Return to You

"I can't do this again."
    "I know."
    "You do?"
    "Yes." He raked his hair back. "I didn't come here
for this."
    "You didn't?" She tried not to pout.
    His lips tipped up just a little. "No. I came to
give you this." He reached in his pocket and pulled something
out.
    Her breath caught when she realized what it was. A
locket. She looked closer. It couldn't be—
    It was. It was her locket.
    Tears filled her eyes and the glittering necklace
blurred. She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at it.
    "I've carried it with me ever since you threw it
back at me." He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger.
"Lurch was right. I've been an idiot. I was an idiot eleven years
ago. And then I was given another chance and I blew it. Big
time."
    She nodded. "Yes, you did."
    "I wanted to tell you"—he drew her to him—"I wanted
to tell you I'm sorry. For what I did and everything I said. I was
a prick. And I wanted to tell you that I love you."
    Her head wasn't as easily pacified by the words.
What did they mean really? He supposedly loved her before but he
still left her. "What do you want, Michael?" she asked again.
    "You." He kissed her lips—a butterfly kiss—and
looked into her eyes. "I want us to start again. Fresh. I miss you,
Olivia. I went back and nothing was good without you. I had what I
thought I wanted, only I discovered I wanted the wrong thing." He
touched his forehead to hers, his eyes blazing into hers. "I want
my best friend back. I want you in my life forever."
    She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to hope. There
was no guarantee he'd stay. He may talk big now, but when the next
too-tempting project came along how was she to know he wouldn't be
out the door? As she fully expected him to be.
    She felt the gentle pressure of his lips on her
eyelids. "Say something."
    She reluctantly opened her eyes. She needed to see
his when he answered her question. "What about your work? You can't
give it up."
    "You're right. I can't. But I can be picky about the
projects I accept. And I can take you with me. If you'll go." He
gazed at her, part hopefully, part warily, unsure of her
reaction.
    She narrowed her eyes. "You'd live in Northern
California? You hate it here."
    "I thought I hated it here. But it's changed." He
grinned sheepishly. "Okay, maybe I've changed. I'm willing to
compromise, or commute, or whatever. As long as I can be with
you."
    "I'm leaving," she blurted out.
    He blinked. "What?"
    "I'm going to Paris. For a few
weeks. Vacation. I needed to get away." She frowned. "I don't know
why you thought I couldn't leave here. I love it here, but I don't
need to be here all the time."
    His grin was large and relieved. He pulled her
against him. "Maybe I could meet you there," he whispered against
her lips.
    She shrugged, pretending to be casual when her pulse
was beating triple time. "Maybe."
    His hands tightened on her waist. "Maybe we could go
together."
    She bit her lip as his mouth grazed her neck.
"Maybe."
    He nibbled her before looking her in the eyes.
"Maybe it could be our honeymoon."
    "Maybe." Her grin was swallowed by a slow, thorough
kiss.

Epilogue
     
     
    Parker reclined on the settee and smiled. "You're
going to wear out your soles before the ceremony if you keep pacing
like that."
    Michael swiped back his hair. "Easy for you to say.
You already claimed your bride."
    Parker's smile widened. Yes, he had.
    "No need to gloat." Michael's scowl deepened. "When
is this wedding going to start?"
    "Nervous?"
    "Are you kidding? Hell no." He dropped onto a chair
and crossed his legs. "I think I've been waiting all my life for
this moment."
    Parker relaxed. That was what he wanted to hear. As
much as he wanted to repair the rift between his daughter and
himself, it hadn't occurred to him that he could be pushing her in
a direction she wasn't prepared to go. Elaine had had to point that
out to him.
    He smiled, thinking of all the ways
Elaine had made a difference in his life. He was content . He shook his
head. He'd never been content before. In those early years with
Lily he'd been driven to make Parker Pictures succeed. He'd been
happy, of course, but now he felt settled. As if he'd arrived
exactly where he belonged.
    He still couldn't believe how blind he'd been in
regards to Elaine.
    He cocked a brow at Michael, who tapped his fingers
rhythmically on his thigh. "You aren't acting like a calm man."
    "What do you expect? I haven't seen my fiancee in
several weeks thanks to your insane post production