For Always (book one)

Chapter 18: Suitors

Malyn

"Close your mouth, Malyn. Ya look like ya just saw a ghost."

I was still sitting in my Jeep, in shock. Beau was gone, so I knew I was going crazy. However, when I shut my eyes, I heard him say my name, again.

I looked back up to where he was still standing by my door and slowly got out, shutting my door behind me. When he smiled, I instinctively threw myself in his arms—his very solid arms.

"How...?"

"It didn't work, Malyn. I'm sorry, but you're stuck with me."

"How are you...?" I squeezed his arms as if he wasn't real.

He didn't answer me. Instead, he simply grinned at me. "Let's go for a ride."

Staring at his dimples, I wasn't sure I understood him right. "What?"

"A ride," he repeated, motioning towards the Jeep.

"How can we go for a ride?" I was beginning to wonder if I was losing my mind. Or maybe I fell asleep in the Jeep and was dreaming.

"I'll explain on the way," he said with the half-grin, "but you'd better drive."

Still in shock, I didn't say anything as I sat back down and pulled my seatbelt across my lap, waiting on him to get in. I looked at him for a minute, amazed that he was here, before I finally started the Jeep. "Buckle up."

"Buckle up what?" he asked as he looked around.

"Sorry, I forgot." I reached over and pulled his seatbelt across him.

"Do ya think this'd really make a difference?"

"In whether or not I kill you? No. If we get pulled over? Yes. That's all I need is a ticket."

"A ticket?"

I forget that a lot of things were still new to him. "If you get caught not wearing your seatbelt, you get a ticket from the police." Then I had a thought. "Did you tell Grandmama we were leaving?"

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled and grabbed my hand, which reminded me of something else.

"And she was okay with that?"

"Yep."

I took his word for it and started the jeep. "So, what's going on? How are you—" I lifted up my hand that he was holding "—so solidly here now? And able to go for a ride?"

"Max's plan didn't work, so I'm stuck here... for now." He reached around and pulled a black box out of the back of his waistband, holding it up for me to see. "This is how I'm able to do this," he said, smacking my leg. "This is one of your birthday presents from Max. The other ones are in the house. It works just like that ball, but we can take it with us."

"Really?"

"Yep."

I was trying to process what he was saying. "So, you're not leaving?"

"Nope."

I couldn't believe it. "Okay." That was all I cared about. He was here. Here with me. And he wasn't leaving. We could talk about my presents later.

"So, where do you want to go?" It felt so strange being able to leave the house with him.

"Anywhere," he said with longing in his voice that was undeniable.

"Okay, then." I knew exactly where I wanted to take him.

As we drove, he explained what had happened with Max and why he thought moving him on didn't work. It did make me feel good to think that his feelings for me were the reason he was still here, but I also felt guilty. He'd spent so much time wanting to move on and now I was keeping him from doing that.