Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t let him simply hand me everything I wanted while denying himself. Not only did the unfairness go against my core beliefs, but eventually, he’d come to resent me, and that I couldn’t have.
“You gave me the dream. I won’t lie and say I wanted those things all along. I didn’t. I couldn’t envision a future at all when I arrived here.” He made a soft choking noise like he might cry, then recovered enough to pet Buttercup’s head. “But you make me dream bigger than I ever thought possible. I want to raise a pack of rowdy hooligans with you. I want to find a way to provide summer activities for tweens and teens in Safe Harbor. Maybe that will be my project, like the coffee shop is yours. But I want to save Blessed Bean too.”
“What if it’s not saveable?” I whispered, finally voicing one of my worst fears.
“You’ve taught me that almost everything is redeemable if you try hard enough. We’ll save it. Together.”
“Yes.” I wanted to believe even though reality made it hard. “And if it means a new location, so be it.”
“It won’t. That building matters to you, so it matters to me. Same as my old house.”
“Our house,” I corrected him. No matter what happened in the future, this time together had made it our house. In fact, I wasn’t sure it had ever been solely mine.
“Yes, our house. The more I know you and love you, the bigger I keep dreaming.”
“I love that.” I kissed his cheek.
“And I love you.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, one filled with promise and hope. “I’m staying, but I need you in order to build the life I want. I need us both to turn our dreams into our future. So, dream with me? Please?”
There was only one possible answer.
Chapter Thirty
Worth
“Yes.” Sam’s whole face lit up, brighter than the full moon, eyes sparkling along with the scattering of stars starting to appear in the night sky. “Yes, I’ll dream with you.”
All my air whooshed out at once. “Oh, thank goodness.”
“You doubted I’d agree?” Sam’s mouth puckered like my lack of faith tasted sour.
“Maybe I doubted me.” I shrugged, knowing he was going to hate that idea even more. “I’m still not sure what I did to deserve you and your unconditional support. Your kind of loyalty is rare.”
“You’re rare too. Always have been.” Sam’s voice took on a fond, faraway tone. “I remember the first time I was truly aware of you. It was after church one Sunday, and you were practicing signing with my mom. You looked up and smiled directly at me, and I was a goner.”
“One smile? That’s all it took?” I smiled, but my tone was skeptical. Buttercup apparently took offense to my tone and nuzzled my side impatiently.
“You were kind. At a time when a lot of kids were cruel and petty, you were kind. You never made me feel stupid or silly.” Sam shifted against me.
“Of course not.” The very idea of hurting Sam, even unintentionally, wounded me to my core.
“And you weren’t out back then, but you didn’t make fun of my way-too-obvious crush on you.” Even in the faded night sky with the moon already out, Sam’s blush was adorably obvious. “You fought for sign language classes at the high school and always tried your best when communicating with my mom.”
“So, I was a nice high schooler…” I was blatantly fishing, but I also needed the reassurance that Sam loved me, not some idealized teen image of who I’d been.
“And now, grown-up you is still kind. You kept Buttercup even when you were hurting and unsure about everything else.” Buttercup perked up at the sound of her name, and Sam gave her a pat. “You were kind to Marta and George and the rest of my crew. You immediately understood why they’re so important to me. But that’s who you are. So when I say you’re enough, that’s what I mean. Who you are deep inside is a good person, one I can’t help but like.”
“I don’t always feel like a good person,” I admitted as I held Sam close for strength. My doubts were waning, replaced by Sam’s absolute certainty that I’d earned his affection.
“I know.” Sam leaned against me. Buttercup mimicked him, and my heart was so full I almost couldn’t stand it. “And I’m not going to stop telling you that you are good enough. You deserve me. I deserve you, right?”
“Of course.” I blinked. “Maybe even a better—”
Sam cut me off with a rude noise. “There is no better for me. Only you.”
“Good.” I held him closer, sniffing his soft hair and basking in his warmth. “Guess I’ll work on accepting how damn lucky I am.”