by Sandra Owens
Savannah popped a chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth. “I could eat a dozen of these.” She ate another one. “Speaking of Connor and Adam, how are they?”
“They’re doing great. Their log home business is doing very well and keeping them busy.” I wondered if she still had feelings for Adam. “Both are still single.”
“They’ll be at my wedding and the reception.” Autumn slyly eyed Savannah. “Adam asks about you sometimes.”
Savannah’s gaze lowered to the table, hiding whatever was in her eyes at the mention of Adam. “Is he happy?”
“I don’t think he’s been happy since you left him.”
I shot Autumn a warning glance. We were just getting Savannah to loosen up, and I didn’t want her crawling back into her shell.
“You should see some of their log homes,” I said. “They’re beautiful.”
“I’d like to someday.” She looked at Autumn. “I always thought you’d end up with Connor.”
Autumn’s eyes widened. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. The two of you seemed to have a special connection.”
That was true. No one could make Connor laugh the way Autumn did. And whenever she’d gotten in trouble, which was often, his was the shoulder she’d cry on.
“Well, I did have a crush on him in the sixth grade, but then along came Larry Stanley. He gave me that mood ring for Christmas, and when it turned blue, he told me it was because I loved him.” Autumn grinned. “How can you argue with a mood ring?”
“Yeah, you loved him until the ring turned your finger green.” I grinned at her. “You threw it back at him.”
“Oh, right. I’d forgotten that. Well, how was I supposed to love a boy who made my finger turn green?”
We reminisced, laughed, and ate the goodies for another hour. It was like old times, but I reminded myself that it was temporary. Both Savannah and I would be leaving the day after Autumn’s wedding. That led me to thinking of Dylan and how much I was going to miss him.
“What about you, Jenn?” Savannah said. “Anyone special?”
I shrugged. “Kind of. I’ve been seeing Dylan Conrad, our new police chief.”
Autumn fanned her face. “And he’s hot, hot, hot.”
“But I’m leaving Sunday, and he was just someone to have fun with for a little while. Nothing special.” The lie was bitter on my tongue. Dylan Conrad was beyond special.
Autumn snorted. “Keep telling yourself that, Jenn.” She glanced at her watch. “Crap. We’re running out of time. We still have to do pedicures and our nails.”
Growing up, we’d had fun giving each other pedicures and manicures, so Autumn and I had decided we’d do that today with Savannah. We got our toes and nails filed and painted, laughed some more, and then I watched Savannah do Autumn’s makeup and hair.
She really was an expert at both things, and when she was finished with Autumn, she turned to me and raised a brow. “Yes, please,” I said.
Finally it was time to put on our dresses. Savannah and I helped Autumn into her gown. I blinked back tears at knowing our girl time was over. Savannah hadn’t opened up to us, and I couldn’t help thinking she was terribly unhappy.
“I think you’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” I said, taking Autumn’s hand. Putting my doubts aside, I prayed that my friend had found her happily ever after.
“You really are.” Savannah took Autumn’s other hand and then mine, forming a circle. “I know it doesn’t always seem like it lately, but I love both of you,” she said. “Please don’t give up on me.”
I squeezed her hand. “Never.”
“Never,” Autumn echoed.
The doorbell rang, letting us know the limos were here. Our time together was up, and after tonight we’d each be going our separate ways. As I blinked back tears, already missing my two best friends, I saw they also had tears in their eyes.
“Friends forever,” I said, pulling them both into a hug.
Savannah slipped her arm around my waist. “It doesn’t seem right that Natalie’s not here today.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I know.” But I was going to find her again, somewhere out there in the world.
42
~ Dylan ~
Tommy and Kim Payton had volunteered for traffic control for Brian and Autumn’s wedding. Personally I thought they saw it as another chance to show off their new uniforms. I sat in my car across the street from the church, observing the comings and goings. Okay, I was actually here to catch one last glimpse of Jenny.
I’d been invited to the wedding but had decided being near her wouldn’t be good for her travel plans. I didn’t trust myself to let her go. If I got anywhere near her, I’d lose my control and do something stupid like carry her home and tie her up until she missed her flight. Not something a cop should do.
Two limos pulled in, stopping in front of the church. Jenny and a tall woman with black hair emerged from the first one, wearing identical green dresses. The black-haired woman was gorgeous, but I only had eyes for Jenny Girl. Although she was lovely in her formal gown, her hair piled in a fancy do on top of her head, I preferred the girl who liked jeans and hats. A few steps before entering the church, she turned and scanned the parking lot. Was she looking for me?
Autumn and her parents got out of the second limo. I smiled at the vision in white daintily walking up the steps, knowing that under all that lace was a woman with an outrageous sense of humor. She and Brian were Jenny’s friends, though, so I doubted I’d be spending time with them in the future. That was too bad. I liked them both.
From the church, the wedding party and guests would travel in a caravan to the Blue Ridge Valley Country Club. Deciding I’d played stalker long enough, I started the engine. There was nothing for me here.
It had been almost two weeks since I’d last had a glimpse of Jenny as she’d walked into a church, looking so beautiful in a green dress that I was sure had matched her eyes. And now Christmas Eve had arrived, a day I dreaded.
