Hope Falls: Cookies & Kismet (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Mayra Statham

  “I promise.” And I believed him.

  “And you promise to tell me whatever you’re planning?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s that easy.” I shrugged.

  “I’ll miss you, my island girl.”

  “Island girl? Shouldn’t I be more like your mountain girl? Wait…” I scrunched my face. “That doesn’t sound hot.”

  “You’re the sexiest woman I know, Angie.”

  “I… you don’t need to say that.”

  “I mean it. You, Angelina Lopez, are the most amazing,”—he kissed the tip of my nose—“sexy,”—his lips moved to my cheek—“funny,”—to my neck—“beautiful woman.” His tongue took a swipe at the skin and made me shiver. “And you’re all mine,” he whispered so low I wasn’t sure if I had imagined it or not. Regardless, the damage was done. Hope had wriggled its way past my rib cage and into my heart.

  Pulling away, I knew the look on his face. I had seen it last week, right before he had left. Determination. He didn’t want to go; I knew it as much as I felt it radiating off him. But we both knew he had a long drive and a flight to take to get back home. I had to try to make things a little easier for him.

  “Come on. I’ll walk you out.” I kissed him one more time, taking the box of cookies from the counter.

  We walked together through my living room, where he picked up his duffle bag, then we walked out of my place and into the crisp, chilly air.

  “Do you think it will snow before Christmas?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.” I looked toward the sky. “It’s definitely getting colder,” I pointed out, even though it was obvious.

  “That would be cool… a white Christmas,” he said looking around us before his eyes settled on me.

  “Have you ever seen it snow?” I inquired.

  “Do movies count?” he asked as he opened his driver side door and tossed his duffle to the passenger seat, then looked back at me.

  “No.” I giggled and handled him the box of cookies he was taking with him.

  “Then no. I’ve been to things, you know, where they have fake snow that’s really a massive amount of shaved ice thrown onto a hill. Oh, and Disney World has a Christmas parade. They do a foam snow.”

  “Disneyland does that, too,” I pointed out. Looking around, I could almost picture the trees draped with fresh snow. “I hope you get to see snow here.” I wanted to be with him when he did. He pulled me close, and I knew he was only moments from leaving again. A pit in my stomach grew.

  “Me too,” he muttered at the top of my head, holding me in his arms.

  “You should go,” I told the hardness of his chest, my hands stroking the strong planes of his back.

  “I know… just give me a minute.” He squeezed me tighter, and I swear I felt it in my heart.

  Just like I felt how he took it with him as he drove off and I stood in place, watching until his car disappeared.

  I just hoped he would be careful with it.

  Chapter Nine

  Nathan – December 12th

  “You’re up late,” were the first words from her mouth, and just like that, he found he could breathe easier.

  There was no doubt he was head over heels for her. Resting his head back against the headrest of his recliner in his living room, he let the knowledge wash over him like a soothing blanket.

  “Nate? You okay?” she asked, snapping him out his thoughts.

  “And you’re in bed early,” he pointed out instead of answering. He wasn’t fine. He missed the living daylights out of her. All he wanted to do was be next to her.

  “How do you know I’m in bed?” she asked, and he smiled, taking a long swig from his beer.

  “Your voice. It gets softer and sugary when you’re in bed.”

  “Nate,” she whispered sweetly, making his cock liven up. He knew that Nate. Breathy. And he knew he had surprised her in a good way. “Just when I think I have you figured out, you say the sweetest things.”

  “Only the truth, Angie.”

  “I got your recipe,” she changed the subject, and he let her have that.

  “Yeah?” He had found two other Christmas cookies they could make, one of them being the ones she had mentioned.

  “I picked up everything we would need this weekend after work,” she shared. He liked this. He liked how easily she shared little things about her day. The little things that lay the foundation to bigger ones later on in life, a voice whispered in the back of his head.

  “Good. How was work?”

  “Well, you know… work.” She laughed softly at her little joke, and he found wishing he knew every detail of her day. Jesus, he was nuts over her.

  “For shits and giggles, why don’t you tell me?”

  “Hmm… well, you know…. it’s just work. Today wasn’t very exciting.”

  “Tell me anyhow.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked, her tone slightly incredulous.

  “Very,” he admitted, and just like that, his girl gave in to him. She shared everything about her day.

  About the kids at school and what it was like to work in the school’s office. She shared how one of the teachers was about to go on maternity leave and how they wanted to organize a baby shower and weren’t sure if they should surprise her or not. Angie shared what preparing before going on winter break took and how excited she was to have some time off. He drank every detail in like a man dying of thirst in the middle of the desert.

  “Did that help make you sleepy?” she asked as she finished up about her week. He grinned.

  “No. I love your voice.”

  “Ditto…. What time will you be here Friday?”

  “Why? Do you have another hot date you wanna squeeze in?” he joked, but once the words were out, he frowned. He didn’t like the idea of her being around any other men.

  “Please.” She laughed softly. “You know you’re the only one I’m seeing.” He breathed out in relief.

  “You’re the only one, too, baby.”

  “Good,” she whispered.

  “I shouldn’t have joked like that.”

