Heath took the plate Raven’s mother handed him and added a cookie to it. His gaze landed on Raven, and he gave her a smile with a hint of uncertainty. Apparently, he wasn’t so sure he should be there, either. At least he still had some good sense.
“Are you okay?” Mandy asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not a big deal, I’m just surprised.” She lifted the wooden photo box. “I’ll go set this in the guest room so it doesn’t get broken. I’ll be right back.”
Once there, she slipped the gift card inside the box and left it on the dresser. Did she have to go back out there? Maybe she could get away with hiding until it was time to eat. Raven chuckled at herself. Yeah, as if Mom or Dad would ever allow that to happen.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror on the wall above the dresser. “You’re thirty-one. It’s time to put your big girl panties on.” Besides, she’d need to be polite and thank Heath for coming. Hopefully he’d find someone else to visit with for the rest of the evening. Goodness knew half the town were fans of his anyway.
With a deep breath, she raked her fingers through her hair and headed back into the living room. There was no sign of Heath. Maybe he went out back with most of the other guys.
Raven found Mom in the kitchen still holding Barry. The moment the little boy caught sight of Raven, he nearly jumped from Mom’s arms. Raven laughed as she reached for him and then held him close. “My goodness, you’ve grown in the last week or two.” She patted his back and then made a funny face that had him laughing.
“I think he has, too,” Mandy agreed. She smiled at her son and used the neckline of his shirt to swipe at the drool on his chin. “Between the growth spurts and teething, it’s been a rough week. He’s fooling everyone here, though. Aren’t you, buddy? Nobody believes you were up half the night in tears.”
“Poor guy.” Raven hugged him, but he pushed back again, way too interested in what was going on around him to cuddle for long. When he got squirmy, Mandy took him.
“We may not make it to dessert. If we don’t, I’ll find you and say goodbye.”
Raven nodded. “Mom made a bunch of cupcakes. So if that happens, we’ll have plenty for you to take with you.” She smiled. “I appreciate you coming. I hope you’ll at least get to stay for dinner.”
“Me, too. I’m going to take Barry outside for a bit. Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” Raven waved at Barry who flapped his hand bye-bye at her. Every time she hugged that baby close, her internal clock kicked into overdrive.
In all truthfulness, she’d expected to be married and have kids by now. In fact, she and Rosie had often talked into the night in high school about their future plans. Raven had hoped to marry early and start a family before she turned twenty-four, while Rosie had hoped to go to college. Funny how, in many ways, their plans had reversed.
She spoke with a neighbor and one of her mom’s friends for several minutes. When she turned to see if she could find Chrissy, she discovered Heath walking toward her. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. Happy birthday.” He stood with one hand in a pocket and the other behind his back. “Your parents invited me by way of Carl. I hope it’s okay that I came.”
Raven wanted to tell him it wasn’t okay because his presence turned her brain into mush. Every time she saw him, especially in a situation like this where he’d been such a big part of her life before, all their moments together came flooding back.
Instead of speaking her mind, she simply nodded once and said, “Of course.”
“Good.” Heath pulled his other hand out from behind his back and handed Raven a card. “It’s not much, but I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”
Raven accepted it, her fingertips brushing his in the process. She stared at the red envelope, unsure whether she should open it now or wait.
“You can open it later. There’s something smaller inside, and I’d hate for it to fall out and get lost.”
Well, at least that answered her question. She held onto the envelope with both hands and gave him a smile. “Thank you. I’ll go put it in the guest room with my things.” Instead of taking the hint and letting her escape, he moved to follow her.
~*~
Heath didn’t know whether he should follow Raven or wait. After this last week, however, this may be the only time he’d have a chance to talk with her alone. She entered the spare room, left the door open, and slid the card he’d given her into a wooden box etched with a very detailed image.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Isn’t it?” Raven ran a hand over the tree. “You remember Mandy, right?”
“I do. I ran into her a few minutes ago.” Mandy and Raven had been best friends when he first met Raven. It was nice that they were still close. Of course, that would happen in a small town like Clearwater. An unexpected pang of jealousy went through him as he realized how much of her life he’d missed while so many others had been there for her. He had no right to feel that way, but it was impossible to squelch the emotion.
“Her husband, Preston, made this.”
“Now that you say it, I remember hearing about his business. I’ll have to look it up.” He paused. Raven clasped her hands together. She turned to leave the room when Heath blurted out, “I hate that you’re avoiding me, Raven.”
She stopped and faced him again, her dark eyes widened with surprise, her attention shifting from him to the door. No one else seemed to notice them. Heath reached out to lightly touch her arm, bringing her gaze back to him. He shifted them to the side where they weren’t visible to the rest of the guests and lowered his voice. “I know things have been messed up between us for a long time. I take full responsibility for that. But coming back here and seeing you again…” He took a deep breath to give himself a moment to sort out his thoughts. “Can you look me in the eyes and honestly say you have no feelings for me?”
Raven didn’t hesitate. “It doesn’t matter.”
Heath swallowed his frustration. “Of course it matters.” He took a step closer, the toes of his shoes an inch from hers. “I never stopped caring about you. Whether you feel the same way or not matters a great deal to me.”
