part0025

I don’t know why I was so nervous watching Hayden and listening to him talk on the phone to some dude named Selig. I guess it was because he looked kind of shocked and on edge like something important was going on. I wanted to know exactly what, but I had no right to ask him anything because out of fear, I had been avoiding the conversation that I knew in my heart we needed to have. I didn’t want to learn anything negative about Hayden that could possibly prevent us from having a future together. And I was afraid to let him know that I wasn’t just a songwriter and producer. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he were to reject me as Zyeshia. Nor did I want him to come into my life and ride the gravy train like Tobias had either.

I wrapped my arms around my naked body when Hayden finally said goodbye and hung up the phone. The few seconds he stared at me in silence felt like an eternity. Relief washed over me when he reached out and gathered me in his arms.

He ran his fingers through my mussed hair and kissed my forehead. “I have to leave for Germany this afternoon, sweetheart. It’s about my job. I don’t have time to explain it because it’s very complicated. Right now, we need to pack and get out of here.”

“We ?” I pulled back to study his face.

“Natalie, this is not the time for one of your temper tantrums. My flight is at one-fifteen and it’s almost seven o’clock. We both need to shower, dress, and pack so we can leave here by nine.”

“Why do you keep saying we , Hayden? You’re the one leaving. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to leave you here alone because that’s not going to happen!” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, the sincerity I saw in them warmed my heart. “Babe, you’ve got to trust me. I can’t leave you on the mountain alone. If anything were to happen to you in my absence, I would never forgive myself. So, don’t give me a hard time, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Almost two hours later, I stood on the porch of my cabin watching Hayden load my last piece of luggage in the back of my truck. My tears were fighting to flow, but my strong will held them back. I forced a smile on my face when he trudged up the walkway, climbed the steps, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“You stored all of my numbers in your cell phone, right?”

“Did you store all of yours in mine like I told you to?”

“Yes, Hayden, I did.”

“Thank you.” He pulled me in for a big bear hug and caressed my back. “I wish I could take you with me.”

I buried my face in his chest and allowed my tears to fall freely. I couldn’t speak or even make a sound over the lump in my throat. I just held on to him for dear life. My heart was breaking into tiny pieces. I wasn’t ready for our time together to end and I dreaded returning home to the real world in the A.

Hayden took a step back and held me at arm’s length. The moment our eyes met, the emotional dam broke. More tears streamed down my face and my body began to tremble.

“Hush now, babe. Don’t cry. I swear to God I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He dropped his arms from my body, and I immediately felt empty on the inside. How the hell was I going to make it through a single day without feeling his touch, inhaling his scent, and tasting his sweet lips against mine?

“Let me walk you to your truck, babe.” He grabbed my hand and led me down the steps and to my SUV. “Give me your keys.”

Still bawling my eyes out, I reached into my purse and fished for my key ring. When I found it, I handed it to Hayden. He unlocked my door and opened it before he lifted me to sit sideways in the driver’s seat, facing him with my legs dangling in the air. He positioned his body between my thighs and pulled me forward. I felt his erection pressing against my core. When he wrapped his arms around me, I wanted to tell him I loved him and my heart belonged to him, but I swallowed my words and savored the final minutes of his presence.

“My flight is nonstop, so I should arrive in Frankfort around ten-thirty tonight your time. I’ll call you as soon as I land.”

“I’ll be waiting by the phone.”

Our farewell kiss was slow but passionate, sending a love signal straight to my heart. The way Hayden made love to my mouth with thorough swipes of his tongue against mine made me miss him already. I wanted to drag him into my truck, lock him inside, and make him my prisoner for life. But I couldn’t because I cared too much about him to cause him to miss out on a career opportunity, despite the fact that I didn’t know a damn thing about what he did for a living.

He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. When he pulled me closer in a tighter hug, my love for him was confirmed ten times over. I wanted him to be my man. No, I needed him to be. Like a blue whale needed water to survive, I needed Hayden. I hadn’t come to Blue Ridge to find love. In fact, I was running away from the pain and embarrassment that imaginary love had caused me. My brief encounter with Hayden had taught me that what I’d had with Tobias wasn’t love at all. It was nothing more than a relationship based on convenience and familiarity, totally devoid of love and a spiritual connection. But when Hayden entered the scene, I was introduced to more love, passion, and romance than I could handle. And I wanted more of it. Hell, I wanted it all …an entire lifetime’s worth.

“It’s time for you to go, babe,” Hayden whispered, snatching me from my thoughts. Then like the perfect gentleman, protector, and extraordinary lover I’d fallen in love with, he helped me reposition in the driver’s seat and secured my seatbelt before he kissed my temple and purred, “Mach’s gut mein Schatz. Ich liebe dich. Für immer .”

