narrowly missing running into a man in white scrubs. He was pushing a silver cart while typing on his cell phone. Their near collision would’ve been as much his fault as hers.
“I’m so sorry!” She hopped out of his way in the nick of time, sloshing the coffee in her cup through the sipping hole. It dribbled hotly over her fingers, making her suck in a moan of pain.
The bozo in white scrubs kept rolling his cart, instead of apologizing in return. What a turkey!
She wasn’t sure why she was so worked up over witnessing a kiss between her uncle and the lovely Dr. April Chandrakanta.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen it coming.
Their romance had been blooming under her nose for days.
She was happy for them. She truly was. However, seeing them together like that also made her sad for herself.
It was just her misfortune to have fallen for the most unsuitable man on the planet — a descendant of the hateful Haywoods. Her uncle was trying his hardest to get over his disapproval of their relationship. Not that she needed his approval to date Ben, but she wanted it. Oh, how she wanted it!
After losing her dad as a teenager and having a mom with no interest in parenting, Kaya had latched onto her Uncle Uri like a lifeline.
He was her uncle, substitute parent, and mentor all wrapped into one.
She’d arrived in town, assuming he was the only family she had left who wanted to be her family, but she was about to add Hawk and Annalee to the lineup.
They’d been so sweet in welcoming her to the tribe. She was claiming them, too.
She could only hope that her love for Ben Haywood wouldn’t cause her newfound family to kick her to the curb like her mom had.
But that wasn’t the only thing upsetting her.
The kiss she’d witnessed between April and her uncle had filled her with guilt.
It forced her to face the fact that she’d been holding Ben at arm’s length the whole time they’d been dating.
For fear of creating waves between their families, she’d purposely kept their relationship moving at a snail’s pace.
If I’m not careful, though, I’m going to lose him, too.
The truth had hit her like an avalanche while watching her uncle hold April like a precious gift. He’d kissed her like he never wanted to stop, and he’d owned up to his feelings when Kaya had walked in on them. That was how a person treated someone they truly cared for.
Poor Ben! All he’d ever gotten from Kaya was her constant blowing hot and cold. The tug and pull of uncertainty. The prove-yourself-or-I’m-outta-here treatment. He deserved so much better.
She asked Bo to drive her to the Haywood Dental Clinic and wait for her in the vehicle. She didn’t know what she was going to say to Ben when she got there. She didn’t even know if he would have time to see her between patients. She just knew that she had to try.
The sleek, sophisticated white brick building popped into view long before she finished preparing what she was going to say, but she didn’t let that stop her.
If she turned back now, she might never again work up the courage for what she was about to do.
She paused at the front entrance of the dental clinic and counted to five before opening the door.
Just breathe, Kaya!
Ben’s mother was manning the front desk. Catching sight of Kaya, her perfectly painted features twisted with disgruntlement. Like Uncle Uri, she disapproved of her son dating Kaya. Unlike Uncle Uri, she didn’t hide it. She didn’t even try to hide it.
However, there was something more distracted than usual about her demeanor as her gaze settled on Kaya. Something resigned. Something with a hint of defeat in it.
She lifted her skinny chin and announced in a half-bored voice, “It’s the invasion of the Dakotas today.”
Kaya forced a smile, like she always did for Ben’s snobby mother. “Good morning, Mrs. Haywood. Is Ben available?”
Verity Haywood ignored her greeting. “He’s working. Like I said, it’s been a revolving door all morning.” She gestured irritably at the patients seated in the waiting room. The movement made her trio of gold bracelets jingle. They were real gold studded with real diamonds.
Kaya might be poor, but she had a taste for nice things. She decided on the spot that someday she would own a gold bracelet with real diamonds, too.
“This won’t take long,” she pleaded, leaning her elbows on the receptionist’s booth. “I promise.”
Before Mrs. Haywood could object and send Kaya on her way, the door behind her popped open.
“I’ve got this, Mom.” It was Ben. He stood there, tall and unsmiling, with an expression Kaya couldn’t read. He angled his head toward the open door. “Do you want to come back?”
“Yes, please.” She meekly followed him to his office.
He shut the door behind them and leaned against it, folding his arms. “What’s it going to be this time?
