GO SEE WHAT HE BUILT
ADDISON
A fter a fitful night’s sleep, where I promised myself not to do any online sleuthing, I woke up, ready to go. It was barely six in the morning. Patrick was probably awake already, but that was way too early to show up to someone’s home, unannounced. Peeling myself out of bed, I stretched and poked my head into Sarina’s room to see her still sleeping, a face mask over her eyes.
It made me laugh. You could take the girl out of New York, but you couldn’t take New York out of my little sister.
I made my way downstairs, trying my best to tiptoe on the ones that I knew creaked under any weight, but it was no use. They still moaned as I stepped on them, alerting anyone in the house that someone was up.
“Addison?” My dad’s voice echoed from either the kitchen or the living room—I wasn’t sure which.
“Yep,” I responded as I made my way to find him.
He was standing next to the coffee maker, his crutches nowhere near him.
“Where are your crutches?”
He grunted and tilted his head, “Over there, where they belong.”
“They belong with you. You can’t walk on that foot, Dad,” I said in a scolding tone, as if he didn’t already know all of this.
“I’m not walking on it. I’m hopping,” he started to explain before he blew out an annoyed breath. “The damn things hurt, okay? How come they haven’t figured out how to make comfortable crutches yet? They know the things murder your arms and rub you damn near raw.”
My chest ached. I was uncomfortable, hearing my dad complain about something hurting him. He had always been larger than life in my eyes, a superhero, indestructible. And here he was, in actual pain.
“I’m sorry they hurt. But you have to use them. Or I can get you a wheelchair instead?” I suggested with a grin. “Want me to check on that?”
“You’re hilarious. Almost as funny as that ex-boyfriend of yours,” he said, and just like that, Patrick was in the air between us once more. “You want a cup?” he asked as he poured a mug to the top, and I shook my head.
I was too nervous to drink anything that might get me even more amped up and wired. “No, thank you.”
“You heading over there?” he asked as he took a sip.
“It’s too early, right? I mean, the sun’s barely come up,” I asked as I finally sat down at the table and turned the chair so that it faced him.
My dad laughed. “It’s a little early, yeah. Maybe wait until eight.”
I frowned. “That’s still two hours away!” I exclaimed, feeling like a kid with no patience as my mind raced with questions. “Why do you think he never told me?”
“About the house?”
“Yeah.”
My dad blew on the mug in his hand and took another drink. “You know Patrick better than I do, so why do you think he didn’t tell you?”
I knew the answer. Of course I knew the answer. “Because he wouldn’t want to influence my decision or make me leave New York before I was ready.”
“Sounds about right to me,” my dad agreed with a quick nod of his head. “Are you ready to leave it yet?”
I shrugged, feeling unsure. Ninety percent of me wanted to go back there, pack up all my things, and race home to Sugar Mountain. But that other ten percent nagged. It was such a small percentage in the grand scheme of things, but it was annoyingly loud and influential.
“I’m not sure.”
“Because of that backer thing?” he asked, his face scrunched together like he still wasn’t at all sure what it meant, even though I had explained it to him last night.
“Yeah.”
“Is that the only reason?” he pressed, like I might be keeping something else from him.
“It is,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Then, it must be a really big deal.”
“It is,” I repeated, feeling stupid for saying the same thing twice.
“Maybe you’ll feel differently after you see Patrick.”
That was kind of what I was afraid of. What if I was still unsure after I saw him? What if I left his place, still as confused as ever? Why was this decision so difficult to make?
“I’m going to head upstairs, shower, and pretend to get ready for two stupid hours. Are you okay down here alone?”
“Sweetheart”—he cocked his head to one side and shook it slowly—“I’ll be fine. I’ll help your sister decorate her room later,” he said, and we both laughed.
“I’ll be sorry to miss that,” I said, still smiling.
“You won’t. Not after you see what he built.”
“Oh my gosh, Dad, stop. The anticipation is killing me already, and you’re not helping.” I grabbed my stomach and put my arm over it.
“I’m not trying to help.” He winked, and I groaned.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I glanced at it, noticing a text from Frederique.
“Speak of the devil,” I said out loud, and my dad’s whole face brightened.
“Patrick?”
“No.” I laughed. “The guy who offered to back me.”
His face fell. “Oh.”
“Don’t look so excited, Dad.”
Have I given you enough time to decide yet?
I’m still at home with my dad. I know I’m taking a long time to give you an answer, but could I have a few more days?
The phone started buzzing for longer, and I knew that I was getting a phone call. It was Frederique. The man was impatient.
“Hi, Frederique,” I answered.
He cleared his throat. “Addison, I just wanted to tell you that a few days is fine, but I’ve been making progress on my end. If all goes well and you say yes, then it’s a go.”
