Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
And the next morning, allowing her to make up all the rules that would keep them apart for twelve years.
He should have told her right then how he felt—though truthfully, he hadn’t known the extent of it.
But he wouldn’t believe it was too late.
“Remember when you brought me those flowers?” she asked.
He nodded.
“You knew how hurt I was even though I tried to hide it from you.”
“I knew. And I hurt here.” He put his hand over his heart. “So badly for you.”
“Then you brought T. Rex into our lives.” She sniffed. Though no tear tracks traced her cheeks, he knew she was crying inside. “I’d just come out of the office restroom, where I’d been crying, when you walked in with a big box and two coffees from the corner café.” She laughed, though it was shaky. “And you said some lady outside the coffee shop was giving away puppies.”
He smiled with the memory. “I couldn’t resist those sad puppy-dog eyes.” Just as he couldn’t resist Cammie. He’d known something was terribly wrong, and he’d been pretty sure it involved a man. He’d have done anything to make her feel better.
Her laughter came stronger now. “Then you said I’d need to help you figure out what to call him. And how to get him in and out of other countries when you traveled so you wouldn’t have to leave him behind.” Her eyes shone with her laughter, and he felt his heart beat normally again. “You gave me a task to take my mind off the bad stuff.”
She reached for him then, laying her hand over his. “Every time I think of how sweet you were that day, it makes me cry all over again. And you bought me that stuffed T. Rex after we named our puppy.”
“You’ve still got him too.” Dane had seen the puffy thing on her bed. It had been such a small thing to do, yet it made her smile. Even then, he’d wanted to make her smile.
She put her fingers to the corners of her eyes to wipe up the tears. And Rex chose that moment to pop up from beneath the table and put his paws on her thigh. Cammie tugged him onto her lap, and he curled into a ball, the way he always did when he thought she was sad. The way he had when she’d come home after her uncle died. The way he had that very first day when Dane brought the puppy into the office.
Dane told her what was in his heart. “I’ve always known when you needed me, even if you tried to pretend you didn’t.”
After a deep breath, she said, “It’s the same for me.”
He turned his hand over in hers and held on. He wanted to be right where the little dachshund was, his head cradled in her lap, her fingers running through his hair.
But he’d told her he would wait for her to make the next move, and if nothing else, he was a man of his word.
He knew, even if she didn’t, that her revelations were a huge step for her. And for him. She’d kept this locked inside. And he’d never asked, though he’d known she’d been terribly hurt. She’d put herself out there, only to prove she wasn’t good enough and that her judgment sucked. At least, that’s what she’d told herself.
He understood now why it had been so important to her to ask for that promotion. It wasn’t just about being more involved or wanting more responsibility. It was about her self-esteem, about finding the courage to ask for what she wanted. And she’d done it.
He wanted to pummel those two jerks into the ground for the way they’d treated her, but he was so damn glad the relationships hadn’t worked. He would never do the same to her. He couldn’t push her. He couldn’t put expectations on her. He couldn’t take control away from her.
Nor could they let things go on the way they had for the last twelve years. He had to be as honest as she had been. They both had their fears. And they both needed to move past them.
“Thank you for telling me all this. I understand so much better now.” He wanted to pull her into his arms, but the time wasn’t right. “We made up the rules that day in my office, and we’ve lived by them ever since.” He waited until she looked at him again. “But those rules don’t apply anymore. We need to throw them out. We need to change everything. We need more.” He stood, stopped by her chair, put his hand on her cheek. “It’s been a long travel day. Let’s sleep on it.” He kissed her forehead and whispered close to her ear, “I hope you’ll dream of me.”