Instead of getting drunk to forget Christine as I’d planned, I sat in my living room, void of any decorations, drinking a cup of coffee and thinking of Jenny. Even Daisy missed her, often sitting in front of the door, staring at it around the time Jenny would usually arrive. I knew exactly how she felt.
When I’d crossed paths with Jenny’s father yesterday, he’d told me she was in Greece. I stared at the velvet box I’d set on the coffee table, a necklace I’d bought to give her for Christmas before she’d left me that damn note and then disappeared from my life.
Almost every one of my officers had invited me over for Christmas dinner, but I’d politely declined. This was a time for families, not to have a lovesick man hanging out with them.
Daisy apparently sensed my mood because she sat, staring at me with that worried look I was getting used to seeing on her. I opened the jewelry box. The platinum heart and chain with an emerald on the heart that matched Jenny’s eyes had caught my attention as soon as I saw it. I’d thought of the gift as symbolic. I might have never said the words, but I was going to give her my heart.
Garrett’s words bounced around in my head. Don’t let her slip through your fingers. I snapped the lid closed.
“It’s true, Daisy. I am a fool.” She tilted her head as if not sure whether or not she should agree. “Who’s your favorite cop? Tommy?” At hearing his name, she barked. “Good, then you won’t mind staying with him for a while?” She went to the door, making me laugh. “Ready to be rid of me, are you?”
I got out my laptop and started making a list. When I had everything I needed to do down, I went to bed and slept through the night without any ghosts giving me advice.
43
~ Jenny ~
I zipped up my hoodie against the chilly December wind blowing in from the Aegean Sea. After two weeks in Greece, I was supposed to leave for England tomorrow. Natalie and I had been here together shortly after we graduated high school, but
before we could finish the rest of our trip, she’d gotten sick. When the debilitating headaches and nausea didn’t get better, we flew home, only to find out she was going to die. The ache in my heart had never gone away.
Since arriving here, I’d explored the island, revisiting all the places we’d gone to together. God, I missed her. Traveling wasn’t the same without my twin at my side. I didn’t feel her with me. She had moved on to a better place while I’d hung on to a promise that I’d thought would bring her back to me.
Along with being lonely, I was worried about Savannah. She wasn’t the same happy girl who’d left the valley to make her dream come true. She’d refused to talk about what was going on in her life during the three days she’d been home. Instead of traipsing the world, I should be home where I could try to find out what was going on with her. Autumn would be back from her honeymoon in a few days, and we could make a trip to New York, see for ourselves what the deal was with our friend.
And then there was Dylan, my real reason for being miserable. I lifted my head to the star-filled sky. Was Natalie up there, looking down on me? “I know I made a promise, Nat, but I think I made a mistake. I miss him something awful. You would understand if I went home, wouldn’t you? I need to know if he misses me as much as I do him.”
“He does.”
Oh, great. Now I was hearing Dylan’s voice in my head.
“Turn around, Jenny Girl.”
I pressed my hand over my heart to keep it from exploding out of my chest. He wasn’t here. He couldn’t be. It was only because I missed him so much that I was hearing his voice.
“You’re not really here,” I whispered, afraid to turn and see nothing but sand behind me. He chuckled, the sound traveling through me slow and easy like warm syrup.
“Are you sure about that?”
No, I didn’t know anything anymore. I turned and there he was, but to make sure, I closed the gap between us so that I could touch him. I put my hand on his chest, right over his heart, feeling it beat against my palm.
“You’re real. How?” So many questions crowded my mind, but when he wrapped his arms around me, surrounding me with his warmth, nothing else seemed important.
“Your father told me where I could find you.” Dylan put his mouth against my ear. “I came to tell you something.”
“Something good?” I said through my tears.
“I guess you’ll have to decide that.” He stepped beside me and, with his arm around my shoulders, led me to a bench.
Maybe I was dreaming. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around him really being here. My eyes soaked him up. He was gorgeous, so sexy wearing a cream-colored cable-knit sweater, jeans, and hiking boots. I’d told myself repeatedly before leaving that I wasn’t in love with him. What a fool I’d been.
He enfolded my hand between both of his. “I forgot to give you your Christmas gift before you left.”
“You came all this way just to give me a Christmas present?” Disappointment crashed through me that he hadn’t come to… I don’t know. Ask me to come home? Tell me he loved me? I forced a smile that I didn’t feel.
“Partly.” He reached behind him, pulling a thin jewelry box from his back pocket and handing it to me.
I opened the black velvet box to see a silver heart and emerald necklace. “It’s beautiful, Dylan.”
He took it out. “Turn around.”
Obeying, I pulled my hair up so he could hook the clasp. His fingers lingered on the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. “Thank you. It really is lovely.” I still didn’t understand why he’d flown all the way here just to give it to me when he could have mailed it.
“Before you thank me, you should know the caveat that comes with it. You may decide you don’t want it.”
His whiskey-colored eyes captured mine, holding my gaze prisoner. He picked up the heart, rubbing it between his fingers. “I didn’t come to take you home, but to tell you that I love you, and I’ll wait for you, however long it takes. This necklace is my way of saying you have my heart in your care. If you want it.”
