One Last Gift: A Small-Town Romance (Oak Grove series Book 6)

by Nancy Stopper

  She sank into him and allowed herself to remember being with Jack. His spicy scent swirled around them and mixed with the gentle strains of the music, wrapping them in a cocoon where only the two of them existed. His heartbeat was quick beneath her cheek. Perhaps he wasn’t as unaffected as he appeared.

  She lifted her head and his dark gaze met hers. His look intensified and his breath hitched. She stretched up, her body reaching for him, but he pulled back and stepped away. The quiet of the room finally broke through her haze, and she realized the song had ended.

  Jack didn’t say anything—just led her back to the booth. He threw a few bills on the table and grabbed her purse before hustling her toward the door.

  Chapter Ten

  JACK LED CASEY out of J.J’s as quickly as he could. He couldn’t wait one minute longer to have her in his arms, away from the prying eyes of half of Oak Grove. He pushed the door open and practically shoved her through, not stopping until he reached his car.

  “Jack, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just needed to—” He dropped her purse on the hood and scooped her up, pulling her against him and crashing his mouth down on hers. The kiss was urgent, frantic, his lips and tongue and teeth devouring her. He couldn’t get enough of her. She felt so right in his arms, like she belonged and filled a gap that had been empty since the day he left her.

  Her hands gripped his sweater as she responded, her tongue tangling with his. His arms tightened around her, and he pressed his erection into her belly. She gasped and he responded to her urging. He nipped and licked and brushed his lips across hers. Their bodies intertwined, he continued to devour her, not caring that they stood in the bright light of the front window of the restaurant. At that moment, nothing existed for him but Casey.

  He pulled back just enough to shift his hand, brushing up her ribcage and along the side of her breast. She moaned softly, the sound quickly swallowed by his kiss. He loved the little noises that she made. Her responsiveness encouraged him. He cupped her breast, her flesh fuller and heavier in his hand than he remembered. His thumb brushed over her nipple and it pebbled. What he wouldn’t give for the chance to strip the sexy dress off her and explore what he found underneath.

  They needed privacy and they needed it now.

  But he couldn’t let her go, couldn’t stop himself from gripping her tighter and kneading her breast. She ran her hands down, sliding them under his sweater and burning a hot path along his back.

  Her breathing grew more ragged. Thank God he wasn’t in this alone.

  But then she pulled away from him and shoved him. “We can’t do this.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, yes, we can.” He reached for her again but she backed up.

  She scanned the parking lot and glanced toward the door. “Someone could come out. What would they think?”

  “That the most beautiful woman in Oak Grove is kissing me.”

  “Jack, be serious.”

  “I’m deadly serious. I want to be with you, Casey. I think you want to be with me. What’s the problem?”

  She quirked an eyebrow. “And where, pray tell, would you like to go with this?”

  “Well, unless my signals are crossed, I think we both had the same idea of where that kiss was heading.”

  “It’s not like when we were teenagers, when we could go make out by the creek or in the back of your truck.”

  He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. “You’re right about that. We’re adults now. We don’t have to hide. We could—” He stopped. Damn. Where could they go? His parents were at home and her son was at hers. It was more like when they were teenagers than he cared to admit.

  “We should step back.”

  He crowded her against the car and her hands again pressed on his chest. He savored her touch for a moment. “I don’t want to step back. I know this is crazy, Casey. But I have you back in my arms and I’m not letting go.”

  “To what end? A quick roll in the hay and a thank you, ma’am as you jet back to Boston?”

  She had a point. Regardless of how much he wanted her right now, he had a life and a career. One that he had been neglecting while he’d been here. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought that far.”

  “Well, I have to, Jack. It’s not just me anymore. I have a son to think about.”

  Didn’t he know it. They had just scratched the surface of what had led to Riley, but Jack understood the feeling of loss that had consumed her.

