Engaging the Bachelor (Pulse) (16 page)

He looked at his mom, and when he saw her necklace, something niggled at the back of his brain. Shit. Mrs. Banyan had on one of Gemma designs.
I am such a fucking idiot.
How could he have thought she was taking money from Jake for favors? Of course there was another reason, and he’d been too furious, too much of a fucking hothead to even listen to the man’s explanation. He’d heard
favor
and lost his shit. Audra had planted the worst in his head, and he’d allowed her to do it. Gemma didn’t deserve that from him. She was kind and sweet and the most giving woman he knew. But Audra, with everything she knew about their private arrangement, must have said something to Gemma that made her just up and leave. And he had a pretty good idea of what that was.

“She was fed something that didn’t agree with her, but don’t worry, I’m going to doctor her up and make her all better.”

His father smiled, while his mother looked at him, her brows narrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth, but his dad said, “Come on Diane. Let’s go celebrate your son’s engagement.”

Carson jumped into his car, and headed for the city.

Chapter Fifteen

Gemma was in her apartment in Brooklyn with Andy, packing up her belongings. Gracie had flopped out on the floor, snoring loudly beside them.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Andy asked.

Gemma sniffed, and wiped her nose as sadness choked her. How would she ever survive this heartache? “I’m not going to let Audra drag his family’s name through the mud. They’ve all been nothing but kind and accepting of me, and something like this would destroy them.”

“But what about all the jewelry orders? You’re just going to forget about them?”

“I’m sure Diane is cancelling the orders as we speak. I ran out on Carson. She’s not going to do me any favors after that.”

“What I don’t get is, if Audra overheard us that day, why did she wait so long to confront you.”

“It was all about the timing. Diane went through all the trouble to put together an engagement party.” She snapped her fingers. “The embarrassment of me running out on her son the day of said party was a guarantee that they’d hate me. No one pulls a stunt like that with the Reynolds family. Audra knew exactly what she was doing, and probably hoped Carson would turn to her.”

“Wow, she is one seriously manipulative bitch.” Andy stretched out on the bed as Gemma threw more of her belongings into a box. “And you’re not going to talk to Carson.”

“No. He probably thinks it’s for the best, anyway.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I told you, he was distancing himself. I shouldn’t have gotten it into my head that there was more going on than what we agreed at the start. Like you once told me, don’t confuse what’s real and what isn’t.”

“
And
I told you it probably had to do with work.”

Andy could be right, but maybe it was easier on her to think she wasn’t hurting him by running again. She swallowed against the tightness in her throat, the pain in her heart, not wanting to continue with this conversation. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Like how you’re broke and have no place to live?”

“No, not that,” she said, even though it was true. The girl she’d subleased her apartment to was leaving at the end of the month, and with the rent rising, and all her money tied up in the jewelry that she could no longer sell, she needed to move. “I’ll stay with my mother for a bit.”

“Come stay with me.”

“You know I can’t go back to the Hamptons. Not now.”

“Gemma…”

“Andy, I’m fine.” Except for a shattered heart, she’d be okay. It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten by with nothing. She’d do it again gladly it if meant protecting Carson.

Gracie started barking, and Gemma jumped. “What the heck?” The dog ran from her bedroom, sliding a bit on the wood floor as she made a beeline to the front door.

“Someone is here.”

The doorbell sounded and Andy followed Gemma into the hall. She swung open her apartment door, and nearly fell to the floor when she saw one very intense, very angry-looking Carson standing there, overwhelming the entire space—and her. Gracie wagged her tail madly, overjoyed to see him. It broke her heart that much more to know Gracie was as attached to him as Gemma was.

“Carson,” she said breathlessly, light-headedness overcoming her. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I’m not nineteen anymore. I have resources.”

Oh God, it hurt just to look at him. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“This is exactly where I should be.”

“What…what do you want?”

“Um, I’m going to take Gracie for a walk,” Andy said. She grabbed the dog’s leash and slipped past Gemma. Carson turned to let them pass.

“I want you, Gemma. Ten years ago you ran, and I didn’t know how to find you. Now I do, and I’m not letting you run again.”

She shifted from one shaky foot to the other. Was this really happening? He’d come for her, was fighting for her, and yet she had to push him away to protect him. “It’s over, Carson,” she said, failing miserably at keeping her voice steady. “I faked the breakup, like you asked me to do when this all started. I just did it sooner than you expected.”

“I want to get back together again. I want to be with you, and I’m not letting anyone or anything stand in our way.” Her stomach roiled as he looked past her at the boxes on her floor. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to stay with my mother for a bit,” she said, her throat so raw it hurt to speak.

“Why?”

“The, uh…rent…never mind. It’s doesn’t matter.”

He stepped closer, crowding her. “It matters to me. Everything about you matters to me. Everything, Gemma.”

