‘Are you up for something spontaneous?’ he asked me.
‘Sure.’
Honestly, I was in the mood to simply curl up with a cozy blanket, but I couldn’t say that out loud.
‘All right. Then we’re heading to the lake house.’
I beamed. ‘That’s such a great idea. But is it ready for us?’
‘I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry.’
He immediately called a number from his phone. The ringing reverberated through the car through the speakers, and a female voice answered. ‘Mr. Waldorf, good evening.’
‘Hi, Agnes. Can you please go over to the house and check that everything is ready? I’m heading there.’
‘Certainly. The fridge isn’t stocked, though. Would you like me to buy something for dinner or breakfast?’
‘Buy something for tomorrow, yes. We’ve already had dinner tonight.’
‘Right away. Everything will be ready by the time you arrive.’
As soon as the phone clicked off, I turned to him. ‘You can’t make that poor woman work this late.’
‘I know how much you like the lake house. You’ll be happy there. Besides, she lives five minutes away. Trust me, she doesn’t mind. She wants to do this because she bills me by the hour. And she needs the extra money.”
‘But why? I mean, if she lives nearby… I can’t imagine any property there not being expensive.’
‘It’s a complicated story. But now, no more talk about her. Let’s talk about you.’
‘No,’ I said firmly. ‘Let’s talk about anything else. Please.’
‘Are you sure? You always say it helps to talk.’
I sighed. ‘I know, but tonight has been a complete shit show, and I don’t feel like thinking about it for one second more.’
Part of me still feared that Dom might come to his senses and run in the opposite direction. No one needed Malcolm or his drama in their life. I was stuck with him, it seemed, and so was my family. But Dom didn’t need to deal with it.
‘Fine, if that’s what you want. But if you change your mind at any time, you can tell me, okay?’
‘Sure.’ I knew I wasn’t going to change my mind tonight at all.
‘So what do you want to talk about?’ he asked.
I turned to him, pulling a bit at the seat belt so it didn’t cut into my neck anymore. ‘I have a few options for presents for your dad.’
‘What?’
‘Yeah. I tried to figure out what he might like, and I’d like your opinion before I order it.’
‘You’ve got options?’
‘Why do you keep parroting what I’m saying?’
‘I’m processing it. I wasn’t expecting it.’
‘I do it often. Sometimes we all think about options for presents, especially for my aunt and uncle, and then we put our heads together and decide what would make them happiest. We have a system.’
‘A system,’ he repeated, stunned.
I started to laugh. ‘Can I tell you the options?’
‘Sure.”
‘All right. I found a special edition chessboard with collectible items, plus an outdoor sitting area where he could move around on his own.’
‘I think that chessboard is a sure deal.’
I grinned. ‘That was easy.’
‘You’ve got a list of options for me too?’
‘Yes,’ I said, a bit suspicious. ‘But I’m not going to reveal them to you.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s a surprise.’
‘Then how are you going to pick out what’s best for me?’
‘By talking it out with your dad, obviously.’
He jerked his head in my direction. ‘You’re talking to my father?’
‘Yes. He said I can contact him anytime.’
‘You’ve…’ He stopped talking, focusing on the road again. ‘Reese, you are truly the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I don’t think anyone’s ever put any effort into giving me something. Actually, I’m sure of it.’
‘That can’t be true,’ I said.
He might not be used to anyone thinking about him, but I planned to do it a lot.
“I really like your dad,’ I added. ‘He’s been telling me some fun stories about you and the family. I think he enjoys remembering those times.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt in my mind that he likes talking about the past. I bet that gives the caregiver some downtime, too, which I’m sure she appreciates.” Dom was so serious when he said this that I just wanted to kiss him. He meant more to me than he knew, and I needed to make sure he understood that. “Thank you for doing that. It means a lot.”
“Nonsense, I’m having fun with him.” Dom would get used to my ways, and then soon enough he’d call me a busybody like the rest of the Maxwell clan did. “Hey, can we stop by my condo first? I want to change and maybe pack a small overnight bag.”
“Sure.”
“Do you need to pick something from your place too?”
“No, I have some clothes at the lake house.”
***
Once at the condo, I changed clothes and packed as quickly as I could…but it still took almost an hour. Dom was patiently waiting for me, occasionally chuckling when I kept adding stuff to my carryon.
After we finally got in the car, I brought up the chessboard for his dad again, not wanting to risk the conversation circling back to Malcolm. Besides, I was still considering the sitting area. But in the end, I had to go with what Dom thought was best for his dad. After all, he knew him much better than I did.
When he pulled the car into the driveway, the house looked like it was currently being lived in. I expected the housekeeper to still be inside when Dom opened the door, but it was empty.
‘She’s already left?’ I asked.
‘She always makes it a point not to be here when I arrive.’
‘Okay.’
‘I told her I don’t mind at all. But I have to say, right now, I’m happy it’s just the two of us.’ He smiled. ‘Want a drink?”
“Sure. Surprise me with something.”
We both went to the kitchen. He took out ice from the freezer, then bottles of amaretto, rum, and orange juice. I watched him mix them together, and it looked delicious. We clinked glasses, taking a sip at the same time.
Yum, it tasted delicious too.
I brushed my hair behind my ear, and Dom leaned into it. ‘I’ve wanted to be alone with you the whole damn evening,’ he said.
‘I was half expecting you to leave. I wouldn’t have blamed you, you know, if you’d bolted earlier.’
He stared at me. ‘And leave you there on your own?’
I shrugged. ‘It’s not your drama.’
‘Reese, you’re mine. Do you understand?’ He stepped in front of me, touching my face and the side of my neck. ‘I don’t care how long fighting with Malcolm will take. I’ll be there every step of the way, by your side, supporting you. I can’t fight for you, though I’d very much like to.’
‘You would?’ I whispered. Suddenly, I was melting. This man wanted to be everything to me. My love for him couldn’t get any stronger.
‘Yes. I’d do anything to make your life better. You deserve a life where you don’t have to worry about one damn thing. That’s what I want to give you. Tell me what you need.’
‘This. You. Really, it’s more than enough. I love you so much,’ I whispered.
‘And I love you. Never think I’d bolt, okay? No matter what happens. If you believe one thing, then believe that.’
‘Okay,’ I murmured.
‘Now, let’s get you out of these clothes.’ He started fiddling with my scarf, trying to remove it, but to no avail. “I can’t undo this,” he said, frustration thick in his voice.
I chuckled. ‘I’ll do it.’
While I took it off, Dom undid the buttons of my coat. He placed a kiss on my collarbone for good measure. I loved that he did that whenever he had the chance.
‘Your skin is so damn soft,’ he murmured, then threw the coat on the couch.
‘Now you take yours off,’ I said, working his buttons.
I still felt off in a way I couldn’t explain even to myself. But the way he touched me and kissed me made it all better.