  While she’d gone looking for something to pour her emotions into, he’d shut himself off. He hadn’t felt the kind of passion he had for Casey since, well, since the last time he was with her. It was like he had no emotional connection to the rest of his life. Everything that mattered was right here, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

  Casey was a great mom—he knew it. He just wished that it had been with his son.

  Casey shivered. Now that they weren’t wrapped up in each other, the cold blew through his sweater and chilled him. He opened her door, pulling her to him for another quick kiss before depositing her in the passenger seat and rounding the front of the car.

  A minute later, with the heater warming them, he drove out of the parking lot and back on the road toward Casey’s house. He reached across the console and wrapped his hand around hers. While she threw him a look, she didn’t let go. That had to mean something.

  His pocket vibrated but he resisted the urge to read the text. He’d let work occupy most of his life for all these years, he wasn’t about to let it interrupt his date with Casey.

  He pressed a button to silence his phone.

  As he drove around the town green, the lights from the shops and the streetlights brightening the night sky, a few snowflakes spattered on the windshield.

  Casey craned her neck and looked out the window. “I didn’t know it was supposed to snow. Maybe we’ll have a nice coating for the tree lighting.”

  He smiled. She’d just given him the perfect opening.

  “Go with me.”

  “Where?”

  “To the stroll. The tree lighting.” He held his breath. He hadn’t realized how much her accepting his invitation mattered until she didn’t immediately answer.

  She bit her lip. “I don’t know. I usually go with Riley.”

  Crap. He was going about this all wrong. “I’m not asking you to leave him home. I meant the three of us. You, me, and Riley. We’ll spend the day in town and then watch them light the tree.”

  She seemed to ponder it a minute, but then a smile graced her beautiful face. “Okay, we’ll make a day of it.”

  He smiled and squeezed her hand as he drove the last few minutes to her house. The drive was too short—he wanted to spend more time with her. But before he could suggest anything else, she’d unbuckled and opened her door. He rushed around to help her out and pulled her into his side as they walked through the yard

  She shuffled her feet as she stepped onto the porch. “Well, I, uh—”

  Jack couldn’t resist her another minute. He gathered her into his arms and lowered his head, brushing his lips over hers. When she gasped, he slid his tongue into her mouth. This kiss was slower, sweeter than the one at J.J.’s. She tasted of the tangy flavor of her salad dressing and something he’d always thought uniquely Casey. And he was hooked.

  He didn’t want to let her go—didn’t want to stop kissing her. But the porch light clicked on, and she pulled away just as the front door opened.

  “Oh, I’m sorry Casey. I thought I’d heard a car drive up, but when you didn’t come in, I wanted to check.”

  Jack chuckled and shifted behind Casey so Mrs. Jenkins wouldn’t see him adjust himself. “That’s okay, Mrs. Jenkins. I was just leaving.” He couldn’t resist swiping one more quick kiss across Casey’s lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work. And Saturday for the tree lighting.”

  He skipped down the stairs, only turning back when he reached his car. Casey hadn’t gone in. Her fingers smoothed acro
ss her lips, and it was all he could do to not rush back to her side, to pick up where they left off. But she was right—tonight had been emotional for both of them. He’d leave her thinking about his last kiss until he could find a chance to steal another one.

  WHEN JACK STEPPED into the kitchen Saturday morning, Dad looked up from his newspaper and smiled. His clothes hung looser on his frame and his hands shook as he held the newspaper, but he was home and on the mend.

  “Hey, Dad. You’re up early today.”

  “Best I’ve felt in a long time. All I’ve been doing is resting. I have no intention of sleeping the rest of my life away.”

  “Well, good for you. Glad to see it. But don’t try to do too much right away. There’s no need. Casey’s got everything under control at the lot, and the tree is ready to be lit tonight.”

  “I’m just glad I got out in time to see the lighting.”

  “Oh, Sid, are you sure? You haven’t been home for long.” Mom slid a plate of eggs and sausage in front of Jack before her hand settled on Dad’s shoulder. “It’s okay if you miss the tree lighting this year. There’ll be others.”

