Clover Creek (Sweet Southern Nights Book 1)

by Heather Michelle

  “So, your company, it makes flower jewelry?”

  He breathed a quiet chuckle. “It started off that way, yes. It’s a little bit bigger now, but… Yeah. That bracelet is the first piece of jewelry I ever made. I carry it with me to remind me of where I started. Of why I started.” Jayce ran his thumb across the front of my hand. “Everything I have… everything I am… began in a field behind a playground in the back of an elementary school. With you.”

  None of it made sense. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to soak up every word and let it live in my heart forever. But he left. Without as much as a proper goodbye. A note and a clover bracelet. Those were the weapons he used to break his promise. He left! How was that for me? It was too much. I couldn’t process it all. So, I did what I did best.

  I ran.

  Straight out the front door, off the porch, and onto the sidewalk where I stopped still. A flash of heat lightning tore across the sky followed by a peal of thunder. The smell of rain lingered in the air, but I didn’t care.

  My breath was ragged. I threw my head back and let my eyes fall closed in defeat. I repeated his words in my mind. “Everything I’ve ever done has been for you.” The silver bracelet felt heavy on my wrist. Then, the first rain drop fell. Followed by another flash of heat lightning so bright that I could see it with my eyes closed.

  “Claire, come inside. We need to talk about this. About us,” Jayce said, startling my eyes open.

  He was close. So close. The rain fell harder now. Tiny droplets turned into a heavy curtain drumming against the roof of the B&B, but neither of us moved. There was a silent sadness in his face when I looked at him. He moved closer. My heart pounded. I felt his hand reach out and brush a strand of wet hair from my face. It would be so easy to get lost in his touch, to get lost in him.

  He brought his other hand to cradle my cheek and every ounce of my resolve washed away with the summer rain. He lifted my chin with a fingertip and his breath whispered across my face. His eyes were so dark, so serious. We stood like that letting the rain fall over our bodies and breathing each other in. The tip of his nose grazed mine. I wanted to stay like this forever. Raindrops clung to our skin, but we didn’t care. It was just us, Claire and Jayce, like it used to be. My chest heaved in anticipation. All I could think about, all I wanted to do, was taste him. I pressed up on my tip-toes and softly kissed the corner of his mouth. His lips were so soft, so full, better than I remembered. He closed his eyes and a deep groan rumbled in the back of his throat. I swear it was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard. He brushed his lips across mine, gently at first. Then he parted them and pulled me into a kiss. I drank in the tenderness of the moment, memorized every second of it. His hand fell to the small of my back, and he pressed my body against his. I could’ve melted right then and there. Then Jayce raised his mouth from mine and held my gaze. His eyes told me everything he’d felt. I knew, because I’d felt it too.

  What was I thinking? What were we doing? I forced my body to pull away from him. “We can’t do this.”

  The rain came even harder now. Jayce grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the porch. “No, you can’t do this. That,” Jayce said, pointing to the spot where we’d just shared a kiss. “You can’t deny that.”

  I ran my thumb across the bracelet on my wrist. He was right. I couldn’t deny it. But that didn’t make it right. “I’m leaving.”

  He jolted back as though someone had shot him. Right in the heart. “Leaving?”

  “Tomorrow. I’m going back to Georgia. This wasn’t supposed to happen, Jayce. I wasn’t supposed to see you. I just wanted to check on my Gram then you showed up and… ” I bit back tears. “And it all came back. The memories. The feelings. And now—”

  “And now we do whatever it takes,” he interrupted. “Thirteen years couldn’t keep us apart. A few hundred miles doesn’t have a chance.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll make it work.” He sounded so positive, so hopeful.

  I just wished it could be that easy.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jayce

  I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow. The Texas sun was already beating down on me and it wasn’t even ten o’clock in the morning yet. I’d finished repairing the broken fence yesterday. All that was left to do was paint. This handyman thing wasn’t so bad. Fixing white picket fences was a nice change of scenery from looking out of the window of a high-rise condo every night.

