Chapter Ninety-Eight

Closing the lid of the last box in the small office, she reached for the tape to seal it shut.  Standing, Stephanie put her fists to her lower back and leaned back, trying to stretch the long day out of her tired, overworked muscles.   She had resumed packing after she had gotten back from Lake Tahoe.  She had spent the balance of Richie’s ten day respite with him and Ava.  They had found their footing again and now she was readying herself for another move. 

Stepping around the boxes she made her way out of the room and into the kitchen.   She had just pulled a bottle of water from the fridge when she heard a key in the lock of the front door.   She managed a smile when Richie’s head appeared around the corner.  

“You know you’re going to have to give up that key soon, right?”

He smiled back, flashing his dimple at her.  “I know, but not yet, right?”

She shook her head and moved toward him, “no, not just yet.”

When she was close enough he pulled her in for a hug.  “You look exhausted, Sweetheart.”  He ran his hands up and down her back.  The tightness of her muscles didn’t escape him either.  “You need to take a break from all this.”

She rested her head against his chest, loving the way he just tucked her right in to him.  “I just want to get everything done.”  Leaning back a little, she looked up at him, “the movers are coming this weekend.”  She hadn’t been sleeping well either.  Her insomnia was going to kill her one of these days.  She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since the couple she had managed in Tahoe.  Her brain just wouldn’t shut off for some reason. 

He dropped a sweet kiss on her upturned mouth.  “Come on” he shuffled them across the kitchen and into the living room.  He got her settled on the chaise end of her couch and looked around.  “You’ve been very busy in here.”  The television was disconnected and resting on the floor, along with her blue-ray player and her stereo components.  The shelves that had housed her CDs and DVDs were empty and ready to go.  The pictures were down off the walls and wrapped.  All the knick knacks were gone from the curio cabinet that stood in the corner.  The only personal items left were the photos on top of the mantle.  He saw the empty box and the bubble wrap that lay in wait.  Turning to her he asked, “do you want to me take care of your pictures?” 

He felt like should do something to help her after practically abandoning her this week.  But it couldn’t be helped.  Ava started back to school and she had needed him for all the back to school/first week of school shit that had to be done.  But now, Ava was going to stay at her mother’s this week and next so he was free to help Stephanie as much as she wanted him to.  If she wanted him to.

With a yawn, she scooted to the end of the sofa pausing to rub at her temples before she stood and crossed the room to him.  “I can do this.”

He frowned as she stacked all the frames and knelt on the floor.  Looking around he spied her dust rag next to the fireplace tools.  He grabbed it up and wiped down the mantle before she realized what he was doing.

“Richie” she exclaimed when she looked up from the bubble wrap and tape and noticed what he was doing.  “You don’t have to do that.”  She was more than a little embarrassed by the amount of dust that had collected on the mantle.  As much as she didn’t mind cleaning and as much as she liked a neat and tidy house, she HATED to dust.

He finished and left the rag on the mantle before crouching next to her.  “I think I may need to find that Superwoman costume again.”  He tapped her on the nose, “let me help.  You are going to burn yourself out if you try to do this all on your own.”

“But it’s my stuff” she protested.

“I know that.”  He sat down on the floor, he was too old to be crouched in a squat for so long.  “Look, you’re bringing all your stuff to my house.  The least you can do is let me help you pack it up.”

She opened her mouth to say something and he just held up his hand to stop her.  “I’m going to help you unpack it all too.”

She gave a resigned sigh.  Sometimes it was just easier not to argue with the man.  “What about my furniture and my gym equipment?”  She knew he had all kinds of stuff at his house, she just wasn’t sure exactly what he had in mind for her things.

With a not-so-quiet groan he stood and held out his hand to her.  “Walk me around and let’s see what’s what so I can get an idea of just what we’re looking at.”

She took his hand and stood.  “Might as well start right here.”

He looked around again.  “We have to keep the chair.”  He loved that they could both sit in it together.  He turned his attention to her couch.  “How attached to the couch are you?” 

