Chapter 28
Abby
Abby rang the doorbell at the Valentine house and waited nervously for the door to open. She didn’t know why this felt so significant. After all, she’d been here many times in the past, and every person that was going to be on the other side of the door was someone that she knew quite well.
So why the jitters?
She guessed that it was just because of the occasion. Being invited to a family gift exchange – emphasis on the word family in her own mind only, but still…it was a big freaking deal.
Jet had emphasized how casual the whole thing was when he’d called to ask her over. No stress, he’d said. Just a simple, generic gift with a twenty-dollar limit, he’d said. Doesn’t even need to be for a specific person because we’re playing Yankee Swap, he’d said.
In fact, he’d talked so fast and so much about how she didn’t need to stress about this that she immediately began to stress about it, and she hadn’t stopped since.
Also, although buying a “generic” gift might seem easier than one for a specific person in theory, when she’d gone shopping this afternoon, she’d discovered it was a hell of a lot harder in practice.
This had to be a gift that would be enjoyed by men or by women. By anyone in an age range spanning all the way from Mila to Jet’s grandmother. There was no way to leverage interests, hobbies, jobs, or…well, anything.
She’d gone through the mall, hit up all the specialty shops like Barnes & Noble and Bed, Bath & Beyond. In the end, she’d gotten an armband phone holder from Best Buy. She figured everybody liked walks in the woods. At least in Valentine Bay, where there were so many pretty places to ramble. So having a secure place to put your phone, keys, and a little cash had to come in handy.
Well, she’d figured, whether that’s true or not, I’m gonna tell myself it is. Because if I don’t start heading back to town now, I’ll never make it in time!
Now, she found herself on Jet’s porch, fidgeting like a nervous door-to-door saleswoman, holding her store-wrapped box and feeling stupid.
Who was going to want a freaking armband phone holder? What in the hell had she been thinking?
The door opened and suddenly the world felt very different. There was Jet, with the wide smile he got every time he looked at her, and just like that she had zero fucks to give about what the rest of the world thought about the last-minute gift she’d picked.
She was with Jet and he was looking at her like she was the most adorable thing on two legs and there was no better Christmas present in the world than that. No matter how you sliced it, she came out the winner.
He stepped out onto the porch and kissed her. “Hey, babe.”
She flushed. It was only two little words, and he’d said them to her before. But the tone in his voice, the look in his eyes, the set of his shoulders – everything was different now.
Like Dorothy after she lands in Oz, Abby was seeing the world now in vibrant color.
She knew what had triggered the change. It wasn’t hard to figure out. The last time she and Jet had been together, he’d told her he loved her. She’d said it back.
Now they were seeing each other for the first time since that exchange with their clothes on and, yeah. The whole “love” thing definitely hadn’t lost even a drop of its magic.
Jet stepped out and slipped a strong arm around her waist and pressed his lips to hers. Her head swirled and the rest of the world faded away. God, she loved that. She was going to start calling that “The Jet Effect.”
“Jet, damn it! In or out. Either way, shut the door. The rest of us are freezing our asses off.”
The sound of Gavin’s voice popped the fragile bubble of the spell cast by Jet’s kiss, and she pulled back, laughing. “I guess we’d better go in.”
He shook his head and pulled the door shut behind them, leaving them alone on the porch. “Nah. He said ‘in or out.’ I’m choosing out.”
Her brow crinkled. “We should probably go in, though.”
He stepped close again, pulled her to him. “But if we go in, we can’t do this.”
He leaned down and kissed her again, this time deeper and more passionately than he’d done a moment ago. When they broke apart, she was breathless. “No, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Not if the party’s PG,” she giggled.
He pressed his forehead to hers and they looked into each other’s eyes. That was the wonderful thing about being with someone that you had so much history with, in addition to chemistry, she reflected. There was a lot that you could communicate with nothing but glances, or facial expressions.
She and Jet may have only been together for a little while, but they’d been intertwined for so much longer. They knew the same people. They had the same stories. It mattered. In every way that was important, Abby felt that she’d known Jet for their entire lives.
In her heart, the one place it mattered most, she felt that they’d known each other even longer than that. For several lifetimes. Or maybe back to the beginning of time.
The front door was yanked open, then, bathing them with light. It was the second time in as many minutes that interference from inside the house had burst the bubble of magic that always formed around her and Jet when they were alone together.
“Oh, for freak’s sake,” Genevieve deadpanned. “Of course you’re out here on the front porch, making out like two teenagers trying to sneak one more kiss in before curfew. There’s a party going on in here, weirdos. Come in and join it, why don’t ya?”
