by Lacey Wolfe
Before he had a moment to think, Julie leapt into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. With his face pressed into her shoulder, he finally let the tears he’d been holding back free.
Julie pulled his head up so he was looking at her, and then she kissed him. He met her with a force of urgency, thrusting his tongue in. His hands were all over her body, and she gave back as much as he was giving.
Mark lifted her up and laid her in front of the fire. He nudged her legs open and nestled between her thighs. He couldn’t believe all they were doing was kissing and the state of arousal he was in.
She tugged at his shirt. He helped her by pulling it off and tossing it behind him. Her eyes devoured his chest. He pulled at her sweater, needing to see what she had underneath. Her shirt met his on the couch in a pile. He now let his own eyes feast on her full breasts, which looked as though they were ready to pop out of her pink lace bra.
He leaned down and let his mouth explore her. Her hands ran through his hair. He kissed a little lower until he was at her bellybutton. Julie slightly arched her back and, as tempted as he was to go further, he knew, if they did, she would regret it come morning. Julie did not come across as the type of woman who would fall into bed with just anyone.
He kissed his way up and found her lips again. She moaned. Her hands caressed his lower back and his ass. However, she didn’t attempt to take it any further.
Mark stared down at her. She was so beautiful and made his heart feel alive again. She had comforted him in a way she’d thought he needed and, strangely enough, it was just right. To feel a woman’s body again. To hear her feminine sounds. It made him feel like a man again.
“Ready for bed?” he asked, rolling off her.
“I suppose.” She looked away. “I was enjoying what we were doing.”
“Me, too.” Mark pulled the covers back, and she climbed in. Once he was in on his side, he asked, “Do you mind if I hold you?”
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded. Turning her back to him, she scooted close. He then wrapped his arms around her, putting his head in the crook of her neck. Inhaling her scent, he realized how much he missed the smell of a woman also.
Chapter Eight
The next few days seemed to fly by. Mark spent most of his time working outside, shoveling piles of snow, and Julie did things around the house. The power had turned back on last night while they slept. It was a refreshing thing to wake to. So now she folded up the quilts to put aside for washing on a warmer day since they would need to be line-dried.
Things between her and Mark were improving. They were to the point where they were pretty open with one another. She didn’t dare bring up his past again. It had nearly broken her heart the night he told her the story. She had not been expecting him to tell her they’d died. She couldn’t even imagine. He had only known his son a short time, six weeks to be exact, before he was taken from him.
She could understand now why he’d had to leave his hometown. How could someone get past that when everyone knew? She was sure they all felt bad for him and probably had always been doing favors for him because he had lost his wife and child. A loss like that also explained why all the women in town were itching to get him between their legs, and he wasn’t having it. The man was gorgeous, mouth-wateringly hot. If his heart wasn’t broken, he would probably be laid up at one of the local bars, picking up a different woman each night of the week.
But, currently, his nights were being spent with her. Since the evening by the fire, things were still pretty vanilla between them. They hadn’t kissed again since that evening, but there was a lot more flirtation. She would like to have a little more happening between them, but she didn’t know if either of them was really ready.
She shook her head. She needed to get her mind off this before she wasted the whole day dreaming as she had yesterday. There was no reason to be worrying about it.
The front door opened, and Mark came in. “The driveway is clean, and the road crews have cleared our road. We are officially free.”
She smiled. She noted the way he had said our road. It was silly, but things like that made her heart swell with joy.
“Great. I need to run into town.” Julie clapped her hands. “It is going to be so good to get out of this house.”
Mark looked hurt, and she realized how insensitive she might have sounded.
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” she added.
“Not a problem.”
She crossed her arms as the air seemed thick between them again. “Is it okay if I stay here tonight? If not, I understand. Maybe Honeycreek has a room.”
“Don’t be silly. Come back here.”
“Are you sure?”
He reached out, pulling her arms apart and holding her hands in his. “Yes, I like having you here.”
“If you don’t, now’s the time to say different. God knows when another snowstorm might be dumped on us, and we’ll be stuck together again. This is Brookfield.” She laughed.
He tugged her to him and kissed her. It was just a light kiss, one to let her know he meant what he’d said. “You belong here as long as you want,” he said.
“Then expect me back,” she said softly, tempted to kiss him again.
“Be careful. I’m going to go warm up in the shower and then call down to Country Furniture and see if they want me to come in.”
She let her eyes enjoy the view as he headed for his bedroom. That man could wear a pair of jeans the right way. Damn, she had better get out of here before she decided to follow him into the shower.
Julie parked her car in the town parking area. Tugging her peacoat together, she decided to get out and get some fresh air by walking. Brookfield was one of those places where you could walk to most anything. Her first stop was a local woman’s boutique. Her wardrobe wasn’t going to be fitting too much longer, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for maternity clothes just yet. Maybe just get a few things in bigger sizes, so she would have things to wear after the baby was born, too.
She glanced around the different racks, lost in thought until someone tapped her shoulder. She saw a familiar face but couldn’t quite place who it was.