Her heart squeezed. God, she loved him so much. She stared at him, taking in the caring way he was looking at her, as if he could see past the mask, through the tough-girl armor, and straight into the depths of her soul—see just how lost and lonely she was without him, how much she needed him. Over the summer, she’d gotten to know the real Carson, the kind, caring gentle man he truly was. As much as she didn’t want it to, it mattered to her what he thought of her—that he knew the real her. She wanted to pull him into her arms and tell him they could be together, but what would happen if she did? What would Audra do? Destroy the family name, that’s what. She couldn’t do that. She had to turn him away.

“Carson…”

“I punched Jake in the face.”

Her eyes went wide. “What did you do that for?”

“I saw him give you money, and I thought…”

She shook her head and fought back tears as her heart sank into her stomach. “I know what you thought,” she whispered past the knot in her throat. That she slept around. She could explain what the money was for, but why bother. Even if they could be together, after all this time it was clear he had no idea who she was inside. She backed up, needing to put a measure of distance between them, but he followed her in.

“You didn’t need to run.”

She wrung her hands and continued to back up until she hit the wall. “Yes, I did.”

“I know why you did it.” He put his hands on either side of her head, caging her with his chest.

She sucked in a breath. “Because it’s over between us.”

“No, it’s not over, Gemma. It hasn’t even begun.”

“What do you mean?”

“You always run to protect yourself, but this time you did it to protect me, didn’t you?”

Worry invaded her gut. How could he know about Audra? “How did you—?”

“I pieced it together. Do you have any idea how your running makes me feel?”

“Angry.”

“No, baby.” He laughed and shook his head. “I’m anything but angry. And don’t worry about Audra. She can’t do anything to hurt us.”

“Carson, she can, and I can’t allow her to hurt you.” Needing him to understand, she shook her head hard and continued to explain. “I won’t do anything to hurt you, or your family. You’re all too important to me.”

“Just like you’re important to us.”

“Carson, listen—”

“No, you listen. Mom and Dad know everything, and they know I’m here fighting for you. They need you in their lives as much as you need them. Dad is the best lawyer in Manhattan, and believe me, Audra is no match for him. I never paid you, and if she says I did, he’ll slap a slander suit against her so fast, it’ll knock her right off those flashy heels she wears.”

She sniffed. “I like her heels.”

Carson laughed, and it filled her with joy. Hope soared like a leaf in an updraft.

“Fine, we’ll get you some.”

She put her hand on her hip. “I can buy my own shoes. Not Jimmy Choos, but…”

“You’re mine, Gemma, and anything you need, I plan to give you.”

“All I need is you,” she whispered, anxiety still gnawing at her gut. “Are you sure she can’t hurt you? I’d never forgive…”

He cupped her face, and her voice fell off.

“I’m positive. And just so you know, I’m not angry that you ran. Not this time.”

“No?”

“No. In fact, what you did makes me love you even more.”

“Love?” She swallowed. “You love me? Even more?”

“Baby, I think I’ve been in love with you for the last ten years.”

He brushed the rough pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “But you don’t even know me,” she said. He just admitted to punching Jake because he thought she was sleeping with him. If he knew her, he’d know she’d never do that.

“No? So you’re not a girl who loves me, a girl who sees me for who I am, and wants nothing from me in return? A girl who didn’t even take the money for a business arrangement we had, and used jewelry money given to her by Jake to pay for a beautiful hand-carved boat she had commissioned for me instead of paying her rent, and now has to move in with her mother?”

Her heart squeezed.
He does know me
. “I didn’t want your money. I told you I would have helped you for free, and I wanted you to have the boat. I knew how important it was to you.”

“You see, Gemma. I know exactly who you are behind this mask you wear, and I love that girl.”

“You…you really love me?”

“How could you not know that?”

Her breath came quicker. “I just…you’ve been distancing yourself. Andy said it was because of work, but I…”

“Trust me?”

She nodded, emphatically. She’d never trusted anyone more.

“Good, then come with me.” He captured her hand and led her outside to his car. “Get in.”

She slid in, and he drove a few blocks to her favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn. He parked in front of a two-story house, opened her door and guided her up the steps. When he fished a key out of his pocket, she went still.

“Carson?”

He opened the door, scooped her up, and carried her inside. “This is why I’ve been secretive lately, and heading to the city more than usual.”

“You bought a house.”

“Yes, for us. You’re a runner, baby.” He set her down. “And I needed a plan to keep you grounded. Here I can open my own private practice, get help for your mother, and you can finally have that boutique you’ve always wanted.”

Tears fell hard, and he gently brushed them away with his thumb. Completely overwhelmed, she just stood there, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. Carson loved her, had found a house for them, and wanted to help her mother. He was the sweetest, kindest man she knew, one who would never turn his back on her. He was someone she could always rely on. Her heart filled with all the love she felt for him. She tried to talk, to say something, but couldn’t seem to get any words out.

“What, isn’t this the neighborhood you love?”