She stared at the couch.  She had brought it from New York with her.  And she loved the chaise end.  “It’s one of the few things that I brought from back home and I really do love the lounge end.”

He tapped his chin, thinking.  “Let’s come back to it.”  He had an idea but it needed time to steep.

They walked through the house and made decisions about nearly everything.  He had several empty bedrooms at his place so they were going to take her entire suite of furniture and set up a guest room.  And in her home gym, he really liked the look the weight bench and the weight plates.  “The movers are going to hate us for making them deal with this, you know that, right?”

She nodded, “yeah, they bitched and moaned when they brought it all in here so I expect more of the same when they take it out.”  She was going to sell or donate her tread mill and her elliptical since Richie had both of those. 

They worked their way back downstairs and she took him down to the basement. 

He was almost afraid of what he would find down there.  Just how much stuff could she possibly have?  He was relieved to see it was just the green and red totes of her Christmas decorations and then brown cardboard boxes.

A lot of brown cardboard boxes.  And as he moved closer, he noticed they were all marked the same.

“You have a lot of books here.”

She nodded, “I know.  It’s kind of an obsession.  I love to read and as much as I adore my Kindle, there’s nothing quite like holding a book in your hands, turning that first page, hearing the crack of the spine when you open a brand new hardcover.”  She looked around at all the boxes, and shrugged unashamedly.  “I couldn’t part with any of them, even though I have most of them in digital format now.”

He stroked his chin, turning his idea over in his head.  “I think know what we’re going to do with your couch and your books.”  He followed her up the stairs and back into the living room to look at her couch again.  He nodded.  Yep, he had the perfect spot at his house.  “How would you like your own office/library, Sweetheart?”

Her eyes widened with delight.  She had always wanted her own library, a place where she could sink into her couch and get lost for an hour, a day, a week with her books.  She felt a twinge of guilt at the selfishness of that thought.  Then, as fast as the guilty came, it left.  Every girl needed a little time to herself.  No matter who her man was.  “Seriously?”

He shrugged, “sure, why not.  I’ve got the perfect spot for it too.”  He was sure the books wouldn’t even take up a quarter of the shelves that already lined the room he had in mind.  “I enjoy a good book myself so you might have to share it though.”

 
She grinned and wrapped her arm around his waist, giving him a one-armed squeeze.  “I think I can handle that.”

Chapter Ninety-Seven

As good as you make me feel
I wanna make you feel better
Better than your fairy tales
Better than your best dreams
You're more than everything I need
You're all I ever wanted
All I ever wanted

And I just wanna wrap you up
Wanna kiss your lips
I wanna make you feel wanted
And I wanna call you mine
Wanna hold your hand forever
And never let you forget it
Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted
Baby, I wanna make you feel wanted

You'll always be wanted...*

 

Blinking her eyes open slowly, Stephanie snuggled closer to the warmth at her back.  They had managed to get themselves together and make their way to the bedroom at some point last night, after checking on Ava and Kelly.  The girls had watched movies and given each other pedicures until whatever time, leaving Stephanie and Richie to their own devices.  She smiled.  They had made good use of their alone time.  Glancing over to the night table the clock told her it was way too early to even think about getting out of bed.  She closed her eyes, hoping to go back to sleep. 

Her bladder had a different idea. 

With a sigh she eased away from Richie and slipped from the bed.  Shivering, she grabbed the first piece of clothing she came across.  Richie’s shirt slid around her body and she buttoned the two middle buttons.  She took care of her pressing bladder problem and brushed the night from her mouth.  Stepping back into the bedroom she stopped at the French doors that led to the deck.  There was just a hint of pink on the horizon as the first fingers of light were making their way across the sky.  Instead of climbing back into bed, she grabbed the extra blanket from the chair and quietly made her way outside.