“I don’t know what the hell that means,” I croaked over a pitiful sob that I’d tried my damndest to hold back.

“I promise to translate it and demonstrate it for you when I see you again.”

“But when will that be, Hayden?”

“Soon , sweetheart. Trust me. You’ll be back in my arms again where you belong soon.”

“Do you promise?”

He lifted my hand from the steering wheel and placed it on his heart. “Ich verspreche. That means I promise.”

I searched those mesmerizing eyes of his and saw raw truth in them. And that was all I needed. I allowed Hayden to wipe the tears from my face with his wide palm before he placed a chaste peck on my lips. I swallowed a whimper when he closed my door, hell bent on keeping my emotions in check. Cranking my truck was the hardest task ever, but I did it and shifted the gear to reverse. My bleeding heart wouldn’t allow me to steal one last glance at Hayden because I would’ve fallen apart. So, I kept it moving, motivated by his promise that we would be together again soon.

I rolled over onto my back with my hand shielding my eyes from the bright overhead light. “What time is it?”

“It’s time to get your ass out of bed so you, Zahirah, and I can work on a statement about this Tobias-Jian bullshit now that you’re back in town. That knocked-up heifer is doing a countdown to her delivery day on Instagram. Who the entire hell would do some tacky shit like that?”

“Uggghhh! For real?”

“Yep. And Tobias is just as bad. He’s all over social media and the radio promoting some whack-ass single he claims he’s about to drop New Year’s Day. This whole breakup and baby thing is making him semi-relevant again, but you and I know that nobody would even remember his name if it wasn’t for you.”

I sat up, yawned, and stretched with my hands high above my head.

“Damn, girl!” Ravie scrunched up her nose and fanned the air in front of her face with her hand. “What the hell did you eat last night before you went to bed? Your breath smells like foot fungus and sweaty booty crack!”

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I called Big Quad and told him to bring me a big bag of Funyuns, a jar of pickles, and a six-pack of Altenburger Premium to help me mellow out.”

“And what is that? Some kind of sleep aide?”

“Nope. It’s German beer.” I smiled but only for a few seconds because an image of Hayden’s face flashed before my eyes, reminding me about his meeting this morning. He had promised me last night before we ended our hour-long conversation that he would call before his meeting with some important people about his job.

I hopped out of bed and started searching my bedroom frantically for my cell phone.

“Eesh, what’s the matter?” Ravie waddled behind me as fast as she could when I ran toward the master bath.

“I need to find my phone! I was expecting a call from Hayden this morning before his meeting. Those three beers I drank last night must’ve really wiped me out. And now, I can’t remember what I did with my freaking phone. I’ll be back!” I shouted over my shoulder as I dashed out of the master suite toward the stairs.

I sprinted into the great room and checked the coffee table and both end tables, but my phone was nowhere to be found. I twisted my fingers in my ’fro and mentally retraced my steps from the moment Big Quad showed up last night with the beer and snacks until he left. My memory was a little blurry for a minute, but then I remembered putting the three beers I had left over in the fridge and Big Quad’s fifth of French vanilla Cîroc in the freezer.

I power walked to the kitchen and found my phone on the counter next to the stainless steel, sub-zero refrigerator. My hand shook terribly as I reached for it. I picked it up and immediately saw a bunch of missed text messages and calls that meant absolutely nothing to me. But the call I’d missed a little after four o’clock this morning Eastern Standard Time from a phone number starting with a +43 country code brought tears to my eyes. How could I have missed his call? I silently questioned myself.

I left the kitchen and dragged my body upstairs with tears pooling in my eyes. I was so damn emotional since leaving Blue Ridge.

“Eesh, what’s wrong? Did he call?” Ravie asked as soon as I re-entered the master suite.

I nodded and slumped down on the bed next to her before I swiped my phone’s screen a few times. I pushed the voicemail icon as tears began to spill from my eyes and trickle down my cheeks.

“Good morning, babe. I had hoped you’d be awake so I could hear your sexy voice, but I understand that you’re probably tired from packing in a rush and the unexpected drive back home yesterday. Forgive me if I kept you up too late on the phone last night. I just miss you so much. Anyway, I’m on my way to the meeting. Wish me luck. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done. Ich liebe dich.”

“Oooh weee! Honey, that damn accent!” Ravie squealed, rubbing her big belly filled with Chip Junior. “All that bass in his voice and them words he said in German at the end made my coochie clap three times ! Damn, Eesh, I see why that man’s got you wide open.” She giggled and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Aw, don’t cry, Eeshy Pooh. It’s gonna be alright.”