Fated to be Mine (32 page)

“I know now you would have. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you for Sharon’s actions. They’re hers to take responsibility for, and hers alone.”

When I step back, I see his eyes are watery and watch as a tear slowly rolls down his handsome face. He brushes it away and doesn’t speak any more on the subject. I think enough has been said already.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that Andrew. I’m sorry any of us did. But you will never have to deal with her again, either of you.”

I nod my head and link my hand with Andrew’s, watching him bring it up to his lips and gently press them against the back.

“Let’s just focus on what we need to do over the next few days,” Andrew says, leading us toward the front door, grabbing our coats on the way out.

“I could only get a couple days off from work, unfortunately, which means I need to be back here by Wednesday,” my dad says.

“It’s okay. I called Christopher and Kara to let them know what’s happening, clearing both our schedules for the week so we can take our time getting everything done.”

We walk into the garage and watch as my dad places his suitcase in the trunk of his car before turning to us. “You’ll follow me up there?” he asks Andrew, who nods in response. “I’ve already made hotel reservations for us so we will be all set when we arrive.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Robert.”

We exit the garage and head back to our car. Andrew holds open my door and waits for me to buckle my seatbelt before shutting it and getting in on the driver’s side. He gives me a smile and begins following my dad for our journey north.

Andrew keeps a hand on my knee as we make the two and a half hour drive to where my mother is, or was I guess. The pain isn’t quite as bad anymore when I think about her. Having Andrew nearby helps quite a bit, as well as knowing that my dad is there to help me too.

We don’t say much as the world passes us by. Once we’re out of the metro area, the scenery changes as we leave behind the urban jungle for long stretches of trees and the open road. Towns are sprinkled here and there and are barely visible from the highway. The one thing I’m grateful for is that it hasn’t snowed yet so the roads are dry and not as hazardous as they could be this time of the year.

I turn to look at Andrew’s profile as he concentrates on the road. Just his presence is enough to calm me down from any stressful situation. He grounds me and brings me back to the world I now have a place in.

I switch the radio on, looking for a little white noise to drown out any remaining thoughts in my head. We listen to song after song, sometimes humming along with the melody, sometimes just letting the words wash over us in silence. Then an older song comes on, one I haven’t heard in years. Allison Krauss’s soulful voice fills the car and it’s like she’s reaching into my brain and saying the words I’m thinking as I look at the beautiful man sitting next to me. Without thinking, I start softly singing the words out loud to him.

Andrew turns his head and smiles. He grabs my hand, kissing the palm lightly as his eyes twinkle in our brief contact.

“Thank you for saving me from myself today. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there for me.” I reach up and place the same hand on his cheek before he threads our hands together, resting them over his heart.

“Love, I will do anything for you. I told you, you are mine and I am yours. We will take care of each other for the rest of time and then beyond that. As long as we’re together, nothing can harm us.”

If I thought it wasn’t possible to fall further in love with this man, I was mistaken. Time after time he shows me how much he cares for me, wanting nothing more than my happiness. He makes me feel as if I’m the most important thing in the world. And I honestly believe that he will save me from everything and everyone, including myself.

When we arrive at the hotel, Andrew parks our car next to my dad’s and gathers our luggage together. After checking in and getting our room keys, we say goodnight to my dad, agreeing to meet up in the morning so we can get things started. As we ride the elevator to our room, I slump against the wall, feeling the weight of the day’s events finally dragging me down. I begin to move but am swept up in Andrew’s arms instead as he carries me down the hall. I want to protest, but my body is so tired that all I can do is lay my head against his shoulder and cling to him.

Andrew drops our bags on the floor at the foot of the bed and slowly sets me down.

“You’re tired. Come, let’s get you ready.”

He strips me out of my clothes, tapping the body parts he wants me to move. Before long I’m in one of his shirts that hang limply on my body. He strips down to his boxer briefs, scoops me up and settles us both under the covers. Holding me against his chest, he nuzzles his face into my hair, whispering sweet endearing words to me.

“I love you.”

“Everything will be all right.”

“You are so beautiful.”

“My brave, strong girl.”

I twist around, needing to see him before I succumb to the sleep my body is so desperately craving. “Andrew?”

“Yes, love?”

I press my lips against his softly, slowly moving them with love and appreciation. “You are my hero, you know that? I feel so much stronger around you. You make me brave and give me hope when I think it’s lost. Nothing is quite as scary as it seems as long as we’re together. You are my everything and I just want you to know that.”

He smiles and kisses me again, reassuring me without words that he feels the same as I do.

“W
AKE UP, LOVE.”

I stir and rub my face into the pillow, wanting to stay in the warm cocoon the blankets have created for me. Pulling the covers over my head, I sink further into the mattress, hoping it’s enough to make the world go away.

“Don’t want to,” I grumble through my protective fortress.

Andrew laughs and drags the covers down my body, leaving me shivering with the sudden assault of cooler air. I liked my big warm blanket wrapped around me, although it’s nothing compared to being wrapped up in Andrew’s arms. I sigh wistfully as I open my eyes, not instantly recognizing my surroundings. Then I remember the reason why I’m sitting in this hotel room.

Mom.

I brush away the tangled mess that I call my hair from my face as I sit up, turning to see the bright smiling eyes of the man I love. He’s dressed in black pants and a gray button-down shirt. His hair is still wet from a recent shower and he smells like his body wash and cologne, my two favorite scents.

I let my body slump forward, landing on his shoulder while I deeply inhale his calming scent. He laughs and kisses the top of my head, seemingly amused at my lack of energy this morning.

