29. Sara

Chapter twenty-nine

Sara

I bask in Robert's embrace, refusing to let go. Hearing his words brings me peace of mind in a sense. I pull back, tears welling in my eyes as I stare at his masculine face.

"I missed you," I admit.

"I did, too."

"Is there a reason why you didn't tell me sooner?" I ask.

He nods. "I was worried about potentially ruining everything. I wanted to show you that I meant everything and wanted to make sure that before I showed my face to you again, I was ready for it."

He looks up at the night sky. I do the same, seeing the different stars.

"And, plus, there is that part of me that was nervous about coming back."

"What do you mean?"

A sad frown falls on his face. "In the past, as I've told you, when I've dated women, they only cared about my money. They didn't see me as human, but instead a credit card machine with a heartbeat."

"But then why did you spend all that money to help the sanctuary?"

He touches my cheek, gently caressing it. "Because I know your end game isn't to get money out of me. You like me for me. From the moment I told you of my wealth, you didn't push me for money or shy away."

He's right. Sure, his being rich is a nice little additive, but it's not everything.

"Probably because I don't think money is everything," I respond.

"It's not, but a lot of women think it is," he admits, sighing. "Maria didn't seem to in the past, but when I met her again, she was a shell of the person I had known: an uninspiring woman, only caring about one thing, and one thing only."

"Your bank account."

He nods. "Correct. When I saw her again as a completely different person, I knew from that moment I couldn't be with her again. You, however, are different. You care about me, and you show interest, even though I struggle with expressing my own feelings."

"It's hard to do," I reply. "I've had my qualms about talking to others. When you left, I thought it was because I told you about my dreams."

"No, it's not that at all!" I retort. "I honestly love that, and it shows me that you have a good heart and a beautiful soul."

He hugs me, and I hug him back. The words dripping from his lips just sound so right. I nuzzle his neck, nodding.

"I know, Sara. Your passion and drive have been a reason why I never gave up on you. I knew from the moment I screwed up that I had to make this right. Even if it meant that I had to make exceptional efforts to change things, I wanted to show you that you matter to me in the best way possible."

I nod, understanding what he's saying. "You do too, Robert. And I'm sorry for distancing myself. It's been a very chaotic past month, and frankly, I was so terribly hurt and lonely. My heart was broken, to be honest."

"No, it's fine. I get it, and I'm so sorry that what I did made you feel like that. Honestly, work tried to get me to go to Germany, but I refused to go," I tell her.

My jaw drops. Germany? That's, like, halfway across the world! What the heck are they doing out there?

"Why?"

"A colleague wanted to discuss a deal in Berlin. While flattered, I told him no."

"You could've gone."

He shakes his head and then stands up. As he gets off the rock, he extends his hand.

"If I left without telling you how I feel and apologizing, I don't know what I would've done with myself. I just couldn't go. I wouldn't."

I grip his hand and nod, the sparks flying between us as I slide off the rock.

"Yes, I don't want to think about that either."

We walk to the edge of the water. Robert takes off his shoes and steps in. I do the same, and as I step in, the waves tickle my feet. My toes sink into the sand as I stare out into the distance, as far as my eyes can see.

A sweet silence fills the space between us. I feel as if I should make some noise, but I don't want to. The calmness of the moment, no matter how quiet it is, feels right. Robert takes a deep breath, breaking the silence as his hand caresses my waist.

"Sara, there is something else I want to give to you."

"What do you mean? You've done so much, helping the sanctuary from falling into debt and all. What else could you possibly do?"

He fishes for something in his pocket and pulls it out.

"Just a little something."

He hands me the envelope, and I open it. Inside is a check, more than I could ever dream of.

"Robert, what are you—"

"I want you to finish school. You said it yourself; you can't run a sanctuary without the right education."

"Yeah, but May mentioned she'd take care of this," I stammer. That's what she told me. May never disclosed how much money Robert had given to the sanctuary, but I imagine it was enough to keep it running.

He shakes his head. "No, the money I gave to May was specifically for renovations and running the place. I knew one day she would ask you to take things over. Which is why I planned this."

I nod, staring at the numbers. It's enough to get me through all of my education, and without worrying about a job.

"This is so much, though! How can I accept?"

"A drop in the bucket, if it means that you're happy," he insists. "And remember we decided that we are going to be together for the long haul."

I look back down at it. His being rich does make me a bit cautious, but there's also something nice about it. He cares and doesn't just use his wealth for selfish reasons.

"Thank you, Robert. Really . . . ." I'm stammering and can't seem to get my words together.

"You're very welcome. I also talked with my guys who take care of Orchid. They want to bring Orchid to your sanctuary to live, and they'll take care of him there if that's okay."

"That's great. But what about them? Do they need jobs?"

He shakes his head. "They're actually working directly for me, and they personally take care of my horse when I'm not around. They can also give expert care to Clover and the other horses if you'd like."

"That would be amazing! Thank you and yes!"

"It's nothing, really. But yes, this is all for you. And eventually, I'd love to see you have your own sanctuary. I know May's place means the world to you, but you should also look at building your own place too."

I nod. "That is my dream after all, and I hope that it will be our combined dream, Robert."

"Yes, I do want to help you follow that dream, and I will, to the ends of the earth."

I can barely think of anything to say. This is truly a dream come true.

There's something still bothering me about all this. I don't want to pry, but it eats at my mind, almost like a festering wound. I turn to Robert, chewing my lips as I think about how to phrase this.

"There's still something else I want to ask you."

"Go ahead," he encourages.

I flush, hoping it doesn't sound rude of me to say this. "I'm just wondering why you're doing this. Sure, I've got dreams, but you're so invested. Why does it matter?"

He smiles, chuckling at my words.

"Well first and foremost because I care about you. And because, in a way, I see myself in you. I built my company to make money, lots of money. But deep down, there was always a desire to serve and help others. I never got a chance to.

No. that's not right. I never made the chance to. Maybe it's my own penance for being selfish for so long, but I want to see you do well. My love language isn't just money, Sara. It's seeing others happy and thriving, following their dreams."

His words shake me to the core, but I get it. He's got his own ways of vicariously living through the dreams of others, which I respect. I giggle, happy to hear this.

"Really, it's nice to hear. I promise I'll follow the dreams I have. Oops, no, I mean we will follow our dreams together, right?"

"I can't wait to see it," he says.

He grabs me by the waist and pulls me close. Our eyes meet, and in those blues, I see life and fullness. I see a desire for tomorrow and a drive toward success.

Our lips meet in a kiss. It's like a whirlwind, the most perfect moment I've ever felt. At first, I stand there astonished, but then I relax into it. His lips are soft and inviting, giving me a feeling of relief as we brush together.

I stay there, refusing to let him go. I don't want this moment to end. He pulls me tight and our lips stay there in the most wonderful and tender moment. As he pulls back, he smiles.

"I like you, Sara. A LOT! I like seeing you succeed, and I want a future with you in any sort of way. Can you let me have this?"

"Of course. A future with you sounds perfect, Robert, and I'm ready for whatever it brings us."

His grip tightens, and I lean into it. As the waves continue ebbing and flowing against our ankles, time passes and I only focus on one thing.

The future. A life between us, shared just as we both want it.

That's all I want, and I know from Robert's words it's what he wants, too.