She put her hand on his chest and felt his heart racing. “You didn’t need to do this for me.”

“I didn’t need to. I wanted to.” He went quiet, then asked, “Don’t you like it?”

She did, but it was too much. How could she accept? “Yes, but…”

“Say that again.”

She blinked, and took in the ghost of a smile playing on his mouth. What was he up to now? “Yes, but…”

He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and went down on one knee. “Just the first part, Gemma,” he said grinning. “I want the engagement to be real. I have for a very long time.”

“Me, too,” she said.

“Then say it.”

She took in the beautiful diamond, her heart pounding so hard she’d soon need CPR. She blinked her watery eyes and said, “Yes.”

Carson took the ring and put it on her finger. “Now, say my name.”

“Carson,” she whispered as he slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his.

“Yeah, just like that, baby. Every night, just like that.”

Epilogue

Gemma gave her mother—the newest employee of Gems by Gemma—a huge hug, and then set the lock behind her after she left the shop. She stared after her as she walked down the sidewalk, and when her mom turned back, a huge smile on her wholesome face, Gemma gave her a finger wave. She was so happy to see her mom content and healthy, standing on her own two feet thanks to counseling and her new purpose here in the shop.

Still in awe of everything that had happened over the last year, Gemma spun around and took in her very own jewelry store. She hugged herself, a new lightness in her heart as she walked to the cash register to close out for the night. Gracie slept on her bed behind the counter, and she stepped over her. Her cell phone chirped, Carson’s own special ring, and she grabbed it from beneath the counter.

Her big diamond engagement ring and wedding band glistened in the overhead lights as she read his text.

We have a problem.

Her heart missed a beat. What could possibly be wrong? For the last year, their lives had been perfect. They got married at the Hamptons cottage, moved into their dream home, and converted the main level into three compartments, one for her business, one for his private practice and one for the shelter. Even his mother had accepted that they were going to live in Brooklyn.

Her fingers flew over the screen.

What’s wrong?

My last patient just left, and I need you in here right away.

“Be right back, Gracie,” she said to her sleeping girl.

The little bell over her door jingled as she rushed outside, locked up behind herself and ran around the side of the building to the private practice’s entrance. She let herself in and glanced around the empty waiting room.

“Carson,” she called out.

“In here.”

Her Jimmy Choos clicked on his tile floor as she followed his voice and found him inside one of the examination rooms. Her heart fell when she noted the intense way he was staring at a file—with her name on it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He tapped the chair beside him, and she sank into it. Oh God, she did not want to know what was so wrong that he had to call her into his office. For the last few months they’d been trying to have a baby, and her gut told her this meeting had everything to do with that. What if she couldn’t get pregnant?

Tears threatened. “I’m not going to have a baby, am I?”

He shook his head, and she sucked in a gasp as he handed her a paper. “No, you’re not having one. You’re having two.”

She jumped to her feet. “Oh my God, Carson. Are you serious? You scared me.”

He followed her up, hugged her tight, and pressed kisses all over her forehead. “I didn’t mean to.”

Tears fell down her cheeks, her emotions on a roller coaster. Damn hormones. “Wait, I don’t understand. Do you not want twins? You said we had a problem. Is this it?”

He brushed his hand over her face. “Oh, baby, I do want twins. And that’s not the problem at all.”

She sniffed. “Then what is?”

“It occurred to me that we’ve had sex in every room of this place, your boutique included, but we’ve not christened my office yet.”

She laughed. “You want to have sex in here?”

He grinned and worked the buttons on her blouse. “We should celebrate.”

“Right now?”

“Uh huh.”

“Are you serious?” she asked, as desire moved through her.

“As a heart attack.” He picked her up and set her on the examination table. He pressed his forehead to hers and positioned himself between her legs. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Twins, Gemma,” he whispered, his voice so full of love and happiness it squeezed her heart. “I am the luckiest man alive.”

She laughed and kissed him as he slid her blouse from her shoulder. “I hope they have your eyes.”

“If we have girls, they’d better look like me and not you.”

She tugged on his tie. “You want them to look like you?”

“Yeah, because if they look like you, every guy in the neighborhood will be after them.”

“Poor daddy.”

He went still, and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he said in the lowest voice, “I’m going to be a daddy.”

“Yeah, you’re going to be a great daddy.”

“You’ll be the best mommy.”

She looked at the man she loved. He’d given her everything she’d ever needed but never thought she’d ever have. She cupped his face. “I love you.”

He kissed her mouth. “And I love you.” A little nudge had her falling back onto the bed. He pressed his mouth to her stomach and kissed twice. “And I love you and you. When you guys, or girls, are old enough, I’m going to teach you how to sail, and we’ll go fishing. And we’ll play ball, and mommy will teach you how to make jewelry and cook, because she’s a better cook than me, and—”

“Carson.”

He lifted his head and the huge smile on his face melted her heart. “Yeah?”

“Get naked already.”

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