Selena probably would have stood there, gaping for a lot longer if Jace hadn’t tugged her hand.
“Welcome back,” said Lizzie softly. For a moment, his sister look vulnerable, as if she, too, had worried about this dinner all day.
So Selena set aside her own worries, took a few steps into the warmth of the house, and wrapped her arms around Lizzie. She sighed and hugged her back. It felt so good to see her again, and Selena struggled to focus on that part, not on all the years she had missed.
She pulled back a little. “Look at you. It’s been a long time.”
“A lot happens in nine years.”
“Don’t I know it.”
The entranceway was silent for a moment as they watched each other. Then Lizzie dipped her head and turned down the hallway. “We’re all in the kitchen. Drake just got here a bit ago.”
Selena took off her coat and scarf, handing them to Jace, trying to process that this young woman walking away was the same girl she had left. Nine years ago, she was still a kid, so happy to watch movies with Jace and her or play board games or do any of the other things families did together—families whose parents weren’t so exhausted from a day of work that they collapsed in the evenings.
Though Jace was the biggest heartbreak that came with leaving Sacred Harbor, he wasn’t the only one. In that first year after she left, Selena had ached to see Lizzie, but she had known better than to contact her. Even on the chance the call might have been welcomed, Jace’s mother would have put an end to it, and there was a chance Lizzie would have dealt with the brunt of her mother’s bitterness. So Selena had left that alone. Maybe a second chance with Jace meant she and Lizzie could be close again, this time as adults.
Jace found her hand again and waggled his eyebrows at her. “No turning back now.”
“I’m ready.” Hopefully.
Jace’s parents’ house was so familiar it almost hurt to look around. Each photo on the wall, each embroidered throw pillow unlocked memories she had hidden away from herself. The couch was where she and Jace made out when no one else was home; the coffee table was where she and Jace had done their homework together. Even the Christmas decorations on the mantle were the same: garlands and red bows strung along the edges. So many things she had left behind.
But Jace was tugging on her hand, leading her through the living room and into the dining room. He slowed to a stop outside the kitchen, just out of sight. His family’s voices floated through the doorway, loud, familiar voices, but Selena’s heart was pumping too fast to tune into what they were saying. She had told herself that she was coming here for Jace, but as she stood outside the kitchen, ready to walk in, to face them nine years after she left, Selena knew this wasn’t just for him.
How many times had she eaten brunch at their table, fell asleep on their couch? While her own parents had been wary of her relationship with Jace, his family had folded her into their lives. Even his mother in her own way. She had made sure she set a place at the table for Selena at Sunday brunch, even toward the end, when she and Jace were falling apart. Had his mother set a place for her today? Selena was too nervous to look now.
“It’s going to be fine, Lee,” Jace whispered. “You’ll see.”
She nodded, straightened up, and walked into the kitchen.
Andrew and their mother were standing over a large roast, in the middle of a debate, and Drake, Lizzie, their father and the woman who must be Andrew’s fiancé were gathered around them like spectators.
“The thermometer says it’s done,” said Andrew.
His mother shook her head. “There’s no way it could be done in that little time.”
“We can cut it open.”
“And lose all the juices?”
Andrew mumbled something she couldn’t hear, and then there was a pause. So Selena took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Hi everyone.”
She held her breath as they all turned around. Andrew’s expression was guarded, and his mother just looked her up and down, assessing. Selena tried to take in each person’s reaction, but it wasn’t easy. Years ago, she had hurt Jace. Badly. They had every right to be wary, so she just stood in the quiet kitchen, waiting.
Then Jace’s father smiled. It was a new version of the way he used to smile at her, the kind of smile that crinkled at the corners of his eyes. “Selena, s-s-sweetheart. Welcome home.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jace watched as his father slowly made his way across his parents’ kitchen. The room was quiet aside from his heavy steps and the thump of his cane, but his father was smiling. Selena took a few steps forward, meeting him halfway.
“It’s so good to see you,” she whispered, and some of the tension in her shoulders eased as his father wrapped his good arm around her.
Jace could see the moment Andrew decided to give Selena a chance. He abandoned the food and led Mary Louise to Selena, hugging and introducing her, and Drake followed right behind. Lizzie hung back behind Drake, his sister’s smile tentative but warm. Of all his family, Lizzie had been the closest to Selena, and she had been the most hurt when Selena left without saying goodbye.
He understood that it would take time before they trusted that he and Selena were together for real this time. Hell, they were just starting to build trust between each other. But Jace’s family had loved her once. It could take a little time, but she belonged in his family.
His mother… well, that would have to be a work in progress. Wary was the nicest way to characterize her reaction when Jace had told her that he and Selena were rekindling their relationship. But as his mother watched the rest of the family gather around Selena, her sharp gaze was softening.
The rest of the family began to move dishes and drinks to the dining room table, leaving Selena and his mother facing each other. Selena set the gift bag she had brought onto the counter and pulled out a card from it. Her chest rose and fell in a long breath, and then she walked over to his mother.