“Are you trying to tell me you like how I smell?”

I nod my head against his shoulder and my whole body melts into him, wanting nothing more than to wake up to this smell every day for the rest of my life.

“Mmhmm,” I say in a muffled voice.

Andrew picks me up and places me on his lap. Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I lean forward and press my lips to his in a quick morning greeting.

“How are you feeling this morning?” He runs his fingers through the hair loosely hanging near my face and I lean into his touch when his palm meets my cheek.

“Better,” I say, taking a mental inventory of my emotional and physical state. My head has stopped pounding and my stomach no longer aches for no apparent reason. My eyes aren’t nearly as dry and painful as before but not having cried within the last twelve hours has helped. “I know the next few days are going to be tough, but I’ll be okay, as long as you don’t go anywhere without me.”

He smiles and presses his lips against mine again. “Never. I’ll be stuck to you like glue.”

“Good.” I stand from his lap to stretch. “What time are we meeting my dad?”

Andrew looks at his watch and twists his lips to the side. “Half hour? Can you be ready by then?”

I nod. “Half hour it is,” I say, disappearing into the bathroom so I can attempt to feel human again.

It’s your standard hotel bathroom, complete with giant vanity countertop and bathtub/shower combination. It makes me miss the hotel bathroom in London with its extraordinary opulence and high-end fixtures. Obviously not everything in life is going to be like that.

Standing under the hot spray of the water, I can feel each and every muscle relax as the knots slowly wash away. Rolling my shoulders, I hunch forward, allowing the water stream to hit my most tender spots where I carry all of my stress. With each passing moment, I relax further and let my mind prepare itself for what’s to come.

Yes, it will be hard. It may be downright excruciating, but as long as my dad and Andrew are with me I know it’ll be okay. It still amazes me the transition in my dad, going from seemingly indifferent and judgmental to loving and concerned. But I could have also been projecting some of my own insecurities onto him, only seeing what I wanted to see. Ever since I came to Minneapolis, he has been attentive, offering to pay for my schooling, my apartment, clothes, anything I could ever want. And because my past dictated so much of my life I was too stubborn to accept help due to the idea that obligation was making him do it. Knowing what I know now, I can see that wasn’t the case. Yes, guilt may have played a little bit, considering my situation after I was placed into foster care, but I believe he just wanted to get to know me.

Once I’m dressed and feeling better about my appearance, I walk back into the main room and find my dad sitting with Andrew at the table near the windows. Both men look up and smile brightly at me when I join them. Andrew pulls out a chair for me, making sure it's the one next to him, of course.

“I ordered some breakfast for you,” he says. I clasp his hand as he uncovers a dish in front of me, displaying a plate loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns. The smell alone has my stomach rumbling in eager anticipation of food.

“Thank you. I didn’t even realize I was hungry until just now.”

My dad folds up his paper, placing it off to the side as he watches me eat my breakfast.

“Good morning, Tess,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Morning, Daddy,” I mutter through a bite of my toast.

He laughs, making his eyes crinkle in the corners. I take a bite of everything on my plate, humming my pleasure and only pause to take a sip of the orange juice that Andrew just put in my glass.

“What?” I ask, letting my fork hover over my plate as I look between the two of them.

“Nothing. It’s just, I’ve never seen you eat so much before,” my dad says, still laughing at me.

I roll my eyes and wipe my mouth with the napkin. “I told you. I do eat. I just don’t eat when I come over to your house, mainly because of Sharon. She makes me lose my appetite with her condescending comments and opinions about me.”

He reaches over and pats my hand. “Well, you won’t have to worry about that again. How did you sleep last night?”

A blush creeps across my cheeks. What dad wants to hear about his daughter sharing a bed with another man? Not that we did anything last night. It’s the mere fact that we are sharing a bed together which causes my brief embarrassment. Most fathers tend to threaten or clean their guns in front of their daughter’s boyfriends. But this is different. He really has taken a liking to Andrew, even though they’ve only met once or twice before this.

“She was a little fitful but otherwise got some decent sleep,” Andrew answers after I fail to speak up. I turn my head and smile in appreciation while continuing to eat my breakfast, letting my dad and Andrew talk sports and business.

Once my food is mostly gone, I shove it away and place my hands on my full stomach. “I think I’m good for a while.” Both men laugh and shake their heads. Andrew looks out the window and I follow his gaze, noticing that we’re staying right on the water. We must be in Canal Park, the ever popular tourist section of Duluth. That’s where most of the higher end hotels and shops are, along with some of the best views of Lake Superior.

“The lake is so beautiful, very calm and surprisingly large. It’s almost like looking out at the ocean,” Andrew observes.

“This part of the state is really magnificent. The lake, the trees, the hills, all of it placed together in absolute perfection. If you both decide to spend a few extra days up here, you should go on a tour of the area. I’m sure Tessa remembers a few places to go so you can grab the full experience,” my dad says.

I look over at him and nod. “I think I remember and if not I’m sure we can figure it out. Sightseeing isn’t exactly high on the list of things to do right now and I don’t know how much extra time we’ll have.”

“I’m sure we’ll have a better timeframe after we speak with the people at the institution and the cremation society” Dad gently clears his throat and leans forward, folding his hands on the table. “Are you sure this is what you want Tess?”

I nod. “Yes, I’m sure. There’s no point in having a burial. She didn’t have any family, except for me, or us, rather. Cremation just seems like the logical thing to do. Plus we can spread her ashes over the lake.” I look out the window and my heart constricts slightly at the memory. “She always loved the lake.” A lone tear rolls down my cheek, but Andrew brushes it away quickly.