Impossible Bachelor Read online

  I can’t however ignore the woman practically being chased through the lobby by a bunch of grown men wanting to air their grievances. She’s quick even in her heels and damn good at ignoring them. A moment later she closes the door to the main office in the lobby and they’re left murmuring their complaints to each other.

  When the elevator doors open, I’m relieved to get the hell out of there. Out of habit I hit my floor number then quickly remember I’m not going to my apartment but hers. When the doors open on my floor I take a step back and hit fourteen instead. My heart is thudding as I consider that Kylie might tell me to take a hike.

  As if I conjured her up, she opens the door of her apartment before I knock. “Ben.”

  “Kylie.” So far so good. “How are you?”

  “Good. Better than good, actually.”

  Although I’m happy for her, I wish I had been part of the reason. “I’m glad.” Well, here goes. “I’ve missed you.”

  She smiles. Good sign. “I missed you too. Want to come in?”

  I try to keep up, but nothing is making sense. Kylie and I haven’t spoken since the day I walked out of her apartment. I’ve been wracking my brain over what to say, and now my mind is blank.

  Kylie puts her hand out for me to take, and I feel like I’ve been hanging over a cliff and someone’s just thrown me a rope. “I do, but first I need to say something. I’ve had a lot of time to think and—”

  “Not yet.” Kylie cuts me off with a shake of her head. “I did some remodeling. I’m not sure what you’ll think of it. But I hope you like it.”

  She opens the door wider, and I step inside, determined to express myself better this time, support her more. The vision board? We’ll work it out together.

  I follow her inside and stop as soon as I see what she means by remodeling. The wall that had been covered with photographs and notes, the one that was enough to make me turn around and walk out, is different now. In its place is a giant, and I mean enormous, blown up photograph.

  “It’s Penny and me.” Kylie fidgets nervously as she guides me closer. “My favorite picture of us.”

  “A vacation?” I look at the picture, trying to scrutinize every detail. The girls are young. Sitting on a beach. Sand stuck all over them. Wind blowing their hair. Sun beaming down on their tan shoulders.

  “Our last as a family. We were in Florida. Our father drove. A few times I got to navigate while our mother napped. I remember him teaching me how to read the map. Penny learned to blow a bubble and whistle on that trip. I don’t remember our parents fighting even once.”

  “You two look happy. Carefree.”

  “Exactly.” I watch her blink away a few tears. “We built our biggest castle that day. After Dad took that picture we had lunch. I was so full I wanted to nap. We spread out our towels. My eyes got heavy. The waves crashed in the background. I was kind of holding Mom’s hand, playing with her wedding ring. Dad was in a beach chair reading us our favorite fairy tale book, his voice was scratchy from playing and laughing all day. I could see Penny lying on the towel next to me already asleep. Everyone in my world was right there. Everyone was happy. Safe. Peaceful. I fell asleep wishing tomorrow would be exactly the same.”

  “That sounds incredible.”

  “The days weren’t all like that. Things got ugly. They fell apart. Falling asleep was never that easy again. Not for a long time.”

  I watch her brush a few tears off her cheeks and try to gather herself as she continues.

  “Not until the first night I fell asleep in your arms. I went all those years thinking I’d never find it again. Then you held me, told me I was enough. I closed my eyes and felt exactly like I did that day. I want all my tomorrows to be that good. I believed you.”

  “Kylie I never should have walked out on you.” I close the gap between us and pull her into my arms. “I know things in your life have fallen apart before. People have left and let you down. If you can give me another shot, I’ll spend every day showing you I’m here. I’m not going anywhere ever again.”

  “But I am. I’m going somewhere.” She pulls away slightly, and I feel a dagger piercing my heart.

  “What?”

  “I’m moving.”

  “Where? Why?”

  She leans over and pulls a paper from the table. It’s a printout of a house. “I bought a house. Well, Dalton and Penny bought a house, and I turned into the weird sister-in-law who bought one ten doors down. They’re pregnant. This is no place to raise a baby. Not yet. Not until Christen comes in and straightens things up.”

  “How far is it?”

  “Close enough to see each other as much as we want. But far enough for me to put this place behind me. What do you think of the house?”

  “It’s beautiful.” My mouth is dry as I search for exactly what I want to say. “I can imagine you being very happy there.” She smiles. I pull her to me. “Is there room for an extra toothbrush? Maybe an extra set of clothes?”

  “That’s a big step.” She takes a deep breath, a move that has her chest pressing against mine. I’m turned on and turned around all at once. If she’s not ready, I’ll respect that, but I want to be part of this new life she’s building for herself. She runs a hand up my neck and to my cheek. “But I gave up the apartment I worked years to get into. I shredded every ounce of leverage I had against these jerks. I bought a T-shirt that says World’s Best Auntie. I think I’m ready for big steps. Are you sure you are?”

  I pull a small box out of my pocket. Nothing I’ve ever done feels as important as this moment. “Before you walked into my life I was making tons of money. Working at my own pace. Staying mostly out of trouble.”

  “Sounds like you were doing just fine.”