  “It okay. I like it when you get all caveman like.” She giggled.

  “I should be there Friday a little after ten.”

  “At night?” He could hear the twinge of disappointment in her voice, and he hated that he hadn’t been able to get an earlier flight.

  “I have a late meeting,” he lamely answered. It was more than a random meeting.

  After coming back to Miami from that first weekend, after finally reuniting with her since the island, home hadn’t felt right. Miami and Florida had lost its allure and hominess.

  Hell, if he was honest, he had known what he was going to do before he had set foot out of her house that first weekend. But selling a business and his home had hit a couple of snags. Nothing too bad, but with his fingers crossed, if he had his way, he would finally be home with his girl on a very permeant basis before Christmas morning.

  “Unless that’s a problem,” he threw out there, her silence deafening. “I could switch it and be there first thing on Saturday.”

  “Anytime, Nate. My place is yours. I’ve told you that.” He liked her words and that she meant them. Though, he wondered if she would think he was as crazy as Lindsay had looked at him when he had shared his plans with her. As his assistant, she had been the first he’d spoken to about his plans. Surprisingly, after the shock of his plans of selling his business and relocating himself to Hope Falls had worn off, she was actually planning on joining him in his new venture. He picked up the black velvet box from his side table and held it in his hands. Turning it this way and that.

  “I know, baby, I just—”

  “Want to make sure were on the same page?” she cut him off. She knew him already, which only supported he was following his gut the right way.

  “Yeah.” His answer sounded gruff in his own ears. Worry he wanted her more than she wanted him started to hit.

  “If it
helps, all I want right now is for you to be next to me,” she shared, and he closed his eyes in relief.

  “Yeah?”

  “I miss the smell of you on my sheets,” she admitted, and just like that, all the blood in his body rushed south, his dick hardening beneath his dress slacks. The thought of being in her bed, between the sheets with her as close to heaven as he would get, did things to him.

  “Fuck,” he cursed and felt her soft laughter in his heart, because that was where his little minx had embedded herself. “What else do you miss?” he found himself asking, unbuttoning his slacks, hoping the conversation would take a turn for the dirty side.

  “Hmm… you,” she answered, and he smiled.

  “I miss you, too. But I want you to be more specific,” he goaded.

  By the time their conversation was over, they were both sated and satisfied as they caught their breath before quietly drifting into a peaceful sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Angie - December 15th

  “Elena,“ I groaned.

  “Please, Angie. You know I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t super important,” my sister pleaded, and I sighed. I might have been sitting at my kitchen table, but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I knew what I was going to do. I just didn’t want to do it.

  “Maybe Cat—“

  “She’s in San Francisco for a training,” she reminded me. I winced. God, I was a terrible friend. How could I have forgotten? “Look, I know it’s a huge favor to ask of you normally—“

  “It isn’t.”

  “Especially now that you have some mystery man,” my sister chose to point out. I winced again.

  “He’s not a mystery—“

  “He is to me. I haven’t met him.” She had a point. I was a horrible sister.

  “I haven’t really introduced him to anyone, E,” I tried to argue.

  “And why is that?” She put her mug on the table.

  “It isn’t personal,” I tried to reassure her, but from the look in her lighter brown eyes I knew she wasn’t buying it. Regardless, it was the truth.

  “Lily and Amy met him,” she grumbled. I took a deep breath trying not to lose my patience.

  “We bumped into them at Sue Ann’s,” I explained. ”It isn’t like I had us all go on a triple date.”

  “So?”

  “Elena, Nate and I, we haven’t had a lot of time together, okay? And when they met him, it was literally one of those things where we were at the same place at the same time. Pure coincidence.”

  “You also haven't called to tell me a thing about him.” I winced. She was right. I hadn’t. Usually, Cat and my sister were the first ones I went to. But with Nathan, I hadn’t wanted to share anything. I wanted to keep him all to myself.

  “I know, and I'm sorry for that,” I apologized sincerely.

  “Cat called. After Amy and Lily.”

  “Elena,“ I groaned.

  “I know I'm all over the place and busy with the kids and Randy not being here, but—" I had to cut her off. There was no way I would let my sister take the blame for me not sharing.

  "I should have called you.” I held her hand and meant it. “I didn't know if I was ever going to see him again, E. We had this incredible time in Hawaii, and then... nothing,” I confessed. her eyes narrowed. “I didn't hear from him, and I felt…” My words drifted off as I searched for the right way to describe how I had felt.

  “What?”

  “Like an idiot. Like I had been played again,” I shared honestly. As my sister and one of my closest friends, she knew about my past relationships and hang-ups. She had been there passing the ice cream and Kleenex.

  “Babe,” she sighed, and I knew what she was going to say. It was unnecessary, so I squeezed her hand and kept sharing.

  “But he showed up here. He found me, Elena. And now...”

  “Now?” she pressed, her face unreadable for once.

  “Now...” I sighed. "I’m going to watch your kids this weekend.”

  “He was going to come this weekend, wasn't he?" Elena asked, and I smiled.

  "Meh... plans change.” I shrugged, trying to play down the disappointment I felt.

