I watch him, still unsure why he’s here.
“Do you want a hot drink? A coffee or chamomile tea?”
I haven’t been able to stop drinking chamomile tea since I got back from the camping trip. It’s become my evening ritual, and every time I think of Joel.
“Sure.”
I put the kettle on, and Joel leans against the kitchen counter. I feel his eyes on me as I move around the kitchen. I’m still not sure why he’s here, but being this close to him again has my skin heating up faster than the kettle.
I put two tea-bags in two mugs and pour in the water, then hand Joel a steaming mug.
“Thanks.”
Our fingers brush as a zap of energy pings between us. My gaze darts to his, and his eyes are suddenly alert.
He felt it too.
Without a word, Joel sets his mug down. Then he takes mine out of my hands and sets it down too. His hands clasp mine, and the butterflies pound against my chest.
“Don’t go, Brooke.”
I suck in a long breath at his words. I open my mouth to tell him that I don’t want to go this time. But he puts a finger to my lips.
“Don’t say anything, yet. I know you have your lifestyle, and I love your independence. I love that you’re curious and adventurous and brave. I love all those things about you because I love you.”
The butterflies burst out of my chest and I try to speak, but there’s fear in Joel’s eyes, and I get the feeling he has to say this because he thinks I’m going to shoot him down again.
“Stay. Stay with me for one year. Give it a try, just give me one year. One year to show you what life could be like here. One year to fall in love with the town, with the mountains, and maybe you’ll fall in love with me too.”
His eyes are pleading, and he grasps my hands, squeezing them hard.
“Stay, Brooke, not because I ask you to, but because you belong here. With me, with Dana, and with those kids at the school. Stay, just stay.”
Tears brim at the corners of my eyes, and I squeeze his hands back. “I don’t need a year, Joel; I already love you.”
His eyes scan mine, and they’re shiny. “So you’ll stay?”
“Yes! That’s what I was coming to tell you. I want to stay, if you still want me.”
“Of course I still want you, Brooke. My feelings haven’t changed. If anything, the last few weeks have made me realize how I can’t function properly without you.”
He says it with such certainty. His steadiness is the anchor I need, and being tethered to Joel helps me open up and voice the things I’m scared of.
“I don’t know how to stay. I don’t know how to put down roots, or settle in, or belong in anyone’s life.”
He pulls me toward him, and I bump against his hard body.
“It’s easy, Brooke. When you find the place you belong, and the person you belong to, it just feels right. And you belong here, by my side.”
His arms go around my waist, and I look up into his eyes. It does feel easy. Easy and right.
A tear slides down my cheek, and Joel catches it with his thumb. “Don’t cry, Brooke.”
“They’re happy tears,” I reassure him.
Joel presses his lips to my cheek and kisses the tear away. He lets out a long, slow sigh and pulls me into a tight hug.
“I got you. You belong in my heart, and I will love you fiercely for as long as you want to stay here, which I hope is forever.”