I’d never seen such vulnerability in his eyes before. Sadness, yes, when he’d talked about his wife. Other than that one time, he’d always been confident and sure of himself. But now he let me see how easily I could hurt him. And he loved me! My heart sang with joy.
This man, oh God, this man. I climbed onto his lap, straddling him. “I want it.” I peppered kisses over his face. “I want it forever.”
A beautiful smile lit his face. “You just made me a very happy man, Red.”
“Well, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love you, too.” That earned me a kiss that curled my toes.
“Ah, young love. Do you remember how it was, Sophia?”
I lifted my head, eyeing the elderly couple standing only a few feet away, their hands clasped together.
The woman smiled fondly up at the man. “I do, and it is still so.” She glanced back at us. “Blessings on you both. May the love I see in your eyes last a lifetime and beyond,” she said before they walked away, her head resting on the man’s shoulder.
“Thank you,” I whispered as they retreated. Although she’d been a stranger, her blessing seemed like a gift, one I would cherish.
Dylan chuckled as he trailed a hand down my cheek. “You’re blushing.”
“I was afraid she could read my mind.”
He raised a brow. “And if she could have?”
“She would have blushed too, knowing all the things I want to do to you.”
“Now you have my attention.”
Happiness bubbled up, making me laugh. “Where are you staying?”
“About that. My luggage is being held at your hotel. I was hoping you’d invite me to share your room with you.” He slid his hands up my thighs.
I pushed off him. “Let’s go, roomie.” We had things to talk about, but all I wanted right now was Dylan naked in my bed.
We ran, holding hands and laughing, back to my room. As soon as the door closed behind us, he pushed me up against it.
“Your luggage—”
“Later.” His mouth crashed down on mine.
As our tongues tangled in a quest for dominance, he pulled the zipper down on my hoodie, pushing it off my shoulders and down my arms. I wanted his sweater off, but then we’d have to separate, so I settled for wrapping my legs around his waist. He slipped his hand under my T-shirt, trailed his fingers up my spine, and unhooked my bra.
“Dylan, please.”
He tore his mouth away, and seconds later I was naked from the waist up. “Please what, Red?”
I looked into eyes turned stormy with desire, my breath hitching at knowing all that heat was for me. He’d traveled thousands of miles to offer his heart into my keeping without being sure how I’d respond. How could I not love him?
“Please make love to me.”
“I love you,” he said as if reading my mind. He curled his arms under my knees, walking us to the bed.
“I love you back.” I would never get tired of telling him. Before I realized what he planned to do, we were falling. I yelped, getting a laugh from him as he took the brunt of the fall with me landing on top of him.
He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Always love me back, Jenny Girl.”
“Always. I promise.” Something in the way he’d asked for my love made me wonder if he was thinking of the woman who’d broken his heart. It couldn’t have been an easy thing for him to trust in love again. Yet he was here, bravely trusting me. I would never be her. Ever. I wanted him to know that.
“Always, always, Dylan. I will die loving you.” I smiled down at the man who had stolen my heart the first time I’d seen him, even though it had taken me too long to admit it. Now that I had, he was mine and I was keeping him. “I will never make you regret loving me.”
Tears pooled in his eyes, which made my own eyes water. I traced my thumb over his bottom lip. “And don’t forget, we’ve been blessed to love a lifetim
e and beyond.”
“I’ll never forget, my Jenny Girl.”
He blinked his eyes dry, then pulled my mouth down to his. When he slid into me, joining our bodies, it was different from any time before. We were in love, and that changed everything, even how it felt when his hands roamed lovingly over me. He loved me all through the night until I laughingly begged for mercy. I fell asleep wrapped in Dylan’s strong arms, happier than I’d ever been.
“Wake up, beautiful girl.”
I groaned as I turned away, pulling my pillow over my face. “Go away.”
An amused male sigh reached my ears. “And last night you said you loved me. Not so much in the morning, Red?”
“I’ll probably hate you all of our mornings if you’re always this cheerful.”
“Even if I bring you coffee and hot spanakopitas?”
My nose twitched when the rich aroma of the pastries and coffee drifted my way. “In that case, I might like you a little. Gimme.” I pushed up against the pillows and bit into the savory spinach, feta cheese, and egg pie. “So good,” I murmured.
Dylan grinned from his spot on the edge of the bed. “I thought that might win me some points.”
I snorted. “Like you need more. You’ve won the game.”
His smile faded as his eyes searched mine. “Have I?”
Did he even have to ask? I set down the pastry. “Yes. Don’t you know that?”
“When I said I hadn’t come to take you home, I meant it.” He wrapped his fingers around my ankle. “I understand you not only had a dream to travel long before we met, but that you made a promise to your sister. I would never ask you to give that up. Before you left, I almost told you that I loved you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
His gaze shifted to the hand he had on my ankle. “Because I knew there was the possibility you might meet someone. A sexy Italian who spoke accented amore words in your ear. Or possibly a brawny Scot in a kilt that you couldn’t resist peeking under. I wanted you to be free if that happened.”