  Dad spit the coffee he’d just drank back into his mug and shook his head. “What is wrong with this coffee?”

  Mom pecked him on the cheek. “Decaf. Doctor said it was better for you.”

  Dad shoved the cup away, grumbling about how Mom was trying to control his life. But he spared her a smile when she placed his own plate of wheat toast and cantaloupe in front of him. “No way I’m missing the lighting of Jack’s tree. I’ve been waiting all these years to see that. I promise to take a nap this afternoon and we can come home right after, if that’ll make you happy.”

  “It will,” Mom said as she took a sip of her own coffee.

  Jack’s smile grew as he watched the exchange, the comfortable way in which his parents interacted. They’d never claimed to have the perfect marriage, but they always boasted they were perfect for each other. And they had been right.

  And he had taken his own relationship with his parents for granted for all these years. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking—he’d just been protecting himself from the hurt. But the one thing being back home had taught him was that he didn’t like how he’d shut himself off from life. He’d felt more emotions in the past weeks than he had in years, and it hadn’t broken him. It made him stronger, confident that he could handle what he’d been shying away from for the past decade—a relationship.

  The problem was the only woman who interested him lived here. And he didn’t.

  He’d spent most of the past week juggling work from the office and his time at the tree lot, stealing a few minutes with Casey when he could. He’d been pleased with how Dan had handled the workload in Jack’s absence. Almost like they could do it without him.

  That thought shocked Jack. He had at no time ever considered that he was destined to do anything other than run the firm. But what did it get him? An empty condo. Meaningless hook-ups. Cold nights that served no purpose other than scratching an itch. But the thought of going back to that, to the loneliness that he hadn’t known he’d felt, didn’t hold the luster it used to.

  Jack stopped chewing mid-bite. Where was this going? Did he want to stay in Oak Grove? He shook his head and finished his breakfast. Nah. But the thought of having another chance with Casey made him reconsider his options.

  Jack swallowed the last bites of his eggs and stood. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom. I have a few things to take care of before I go pick up Casey and Riley.”

  Mom’s brows furrowed. She had expressed concerns about Jack spending time with Casey when he first mentioned they were going to the lighting together. But his mom didn’t have to be worried. He had no intention of hurting Casey.

  Jack wrapped his arms around Mom. “Don’t worry so much. We’ll be fine. And I’ll see you at the tree lighting, right?”

  “Darn tootin’,” Dad yelled from behind Mom, and Jack chuckled.

  So did Mom. “I guess so.” She turned toward Dad. “But that’s it. No strolling down Main Street. No checking out just one more display. And you’re sitting down. Jack, you’ll make sure he has a seat, right?”

  “You got it, Mom. The seat of honor. It is his tree, after all. He deserves to see it lit.”

  When Jack stepped out the door, the sun blinded him, glistening off the six inches of snow on the ground. The past few days had seen several small storms come through, laying just enough snow on the ground to cover everything in a clean, white blanket. The streets and sidewalks had been cleared, but a thick layer hung on the trees and bushes. It was as though the weather knew just the right conditions for the stroll and tree lighting. He’d been to many a lighting in cold weather, even rain, but none with snow.

  Everything was perfect this year.

  He hummed along with the Christmas carols on the radio. Sure, it made sense to hear Jingle Bell Rock while working at the lot, but he’d taken to listening to the local station that played Christmas music twenty-four-seven starting at Thanksgiving. Just another thing to get him in the Christmas spirit. Like he needed any help.

  The thought of spending the day with Casey and Riley put a spring in his step as he headed up the walk to their house.

  Jack raised his hand to knock when the door flew open.

  “Jack!” Riley bounced from foot to foot, his excitement contagious as the smile grew on his face.