“Julie Miller! Oh my, long time, no see. Heard you’re a big hotshot out there in New York City,” the redheaded woman said.
Julie nodded.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know who I am? I suppose you’ve met so many people you’ve forgotten us all back home. It’s Samantha Duncan—well, actually, Samantha Brown.” She held her hand up, showing off the rings on her finger. “I married Jake. Remember him?”
Julie remembered Jake all right. He’d been her first boyfriend. The first boy she’d kissed, and he was also the first to break her heart.
“Congrats. That’s exciting.” Julia smiled, trying to act like she cared.
“Are you married?” Samantha eyed her hands.
“No, not married. Been a little too busy to settle down yet.”
“Of course, you’re so busy. You know what they say though. If you wait too long to get married and have babies, you usually have a hard time conceiving. Me and Jakey are trying now.” She rubbed her belly.
“Good luck. I hope it takes quickly for you.”
“Oh, it should. We’re still young. So what brings you to town with your mama gone and all?” Samantha inquired.
“Well, I didn’t actually know she was gone. That was a surprise.” Julie laughed.
“How long you been here?”
“A week.”
“Were you at your mama’s during the blizzard?” Her eyes widened.
Julie nodded, and Samantha’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t tell me you were snowed in with that hunk, Mark Thomas? Oh, God, if you were, I’m going to be so jealous. In fact, every woman in town will be chasing you to take your tiny little ass back to New York. Cara, over at Cut and Color Salon, has had her eye on him for quite some time.”
Julie wanted to roll her eyes so bad, and she resisted but was happy to
confirm Samantha’s fear. “I was snowed in with him.”
“Did you guys … ya know?”
“What? No. Is that any of your business anyway?”
“You bet your sweet bottom it is,” Samantha snapped.
Julie rolled her eyes.
“So is there anything else I can get you today, or were you just looking? I’m not sure my clothes are high class enough for a New Yorker like yourself.”
Was this woman serious? Knowing that she had been snowed in with Mark, Samantha was so jealous, and Julie no longer wanted her business. Thankfully, that boutique wasn’t the only place in town. Otherwise, Julie would make sure to only order online.
“You’re right. This stuff isn’t what I’m used to.” Julie tossed her hair over her shoulder and strutted out of the boutique without a second look back.
Her next stop was the local bookstore, The Reading Corner, where she prayed she wouldn’t know anyone . She really needed a pregnancy book. One of those week-by-week ones she had heard about, so she would know what the hell she was supposed to be doing and what the baby was doing.
When she entered the bookstore, she inhaled. The smell of freshly printed book was one smell she loved. She could spend all day with her nose pressed into the pages of a brand-new book.
Right in the front of the store was a shelf of latest releases. She smiled. One of those was one she had been an editor of. She walked over, picked up the book, and found her name. She loved the acknowledgements in books. They always said stuff like, Without my wonderful editor, Julie Miller, this story wouldn’t be where it is today. Sure, she played a role, but all she did was find the mistakes. The author was the one who spent countless hours creating the gem. She should be thanking them for giving her the great job she did.
She quickly found the aisle she was looking for. There were so many pregnancy books—how did she choose the right one? She picked up several and decided to get each of them. You could never have too much reading material. She then stopped back by the newest release shelf and picked up the latest James Patterson for Mark. She wasn’t sure he had it yet, but this one had only come out a week ago so she figured, with the snow, he didn’t have it.
She laid her books down at the register. Alyssa, the store owner, came from the back. Julie recognized her but decided to leave it alone. She didn’t need someone else wanting to chase her out of town.
“Did you find everything okay?” Alyssa asked.
“Yes. Great little shop you have here.”
“Thanks. It’s my pride and joy.”
“Well, you can really tell.”
Alyssa read her the total, and then Julie paid her. Alyssa thanked her for her business, and Julie was on her way. This time she left un-shattered. Thank goodness. Plus, Alyssa didn’t come across as the town gossip crew, so even if she did recognize Julie, Alyssa wasn’t about to be telling everyone that she’d seen her buying multiple pregnancy books.
Geesh, she really had to stop caring. But it was people like Samantha Duncan that made her not want anyone to know. They were the type of people that made this embarrassing. Hell, she was thirty years old. Why should she be hiding it at all? It wasn’t like she was sticking around. Everyone could assume she was here for a visit and then going home to her boyfriend.
Julie froze on the sidewalk when she realized she hadn’t wanted to stay here. She took in the town and knew this was the perfect place to raise her child. Why was she even considering getting a tiny apartment back in the city and raising her child there? Daycare alone would cause her to have to get a second job. The baby would only see her grandmother maybe twice a year.
But could she stay here? Sure, she could edit books anywhere and, with technology, she could easy video conference with clients. There were plenty of people she knew who could watch the baby when she needed someone to. Heck, her own mother could—if she ever returned.