Raiding the pyramids in Egypt? Diving for pirate’s gold in the Caribbean?
” He was referring to the bones he’d deposited in the drop box for her, but his attempt at humor came out sounding more tired than funny.
“I’m sorry.” The words burst from her, making him pale and straighten.
“Wow, Kaya! If you’ve interrupted my workday to break up with me—”
“No! Never!” She stepped closer to place a hand on his arm. “That’s not what I want.”
He glanced down at her hand on his arm, looking unsure what to do about it. “Could’ve fooled me, Kaya. Seems like we’re forever taking one step forward and two steps back. I don’t know what it’s going to take to prove that I love you, but—”
“You have.” She tipped her face up to him, begging him to look at her and see for himself that she meant it. “You’ve proven it again and again, but you never should’ve had to. I never should’ve dragged you or anyone else into my thesis project. I just…”
He ducked his head to bring them eye to eye.
“You just weren’t sure about another Dakota dating a Haywood, eh?
I get it after what happened to your aunt.
But as sorry as I am about all the bad blood between our families, I can’t be your Haywood punching bag forever.
I thought I could, but I can’t. It’s too hard.
” He reached up to cup her cheek. “I care too much for you. So, if this isn’t going anywhere, I need you to be honest with me. ”
She covered his hand to hold it there. “You’re right.
You deserve the truth. I’m just sorry it’s taken me this long to tell you how I feel.
” The rest of what she’d planned to say either got clogged in her throat or flew out the window, but she’d come too far to stop.
She stretched to her tiptoes and touched her lips to his, desperate to communicate all the things she couldn’t find the words for.
She loved him so crazy much! Why couldn’t she just say the words?
He dragged in a breath and clutched her shoulders. “Kaya, so help me, if this is another one of your games—”
“It’s not,” she promised tearfully. Please, please, please kiss me back! Dampness pooled in her eyes and streaked down her cheeks at the possibility she’d already waited too long to share what was in her heart.
His arms came around her, hitching her closer. “Last chance to run.” He hovered his mouth over hers.
When she didn’t move, he crushed their lips together.
This. She felt like swooning. This was what they’d been missing, and it was all her fault for holding back. She’d been acting like a fool. In his arms, she no longer felt like a leaf blowing in the wind. A kid that a mother hadn’t wanted. A best friend who’d been lied to and used.
In his arms, she was needed and cherished. In his arms, she was home.
When she finally came up for air, she whispered brokenly, “I don’t want to lose you, Ben.”
He pressed his cheek to her damp one. “The only way that’ll ever happen is if you send this Haywood packing.” He’d never made their last names a focus of their relationship. Until now, he’d avoided talking about it altogether.
“That’s the last thing this Dakota wants to do.” She curled her arms around his neck, acknowledging the elephant in the room and assuring him with her eyes that they would get past it. She didn’t know how, only that she was one hundred percent committed to doing so.
“Yeah, we will.” He hugged her tighter. “I love you, Kaya.”
“I love you, too, Ben.” It was the first time she’d ever said the words back.
“I’ve just been afraid to say it after all that’s happened between our families.
” She shuddered as she spoke the same words that may have gotten her aunt killed.
To some people in the world, a Dakota loving a Haywood was apparently a capital offense.
“I knew it!” He sounded exultant. “Just wanted to be sure that you knew it.”
“I do.” She started to apologize again, but he stopped her with another kiss.
“A name is just a name, Kaya. It’s what’s inside a person that counts. I fell in love with you. Not your name.”
“Right back atcha.” She loved the way she felt in his arms.
Adored.
Safe.
Complete.
She loved the way his eyes were glowing and loved that she was the one who’d made him feel that way.
“I’d better let you get back to work,” she sighed, unsure how much of his time she’d already taken up.
If she stayed much longer, his mom would probably chase her out of the clinic with a pitchfork. Not all Haywoods were created equal.
Old prejudices were still alive and festering around them. There were times she could feel the darkness nipping at her heels, but Ben was right. The darkness wasn’t in a person’s name, because the darkness wasn’t in him.
He still didn’t let her go. “Just give me a minute.” Humor crept into his voice. “I’ve got a smoking hot attorney in my arms, and I’m in no hurry to let her go.”
“Attorney in the making,” she corrected softly.