“So, just so we understand each other, in this exercise, if you start to struggle, you have to tell me.”
He got it. Loud and clear. She was trying to force him to share himself with her.
Standing toe-to-toe with her, Brett, careful not to allow any part of his body to touch any part of hers, looked her straight in the eye. “Just so we understand each other,” he echoed, “I will do my utmost to try to do as you ask.” He could only give what he had to give. But he had to give all of it.
Nothing had changed.
And there was no room for game playing between him and Ella.
Life had been serious from the day they’d met.
Because he’d come to her with issues.
And she’d loved him enough to take them on.
He’d give anything to be able to love her back that much.
CHAPTER THIRTY
ELLA WAS MORE nervous than she’d ever been as she took the shortest route she knew. A five-minute drive.
Brett had never been to The Lemonade Stand. Not even to the land he’d purchased to have it built on.
He’d paid for it. Others had done the work.
It was time for him to stop paying and start reaping some of the benefits.
She hoped.
The exact location of The Lemonade Stand was known only to those who’d had occasion to be there. Brett’s mother actually owned the two city blocks housing the shelter and its holdings—gifted to her from Brett much as he’d planned to gift Ella his house. She hadn’t missed the connection.
Her sweaty palms slid along the leather steering wheel, leaving a visible sheen behind. She wondered if he noticed. Three more minutes and they’d be there.
“Your hands are shaking.”
“I’m nervous.”
“Me, too.”
Well. There, then. They were off to a good start. And were a couple minutes away from the possibility of all hell breaking loose.
“I’ve been an ass, El. I confused controlling my actions with controlling destiny.”
She had no idea what he was talking about. And couldn’t focus. Which upset her more because Brett was finally doing what s
he’d always prayed for.
He was talking to her. Not all stilted as though he was choosing every word, but just like a normal person.
She turned the last corner. In about thirty seconds, Brett was going to be facing what could possibly be the toughest challenge of his life. She completely understood that.
She also believed, now, that he was up for it. What she couldn’t believe was him—when he told her he couldn’t do it. He could. He just didn’t know that yet. But he thought she didn’t know because she wasn’t listening to him.
And he was right. She wasn’t listening to him. She was listening to his heart. Brett had taken up residence there. Waiting for her to listen to him. To really see him. So here she was, more than a decade late, but ready to do what he’d been begging her to do since she’d met him—to show him the way to love her back.
They’d arrived. She pulled into the nondescript parking lot and stopped the car.
“What is this place?” he asked, looking around at the small space. Over a hedge was a thrift shop. Farther down the block the computer center where Nora was working. And a street sign.