  “You know I don't mind if the kids were to, I don’t know, Meet him,” she threw out there and frowned.

  “Elena—“

  “It would be good for them to see their aunt not living like a nun for once.” I playfully scowled at her, enjoying how easy it was to talk to her.

  She was eight years older than me and had three very active kids and a husband stationed overseas. Having a full plate meant she was always busy and I never wanted to add to her plate. If watching my nieces and nephew for three days would help her give them a memorable Christmas, it was the least I could do.

  “I don't live like a nun," I admonished. "And I'm not sure I'm ready for them to meet him. He's...”

  “He's what?” My sister’s head tilted as she watched me closely. I shook my head.

  “He's really easy to fall for." My voice softened, my mind filled with everything Nate.

  "You mean charming?" she questioned, and I smiled.

  "No. I mean head over heels fall," I admitted out loud in a sincere tone.

  “You're in love.” Her eyes widened in surprise, and I nodded. “You haven't been, not since... you know, Keith,” she pointed out, just like Cat had.

  “I know.” I laughed, shaking my head. I glanced down, pretending to clean off non-existent crumbs off the table. "I can't help it. Like I said, it’s impossible not to.”

  “It’s not like you to rush into anything.”

  “I know!” I exclaimed and laughed. “But I just… know. And knowing how I feel for him makes it clear now that what I felt for Keith, as much as I cared, wasn’t love. Not real love. Not like this.”

  “I’m happy for you, Ang. I really am.”

  “Thanks.” I squeezed her hand back.

  “I’m also really sorry to be a pain in your ass. You know if I could ask anyone else, I totally would,” she apologized. I kept holding her hand and shook my head.

  "Don't. This is what family does. And I know you would. But honestly, you shouldn't have to. I'm here, and I miss my rug rats! I picked up some goodies for them at the Christmas tree stand.” I winked at her with a smile, trying to do a good job of feigning enthusiasm.

  “You spoil them.”

  “It’s nothing big, just some stocking stuffers.” I shrugged trying to ignore the silent way she was studying me as she drank the last bit of her coffee.

  “I saw you got a tree.” Of course, she would have noticed.

  “It came out nice, right?” I glanced at the tree in the living room.

  “It’s beautiful...” She looked at me knowingly. “You usually leave that till the last minute.” It was true. No matter how much I tried, I never got to putting the tree up before the twentieth.

  “E—"

  “He helped you,” she guessed. Her lips twitched.

  “No." I shook my head. "He insisted.”

  “What?” Her eyes were like saucers before they disappeared, mixing with her giggles.

  “It was his idea. He insisted we go get one last weekend. So, we did. Then he made sure we decorated it." I left out the getting distracted part, but between batches of cookies going in and out of the oven, we had decorated the tree.

  “Did he?" She grinned, obviously finding it all amusing.

  "Yeah." I could feel my cheeks burning under her gaze. "Okay, what?"

  “I have”—she looked at her phone—“thirty minutes before I have to get the kids from school. Why don't you tell me about him?"

  “He... he's amazing.”

  “Hmm, must be to have you all”—she pointed at me, wiggling her fingers—“like that.”

  “Shut up.” I laughed and got serious. “He's different, sis.”

  “How so?”

  “Do you remember when you first met Randy?” I asked her. The clear memory of the way she spoke about him ha
d been the way I had always wanted to feel about someone, one day.

  “I think I can try and remember that far back, yeah,” she joked.

  “Do you remember telling Mom how when you were with him, you felt like you were home?” I reminded her. Her smile faded, her eyes warmed up at the memory, and I swallowed hard.

  “Yes.” Her face turned soft, and I knew she was sitting in front of me, but her mind was back in time. Back in time when the love of her life was in her everyday life instead of overseas, protecting our county.

  “It’s a little like that,” I shared softly. “Like, I know I am fine on my own, you know that. I don't need a man to make me feel whole,” I reminded her, and her face softened further.

  “Right.”

  “But... everything is simply better with him there. Does that make sense?” I asked and laughed. “Even little things like making grilled cheese sandwiches and watching Christmas movies or baking cookies—"

  "Wait a sec," she stopped me. "You guys have been together, what, like a total of four days?”

  “Five.”

  “Okay, five days since coming back from Hawaii, and you have trimmed a tree, watched holiday moves, and baked cookies?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Mhmm.”

  “What were you going to do this weekend?”

  “Nothing.” I shook my head. There was no need to make her feel guilty about needing me to babysit.

  “The festival,” she whispered. “I am so—“

  “Elena, don't. Seriously. Its fine. There is always next time. He's just a boy.”

  “Man,” she corrected me, and I frowned.

  “What?”

  “Amy and Lily both said he was a man,” she pointed out, her eyebrows to her hairline, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

  “Oh God,” I groaned.

  “Older and hot,” she filled in. My face fell into my hands.

  I groaned. “He’s not that old.” I shook my head. “He’s thirty-nine.”

  “Nice.” My sister smirked, and I rolled my eyes, though she was right. He was very, very, very nice.

  “Anyhow, can no one keep things to themselves?”

  “They were excited for you! This is good. Maybe he will surprise you,” she answered.