Page 91 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

“Yes,” I confess. “Eli, I loved you so much I let myself believe I hated you, but that was never true. It was easier to act like you were nothing to me, but the reality is—you have always been everything. And now we don’t have to live in the shadows and the secrets of the past anymore. We get to move forward together and embrace the light.”

A tear rolls down his cheek, showing me just how much the man feels and hides it with his humor and a happy, easygoing personality. There are so many layers to Eli Hargrove, and I am so lucky to have known that for so long, loving each and every one. I wipe away the tear, kissing him softly and vowing to protect what we have.

“You are my light,” he whispers, pulling me closer and kissing my temple.

68

Eli

FOUR MONTHS LATER

“This is way more than one grand gesture, dude. Are you sure about this?” Rem asks me for the millionth time.

“Yes! I have a multistep plan, and this is one of the steps.”

“Pretty major step,” Matt Ryder says from the back seat of Rem’s truck as we park outside of Keller’s tattoo studio in Norfolk.

“I know what I’m doing. You said you wanted to be here for moral support—so support.” I glare at him.

“Hey, we just want to make sure you are totally certain about Kendra before you do this,” Ryder says, smirking as we walk in the studio.

“I’ve been sure about Kendra since I was twenty-one, but I was just too fucking scared and had too many issues in my path to see that I deserved to be happy.” I look down at the floor.

“You both deserve it.” Rem comes up and wraps a reassuring arm around my shoulders. “I have never seen you or Kendra so settled or happy as you’ve been the past few months. You two are soulmates.”

“Sometimes it just takes time to work shit out, but you always find your way to each other,” Keller says, walking up to us and shaking my hand.

“Thanks, man,” I say sincerely. “I will try my best to not pass out on you.”

Keller laughs. “Eli, I predict you will do better than you think. You survived getting your dick pierced and didn’t pass out that day, right?” The evil fucker grins at me.

“We were never supposed to talk about that day again!” I glare at him.

“Yeah”—he elbows me—“but I bet you have no complaints about it now, huh?”

I can’t help but fucking blush as I stomp off toward his tattooing station with zero comment.

I think I finally understand why people do this.

Yes, I still absolutely hate needles, but the stunning piece of artwork on my chest, over my heart, that Keller spent hours on made the pain absolutely worth it. The experience of talking to him and my friends while getting the work done was also cathartic.

I told them about Kendra and me—our love story, more of my complicated past and how that played into pulling us apart. Most importantly I finally opened up to them about the baby.

Kendra knew about the loss for years and had mourned it on her own, which was awful. But to me it was a fresh wound even if it happened so long ago. I can’t help but imagine what our baby would look like, act like. Was it a boy or a girl? How would having them change the canyon of years between me and Kendra?

And on the other hand, now we have Wren. Had all that loss and pain not happened, not ripped us apart, would she not be here? I can’t go back in time in any form or change anything, regret anything. Our paths have led us to this exact place, this moment in time to the family we are making now—me, Kendra, and Wren. Maybe God knew that we would all need each other. I just wish the path back together didn’t have to be paved in pain.

But like I said to the guys, I am all in this time, and I’m going big to convince Kendra. She is the love of my life, and I plan on proving it to her so there is no doubt in her mind that I want this for the rest of time.

69

Kendra

We’ve settled into a blissful, domestic little bubble and I’m terrified it’s going to pop. Our routine is so nice, comfortable, dare I say . . . perfect.

Fuck, if I say that something will surely get ruined.

When Eli is on shift I stay at the cabin. I’m busy with work at the salon, in my studio, or with Wren when Holly can’t watch her—which has been happening more often. If Eli is off we stay at his house.