Jace wanted to follow her, stand next to her and make sure this went well, but it was better for Selena to do this on her own. Instead, he headed for the refrigerator and pretended to look for drinks while he eavesdropped.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” said Selena. Her voice was quiet. “I wrote you a card, for later. And if you want to talk, I’d be happy to do that too.”
Jace stilled, waiting for his mother’s response. Was she going to reject it? Andrew came back in the room, and grabbed the roast off the counter, but his mother didn’t even glance in his direction. The kitchen was quiet again, and Jace struggled to get a read on the situation from his not-so-subtle position. As far as he could tell, neither of them had moved.
Finally, his mother reached for the card. “Did you make this?”
Selena nodded, and his mother’s expression softened. Oh, how he loved this woman, who took the time to learn the road to his prickly mother’s heart.
“Thank you. I’ll read it.” She slipped the card into her pocket, then reached for Selena’s cheek, stroking it with her hand. “If you two want a second chance, please use it wisely.”
Selena nodded. “That’s important to me, too.”
Jace let out a sigh. It was a good start.
His mother nodded, then joined the rest of the family as they finished getting the table ready for brunch, so Jace closed the refrigerator door and headed for Selena.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you find what you were looking for in there?”
Jace chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the temple. “You made my mother a card?”
She nodded. “There’s one for Lizzie, too. But I’m waiting for the right time, when we’re alone.”
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, relaxing into the warmth of her body.
“You didn’t give me a lot of time to prepare, but I think they turned out well.” She slipped her hands to his waist.
“I’m guessing it wasn’t on
e of those sexy holiday cards you were working on.”
Selena laughed. “Hell, no. It’s from an old picture that I found of your parents together on your couch.”
“Sounds perfect.” He squeezed her closer. “Have I told you I’m falling in love with you all over again?”
“Me, too, Jace,” she said. “It’s so soon, but it’s happening. Like all these feelings were still buried inside me, waiting for you to walk back into my life again.”
“I towed you back into me life,” he corrected her with a smile.
The kitchen was empty, so he bent down and kissed her. It was soft and private, and yet it wasn’t about sex. The kiss was like a spell, wrapping around them, connecting them back together. It was full of love, love that Jace had shut down, buried for years, tried to forget. But now with Selena in his arms, the feeling of them was both fresh and familiar, both magical and real.
When he pulled back from the kiss, Selena’s eyes were dewy with the hint of tears. “I want this, Jace. So badly. All of it. All the things we couldn’t give each other nine years ago. We can do it now.”
“I want this, too,” he said, his voice coming out rough. “We’ll get it right this time. But first, let’s go into the dining room before anyone comes looking for us.”
*
It was late afternoon by the time they turned down Selena’s street, and the snow was falling everywhere. Jace parked in her driveway, and they waded through newly formed drifts to her front porch. The sky was darkening, and white lights glowed from inside the house. Selena stole a glance at Jace, bundled in his winter clothes, his hair messy and his mouth turned up into a hint of a smile. It was still hard to remember that this was real.
In his parents’ kitchen, with Jace’s arms around her, she had started to believe, really believe they’d get it right this time. She could go to sleep wrapped in Jace’s arms and wake up with his big, hard body pressed against hers. Every day. Maybe they could have a loud, fun family of their own, with mini-Jaces running around, or maybe it would just be the two of them, carving out a future together. But for the first time in years, she was ready to dream.
They shuffled inside the house, stomping off the snow from their boots and shedding their winter layers. As Selena hung up her coat, Jace came up behind her. He swept her hair to the side and kissed her neck.
“You’re awfully quiet,” he whispered.
“Just thinking about us.”
“Us naked together, or the future of us?”
Selena turned around and smiled up at him. “Both.”
Jace’s eyes were bright with happiness. Her heart squeezed in her chest. More than anything, she wanted to be a part of that happiness.
“I want to stay here,” she whispered. “Here in Sacred Harbor. I want us.”
Jace let out a whoop of joy, and then she was off her feet and in his arms, heading up the stairs and down the hall, toward the bedroom. He lay her on the bed and climbed up over her. She slipped her arms around him, pulling him closer, letting everything else fade except for his warm body, pressing against hers. He rested on his elbows and peppered her cheeks and nose and lips with kisses.
“I love you, Selena,” he whispered. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving you.”
She looked into his eyes, giving him the whole, simple truth. “I love you, too.”
He was hard against her, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get undressed. And neither was she. The dinner with his family, the quiet drive home, with their hands laced together, the snow falling outside the window, covering everything, the feeling of them—all of it was magical. She wanted to hold onto this feeling forever.
Chapter Sixteen
one year later
Jace looked down at the suitcase, lying on the bed in front of him. Most of it was stuffed to the brim, with the exception of a small corner.
“I can’t fit all my clothes into that little part of the suitcase,” he called through the bathroom door to Selena. “Are you sure the other one is full?”