She clasped her hands together in front of her but said nothing. It was clear by the look on her face that she didn’t quite believe him.
That she hadn’t denied having feelings for him bolstered his courage. “What if my injury and return to Clearwater is giving us a second chance? I know things won’t be easy, but don’t we owe it to ourselves to at least consider the possibility?” He’d messed this up once. Heath had to see if there was still something between them; he couldn’t take the regret if he didn’t. He’d had more than enough of that to last a lifetime. He said a silent prayer that Raven wouldn’t hate him for what he was about to do.
Heath threaded his fingers through her hair at the base of her neck and gently covered her lips with his. She stilled for a heartbeat. Then another. When her lips moved against his, he deepened the kiss. Everything about it—about her—was better than he remembered.
He slipped his other arm around her waist to draw her closer. The sound of her contented sigh made him never want to let her go again.
“Raven?” The sound of Mrs. Weber’s voice from outside the door was so unexpected, Heath wasn’t sure which of them jumped more.
Raven’s hand flew to her mouth, her cheeks bright pink.
Mrs. Weber peeked around the corner, her eyebrows nearly disappearing into her curled bangs. “Dad says dinner will be ready in five minutes.” She took in the two of them, the interest on her face less than subtle. “But if you need some time to finish your chat…”
“No.” Raven moved to the doorway. “I think we’re good. Thanks, I’m starving.” She paused, one hand on the doorframe. When she turned to look at Heath, he couldn’t begin to untangle the mix of emotions he saw in her eyes. Raven slipped from the room.
Mrs. Weber gave Heath a sympathetic look that didn’t quite mask the hope. Great. No
w she’d be on Raven’s case, which wouldn’t help his own. There was nothing he could do about it now. He followed her out.
A buffet was set up along the counter that extended between the kitchen and the living room. Guests were invited to eat at the kitchen table, in the living room, or to use the patio furniture outside. Personally, Heath intended to go outside for some fresh air.
The food provided at the Weber twins’ infamous birthday party was as good as Heath remembered. Mr. Weber could cook a mean burger, and he had a particular seasoning he used on everything that he refused to reveal to anyone. Heath took a large bite and nodded in appreciation. He could pick out the taste of onion, garlic, and even pepper. But there was something else there, too. Did Raven know what it was, or did her father keep it a secret from his own family members?
Carl took a seat in the patio chair next to Heath. He lifted the burger in appreciation. “You can’t go wrong with Roy’s hamburgers.”
“That’s the truth.” He shouldn’t be annoyed that Carl was on a first name basis with Raven’s father when Heath never had been. Then again, it’s not like he’d ever gotten to know the man as an adult. Just one more reminder of how much time had passed.
He and Carl chatted about football and coaching for a while as they ate their meal. He never saw Raven come outside.
Everyone finished their food, visited for a half hour, and then Mrs. Weber announced that it was time for cupcakes. She’d arranged them on a three-tier stand making them look fancy. With fresh strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate curls on top of the frosting, there was no doubt there was something for everyone.
Mrs. Weber motioned for Rosie and Raven to stand near the cupcakes in front of everyone. Both sisters did as they were asked and put an arm around each other. The room erupted in a rendition of the birthday song. At the end of it, Raven and Rosie took a bow which earned them laughter and clapping.
Raven smiled at the crowd. “Thank you all so much for being here today. It means a lot to Rosie and me. Turning another year older is more palatable when the experience is shared with friends.” Everyone laughed again. Raven looked at Heath for a moment before motioning people forward. “All right, everyone. Come grab yourself a cupcake or two. I think Mom outdid herself this year.”
Heath hoped for the opportunity to speak with Raven before the evening ended. Unfortunately, other guests surrounded her, preventing any possibility for a private conversation. When people began to leave, Heath wished Rosie a happy birthday, thanked her parents for their hospitality, then sought Raven to say goodbye.
He found her visiting with Chrissy and someone else he didn’t know. She looked up as he approached.
“I wanted to wish you happy birthday one more time before I head home.”
To his surprise, she stood and excused herself. “Let me walk you out.” She shot a look at Chrissy that Heath couldn’t quite discern before she led him through the house to the front door. They both stepped onto the porch before she closed the door again behind them.
Raven fiddled with her necklace. “It was nice of you to come, Heath. Rosie…” she hesitated, “…and I both appreciate it.”
“I’m glad I could help you celebrate.” He would’ve kissed her goodbye except that people were exiting the house regularly, leaving them in a less-than-private location. “Look, Raven—”
“This is too complicated, Heath.”
“Last time I was young. Stupid.” He reached for her hand and held it in his, softly running his thumb across her palm. “I let us go way too easily. Maybe it’s time we tried complicated.”
He suppressed a sigh when the front door opened again, and Raven had to turn to say goodbye to another group of guests. It didn’t seem like there’d been nearly this many people inside. She glanced at him, gave him a sad smile, and lifted her hand in a wave. Heath returned it and headed for his truck.
As he drove home, he wasn’t sure whether this was the start of a new beginning, or if he’d hammered yet another nail into the coffin of his relationship with Raven.