  I knew Claire was here. I saw her Gram’s car parked in the driveway. She’d let me walk her up to her room last night after the kiss. I’d stood in the doorway with my hands on the frame and hoped she’d invite me into her room. She didn’t. This morning, she’d left long before breakfast. Why wouldn’t she just talk to me? That kiss was everything I’d thought it would be and more than I remembered it ever being before. The forgiveness I’d hoped for was right there on her soft lips. Why would she run from that? I still had so much to tell her, so much to explain. I just hoped she wouldn’t hate me when I did.

  I pulled a bottle of water from the ice chest I’d picked up on the way to her Gram’s this morning. Three large gulps and it was gone. Tiny droplets of cold water fell on my chest. I was about to dip my brush in the five-gallon paint bucket when I spotted Claire coming down the driveway.

  “Does this mean it’s a no on the sprinklers today?” She nodded her head toward the plastic cooler.

  “I don’t know. Are you offering to run through them with me?”

  She laughed, and it lit up her whole face. “Oh, I’ve seen what water does to you. I’m not sure it’s safe. The neighbors might see.” She gasped and brought her hand to her chest. “Or worse. My mother could show up again.”

  She was right. The neighbors… or her mother, didn’t want to witness what I wanted to do to her. “Well, we wouldn’t want to offend your mother, would we? And FYI, it wasn’t the rain that made me kiss you last night.”

  A rosy blush colored her cheeks, and she parted her lips as if she were remembering the way it had felt. “No?”

  I shook my head and held her gaze. “No.” I took a step forward. Maybe if I was lucky, she’d let me kiss her again.

  A loud crash sounded inside the house. Claire dashed toward the front door. I ran in behind her.

  “Gram,” Claire yelled as soon as she threw open the door.

  I followed Claire into the kitchen where we were met with more crashing and language more colorful than I’d heard since Bennett lost five-hundred-dollars betting on the Super Bowl. Pots and pans were scattered across the white ceramic tile and cooking utensils strewn on top of the black granite countertops. Every cabinet door was open, and Claire’s Gram had started rummaging through a stack of canned goods, looking at one then tossing it to the floor.

  “Gram,” Claire said as she placed a hand on each one of her Gram’s shoulders. “You seem worried. Can I help you find something?”

  Justine Cunningham immediately calmed at the sound of Claire’s voice. I knew the feeling. She turned, and Claire wrapped her in a hug. The older woman’s eyes were glazed with tears.

  “It’s okay, Gram. We’ll find it. Just tell me what you’re looking for,” Claire coaxed.

  I probably should have left, but I couldn’t stop watching. Claire was so patient, so calm. It was remarkable. Even though I knew on the inside her mind must have been reeling. Mine sure was. Justine Cunningham had always been the voice of reason. She’d never raised her voice. She’d never lost her temper. She’d always had a smile, and she’d certainly never used the words I’d heard coming out of her mouth now.

  “My sewing kit. The one your Gramps bought me. It’s not in here. I know I left it right here.” Justine’s voice was frantic. Her shoulders started to shake but Claire just pulled her closer.

  “I thought you kept that in the bathroom, Gram, but we’ll keep looking. Okay? Jayce and I will help you.” She shot me a look, and I nodded in response.

  I wasn’t sure what to do or how much help
I would be. Memories of a time I’d rather forget threatened to surface, but I shoved them to the back of my mind. I’d deal with them later. I’d have to if this thing with Claire was ever going to work.

  Claire draped her arm around her Gram’s shoulder and led her through the maze of scattered cookware and into the living room. “Here. Why don’t you sit and relax while we check the bathroom?” She guided her Gram to the chair by the fireplace and pulled a blue and white blanket across her lap.

  Justine ran her hand over the top of the blanket and began to sob. “It’s ruined,” she shouted. “The blanket is ruined, and I don’t have my sewing kit.” She threw the blanket off her legs and her shoulders started to shake.

  I saw the panic flash in Claire’s eyes. If she felt anything like I did, she had no idea what to do. But she stayed calm. The panic quickly disappeared, and as if she knew exactly what to do, she grabbed a quilt from the back of the couch and laid it on her Gram’s lap.

  “It’s not ruined. We’ll fix it. Okay?”

