Clay couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was a police officer. He should have thought about all of this before ever getting involved with April. This whole thing was turning into a bigger, more dangerous mess by the minute.
And yet, he couldn’t imagine this being the end. It couldn’t be. He had to fight. He wasn’t going to lose April, not when he really believed that she was everything he had ever been looking for in a woman.
“I don’t have a choice, Clay,” she said, just barely above a whisper. “I made an agreement, and if I break it, then I could lose everything.”
He stared at her. If he lost her, then he would be losing everything.
“I’m sorry,” she said, getting to her feet. “This is going to be easier if we just end this here, before things go any further.”
He reached out and grabbed onto her wrist, preventing her from going any further.
“I don’t want you go to, April,” Clay said. He felt very childish saying it, but he didn’t know how else to put into words how he was feeling. “I can’t lose you. I can’t–”
But she pulled herself free, and without looking back at him, she rushed from the coffee shop, the sounds of her tears lingering in his mind.
He sat there, frozen in that seat for longer than he ever knew. He was like a statue, lost to time. It didn’t matter anymore, anyway. His heart lay in millions of tiny shards on the floor, and he knew that he’d never be able to pick them all up and put them back together again, not ever.
April Summers had been the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and she had just walked out on him.
Why hadn’t this been addressed sooner? They could have both saved themselves so much heartache if they had known sooner.
No, it wouldn’t have mattered, would it have? None of it would have. Somehow, some way, he would have interacted with her at some point, and he would have been enraptured with her as much then as he was now. There was no way he wouldn’t have tried to get to know her better.
And who would have known if someone else could have swept in during that time and seen what an amazing woman she was? The idea of her being with someone else was almost too much to bear.
And what if it happened now? What if, in his absence, he had to watch her fall for someone else? Someone who wasn’t related to one of her students?
It all seemed so unfair that he couldn’t accept it for what it was.
It was well after dark by the time he finally left the coffee shop, stumbling out into the night. It was getting colder. The winter was starting to settle in over Georgia.
He knew the kids would ask how April was. They loved that their dad was spending time with their teacher. He imagined, in their little minds, it might have been a really exciting thing to think that they could have ended up together. It would have been almost like a movie or something.
In a way, he’d imagined what it would be like if she were to end up as their mother. She was wonderful with them, and they just adored her. She understood so much more about kids than he did, and he liked the idea of having someone home with them all the time, and someone that he could come home to after a long and arduous day on the force.
He closed his door behind him, the silence pressing in on him from all sides. He sighed heavily. They were not going to take the news very well and that broke his heart all that much more.
9
April chewed on the end of the straw between her teeth, bouncing her leg up and down. The man sitting beside her gave her a dirty look before picking up his suitcase and moving to the row of chairs across from her. She didn’t care. She’d rather have as much space as she could in that crowded airport.
It had been the worst week April ever had. She couldn’t remember ever feeling more miserable before Christmas, or any time. All of the decorations she saw now felt gaudy and overdone. Everyone that she saw out buying last minute gifts and enjoying lunches out with friends and family made her groan and roll her eyes. It turned her stomach to see everyone else so happy when she was so upset.
She knew it was wrong to feel that way, but it was hard not to. She couldn’t understand how the world could go on when everything inside of her was so broken up and frozen cold. She shouldn’t be so angry with everyone else for enjoying their holidays, even if she knew she wouldn’t be able to enjoy hers.
She shifted in the uncomfortable plastic chair, glancing up at the flight schedules on the screen over the flight attendant’s station. The flight that was supposed to take her home to Missouri was still glowing orange and labeled DELAYED.
It had been that way for almost two hours. It wasn’t the weather in Georgia that was holding things up since it was almost fifty degrees and sunny outside. Apparently, there was a terrible snow storm in the Midwest, and it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.
I’m sorry, sweetheart, but the forecast doesn’t look great, her dad had texted her. We have a winter storm warning until tomorrow night.
April wrapped her arms tightly around herself and huffed. It looked like she wasn’t even going to be able to make it out of here in time for Christmas. That was just the icing on the cake.
A young family was sitting nearby. The father was a tall, lean man, and was bouncing a little girl on his knee. He looked so happy. He was wearing a bright green sweater, and the woman sitting beside him was wearing a matching red one. She was leaning her head on the man’s shoulder, gazing lovingly at him and the little girl.
April turned her eyes away. The man looked way too much like Clay, and it made her insides feel like they were turning inside out.
He’d tried to call her every day since she’d broken up with him. She hadn’t had the heart to answer, because she knew as soon as she did, she would’ve run back to him. It had been killing her that she had been the one to end it so prematurely, and she debated about just giving in and trying to apologize and fix it all.
It hadn’t been easy at school, either. Somehow the news of her relationship with Clay had spread around the teachers. Every time she entered a room, she could have sworn that the diverted glances and sudden hush that fell over everyone was because they’d all been gossiping about her.