“What happens if I say no?” I asked, figuring that he’d simply replace me with a different head chef and that would be that.
“I scrap the whole thing.” His accent came out harsher than I’d expected.
“What? Why?” I hadn’t expected that answer.
“Because this idea is built around you. If you’re not a part of it, then it doesn’t happen.”
“You wouldn’t open anyway with someone else?” I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that this venture was built around my participation in it. There were so many talented chefs in and around the city that I knew I was absolutely replaceable.
“No.” His response was short, direct, and to the point.
And made me feel like complete shit.
“Okay. I’ll let you know as soon as I get back to the city,” I said, hoping to placate him, but also buying myself a few more days to figure out just what the heck I was going to do.
I drove toward the old Aimsley farm with my heart in my throat. I had no idea what I’d find when I got there. When I reached the entrance, I remembered the old house that used to sit on the edge of the road. There was no home there anymore. It was like it had never been there at all; no old scraps of wood or even a roof shingle remained.
Pulling onto the drive, I followed it for what felt like miles. Maybe it was. It definitely wasn’t. But when I glanced in the rearview mirror, the main road was no longer visible, and the trees blocked any view one might have. It was privacy at its finest and fit Patrick to a T.
I continued following the road until what looked like landscaping and the outline of a house started to come into view. There were wildflowers growing everywhere. And then I saw it. The most beautiful home I’d ever laid eyes on. The wood ranged from planks to old-fashioned circular logs, with stone accents, just like Patrick had drawn up all those years ago. The garage, railings, balcony, and roof trim were all a deep, dark brown. But the windows were framed in a pretty pale yellow that I’d picked out. Just seeing it in real life had my eyes pricking with unshed tears.
I shut off the engine and wiped the tears from my eyes as Patrick suddenly appeared on the balcony, his head cocked to the side as he looked down at me with surprise. Jasper started bounding down the stairs and headed in my direction as I quickly got out of my dad’s truck to greet him.
“Hi, buddy,” I said as I patted his head, his tail wagging.
Glancing back up, I noticed that Patrick was making his way toward us as well. I took the few moments until he reached me to look around some more. I couldn’t get over what I was looking at.
“Patrick…” I could barely get his name out of my throat. I swallowed. Or at least I attempted to.
The house was so incredibly beautiful. It was everything we’d ever dreamed about, and he’d made it a reality.
“You really built it,” I choked out, my emotions getting the best of me.
“I did.”
“But you built it after I left,” I said, not sure why those particular words were the ones that had decided to come out.
“I always hoped you’d come back,” he said before closing the space between us.
His hands were on my face, and my eyes closed in response to being touched by him. Before I could even think of anything else, his lips crushed against mine, claiming me in ways he never had before. I’d always belonged to Patrick in the past, but in this version, he was taking what was his, leaving no room for doubt.
His tongue pressed against my mouth, and I opened to let him in. He was soft, gentle, but punishing, all at the same time. I leaned into his kiss, wanted it, craved it, missed it. Patrick kissed me for all the years we’d been apart, and my body felt like it might melt right into his if it could. I felt him everywhere, one hand on my lower back, the other on my neck, gripping me tight and holding me still. My breasts pressed against his chest, and the big guy in his pants was hard against my thigh. I had to stop my hips from grinding against it.
“Uncle Patrick?” The tiny voice hit my ears, breaking me and Patrick apart instantly, like we’d been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing.
I was still reeling from that kiss when I saw her running.
Clarabel.
“Clarbear?” I asked through my shock as she sprinted toward me, arms wide open.
She’d grown so much since the last time I’d seen her.
“Starfish?” she shouted.
I laughed as I dropped to my knees and braced for her impact.
She hit me and held on so tight before she pulled away slightly to stare at me, like I might be a figment of her imagination.
“Miss Addi, is it really you?” she asked as she pushed my cheeks together with her hands, like she was making sure I was real and not a ghost.
“It’s me. But is it really you? You’re so big. And tall,” I said as I shook my head.
She stepped out of my arms. “I’m eight now. You missed my birthday. And the one before that. And the one before,” she started to say, but Patrick grabbed her.
“Okay, princess, she gets it,” he teased.
He spun her around, and she giggled. Her voice was pure joy.
I mouthed, I’m sorry , to Patrick because the last thing I’d wanted to do was confuse or upset Clarabel.
“Oh, Miss Addi, you have to see my room!” she exclaimed as she started clapping, and it warmed my heart to see that she still did that whenever she was excited. “Are you coming inside?” she asked before running back toward the house, Jasper hot on her heels.