  Justine exhaled a deep breath and nodded. I took it all in, speechless. Claire was an angel. Sent straight from heaven. She took the blanket from the floor. Then she placed a light kiss on her Gram’s cheek and brushed a stray hair from her forehead.

  Claire folded the blanket across her arm and walked over to where I stood. She stopped in front of me with tears welled up in her eyes.

  “I lied,” she said. Her voice cracked, and it broke my heart. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what came next. “When I said I was leaving.” My heart started beating again when Claire continued. “I’m not. I can’t. I have to stay.”

  Day after day, I stood at the head of a boardroom and led a worldwide company to success. I’d attended conferences and seminars all around the globe. But I’d never witnessed control like I had in that moment.

  Love didn’t even begin to describe what I felt for Claire Cunningham.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Claire

  Nothing could have prepared me for what just happened. No amount of research or reading could have ever told me what I would feel when I witnessed someone I loved fall to pieces in front of my eyes. My whole world shattered then came back together. Like I was watching my life through a blurry lens that suddenly came into focus.

  Gram was fine the day before. We’d danced and made snacks in the kitchen. We talked and laughed. Then one day later, Gram was lost. Broken. Afraid. One day. It all changed in one day. I couldn’t imagine what a difference of months would make. Or years, even.

  How was I supposed to leave knowing my Gram was like this? Who would take care of her? Surely my parents didn’t expect Annie to do it? Gram thought she was the housekeeper for crying out loud. Something had to give. I had to stay. I wanted to stay.

  Jayce waited patiently in the doorway for me to collect my thoughts. I couldn’t let Gram see me upset. That was the last thing she needed. We couldn’t both be a hot mess. One of us had to keep it together.

  “She needs her sewing kit,” I said as I headed toward the staircase.

  Jayce reached out and caught my hand in his. “I’ll get it. You sit with her.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He started up the stairs. “You said it’s in the bathroom?” he questioned over his shoulder. Guess he was sure.

  “Yes. In a little white box with her initials on top. She keeps it in her linen closet.”

  A few minutes later, Jayce returned with the box and a smile. He held it out in front of him. “Is this it?”

  “That’s the one.” My hand brushed his when I took the box. Tiny, electric shockwaves shot through my fingers and over my body, settling right at the bottom of my stomach with the butterflies. It was like they were breeding in there— creating hundreds more little butterflies. I stilled for a moment then pulled my hand away.

  “I should probably get back to the fence.”

  I nodded, and he turned toward the door. I stopped him just as he grabbed the handle. “Hey, Jayce.” He turned to face me. “Thank you,” I told him. “You know, for being here.”

  He smiled, and I loved the way it crinkled the skin around his eyes. “Anytime.”

  ***

  I helped my Gram sew the tiny hole in her favorite blanket then sat with her until she fell asleep. Gram stressed a little because the thread colors didn’t match perfectly, but I promised her it added character, and that seemed to calm her down.

  It was a little after noon and Jayce had to be hungry. I was starving. I made two ham and cheese sandwiches and filled a Ziploc bag full of Campfire Caviar. Then, I took a blanket from the hall closet and headed outside.

  The fence looked good. It looked really good. Not a single white picket board looked like it didn’t belong with the originals. Was there anything this man couldn’t do? He tossed the brush onto a paint tray when he saw me coming down the brick walkway then wiped his face with the t-shirt that was draped over his shoulder. My eyes fell to a thin stripe of white paint on his chest. That stripe was like a magnet, and my fingers were filled with lead. I reached forward without thinking and ran my finger over it.

  My pulse raced at the contact, and my body buzzed. I might as well have just touched an electric fence. “You, um… got a little… ”

  He grinned. “I thought I’d make a statement.”

  “Oh? And what statement is that? I’m a horrible painter.”

  Jayce pulled the shirt from his shoulder and twisted it into a tight line. He narrowed his eyes and tucked his chin to his chest. I knew that look. I’d seen it a hundred times. He was going to pop my butt with that shirt, and I was not about to have it.

  Oh, no you don’t. I held one hand up to stop him. “Wait. I brought food,” I shrieked just as he lifted and pulled his elbow into position.

  He dropped his hand and laughed. “The way to a man’s heart.”