  “I was. But who the hell wants to be just fine? You crashed into my life, and I finally had someone who looked at opportunities the same way I do. I found someone who could turn the most ordinary day into something I’d never forget. I don’t want to change you. I want to be at your side, fighting for and with you. You may not need my protection, but you’ll have it—every day of your life if you’ll have me. I want to give you that day on the beach, that peace, every minute of every day for the rest of our lives.” I drop down on one knee and hold out the open box to her. “Marry me.”

  Tears begin to run down her face. She takes the ring from the box but doesn’t immediately put it on. “I’m still a work in progress.”

  “Aren’t we all?” I joke, but it’s hard to breathe.

  “Did Penny tell you I took the vision board down?”

  “No.” She’s killing me here, but nothing with her has been easy, and I’m a better man for it.

  The tears start again. “You loved me even at my worst?”

  I stand and pull her back into my arms. “That’s how love works, isn’t it? I accept your crazy and you accept mine?” I push her hair back from her face and give her a kiss I hope expresses how much I mean that.

  When I raise my head, we’re both teary and breathing raggedly. “I love you, Ben,” she says and slips the ring on her finger. “Bring the toothbrush, any clothes you want, and all your crazy—we’re moving to the burbs.”

  I swing her around me. “To raise a bunch of brilliant, equally nutty children who just might take over the world.”

  “That sounds like heaven to me,” she says and pulls my head down for another earth-shattering kiss.

  “Hey,” I say. “I’m keeping List to Leisure, and I’d like to work on it with you if you’re interested. I’ve had papers drawn up.”

  “I’ll look them over later,” she murmurs between kisses.

  I lift her up and carry her to the bedroom. She’s right. Everything else can wait. I have the woman I love back in my life.

  When I was given an apartment in Bachelor Tower I was told it would open doors for me, bring me opportunities that were previously impossible. I had no idea it actually would.

  Dalton and Penny.

  Kylie and me.

&
nbsp; I’ll have to suggest the new owner changes the name from Bachelor Tower to Marriage Tower. I’m sure the guys who live here will love that.

  EPILOGUE

  Ben

  “We could’ve had the moving company pack this place up.” Kylie has a point, but then I’d have missed her in those adorable overalls and a bandana tied in her hair. She wipes her forehead with the back of her dusty hand. Hard labor looks good on her.

  “Then I wouldn’t have been able to show you all my movie memorabilia.” I hold up an action figure, mint condition and still in the box.

  “I would wave one of my toys at you, but I’d rather wait until we’re home.”

  It takes that little to give me an instant boner the size of Texas. “We could finish packing later.”

  Kylie leans in and kisses my cheek as she loops her arms around my neck. Most of my furniture is disassembled, but that would only make it more fun. I unclip one side of her overalls.

  She melts against me then groans. “Penny is waiting for us in my apartment. I told her we’d be right back. You know she’ll come here we don’t go there.”

  I do. I couldn’t ask for a better future sister-in-law, but she and I need to work on a code for when not to show up—an adult version of a sock on the doorknob.

  I close the door to my apartment behind us and walk with Kylie toward the elevator. This building took her on and lost—I hope she sees that. She was convinced she had to destroy it to win, but the real victory is what she’s leaving with.

  Us.

  I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life showing her how much I mean that.

  When we open the door to Kylie’s apartment, Penny is standing there waiting anxioulsy. “I almost came looking for you.”

  “We know.” Kylie slides her hand into mine and smiles at me. “And yet it’s still good.”

  Yes it is.

  A light knock on the door behind us sends Kylie jumping. She’s so ready to put this place behind her. I’m so ready to have everything that lies ahead of us.

  “Oh, sorry. I thought the apartment was empty.” A tall man with a super white smile and dark tan fills the doorway.

  “It will be soon,” Penny announces. “Are you moving in?”

  The man looks around the mostly empty apartment and nods. “Next door actually. Just wanted to see if this place had the same—extras.”

  Penny looks confused then blushes. “Oh, those people were wild ones, we hear.”

  The man arches a brow. “I wonder if the swing is still there.”

  Kylie covers her smile with a hand. “We have no idea. Hardly knew the people.”

  The man pocketed his hands and shrugs. “It was a tough choice. Three apartments, one with a swing, one with serious wall damage, and one that smells like a high school gym locker and a coffee shop all at once.”

  I laugh because—sweat and coffee is the aroma of genius. I could have said that, but instead I push by him and toss him some advice. “Beware of the curse of this building.”

  “The curse?” he asks, stepping aside to allow Kylie and Penny to file out.

  Kylie winks at me. “They call it Bachelor Tower, but if you’re looking to stay single, you might want to run.”

  I pull her in for a quick kiss and murmur, “Or stay and leave a whole lot happier than you arrived.”

  Beside us, Penny speaks into her phone, “Dalton, we’re leaving now and the new guy is here already—did you forget to pick up the swing?”

  THE END

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  About the Author

  Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in southern Massachusetts. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York—then came full circle and moved back to New England. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.

  She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love– writing and has never been happier. When she’s not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm, riding her horses, or connecting with her readers online.

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