Sarah and Darla had been supportive, at least, even if they couldn’t understand how she had gotten herself into that situation in the first place.
“I thought it was just common sense,” Darla had said to April when she’d confessed what happened to her and Sarah over lunch one day. “Though you could do worse than a handsome state trooper, I guess.”
“You guys weren’t together all that long, right?” Sarah asked. “I guess it’s better that you ended it now instead of six months from now when things were getting serious.”
That was the problem though, wasn’t it? Things had been getting serious, and they hadn’t been together long. In reality, she knew it was silly to be so upset over their breakup. She’d dated men for much longer than she’d dated Clay, but there was something different about this relationship. She was already starting to dream about being with him, about being a part of Eric and Ella’s lives forever. There was something real there and she knew he felt it, too.
A voice came over the loudspeaker. April could barely hear it over all the happy chatter of people traveling to see their families for Christmas.
“Flight three eighty-two to Kansas City has been postponed until tomorrow due to inclement weather at the destination airport.”
April wasn’t the only one who groaned in exasperation. She watched as the man who had moved away from her strode up to the desk and prodded the counter, his angry voice carrying as he told the desk agents to get everything straightened out so he could see his grandkids for Christmas.
April couldn’t help but feel that those kids might be better off for not seeing him, after all. He seemed too grumpy to be the fun grandpa kids needed.
With a heavy sigh, she picked up her bags and started dragging them away from the terminal, her last-minute plane ticket clutche
d in her hand. Once she knew she wouldn’t be spending Christmas with Clay and his family, she decided to go to Missouri to spend a few days with her own family. It had been a knee-jerk reaction and she’d had second thoughts about it as soon as her ticket was paid for.
And now she’d have to decide if she wanted to still try and make it home for Christmas Day, but she honestly already sort of knew that she didn’t want to. It was too much effort, and she knew that she would be just as miserable back with her family as she would be at her apartment with her cats, eating Chinese takeout.
That didn’t sound so bad. Not really. She had an endless supply of Christmas movies to stream, and she wouldn’t have to do her hair or makeup if she just stayed home all by herself. She could eat ice cream and soak in a hot bath until her fingers turned to prunes. She could dance around singing at the top of her lungs, and no one could tell her not to.
Her heart sank as she hauled her suitcase and carry-on away from the terminal.
“April!”
She stopped, her heart leaping like a reindeer. She froze, listening. There was no way. She’d hallucinated it. She was hearing things. She was tired and hungry and depressed, and she just needed to get home.
“April, hold on!”
She didn’t dare believe it. She couldn’t. It was foolish, desperate even.
But as she turned around, her heart was caught in her throat.
Dodging between groups of families and other travelers, was Clay.
She dropped her bags, no longer having the strength to hold onto them. How did he know where she was? Why was he here?
It didn’t matter. All that she could think was that he was here, that he was calling her name.
And he looked as good as he ever had. His hair was messy as if he’d had his hat on all day, his blue eyes were wide, and she felt as if she were the only person in that entire airport in that moment.
He slowed to a stop as he neared her, their eyes fixed on one another. People passed by them, but neither of them noticed.
“What are you doing here?” April asked, breathless.
Clay was breathing hard and fast, and his face was flushed. “I heard you were going to Missouri for Christmas,” he said. “I had to see you. I have to talk to you.”
“But here?” She looked around the terminal and shook her head. “Why now?”
“I know,” he said. “It’s crazy. But the more I tried to let you go, the less I could do it. And, I don’t know, I couldn’t let you get on that plane without telling you that I—”
He stopped abruptly and stared helplessly at her.
“That you what?” April asked, her heart beating so fast she was getting dizzy.
“I love you,” Clay said. “And I don’t want to live my life without you.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Those three words. Words that had been chasing themselves around in her own mind for some time. But he was here, and he was saying them to her.
“I know that it was really fast. I also know that we started things off on the wrong foot,” he said. “Our whole relationship started off that way, didn’t it? With me giving you a ticket just because I was annoyed and thought you were an overbearing, nosy teacher.”
She laughed, her eyes starting to well with tears.
“We should have been smarter, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, April. It was as if I’d never known what love really was until I met you.”
“I know what you mean,” April said. “You walked into my life and I thought, ‘Well, game over. This guy is the one’.”
Clay took a step toward her, and a chill ran down her spine.
“I’m not sure how you are going to take what I’m going to tell you, so maybe I should start off with an apology. I’m sorry that I didn’t check with you before I went, but I didn’t know how you would take it.”
A thorn of anxiety broke through the otherwise swelling joy. “How I’d take what?”
“I spoke with Principal Hanson,” he said. “Now, before you react, just listen. I apologized to her, personally, for ever putting you in a situation like this. I told her that I should have known better, and that I would do whatever I could to make up for whatever unfortunate consequences my actions have caused.”
“Clay, I don’t think—” April started, but he raised a hand, cutting her off.
