Husband by Choice

And knew that Meredith deserved better. He’d promised to be the calm in her cacophony.

“She’s out there, Chantel. And she’s alive. Bring her home.”

Those were the words that rang true.

And he was going to keep believing them if it killed him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“THERE...DOES THAT feel good?” Meredith sat on the floor at Steve’s head, gently massaging his temples. She had no professional training as a masseuse, but he’d taught her, a long time ago, to know what he liked, what made him feel good and cared for.

She’d led him into the master bedroom by the hand. Had him lie down on the floor. He’d been as pliable as a child.

“You’ve always had trouble relaxing,” she reminded him softly. “And I’ve always been able to help.” Her voice was almost melodic, as she used every ounce of strength she had to touch the man with tenderness, to find love to transfer from her fingers to his heart.

“Mmmm.” His eyelids relaxed and the muscles in his face softened. When his fingers lay flat on the carpeted floor of the bedroom, she said, “You go to other women, but you need me, Steve.”

“That’s right.” The words were almost drugged-sounding. Drugged with drowsiness. Contentment.

For a quiet moment, Meredith worked her magic on him, as he’d taught her so long ago. And believed that she was with the real Steve Smith. The kind, sensitive boy who’d grown into a man who wanted to help people. Not the tortured child who grew into a man who had to hurt people to feel his own strength.

“That’s why you always come back to me.” She was merely repeating his words back to him. The ones he’d uttered in the weak moments. The ones that came in moments of contrition. When he’d been afraid he’d lost her love.

“Yesss.”

Reaching down, she found the spots where his shoulders met his neck and gently pulled upward, to just behind his ears, and then ran her fingers through his hair to the top of his scalp.

“I’m sorry I ran away from you.”

“It’s okay, love, I wasn’t the easiest guy to live with,” he murmured, eyes still closed. “But I’m going to be better this time.”

He believed those words. She understood that now. And knew that his own conviction was, in part, what had convinced her to believe. All those times. Which one of them had quit believing first?

Or forgotten the truth?

She had to stay calm. To do this. And somehow, from someplace deep within her, she found the ability to continue to touch him without shaking, to move forward with her plan.

She couldn’t look back. Or question what she was doing. She had to be willing to die for this, and she was.

“I won’t ever run from you again, Steve,” she said softly. “I promise you.”

“You always kept your promises,” he said, sounding more and more like a little boy.

She’d succeeded. She’d taken him back to the man he’d been. To the boy he’d been.

“And I’ll keep this one, but I need something from you this time.”

His eyes didn’t open, but she saw the fingers lying on the floor stiffen. “You said this time would be different, and I’ve grown up,” she told him, infusing her tone with as much goodness as she could find.

Which meant pretending she was talking to other people. Whoever flashed in her mind that would work. Olivia. Lila.

She focused on Lila. Anyone closer to her... she couldn’t think of them right now. Couldn’t let anything draw her away from the moment.

But Lila was there, in her mind. Not quite a mother figure, but almost. And Renee.

Steve’s fingers relaxed again.

It wasn’t her fault that her family had died, that Chad had died. She’d had things left to do here on earth. It hadn’t been her time.