This was all way too much to be thinking about right now. It wasn’t like she was leaving today. She hadn’t even talked to her mother. That was a whole other subject to think about. But, at this moment, she was hungry. And there was only one place she wanted to go and that was Luigi’s Pizza. The pizza was homemade, made with all fresh ingredients, and absolutely mouth-watering. She was drooling just thinking about it. Thankfully, it was right across the street from the bookstore.
Stepping through the doors, Julie breathed in the aroma. This smell was a close second after the new book fragrance. As she was debating on whether to eat here or take a pizza home, she spotted Claire in a booth. She headed over and took a seat in front of her.
“Hey, girl!”
Claire’s eyes lit up. “Well, you’re finally out.”
“God, yes. I’m free.”
Claire leaned forward and whispered, “Heard you had a run-in with Samantha.”
“What! Already?” Geesh, one thing never changed—gossip traveled fast. “She was just rude.”
“Rumor has it Cara is picking up a pie from the bakery and will be heading out to your mom’s place real soon to deliver.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was.”
Julie leaned back in the booth, shaking her head. Some of the women around here were ridiculous. Maybe she didn’t want to stay. People minded their own business where she came from. No one cared if you were having a baby out of wedlock.
“What’s in the bag?” Claire asked.
Julie shoved the bag across the table to her. Claire peeked in, and her face lit up. “So I was right?”
Julie nodded.
“And that’s why you’re home?”
“I wanted my mom. I needed her to tell me it was going to be okay.”
“Are you involved with the father?”
“We were together a while. I moved in officially about two months ago. I was there all the time anyway. Well, I was so caught up in life, I didn’t realize I was late. When I realized it had been over three months, I took a test, and when I told Jeremy, he told me to have an abortion or leave.”
“So you left?”
“Yup, took anything that was important to me, tossed it in the trunk, and here I am.”
“Well, you know we’re glad to have you back.” Claire smiled.
“I just don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Thankfully, with my job, I can do it most anywhere. But do I really want to come back here? But then I think New York City is not really ideal for raising a baby on my own.” Julie rested her chin on her knuckles. “I want my mom.”
“Have you called her?”
“Many times. She hasn’t called back.”
“I’m sorry.” Claire frowned.
A waitress came over and asked if Julie wanted anything. Claire told her to order, so Julie got a vegetarian calzone and a glass of water.
“Vegetarian? No wonder you’re so damn skinny.”
“I eat meat. I guess I’m just so used to New York and staying with the in-crowd.”
Claire rolled her eyes. Julie’s phone buzzed, so she fished it out of her purse. Several e-mails had come through from her boss and one from Jeremy. Julie scrolled though, seeing that a specific author had requested her for their edits. She could reply later. She was most interested in what Jeremy had to say.
Jules,
Where the heck are you? You just up and left. Tried calling you, but it just went to your voicemail. Figured your nose was always glued to the phone, and I might get a response this way. I’m sorry for how I acted. Come home, so we can talk about what to do with our little problem. We are too good together to let that get in the way.
Love you,
Jeremy
Julie let out a frustrated sigh. She quickly responded to him that she was in Brookfield visiting her mom. And that there was no problem between them. He had the problem. After sending the e-mail, she tossed the phone onto the table.
“I hate that man, I think,” she said.
“Who?”
“Jeremy. I ha
d an e-mail from him. He wants me to come home, so we can discuss our problem. As if.”
“Sorry. Ooh, here comes our food.”
The waitress returned with their food. In front of Julie was a massively huge calzone. She could not wait to dive in and taste it. The first bite told her Luigi was a genius, and no place in New York had anything on him. Luigi’s Pizza was a little piece of Heaven here on Earth.
“You haven’t brought up Mark. Did you guys ever ravish each other?”
Julie laughed.
“You did! I knew it. Is he a good kisser?”
“He is. But, you know, I really shouldn’t kiss and tell.”
“Anything else happen?”
“No, just a few kisses.” Julie took another big bite of her food.
“Have you figured out yet who this Annabelle is?”
Julie paused and shook her head. Mark had put her trust in her, and she was not about to break that. Even though Claire was like a best friend, his story wasn’t hers to tell.
They spent the rest of lunch talking their own gossip as Claire filled her in on who married who and so on. They talked long after the food was gone. As it got later in the afternoon, though, they both knew they should be heading to their homes. Once the sun dropped, everything was going to freeze, and no one wanted to be out.
Julie hugged Claire tightly. Claire snuck in a quick belly rub and expressed that she could not wait until there was a big bump there. Julie, however, could most definitely wait.
As she headed back to her car, the air was crisp once again. The clouds looked fluffy, and she worried more snow was coming. She really hoped not. Snow was still everywhere, and huge piles loomed on each side of the streets. Some people’s cars were still buried. There was a thin layer of ice building on the snow, and the last thing Brookfield needed was a fresh layer of snow on top of the ice.
Either way, she was getting back to the house as quickly as possible.
When she pulled up to her mom’s, she saw Mark was gone. Hopefully he made it back soon. Once inside, she decided to try and get the fire going. How hard could it be?