“She was a very understanding woman, feeling terrible that she had stepped into your personal life like that. She said that it was only a problem while my kids are your students. After that, there would be no issue.”
April’s heart skipped a beat. “Really? I guess that makes sense.”
He nodded. “What difference would it be at that point if you started dating a parent who had kids in an elementary school? It could be anyone from any school. At that point, there would be no conflict of interest.”
“But what about between now and then?” April asked.
“She said that as long as we were to keep our relationship platonic in public, then she didn’t see any problem with it. It would be even better if we weren’t seen in public together at all.”
April nodded. “I understand that completely.”
“And she said that there might be ways to get around it that we can discuss after the Christmas break,” Clay said, his smile growing wider.
“Really?” April asked, clapping her hands together. “Oh, Clay.”
“So, you aren’t mad?” he asked.
She threw herself into his arms in response, wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him hard, and it was as if nothing had ever changed. He squeezed her tightly against him, and the warmth of him overwhelmed her.
“Thank you,” April whispered against his chest. She could feel the steady bump-bump of his heart. It was quick, and she could only grin. “And Clay?” she said, peering to look up him.
“Yeah?” he asked.
Her face split into a smile. “I love you.”
His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he leaned down to kiss her again. “I love you, too, April.” He scooped down and picked her bags up off the floor, carrying them as if they weighed nothing. Her heart stirred. She was in love with such a strong man. “Why don’t you let me walk you to your terminal?”
“No need,” April said with a smile. “The flight’s been delayed till tomorrow. I have a feeling I’m not going to make it to Missouri this year.”
“Oh, well I’m sorry to hear that,” Clay said.
She gave him a playful shove with her elbow. “You aren’t sorry. This means I can be here for Christmas.”
He grinned and kissed the top of her head. “Well, I guess you’re right. I’m selfish.” He slid his free arm around her shoulders as they started back toward the exit together.
She wrapped her arm around his waist, feeling as if she couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift.
10
“Eric, could you please grab the little marshmallows out from the pantry there?” Clay asked, pointing over his shoulder with the wooden spoon in his hands. “They should be on the second shelf from the bottom.”
“Yeah, Dad,” Eric said, sliding off his barstool on the other side of the kitchen island. He slipped a little in his brand new fuzzy socks on the hardwood floor, but recovered as he pulled the pantry doors open.
Clay looked down at his daughter, who was standing right beside him on the step stool, peering into the contents of the pot on the stovetop.
“And you, my little angel, would you please grab those red and green sprinkles from beside the coffee maker?” he asked, leaning down and giving her a small kiss on the top of her head.
Ella beamed up at him and climbed down from her stool, scurrying across the kitchen.
Clay’s heart was full. He whisked his spoon through the hot cocoa that was just about to simmer. He picked up the vanilla extract and tipped a teaspoon or so in, the heavenly, warm smell filling the kitchen.
“Mmm, something smells good.”
&nb
sp; Clay glanced over his shoulder and saw April walking into the kitchen. She was wearing the new silk robe his mother had given her over her pajamas, which were decorated with tiny sleighs and reindeer. She beamed up at him.
He opened his arm wide, and she shuffled in closer to him. He pulled her in tightly, squeezing her against his side.
“I haven’t had hot chocolate in ages,” April said, inhaling deeply. “There’s something so special about it at Christmas time, though.”
“It’s my favorite drink of all time,” Eric said, squishing the bag of marshmallows between his fingers like a pillow. “I want to drink it all the time, but maybe not when it’s really hot out.”
April smiled down at him. “Do you know what my favorite flavor of hot chocolate is?” she asked.
Little Eric’s eyes widened, and Ella hurried over, sprinkles in hand, listening closely.
April leaned down to them for effect, a smirk spreading over her face. “Peppermint.”
Eric and Ella glanced at each other. “Whoa!” Eric said. “How do you get peppermint hot chocolate?”
“Simple,” April said. She pulled away from Clay, giving him a wink, and walked around the kitchen island into the living room.
Clay saw his mother turn her head to watch where she and his father were sitting by the fire. The kids, too, were watching April closely as she approached the Christmas tree in front of the tall windows along the far wall.
She picked a few candy canes off the tree and turned back around, walking back to the kitchen with one candy cane for everyone in her hands.
“What are you going to do with those?” Eric asked, his eyes as round as snow globes.
April only smiled at him. “Are we ready for hot chocolate?” she asked Clay.
Both the kids cheered, and Clay grinned at her. “All I need is help getting all the cups out.”
Ella turned around and picked up her new mug off the counter and brought it back over to Clay.
He and April filled up the mugs with cocoa before he tossed some marshmallows into each one. Then he swirled some whipped cream on top, dashed the tops with the colored, sparkling sprinkles, and finally April tucked an unwrapped candy cane into every one of them.
A Christmas To Remember (Hero Hearts) Page 6