"Envelope." A small frown furrowed her brow. "How do you know that I haven't?
Teague watched her closely. "Because if you had opened it already, you would know."
"What would I know?" she whispered, and her lips trembled.
"You would know that I love you with everything that I've got. You would know that when I look at you and Harry and Morgan, I see the world differently. I don't see war and desperation or suffering. I see something that I've never seen before. I see hope and beauty. I see love."
Teague walked past her and headed toward the front door. His chest was tight and he had no idea if he was playing this correctly. But he was going to go with his gut. He was going to give her the time she needed to figure this out on her own.
"Open the envelope, Sabrina. You'll be able to get inside my head and then you'll know what I know. "
Teague sat in his car for a good five minutes, staring into the dark and wondering if he'd done the right thing by walking away. He could have had her. He knew this. He could have scooped Sabrina into his arms and carried her up to her bedroom. Lord knows his body ached at the thought.
"Shit," he muttered, firing up the engine of his truck and pulling away from the curb.
It was a cool evening, boasting a night sky full of stars and a hint of frost in the air. Teague slid from his truck and pulled a cigar out of his suit jacket, leaning back against the vehicle as he lit the Montecristo. Voices from behind the house echoed eerily across the water and he knew that most of his family was out there. They were a noisy bunch and he smiled when his sister Grace started in on his cousin Cooper. Those two were always butting heads.
"How'd it go?"
Teague turned as his twin Tucker appeared from the dark.
"I guess I'll find out tomorrow," Teague replied.
"What's going on tomorrow?"
"I'm going to ask Sabrina to marry me."
"Huh," Tucker said, glancing up into the night sky. "Another man down. Mom's going to be all over this."
Teague grinned and offered his brother a cigar.
"You're cocky. Celebrating already," Tucker said, accepting it.
"Not cocky," Teague replied wryly, following his brother's gaze and staring up into the big night. "I've never been more scared of anything in my life."
"Shit," Tucker said, with a chuckle. "This is only the beginning. Just wait."
"For what?"
"For her to say yes. That's when it gets real. That's when your life changes. But I gotta tell ya, it's worth it. Can't believe it took you so long to figure that shit out."
The boys said no more after that. They stayed out under the stars for nearly an hour, enjoying their cigars and the comfort of each other. It was nice, Teague thought, spending time with his brother. Being here with his family. Right now he felt as if anything was possible.
He felt as if he was halfway home and hopefully, Sabrina would help get him all the way there.
Chapter Twenty-eight
The photos were breathtaking. They were intimate and candid, quiet and reflective. They were full of life and exuberant and …
"I can't believe you waited so long to open these," Allie said, moving a few of the pictures so that she could see them better.
Ashamed, Sabrina could only nod because that big old lump was back in her throat.
"Wow, the guy has the touch. I mean, I knew he was a good photographer. I've seen some of his stuff in Vanity Fair and Time Magazine, but these are beyond good. These are inspiring and touching and so damn real." Allie bumped Sabrina's shoulder. "It's like seeing you and Harry and Morgan, through his heart and soul. My God, the attention to detail. The moments he captured. He was looking for those. Paying attention. Wow. Just wow."
It was Sunday afternoon and Sabrina was working with yet another sleepless night. After opening the envelope and seeing the gift that Teague had given her, there was no way Mr. Sandman was coming for her. She'd struggled all night with the need to go to him versus the need to think things through.
But really, what was there to think through? He'd had her heart, her body and soul the moment she'd opened the envelope.
"Why did you wait so long?" Allie asked, and Sabrina could see her friend was puzzled.
Good question.
Sabrina picked up a photo of Harry in the boat. He'd just caught his first fish and the expression on his face was priceless. He held up the little sunfish, spraying drops of water everywhere and the shot had captured the moment perfectly.
"After Teague left, I told myself that I'd open the envelope when he came back. Stupid, really, but in my mind as long as the envelope was sealed, he had to come back. So when he didn't I just kind of forgot about it. Put it out of my mind. Buying this house and moving from the city took up all my time. I was too busy to think about an envelope that was somehow tethered to a man halfway around the world."
"Hmmm." Allie picked up another one. It was a candid black and white photo of Sabrina laughing. She was on the beach with the wind in her hair and the joy in her face was contagious.
"I remember that day," Sabrina said softly. "We'd just got back from a boat ride to Bala and Harry and Morgan were so thrilled that Teague took us out. It was a perfect day."
Allie regarded her closely. "Why did you open these up now?"
"Teague told me to. He thought it would help convince me that … " Shoot. Was she really going to say this out loud? "He told me that he loved me and I didn't believe him." The words fell out of her in a rush, so quickly that it took a few moments for Allie to clue in.
She clapped her hands over her mouth. "No," she said, her eyes wide and sparkly. "He said he loved you?"
Sabrina nodded, close to tears and feeling like an idiot for being so emotional. "Yes. He did." She sighed. "And then he left."
Allie froze. "Tell me he did not leave the country."
"No, he … he was being a gentleman, I guess."
"A gentleman? He should have stripped you down right then and there and you could have relieved some of that sexual tension you got going on."
"Does everything always come back to sex?"
"Hey, blame my pregnancy hormones. Lately it's all I can think about." Allie laughed, though it soon trailed off as she fingered another photo of Sabrina and the kids.
"What are you going to do?" Allie asked softly.
Sabrina stared down at the photos until her eyes blurred. "I was thinking about driving out to see him."
"Then go."
"I-"
"Go! I'll pick up the kids from Sunday school."
Sabrina hesitated and then flung her arms around her friend. "Why are you so good to me?" she whispered into Allie's ear.
"It's because I'm your Tonto."
"My what?" Sabrina pulled away, confused.
"You know, your Robin."
"I-"
"Jesus, Sabrina. I'm your Christina." Allie's eyes widened. "Your person? Like Christina Yang to Meredith on Greys ?"
"Oh," Sabrina laughed. "Okay. Now I get it."
Allie made a face. "Who doesn't know who Tonto is?"
"Apparently me."
Allie gave her one more hug and then nodded to the door. "Go get him."
Sabrina scooped her purse off the hall table and had her car revving less than ten seconds later. The day was dull, cool and gray and she shivered because she'd forgotten a coat. By the time she reached Lake Road, the rain started and pelted her windshield with large drops.
She parked in her driveway, noting that there were still a good many cars at the Simon cottage, including Teague's truck. Hunching her shoulders, she exited her car and was about to head over to the house when she heard raised voices.
Sabrina wiped rain from her eyes and took a step toward the house but then paused. Ears straining, she turned to the boathouse. One of the voices was definitely Teague. Uncertain, she stood there for a few moments but then dashed through the rain, nearly falling on her ass as her running shoes hit the slick dock.
"You're fucking kidding me." Not knowing whose angry words those were, she paused, shivering as a gust of cool, fall wind blew in from the lake.
"I'm not," Teague replied.
"Un-fucking-believable."
A large gust came out of nowhere and nearly knocked her over, but Sabrina grabbed hold of the edge of the building, and tried to peek inside.
"This is Pulitzer Prize material. How in hell can you pass this up?"
"Richard, I told you yesterday that I was done. You've wasted a trip out here. I've met someone and-"
"You've met someone? So what? Tell your little bird that you need to fly away for a few weeks. A month tops. And you'll see her when you get back."
"Not gonna happen."
"You've lost your mind."
"No," Teague replied, voice dangerously low. So low that Sabrina could barely hear him. "I've finally found the missing piece and there's no way in hell I'm giving her up or doing anything to jeopardize our future."