Let Your Heart Drive (22 page)

Authors: Karli Rush

Chapter 28

“Live with me in this breath, this moment and take nothing for granted. Match the beating of my heart because it only beats for you.”

–Sinead

Garrett tramples over
my explosion of clothes that just detonated from my suitcase all over the floor. “
Sorry Sinny!
” he shouts as he dodges under my arm. He’s running on total energy this morning, he’s going trick or treating tonight and his excited conviction is extremely palpable. One minute he’s pouncing down the halls wearing a muscular dark masked Batman outfit and then the next he’s the man of steel.

I mishmash my shirts and shorts with a pair of shoes and holler back, “No problem Lex Luthor!” He skids to a stop straightaway and wheels around with his black gloved hands on his hip.

“I’m not Lex Luthor!”

I throw my things back inside and give him a skeptical scan, he’s so far from looking anything remotely like Lex, but I still eye him. “Oh…yeah, I see that now that you stopped moving.”

He shakes his head at me and bolts away. Dad and Chelsea bring down more luggage and prop it beside the front door.

“Do you have everything?” Chelsea quizzes while I try to close my overstuffed suitcase. I think I’m leaving here with more things than I came here with.

I barely snap together the latch and grumble out, “I have everything.”

Dad opens the front door and glares outside, he’s still in his jogging clothes from his 5 a.m. run and scours the area. “Where is he?”

“He’ll be here,” I retort and carefully place my suitcase next to the pile of baggage, making sure I don’t jostle it and another blowout of clothes scatter out. Chelsea hands me a stray checkered pajama top and I scowl. “Now where am I going to put that?”

“He’s not here yet…” Dad announces gallingly.

Brett offers a cup of coffee to him, probably to help ease his mood, but Dad just avoids the delicious beckoning aroma as if it were a stale doughnut.

I reach over and steal it from Brett’s hands. “If he doesn’t want it I’ll take it.”

Dad doesn’t pay any attention to us, Brett glances at his watch and says, “He’s only nine minutes late, Jeff. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

Chelsea totes in another bag brimming with food and I look at her like she’s crazy. “How much room do you think we’re going have, Sis?”

“You’re going to be hungry.”

The once calm and tranquil house starts feeling more and more like a mad house, Brett turns to Chelsea asking her about the map. Garrett bounces around us asking if he can go next door to show his friend, Josh, his new Batarang thingamabob and I’m staring Dad down hoping he doesn’t jump ship.

Dad marches toward the kitchen. “I need my wallet,” he mumbles as I sip on my coffee.

“Why do you need your wallet for, Dad?” I question over the rim of my steamy cup.

“I’m going to take you. He’s missed his chance.” He paces back to the doorway with one intention on his mind and I pick up my own pace, my nerves are quickly unraveling.

“Dad, he’ll be here.”

“Where’s your map?” he challenges and just as I’m pivoting around, searching, a car horn blares two short times. I squeeze through Chelsea, Brett, Garrett, and my dad and see Trey leaning out of a glossy black Hybrid with his hands holding up the notorious map. I shoulder my way through and make a mad dash toward him. My feet lift off the ground the moment he throws his strong arms around me, catching me in mid-air. I tuck my face close to his neck and embrace his scent, his body and his voice.

“You weren’t going to leave without me were you?”

“Are you kidding? I can’t leave without my roadside.”

My toes touch the earth, but my heart doesn’t find any gravity as we stare at each other, he brushes back the wayward strands of hair that fall across my face. “So where do you want to drive to first?”

Garrett lugs one of my bursting-at-the-seams bags across the front lawn following his dad, Brett carries another and reaches out briefly shaking Trey’s hand. Trey’s hand returns holding me tight and forces a smirk at me. “That’s a lot of clothes you have there, think you have enough?”

Brett stifles a laugh. “You have no idea.” He points over to me and leans discreetly toward Trey. “I think she’s a stealthy addict.”

They both look me up and down with straight faces of certainty and say together, “Doritos.”

Dad and Chelsea join us, Dad’s donning a stern expression creasing his brows, it makes him look older, the worry shows and I reach out and take his hand.

“I’m going to be okay.”

I slip from Trey’s embrace and wrap myself in my dad’s, we hug, letting an unclaimed tear fall between us and I snag my sister in with us. “I love you guys and I promise we’ll follow the route to a T.”

Chelsea’s the first to step away and hugs Trey, she inaudibly whispers something to him. Finally we all smile for a few pictures, ones I’m going to need for my blog and then we’re off. Trey starts the rental and I beam over to him and say, “Okay… I want to see the world’s largest rocking chair, the Gateway Arch, Jesse James
museum and–
”

Trey leans over and kisses my next destination away. I’ve fallen in love with a man who doesn’t wince or tremble from the inevitable, he’s diving into the clouded abyss with me with everything he has. His heart, his soul and together we’ll let our heart drive to where we need to be.

Epilogue

I
proposed to Sinead in Chicago right under a historic Route 66 sign, a marker stating the beginning of an amazing journey. Skyscrapers looming over us, people walking by and I knelt down on one knee and waited for her to answer. She said ‘
Yes’
and today, a few days shy from Christmas,
I’m standing in front of a gathering of friends and family.

I glance over to Brett who’s wearing a classic black tie attire. I adjust my own tie, and he sends an approving nod. Six other groomsmen line behind him on the marble staircase and I view the rest of the iconic grand hall.

Chelsea practically arranged everything the day we left in October, from the gowns, floral arrangements to reserving the Mayo Hotel. I’m glad she did, and when my mother flew in from Texas, there wasn’t much to do except watch her son marry the woman he loves.

There was never a question I’d marry her, because there’s no one in this world that could ever compare to her. She made me want to take life and cherish every damn minute. The lights dim, the candles shine and the crystal chandeliers illuminate Sin as she walks down the aisle to me. She’s breathtakingly beautiful and all I can think about is sweeping her off her feet and keeping her all to myself.

She smiles that beautiful smile of hers and I’m finding it hard to concentrate, the minister begins and all I’m left with is an impenetrable happiness when I repeat, “I Trey, take you Sinead for my lawful wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer. In sickness and in health until death do us apart.”

Author’s Note

I truly hope you enjoyed Trey and Sinead’s story. This took a lot out of me, but I’ve had this story shelved in the back of my mind for so long I was afraid I would never write it. Luckily, their voices never let me forget and here we are. I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read my story, I appreciate it on so many levels. My dreams are to write and create worlds of romance and hope you, the reader, enjoy.

Special Thanks

Now, I want to pay special thanks to some very important people to me. My personal editor Ellen Ward, thank you for making sure I cross my i’s and dot my t’s, lol. You know what I mean. I love you to the moon and back! Mrs. Charidy thank you for taking the time to do the final read through, you have my never-ending gratitude. My Rush Team, Michelle, Charidy, Janet, Bella, Mayra, Patches, Eva, Crystal, Kristin, Brandi, Steph, Jessica and Heather! You are my Rock Stars! Thank you so much for all your support and love. <3

Other Books by Karli Rush

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