Catching the Player (A Hamilton Family 3)
Page 71
“It is,” the woman whispered, sitting up straight. “Why is he wearing a costume?”
Now she knew it couldn’t be him.
And yet…
Slowly, so slowly she was half convinced this was all a dream, she stood up and turned around. When she saw him
, she knew she was dreaming. He was in a 1950s costume from her shop, which Caleb had worn last week to deliver a singing telegram to a woman in her eighties.
A frigging costume.
He had on a pair of khakis, a button-up shirt, a bowtie, a top hat, and a pair of polka dot suspenders. In his hands, he had a seemingly endless number of It’s a Boy and It’s a Girl balloons, as well as plain pink and blue ones.
He locked eyes with her, his grip on the balloons tightening. “Hey.”
“What are you doing here?” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “How did you find me?”
“I followed you.” He took a step closer to her. “And I’m here because you wouldn’t let me in last night, so I decided to come here to see you instead.”
“In”—she gestured at him—“that?”
Wyatt smiled.
It did nothing to hide his nerves.
He glanced around them, taking in the phones that were pointed his way. He was probably used to that. “It’s all part of my grand gesture.”
She blinked. “Grand—?”
“I’ve been told when a guy messes up, he has to make a grand gesture to apologize to the woman he—” He broke off, glancing at the phones again. No one lowered them. “So, basically, I’m here to make it up to you. Or, to try, anyway.”
She hugged herself. He was about to say some pretty words that would make her want to forgive him, but she shouldn’t. He didn’t want this. Not really. “Wyatt—”
“I messed up, Kass.” He took another step closer. She almost backed up, but instead, she stood her ground. “I never should have said those things. If I could go back and have a do-over, I’d take it. From the moment you knocked on my door and sang, I’d do it all differently.”
She swallowed. “All of it?”
“All of it,” he echoed.
“Why would you change that first day…besides my horrible singing?”
He smiled sadly. “It wasn’t horrible. It changed my life.”
“No, it was horrible,” she said, the words barely making it out through her swollen throat. “We’ve gone over this before. I can’t sing. It’s no secret.”
“But I have to tell you something,” he said, shifting his weight. “I’m even worse.”
Her eyes widened. “No.”
“Yes. I can’t carry a tune.”
She choked on a laugh. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying.” He rolled his shoulders. “I promise, here and now, to never lie to you again. That every word I say to you, from here on out, will be the truth. And I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Kass. Do you believe me?”
“Yeah. Sure. Okay.”
“If you don’t, then I’ll wait till you can. Until you do. I’m a patient man.”