Chapter Thirteen
Rosie and Carl headed home shortly after the last guest left. That meant Raven was now alone with her parents, and if the gleam in her mom’s eye was any indication, Raven wished she’d bowed out of the party earlier herself.
Dad pointed to the living room. “I’ll go watch TV.” He raised an eyebrow at Raven. “Listen to your mother. Come say goodbye before you leave.”
Raven groaned. “It’s my birthday, Mom. Can we pretend you didn’t see what you saw?”
“You’re not getting any younger, honey.”
Oh, that’s what every girl wanted to hear on her birthday. Nice. “I appreciate it. Now that I’m feeling especially good about myself, I’ll head home.”
Mom chuckled. “All your dad and I want is what’s best for you.” Her expression grew serious as she placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Why are you so against getting back together with Heath? You’ve always been perfect for each other.”
Oh, sure. They were perfect for each other until Heath decided they weren’t. Her parents were there, and they saw what it did to her. Why couldn’t they get it? “He’s leaving again, Mom. As soon as he’s out of that boot, he’ll be heading back to Cleveland and his real life. What you saw earlier?” Raven waved a hand in the air. “Maybe it was nostalgia. But we don’t fit in each other’s worlds, and we haven’t for a long time.” As the words left Raven’s mouth, so did the tiny bit of hope that had taken root since their kiss. She hadn’t even realized it’d been there until now.
Mom looked sad as she pulled Raven into a hug. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t want to see you giving up so easily.”
She called holding a torch for her old fiancé for twelve years giving up too easily? “I’m sorry, too.” Raven sighed as she stepped back. She looked around the room. Remnants of the successful birthday party were everywhere. There were more people in attendance than Raven had a chance to visit with. The food was amazing, as usual, and the kindness of all these people she’d known most of her life had left Raven thankful for the community she lived in. “You sure I can’t help you clean?”
“I’m sure.” Mom smiled as she handed over a container of cupcakes.
“Thank you both for a great birthday and party.” She lifted her arm, admiring the silver bracelet’s intricately-twisted design. “I love it.”
“You’re welcome, honey.” Mom smiled at her. “We’re glad you like it. Make sure you go say goodbye to your dad.”
Raven did that and finally made it out the door and to her car. As soon as she buckled the seat belt, she let her head fall back and took a deep breath.
As much fun as the birthday party had been, she’d been too aware of everything Heath did. When he wasn’t in the room, she wondered what he was doing. And when they were in the same room together, when she wasn’t sneaking glimpses of him, it felt like his eyes were on her. Goosebumps peppered her skin at the memory of what he said and the way he touched her arm.
Raven wanted to open his card but decided to wait until she was home. If she stayed in front of the house too long, her mom or dad would come out to make sure she was okay.
Once she’d entered her living room, she made a point of using the restroom and changing into comfortable pajamas first. She didn’t want to look too hurried to open the card. As if someone were spying on her. Raven laughed at herself, made some tea, and curled up on the couch with the gifts. She’d loved everything she received, from the bracelet her parents gave her to the gift card for books.
After looking through them again, she finally lifted the red envelope from where it was lying on the couch beside her. The flap was carefully tucked inside. She opened it and eased the card out. On the cover was a woman leaning against a fence, a cup of coffee in her hands, and the words “Happy Birthday” above. Fitting. The image made her smile.
Inside was a hand-written note.
Raven,
I know I’ve done a lot to disappo
int you. I don’t expect you to forget, and I’m not even sure you’ll ever be able to fully forgive me. But if you could find it in your heart to let me explain—to tell you what was going on back then—I’d appreciate it.
Happy birthday, Raven. I hope all your dreams come true.
Always,
Heath
P.S. Enjoy the coffee. If you ever need company, let me know.
He wrote his cell phone number at the bottom. Raven opened the smaller envelope to find a gift card to Clearwater Coffee. It was perfect. She ran a finger over the handwriting and smiled. Part of her wanted to call him immediately and find out what he had to say. She couldn’t imagine he’d be able to justify to her why he’d never looked back.
What if what he said only confirmed her deepest fears? What if he’d left because she would’ve held him back? She swallowed hard and pushed conversations she’d intentionally forgotten from invading her mind again.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to delve into the past. No telling what that was going to dredge up.
So why did that bothersome smidge of hope keep flaring up in the center of her heart?
Raven reached for her cell phone and stared at the darkened screen. The real question was which would she regret more: giving Heath the chance to explain things, or always wondering what he might have said?
Instead of calling, she added his name to her contacts and then started a text.
“Thanks for coming to the party tonight. The gift card is great.” She found a coffee emoji to include with the text before sending it. There. At least she’d thanked him for the gift, which was the polite thing to do.
She tossed her phone on the coffee table, retrieved a cupcake from the container Mom sent, and turned the television on to watch another episode of Longmire. Raven barely made it through half of her dessert before her phone pinged.
Raven stared at it several moments before reaching for it and tapping the screen. Heath’s name came up along with his response.
Marrying Raven (Brides of Clearwater Book 2) Page 10