Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
New York.
The Hamptons.
Zach.
She hadn’t told him her plans. For whatever reason, she felt she needed to put this part of her life behind her before she returned and offered him her heart.
Her thoughts returned to the here and now. Without beds to sleep in, she and Dani had continued to stay in the hotel, which let Dani be in the same room with Hadley at night. As her sister insisted on sleeping with the bathroom light on and the door wide open, letting her view the entire room, Hadley felt certain she was doing right by keeping her sister close. And she did her best not to worry about the accumulating credit card bill or other costs associated with the house.
Next week, a cleaning service would come in to make the inside presentable for walk-throughs. Hadley would take whatever price she could get for the dilapidated home to pay off expenses and then she would put the remainder of the money aside for Dani’s college education.
But she wasn’t waiting for the house to sell. She and Dani had a flight booked to New York this evening.
“Dani?” Walking out of the kitchen, Hadley called out for her sister.
“Yeah, Hads. I’m packing up in my room,” Dani yelled back.
Despite what Dani said, she’d been in touch with her friends to catch up and say goodbye. Yet she was totally on board with moving.
One thing Hadley had learned was that it was okay to lean on Zach. She planned to show up on his doorstep, surprise him, and hope they could pick up where they’d left off. She was finished pushing him away.
She wanted to move in with him and start their lives.
“Hads! Look outside!” Dani yelled again from her bedroom.
Hadley walked to the front door and pulled it open. She stepped onto the porch to see an unfamiliar car parked out front and Zach striding up the path, a determined look on his face.
She didn’t stop to think what he was doing here. She didn’t care. He’d merely moved up her timeline. She threw off her lingering fears and ran, meeting him halfway up the walk and jumping into his arms.
He caught her and hugged her to him, spinning her around before letting her down. He held her until her feet stabilized, and she met his gaze.
“What are you doing here?” she asked at the same time he spoke.
“You and Dani are coming home with me.”
Unable to withhold her happy smile, she nodded. “We’re already on tonight’s flight.”
Surprise flickered across his handsome face. Next thing she knew, his lips were on hers and he kissed her senseless, not ending their connection. She was so glad because she’d missed him so much. He’d come for her and now he knew she was returning to him, too.
“Hey you two, get a room!” Dani’s voice sounded from her upstairs window, causing them to break apart, laughing. “You have neighbors watching.” She giggled and slammed the window closed.
Zach chuckled. “She’s been texting me.”
“She has?”
“Who else was going to make sure my room was ready for me?” Dani had obviously come from the house in time to hear their conversation.
Hadley looked at her sister and groaned, but she couldn’t withhold her continued smile. “Brat.”
Zach tapped Hadley’s shoulder and she met his gaze. “I had already booked my flight before Dani told me you were coming back. Asher’s jet was being used for business.”
“Oh, poor baby had to fly commercial,” Hadley said, lifting her hand to cup his cheek. “You came for me.” She spoke in a much more serious tone.
“If I’d been thinking clearly, I’d have been here sooner, but I thought I needed to give you the space you asked for to figure things out.”
She sighed. “I knew that first night I made a mistake.”
“I told her so.” Dani sounded proud.
Zach held out an arm and brought her sister into their small circle. “As long as we’re all on the same page now. I’m bringing my girls home.”
Dani sniffed, catching Hadley by surprise. “I love you, Zach.”
“I love you too, kid. Now go get your bags. We’re getting out of here.”
Without back talk, Dani ran back to the house, leaving Hadley and Zach alone.
* * *
Zach didn’t know what he’d expected when he drove up to the house where Hadley had lived from the age of sixteen on, but this beat up place wasn’t it. The only sign of Hadley’s presence were now wilting flowers that had been planted along the front of the old shrubbery. Not that they’d lived in luxury back in New York but obviously her father had fallen onto even harder times and hadn’t kept up the property.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, kicking himself for allowing her to have second thoughts. But he needed to know.
She nodded. “The house is going on the market. The realtor can deal with it through the lock box she put up.” She looked around and sighed. “There’s nothing for me here. My life and the people I care about are in New York. You’re in New York.”