Holding the blanket over her shoulders, she breathed deeply.  The cool morning air was so much cleaner than what she breathed in the City.  It was so peaceful here too.  Grabbing the railing with both hands she leaned back, purring into her stretch.  Straightening the blanket over her shoulders once more, she looked out across the water and up to the sky.  The sun was just barely starting to peek over the edge of the horizon.  The only thing that could make this moment more perfect, would be to have Richie standing beside her while the sun came up.

“Hey,” he said quietly behind her.  He had woken to find her side of the bed empty and after taking a turn in the bathroom, followed her outside.  “You got room for me in there?”

Her mouth curled up in a smile.  Had he heard her thoughts and come looking for her?  It didn’t matter.  She was just glad he was here to share this with her.  She opened the blanket and held out one side, “come on in.”

He took the blanket, shook out the fold she had in it and wrapped it around his back before enveloping her in his arms.  “That’s much better.”

She leaned back, his chest warm against her back.  “Mmmmm, yes, yes it is.” 

Without a word, they watched the sun make its way above the horizon, coloring the day in hues of pink and gold. 

“That was beautiful” she murmured. 

“Mmmm hmmm” he agreed as he caressed her head with his lips.  “What had you up so early, sweetheart?”  He knew they hadn’t finished their conversation from the night before but he didn’t think that would have her up before the sun.

“Bathroom” she said as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.  “Then the tease of a beautiful sunrise drew me out here.”  Closing her eyes while she leaned against him she realized she felt better than she had in days.  More grounded, more centered.  Lighter.  Being with him made her feel that way. 

Untold grief and a need for something, anything that would bring her through it had driven her across the country away from everything she had ever known.  And this man had done more to help her heal than any therapy could ever have hoped.  Suddenly, she didn’t want to talk about their situation anymore.  She just wanted to be with him and it didn’t matter what might happen someday.  Now is what mattered.  And right now, she wanted him to ask her again.  Here, in the light of a brand new day, when everything was fresh and new between them she needed to hear the words from him again. 

Letting the edges of the blanket go, she quickly turned in his arms, the question almost out of her mouth before she fully faced him.  “Rich?”

He looked down at her, “what?”  An amused smile danced around his lips, wondering what had gotten his girl so worked up at this hour.

“Ask me again.”  Her eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation as she waited.

 
His brows beetled in confusion.  Ask her?  Ask her wha-?  Then it dawned on him.  A smile replaced the confusion.  She may have had her come-to-Jesus moment with her sister, but here, with him, she saw the whole of what could be.  His smile widened.  “Sweetheart, just say yes.”

Her fingers walked up his chest, “ask me again, please” she pleaded.  She needed to hear the question again.

He pressed is lips to her forehead.  “Share my home and my life with me, sweetheart.  Please?”

Her arms moved up and circled his shoulders.  She raised up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.  With a smile she nodded her head, “yes Richie.”  She kissed him again, “yes, yes, yes.”  She punctuated each affirmative with a kiss.

He laughed at her eagerness.  “It’s about time you came to your senses, woman” he growled playfully before kissing her with a new found urgency.  The blanket slipped from his shoulders, pooling at their feet as they kissed in the light of the new day.  Nipping his way across her bottom lip he glanced down at her, fully appreciating that his shirt had never looked as good on him as it did at that moment on her.  He trailed his fingertip down the long open vee to where the first of only two buttons were holding the shirt closed.  “What changed your mind?”  He toyed with the button while he waited for her to answer.

“Not any one thing, really.”  Her breath caught as he opened the first button.  “I just decided that I can’t worry about what might happen in a month, a year, five years.  I want to be with you and-” she shivered and goose bumps raised on her skin where he traced light circles above the second button.

“And?”

"And, uh" she closed her eyes against the sensation and licked her lower lip.  "And we don’t need to beat a dead horse here.  I’m going to finish packing my things when I get back home and then, you’re stuck with me.” 

He smiled wickedly at her last statement before popping open the second button her shirt.  Sliding his hands inside the cotton, he caressed her sides, the under curve of her breasts, before pulling her flush against him.  He lowered his head, “I like the sound of that” he said and then he kissed her. 



*Wanted - Hunter Hayes