  “Where’s your mom, bud?” Jack stepped in and closed the door. Every day this week, Riley had come by the lot after school. He wasn’t big enough to carry trees, but he’d handled many of the smaller jobs. And more than once, Jack had seen Riley talking with a customer, sounding just like Dad as they discussed the benefits of a blue spruce over a white pine or the colors of the poinsettias. Casey was much more relaxed around the both of them, not shrugging Jack’s arm off her shoulder when he slung it there—out of Riley’s line of sight, of course.

  Jack even managed to steal a kiss or two behind the greenhouse. Nothing as intense as their kisses in the parking lot at J.J.’s, but equally as meaningful. At least to him. For Casey, he wasn’t sure. One minute, she seemed interested in rekindling the romance, and other times, she’d back off and a shadow would cloud her eyes. Could she not think of him without being consumed with grief or did she still not trust him not to hurt her again?

  “She’s still getting ready. She takes forever.” Riley flopped back on the couch and resumed the game he’d obviously paused when he’d heard Jack pull up.

  Jack laughed at the tone and even the eye roll that he himself had mastered as a teen. Casey would have her hands full when Riley got older—if he was anything like Jack, that was. Jack wanted to be here for that, to see him grow up, to take Casey into his arms when they had a typical teenage blowup, which they inevitably would.

  He just didn’t see a way to make it work. Casey lived here and Jack lived in Boston. He had employees who depended on him. He couldn’t just abandon them. And Casey would never leave Oak Grove.

  “Ahem.”

  Jack raised his head—and nearly swallowed his tongue. Her green sweater hugged every one of her curves, highlighting the breasts he’d cupped just the other night. It tapered to her waist where her dark jeans wrapped around her hips and clung to her legs all the way down to the sexy knee-high boots on her feet.

  Jack stepped forward until he crowded Casey against the wall in the hall. He lowered his voice so only she heard. “You look fantastic.” He nuzzled her neck, placing light kisses along her throat and up to the spot behind her ear that he’d discovered many years ago drove her wild.

  She wiggled and tucked her head down.

  Yep, that hadn’t changed.

  “Jack, we can’t. Riley—” she whispered.

  “He’s engrossed in his game. He didn’t even look up when you came in.” Jack didn’t give her another chance to protest before he covered her mouth with his. Her arms came around him, pulling him closer. He wasn’t complaining
. He slid his tongue across her lips and was rewarded when she opened to him. Sweeping into her mouth, he deepened the kiss, nudging her firmly against the wall and pressing his growing erection into her belly. Even after all these years, all it took was a simple kiss and he was ready. No, strike that. He didn’t even have to kiss Casey to want her—morning, noon, and night.

  He had to find a way to get her alone. To explore what was rebuilding between them.

  Casey broke the kiss and flopped her head back against the wall. “How do you do that?”

  Jack moved in closer. She wasn’t getting away from him that easily. “What?”

  “Make me lose my mind. Every time you touch me, I swear I forget who and where I am.”

  He nuzzled her cheek. “Good. I want you out of your mind for me.”

  She pushed on his chest and stood up from the wall. “Jack, I can’t. You know this can’t go anywhere. You live in Boston, I live here. I have Riley to think about.”

  A few minutes with her had Jack ignoring the dilemma keeping them apart. The thought of not seeing Casey every day made the idea of going back to Boston distasteful. He just had to find a way to make this work.

  “Riley, are you ready? Grab your backpack.”

  “Yay. It’s about time.”

  From the thump Jack heard, Riley must have jumped from the couch. That kid had more energy than a new puppy. Jack chuckled. “I guess he’s ready.”

  After bundling up, the three of them headed to the truck. Jack opened the passenger door and when Riley moved to climb in, Jack said, “Ladies first, bud. Let your mom climb in.”

  Casey sputtered beside him. “But, Jack, then…”

  Yep, he knew what that meant. Dad had never upgraded to one of those fancy luxury trucks with a back seat in the cab. It just had the one long bench seat. Casey would have to sit next to Jack. Pressed up to him.

  Casey rolled her eyes. “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” But she laughed as she climbed in and slid into the middle.