  I heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief and he laughed. “I thought we could go sit in the backyard. In our spot. Maybe have a picnic.” I tilted my head toward the blanket on my arm.

  His mouth spread into a wide grin. “I think I’d like that.”

  He pulled his shirt over his head and followed me around to the back of the house. I mouthed a thank you to heaven, because I wasn’t sure how much I could concentrate on eating with all that bare skin and muscle in my face.

  “Is that Campfire Caviar?” Jayce asked once we’d spread the blanket under the big oak tree and sat down. He opened the bag and stuck his hand inside.

  “You can’t eat dessert first,” I argued.

  Jayce shoved a handful into his mouth in defiance, and I shook my head and laughed. He laid on his side, stretching his long legs across the blanket then crossing them at the ankle. His feet hung over the end into the grass. I memorized every inch of his face. He was very much a man, but I still saw so much of the boy I fell in love with. The one little dimple that showed when he lifted the corner of his mouth. Those long, thick eyelashes that every girl wished they were born with. And the way he looked at me when he wanted to tell me something but was too afraid to say it. Like the way he looked at me now.

  “I’m sorry. About what happened in there earlier,” I said, finally.

  He rested his hand on top of mine. “Don’t ever feel like you have to apologize for that. I understand more than you could know.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Had he known about my Gram all along? Of course, he had. He stayed at the B&B with the town busybody for crying out loud. But how did he understand? Had he been visiting Gram when he visited his dad? I had so many questions.

  Jayce set the bag of snack mix to the side and sat up straight. He looked down at the blanket like he didn’t know exactly how to answer me. When he looked back up, his eyes were full of pain, full of regret. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He swallowed hard then continued, “About why I left.”

  My heart froze in my chest, and I was suddenly not very hungry anymore.

  Chapter T
wenty-Two

  Jayce

  I cursed myself for saying those words. The look on Claire’s face made me want to take them back, but it was too late. The damage was done, and there was no going back.

  She pulled her hand from under mine and scooted back on the blanket. That’s the opposite of what I wanted. I wished I could open up my chest and let her climb inside. I wished I could hold her in my arms and comfort her. Anything to soften the blow of what I was going to say.

  “My Nana died when I was seven,” I started. Right before Claire became a permanent fixture in my life. Might as well go ahead and rip the band-aid off all at once. Claire’s face softened, but she didn’t move or respond. “I don’t remember everything about her, but what happened in there,” I pointed toward her Gram’s house. “I’ve been there. I’ve seen it before.”

  Her eyes widened with recognition. “Oh, Jayce, I’m so sorry.”

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry.” I paused for a second, forcing away the knot clenching my stomach. “Natalie was my aunt’s name. She died when she was little, so I never knew her, but…” I wasn’t even sure how to say it. Claire stared at me in stunned silence, her mouth fell open as she drank in my words. “My Nana—”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Was the lady with the ice cream. She thought I was her Natalie. Your Nana is the one who took me that day.” Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

  “I didn’t know, Claire. I swear, I didn’t know. That day, the day I found out, was the worst day of my life.” I didn’t even recognize my own voice. My words were rushed and frantic. “I was at Mrs. Abraham’s helping hang some lights, and she said how happy she was that you and I were together in spite of all the trouble my family had caused. I had no idea what she meant. Then, when I knew… when she told me… I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. So, I held it in. I kept it secret. And that secret felt so heavy every time I looked at you. I almost couldn’t stand to carry it.” I took a deep breath. Claire stared at me in silence. The tears fell from her eyes. I wanted so badly to reach over and wipe them away, but I was so afraid to touch her, afraid of her reaction, afraid she’d push me away. So I continued. “Then one night we were at the woods and you’d fallen asleep against my chest. You woke up shaking and told me you’d had a nightmare, that you had them alot. That’s when I knew I had to leave. How could I ever face you? Expect you to love me? After knowing it was my Nana that ruined your life.” My hands trembled. This was it. Claire knew the truth. And I’d never been so terrified in all my life. I wiped my sweaty palms against the denim fabric of my jeans. “I couldn’t tell you. And I couldn’t lie to you anymore. So, I did what an eighteen-year old boy thought was best. I left. And I’m so sorry, Claire. I’m so very sorry.”