“It’s hot in Mexico, even in December,” she called back. “As long as we have our bathing suits and a couple T-shirts, we’ll be fine.”
He pulled out a few, neatly rolled shirts, new and much too small for either of them. Underneath were books. “What is all this other stuff?”
“Christmas presents. I tried to keep them small, but Lizzie and I went a little crazy at the bookstore in town yesterday.”
The bathroom door opened, and Selena walked out, wrapped only in a towel. Her wet hair hung down over her shoulders, and her skin glistened as the steam billowed out, all around her. Jace’s heart sped up as she crossed the room. Even after ten months of living together, watching Selena walk through their bedroom still left him breathless. He was glad he had insisted on getting new furniture for the house she used to share with another man. Now this beautiful house on the beach felt like their home.
Selena walked straight for him, pressing her body up against his, and she tilted her head up for a kiss. Her lips were so warm and soft from the shower. He pulled her closer, and her kiss turned hungrier, so he stepped back until he found the bed. Their bed. She climbed onto his lap, straddling him, laughing. Could she feel the little square box in his pocket? If so, she didn’t let on.
“Do we have time for this? We can’t miss our plane.”
“Two hours before we are supposed to leave from here,” he mumbled, kissing her neck.
“We’ve have been known to spend more time than that in bed.” She found the hem of his shirt and slipped her hands under it.
True, but there was something else he wanted to do today before they left, something he had been waiting to do for a while. When he had moved into her house and they had started their lives together, the topic of marriage had come up more than once. Yes, that’s what she wanted, and he sure as hell did, too. But those discussions were more about the idea of getting married, not making plans. Was this too soon? Or was the timing perfect?
Today was the start of their holidays together. It was hard to take time off at the shop, but their lead technician was taking over for the next two weeks, and his father was well enough to run the business side. His family had wanted them home for Christmas celebrations, but they understood. He and Selena were getting their first stretch of time together, just for them. The first week in Mexico would be with her family, and the second one was alone on the beach. They’d be newly engaged…hopefully. If she said yes, they’d have two weeks together to celebrate. If she said no, well he’d worry about that when it happened.
Jace tried to slow the pounding of his heart as he gave her one more kiss. “So basically, we’ll be taking home an empty suitcase.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance. Everyone will have presents for us, too. Especially my parents.”
“I got your parents something, but my present doesn’t take up half the suitcase.”
She tickled him, and he fell back on to the bed, laughing, taking her with him.
Her parents hadn’t been at all surprised to hear that he and Selena had gotten back together. They had known how close Selena had come to staying behind with him. And part of him was glad they had pushed her to leave him behind, go to college, and pursue her own path. Especially now that he knew this path led back to him.
Jace was stalling. The ring was in his pocket, the one he had kept all these years in the box with her cards. He had considered getting a new one. Would a new ring be best for their new start? He certainly could afford a more expensive one now. But he’d decided that this second chance should be connected to the first time they fell in love. The truth was his feelings weren’t separate from the ones he had had in high school, but they had grown, changed. And these changes let their relationship develop into something new, something stronger.
Selena pulled back a little, her brow furrowed. “You have something on your mind?”
“Just you.”
He could hea
r how serious his voice sounded. Her eyes widened, and her movements slowed. The last time he had asked, he had taken her by surprise. Did she know it was coming this time? If she did, she wasn’t running away.
“You’re giving me a look,” she whispered, “and it’s not about having sex.”
He nodded solemnly. “You ready for it this time, Lee?”
She blinked her eyes, her dark lashes fluttering. “I am.” She lifted her hands to his biceps and squeezed. “You’re not just doing this for my parents’ sake, are you? So we can sleep in the same room when we get to Mexico?”
Jace’s eyes widened. Despite the heavy emotions swirling inside, he laughed. “Would they put us in separate rooms?” He took a moment to process that picture. Not quite the vacation he had imagined. One more reason to do this now.
She was still lying on top of him, so he shifted to his side, their legs tangled and her towel slipping open. And she was smiling, just for him. Jace swallowed. Focus. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box.
“Selena, I loved you many years ago, and I love the woman you are today even more deeply. I want this to be forever. I don’t know where this journey will take us. If you decide you want to leave Sacred Harbor, we’ll figure that out. I’m willing to give you what you need to make this work, whatever that is, just like you’ve given me what I need this last year.” He took one more deep breath and then said the words. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Jace,” she said, kissing him. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Jace was shaking as he slipped on the ring, but her next kiss steadied him. It was slow and deep and full of certainty.
“Damn,” she whispered between kisses. “You waited long enough this time.”
He chuckled. “I was ready last December.”
“Me too. But if you had asked then, I would’ve wondered if it was the magic fruitcake talking.”
“I wouldn’t have wondered, but I’m pretty sure my family would've.” Jace tilted his head. “I still can’t believe you made your own version of that fruitcake and sent it to Drake’s work.”
A Winter Wonderland Page 9