“You know what?” She smiled at him, and he felt like the sun had finally come out. “Now that we’re getting the hang of it, I think we might actually be pretty good at this communicating stuff. Heck, even Chandler sounds like he’s getting better at sharing his feelings.”
“I can’t believe I’m giving credit to my grandfather,” Trent said with a wry smile, “but really, his summoning us to the island gave me the push I needed to see things more clearly. There’s no one in my life I want to impress but you, Reese. You’re everything to me. You always were. I just lost my way for a while.”
“We both lost our way, but all that matters is that this time we’re helping each other find our way back, one step at a time.” She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her heart. “Together.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
WHILE REESE MARVELED at everything in the gallery, from the elegant marble floors and grand sculpture exhibit in the entrance to every piece of art inside—Trent marveled at how joy came so naturally to her. No matter how many times he saw her smile, the next smile still tugged at his heart. And as they walked through the gallery hand in hand, Trent realized that for the first time in years, he felt free. He hadn’t realized how repressing his true feelings all these years had made everything seem heavier and more difficult. But after telling Reese how he really felt, and what he truly hoped for, he finally felt alive again.
“I didn’t realize we’ve been here so long,” Reese said after looking down at her watch. “Are you bored?”
“Never, as long as I’m with you. And there are few things better than watching you be surrounded by art that you love so much.”
“I really do,” she said, her eyes lighting up as she pointed at the painting they were standing in front of. “You can see the artist’s Mediterranean roots in the vivid colors and the depth and textures of her work. It’s like she’s taken the richness and vibrancy of the sun and layered it onto every painting.”
“They are unique, that’s for sure, but no more beautiful than yours.”
“You’re my biggest fan,” she said as she went up on her toes and kissed him.
“What’s your favorite piece?”
Her eyes sparked with heat as she told him, “You.”
Just as he swept her into his arms so that he could kiss her breathless in the middle of the crowded gallery, his cell phone rang with Chandler’s ringtone. Not today.
“Your grandfather?”
Obviously, even though they were working on verbal communication, Reese could still read most of his expressions like a book. “The one and only.” He pressed his lips to hers for far-too-brief a moment. “Excuse me for a second.” He stepped to the side and quietly answered the call.
“Trent? Hi. This is Darla. I’m sorry to bother you. I know you took today off, but Chandler would like to see you.”
“What’s the issue?”
“I’m not sure, exactly. But he mentioned that he was unable to find the file on one of the LLCs.”
Trent thought about the gap he and his grandfather had just begun to bridge and how hopeful it made him for a closer relationship with him. Then he shifted his gaze to Reese, who was alternately admiring the paintings again...and looking back at him with a concerned expression on her face.
Normally, Trent would jump on the next ferry back to the island, but he wasn’t trying to build a normal life with Reese. He was working to build an extraordinary life with her.
Chandler Rockwell had always been controlling, and it was high time Trent took a stand and regained some of his own control. His decision was swift and made without guilt: Unless there was a dire emergency, he was done playing his grandfather’s game at the expense of losing time with Reese.
“Please call my assistant and ask her for whatever he needs. If she can’t find it, let Chandler know I’ll be in tomorrow and I’ll handle whatever he needs then.”
When he ended the call, Reese immediately asked, “Is everything okay?”
He draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. “Everything is perfect.”
* * *
BY THE TIME they returned to the island after eating a romantic dinner at a cozy Italian restaurant, it was after ten o’clock.
“Thank you for such an amazing afternoon,” Reese said as they cuddled on her couch.
“Thank you for spending the day with me in Boston.” He pulled her in closer. “And I really love being here with you, too. Your home is everything you always said you wanted. Cozy, safe, and warm in a way that makes me want to hold you here on this couch forever.”
“If it weren’t for you,” she said as she smiled up at him, “I might never have thought to buy it. I was so young when we met. I didn’t know anything about life, and you taught me so many important things, even when I didn’t know you were doing it.”