Chapter 10 Caroline
CAROLINE
Thirteen Years Ago
Caroline counted her steps around the car one more time. Holding the phone to her ear, she gazed down the road. Still no sign of Justin’s truck.
“What do you have planned this time?” Skye asked on the other end of the call.
“I don’t know. He said it was a surprise.”
She’d been “dating” Justin McKinnon for all of a month now, and it was hard not to be stingy about the time she got with him. They’d met when he was home for Christmas, but as soon as January hit, he’d gone back to school. College.
As much as she loved that he’d found a way to continue his education without having the money to afford it, being away from him was a constant trial.
Add in baseball practice and games—home and away—that she didn’t get to attend, and they practically clawed their way to each other any chance they got.
Skye crunched on a snack on her side of the conversation. “How long is he home this time?”
“Just the weekend. I already asked for time off at the bakery.”
“Wow. Color me surprised. Caroline Taylor doesn’t want to go to work.”
“Shut up. You know I’ll be back first thing Monday morning.”
“Oh, I know. With bells on,” Skye added.
It wasn’t that much of a competition. Baking was her passion, but Justin was…
a shooting star that rushed into the night sky, causing her to stop everything she’d been doing to stare at the beauty.
She was drawn to him on a cellular level.
Maybe this was the chemistry people always talked about.
They’d bonded instantly, and now he knew her better than anyone, except maybe Skye.
She didn’t even know what to make of it just yet. He’d consumed her entire world since they met.
Dragging her boots through the tall grass on the side of the road, she turned to make another lap around the car.
They’d been meeting up on some of her family’s land just outside of town, but this time he was coming all the way from college.
She double checked her screen to see if he’d sent another text. Nope. Same from half an hour ago.
Justin: See you soon, sweetheart. I’m getting close.
Close was a relative term, and apparently, he wasn’t close enough for Caroline’s interpretation.
“Are you going to say the L-word this time?” Skye asked.
There it was—the burning in her middle whenever she thought about loving Justin. It was too soon, wasn’t it? They’d just met.
But it was true anyway. She loved him, and she knew it just as sure as she knew the sun rose this morning. “I don’t know. I’m scared.”
“Yeah, I’d be scared too,” Skye deadpanned.
“Skye! You’re not making me feel any better.”
“Well, you should have thought about that before you rode off into the sunset with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.”
Rode off into the sunset. Now, there was an idea. If she followed him back to university, they wouldn’t have to be apart anymore.
The roaring of a diesel engine drifted over the horizon. It had to be him. No one else had a reason to come down this dead-end road.
“I gotta go. He’s here.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn't do!” Skye said as the call ended.
Caroline pocketed her phone and shook her sweaty hands out in the cool air. There wasn’t a reason to get worked up. This was Justin.
Heaven to biscuits, this was Justin—the man she loved more than she ever thought herself capable of loving, and he didn’t even know it.
The old red truck rolled to a stop, and he darted out before the engine cut, crossing the grass in two long strides.
Neither of them spoke—it wasn’t needed. His arms captured her, and she hugged him back with the same fervency.
The safety he carried wrapped around her, and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck.
Pine and dirt filled her senses, as if he were carved out of the earth itself.
A tingling wave ran from the back of her neck all the way down her spine, recognizing the missing piece of herself in the man holding her tight against his chest.
He inhaled, long and slow. “I can finally breathe.”
Crepes and cupcakes, he felt it too. “I know. I love hearing your voice, but I missed your handsome face.”
Justin released her from the embrace and rested her on her feet again. “I missed you.” He brushed her hair out of her face and cradled her cheeks in his hands. “I missed you so much.”
His lips met hers in a fiery kiss that had her leaving the ground once again. She was weightless. Every brush of his mouth against hers and his fingers threading in her hair was a promise and a prayer. A plea for mercy and more all in one.
When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers and let out a deep breath. “Listen, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
“Oh?”
His dark gaze fixed on hers as he linked their fingers together.
“There’s something I want to say. Need to tell you.
” He looked at the ground, then at her mouth, and took a breath like he was standing on the mound with the bases loaded.
“Caroline, I love you. I know it’s soon, and I know there’s really no way to know what love is, but… I know this is it.”
Her jaw fell open, and she quickly closed it. “You… what?”
“I love you. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone in my life. No one ever cared about me, and I never wanted to be close enough to anyone to be that… vulnerable.” He squeezed her hands in his. “You’re unlike any woman in the world, and you’re the only one for me. I love you—”
“I love you too!” Caroline shouted, bouncing on her toes.
Good gravy, did that just come out of her mouth? No recipe, no pre-heating. Just threw it on the table.
Justin’s eyes widened, and he stilled. “You do?”
“You bet your sweet snickerdoodle I do!” She jumped into his arms, legs wrapping around his middle. “I love you more than I love strawberry buttercream icing!”
Justin’s chest heaved as he entangled his arms around her. “I wouldn’t let myself believe you’d say it back.”
“Do you know me at all?” she whispered against his ear with a giggle.
His large hands held her against him as he swung her from side to side. “I should have known. You jump head-first into everything.”
“Why would I want to do anything halfway?” she asked, playfully tugging at the hairs on the back of his neck that had grown out just a little bit since he’d been back at school.
“You’re right. There’s nothing halfway about this.” He hugged her tighter and whispered, “You’re my everything, Caroline.”
Her heart would burst from happiness. She was sure of it. “And you’re mine.”