I looked at Patrick, his blue eyes piercing through me. There had been a time when I could so easily read his mind, but over the years, I’d lost that ability somehow. Or maybe I was just a little rusty. I wasn’t sure what to do until he reached out his hand and took mine.
“Let’s go, love.”
“I didn’t know Clarabel would be here. I’m sorry,” I apologized, and he stopped walking.
“She’s just here for a couple of hours while my brother and Brooklyn go do some wedding stuff,” he said naturally, like I should know all of this.
“Thomas is getting married?”
He threw his head back. “I forgot you didn’t know. Yeah. Brooklyn McKay. Not sure if you remember her from high school or not? She graduated when I did.”
I shook my head slowly. “I know the name, but I don’t think I ever talked to her before.”
“She’s amazing. We all love her. He proposed on Christmas Day. Clara couldn’t be happier.” He smiled as he filled me in, and my heart hurt and soared, all at the same time.
He started walking again, leading me up a set of wooden stairs, careful with each snow-covered step.
“I can’t believe this place is real,” I whispered as I looked at all of the details, but he heard me because he squeezed my hand extra tight and didn’t let go until we walked through one of the doors at the top.
I gasped out loud once he pulled me inside, and I spotted the massive fire blazing in the oversize fireplace. Every single thing inside the home was just as perfect as the outside was. Dark wood accents were everywhere, except for the kitchen, which almost made me bawl with just one look.
“This kitchen.” I practically drooled. It had been made for a chef.
It was made for me , I thought to myself.
“It has all the best equipment.” He dropped my hand and shrugged, almost like he was embarrassed. “I did my research.”
“I can see that,” I said softly, running my fingertips over the stove.
“Starfish Addi!” Clarabel shouted, and I craned my head to see where she was. “I’m over here!” She started jumping up and down at the base of a set of stairs.
“Is your room up there?” I craned my neck to glance upward.
“Uh-huh!” she said, sounding so happy.
I turned around to find Patrick. “You built her a room?”
“How could I not?” he asked.
I wholeheartedly agreed. How could he not?
I followed Clarabel up the stairs and into an open loft area that looked to be filled with her things. It was absolutely adorable and only made me love this man more.
God, how I still loved him.
“Do you like it? Look, Miss Addi, there’s a place where I can sit so Uncle Patrick can braid my hair!” she squealed before running over to her little table and sitting down.
“Doing a lot of braiding, are we?” I grinned at Patrick, knowing damn well that I was the one who had taught him how to braid.
“He’s the only one who can do it. Well, except for Mama Waffles. She can do everything ’cause she’s a girl. Like you. But the boys can’t. Only Uncle Patrick.” She stood back up from her chair and spun around with her arms out. “Don’t tell, but Uncle Patrick’s my favorite.” She pretended to whisper, but her voice was loud.
“I won’t tell,” I promised as I put out my pinkie, and she grabbed it with hers and giggled.
“Pinkie promise.”
“Who is Mama Waffles?” I asked cautiously.
Clarabel started giggling. “She’s my mama. Not my mom ’cause my mom died, you know? She’s going to marry me and Daddy.” She spun around in circles some more, her hair flying wildly around her.
“Are you happy?”
“So happy! I get to wear a pretty dress, and Mama said we could match.”
“That sounds perfect.” I opened my arms, and she ran into them.
I missed this little girl, so full of energy and kindness that it radiated from her.
“I missed you,” she said before giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“I missed you too,” I admitted, squeezing her a little bit tighter for emphasis.
“Maybe you can come to the wedding with Uncle Patrick and Jasper?” she asked as she pulled away from me and ran over to her uncle, who shot me a look that reminded me he had no control over the things that came out of Clarabel’s mouth.
A quick knock on the door downstairs, mixed with Jasper’s barking, completely broke the moment and stopped me from having to come up with an answer.
“Hello?” Thomas’s deep voice echoed throughout the home.
I’d barely planned on seeing Patrick while I was here; now, I’d not only run into Matthew at the saloon, but Clarabel and Thomas too? I would not be getting out of Sugar Mountain unscathed.
“Where are you guys?” Thomas asked once more.
Clarabel bounded down the stairs, her hand firmly gripping the railing. Patrick followed close behind her, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Part of me wanted to stay hidden in the loft. It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable. I just didn’t know what my place was anymore.
“We were in my room with Aunt Addison, Daddy!” Clarabel screamed.
“Addison’s here?” Thomas sounded surprised.
“She is! She just showed up like magic!” Clarabel answered.
I knew I needed to go down there before they all came up instead.
I walked down the stairs, making sure to take them one at a time as I took in the scene below. Clarabel was in Thomas’s arms, and a gorgeous redhead, who I assumed was Brooklyn, stood next to them, her face lit up and smiling at whatever Clara was saying or doing. When Brooklyn looked up, her eyes met mine, and she smiled even bigger, if that were possible. She broke away from her family and started moving toward me like she couldn’t stop herself, and before I knew it, I was in her arms, being hugged.
“It’s so nice to officially meet you, Addison. I’ve heard so many things,” she said quietly in my ear.
I felt myself getting choked up.
It was all I seemed to do since landing in my hometown.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I hear congratulations are in order?” I asked as I reached for her left hand to take a look at the ruby-red sparkler sitting there. “Oh, wow. This is stunning.”
“I know, right? I’m obsessed with it.” She held her hand out in front of her face and admired the unique ring.
“Do you have a date set?” I asked, genuinely curious.
Brooklyn’s head whipped toward Patrick. “Depends on when the barn will be finished?” She shot him a smug look.
Patrick waved his hand. “It’s almost done,” he said. “We’re ahead of schedule.”
“What barn?” I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, even though I did have an inkling.
Patrick and I had talked about a wedding barn on the resort property, and if he’d gone ahead and done everything that we’d ever mentioned doing while I’d been gone, this would make perfect sense.
“He’s building the most spectacular event barn at the resort,” Brooklyn gushed. “It’s going to be booked a year out, but we’re getting married there first since it brought us together.” She looked at Thomas with so much love in her eyes that I almost felt envious.
“The barn brought you together?” I asked out loud.
“In a way, yeah. The resort did at least. I’m the event coordinator there. You know, I’ve heard all about your famous cooking,” she started to say as I shifted my weight and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I do all right,” I answered, even though she hadn’t asked a question that even required that kind of answer.
“If you ever come back, just know that I’d love to have you on our catering list. Right at the top, of course.” She grinned, and my heart started beating faster. “If that was something you wanted to do, I mean.”
Catering at the resort had always been an option, at least according to Patrick, but I’d assumed he had to say that since he’d been my boyfriend and his family owned the place. It’d felt like a little too much back then. Like I hadn’t even remotely deserved the offer. But now, I knew I could pull it off.
“Excuse me.” Thomas’s voice broke between us. “I demand a hug this instant,” he said, and I felt myself stiffen.
Thomas had always been standoffish and a little distant. Seeing him this happy and joyful was a new development. He reached for me and hugged me tight.
“We’ve missed you around here,” he said with a grin. That was new too. “It’s not the same without you.”
“I’m not used to seeing you so”—I struggled with finding the right word—“smiley.” I pointed at his face with a smirk.
“Blame her.” He thumbed toward Brooklyn, who was already back at his side, his arm wrapped tightly around her.
“Happiness looks good on you,” I complimented, meaning it.
They really did look so happy. And I knew that Thomas deserved it. Especially after all he’d been through.
The boys had all lost their mom when they were kids. And then Thomas lost his wife the day his daughter was born. Life had thrown him into a tailspin I wasn’t sure he’d ever get out of. I was so glad to see that he had.
“Maybe you can get this one to cut his hair while you’re in town,” Thomas teased, referring to Patrick.
“Eh. I don’t mind the length,” I said because even though it was longer and more unruly than I’d ever seen, he still looked sexy as hell.
Thomas barked out a laugh. “And that’s how I know you still love him.”
“And why’s that?” I asked, not denying the fact that I still did.
“Because only a girl in love would pretend to like that hair.” He waved his hand in the air with a scowl on his face.
“I like Uncle Patrick’s hair,” Clarabel said with a shrug.
“Exactly my point,” Thomas said.
“Can we stay?” Clarabel looked up at her dad and waited for him to answer.
“I think we should give Uncle Patrick and Addison some alone time,” Thomas said, and chills raced through me.
It was exactly what I wanted, but hearing the words out loud was still a little unnerving.
“But why? Aunt Addi just got here. I’ve barely seen her.” Clarabel pouted, and even though I wanted to make her feel better, I wasn’t sure what to say. I couldn’t make her promises so that she’d feel better. “Don’t you want me to stay, Little Starfish?”
I laughed. “Of course I do, but your dad is right. I need to talk to your uncle before I go back to New York.”
There. Consider the Band-Aid officially ripped off.
Clarabel’s face dropped instantly, her eyes welling up with tears. “You’re leaving again?”
Dammit. Consider my heart officially breaking.
“I have a job there,” I tried to explain, hoping it didn’t sound like as flimsy of an excuse as it felt.
“You could have a job here.” She sniffled and wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “Mama just said you could. At the resort. You love the resort. Don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then, you should work there.” She shrugged her little shoulders like it was that simple.
Maybe it was.
Or at least, maybe it should be.