Without even turning to face Gen, Jet waggled his eyebrows at Abby. “There’s a party going on out here, too.”
Gen groaned and stepped back from the open door. “Good night nurse. If that’s going to be the quality of your jokes this evening, then, yes. By all means. Stay on the porch.”
Jet, grinning, stepped back and took her hand. “Apparently we should join the party,” he said. “Shall we?”
She squeezed Jet’s hand. “Lead on.”
Chapter 29
Jet
Jet hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Abby all night long. She was radiant. Her cheeks were flushed, giving an air of youth and energy that made him feel younger and more vibrant himself.
At first, when they’d stepped into the house, he’d thought that the rosy red apple color must’ve been on her face because of the cold. But as the night wore on, it never faded, and he realized that she wore the flush because of happiness. He loved that.
He also, deservedly or not, felt proud that she was so excited to be there. It was like he’d given her some expensive, hard-earned gift. But that wasn’t true. She was the one who’d given him a gift with her presence there.
Hell, she was the one giving him a gift every minute they were together, if he were honest.
He didn’t know how he would’ve gotten through this without her. She’d been his lifeline and his touchstone, showing him what a good life could look like.
She’d also given him another precious gift: a glimpse of what a life after the band might be for him. That was priceless. He’d never be able to fully explain to her what that meant to him, or thank her for giving it, he knew.
He’d just have to spend the rest of his life trying.
Damn, Valentine. Are these holiday lights turning you into a sentimental fool or what?
He shook his head to clear it and raised his voice to address the whole room. “All right. Who’s ready to start exchanging some presents?”
Mila’s hand shot into the air and, across the room, so did Grandmother Valentine’s. He laughed. “Well, that’s close enough to unanimous. Let’s get this going.”
Everyone moved toward the living room. There was Mila and Grandmother Valentine, all three of his brothers, and the little group that he’d started thinking of as “The Girls.” Capital T, capital G. Abby, Ella, and Genevieve.
Not a bad group of people to call his friends and family, he reflected with a warm glow in his chest. Not bad at all.
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nbsp; After everyone had taken their seats, he grabbed the basket that everyone had deposited their gifts into when they’d first come in and carried it to the center of the room. He set it on the coffee table and said, “All right. I’m going to go over the rules of Yankee Swap for anyone not familiar with them. Or anyone with a history of cheating.” He stopped and gave Grandmother Valentine a significant look.
She raised her eyebrows, staring right back at him. There wasn’t a hint of shame or embarrassment. “I play by my own rules, son. That’s not cheating. That’s just smart.”
The room erupted with laughter, but it was clear from the unaffected look on Grandmother Valentine’s face that she hadn’t been joking.
“All right, fine. Well, here are the standard rules. I have a hat full of slips of paper with numbers on them. Everyone draws a number. Whoever draws number one chooses a gift and unwraps it. The person who draws number two can then either choose a new gift or steal the gift the first person opened. The person without a gift can then open a new one or, during later turns, steal a gift from someone else. A gift can only be stolen once per turn. I think that’s it. Let’s go!”
Jet passed the hat around and everyone drew numbers. Abby drew number 1, so she was the first person to walk up to the basket and choose a present. She plucked one out and then returned to her seat and unwrapped it.
“Oh, my word!” she exclaimed. “An armband phone holder! Well, wow, that’s super useful. For walks in the woods and things. Thank you so much, whoever had the foresight to bring such a useful gift. It’s awesome!”
Jet had to stifle a smile. He recognized the package as the one she’d walked in with. She was smooth. Knowing her, she would’ve been nervous about the reception the armband would receive when someone opened it. Taking it herself was a clever way to bypass that.
“Okay,” he said. “Who drew number two?”
“That’s me!” Gen said. “And, sorry, Abs. I can tell you really liked it. But I’m stealing the armband. It’ll come in really handy for workouts.”
Abby’s face lit up and she handed it over. “Don’t worry about it! I’m just glad it’s going to a good home.”
Jet watched Abby’s face as the gift exchange continued through everyone’s numbers. She didn’t really seem to care what gift she ended up with. She was more concerned with how people seemed to be enjoying the gift she’d brought.
He slid an arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. That was just like her. In fact, this situation was kind of a great representation of her full personality, he realized. She was far more invested in doing good things for others than she was in what other people could do for her. It was just one of the many things he loved about her.
When all the turns had been taken and everyone had their gifts, he stood up again. Everyone’s eyes turned to him. “Okay. So, I know we said that we were only doing the presents for the gift exchange this year, just to keep things simple, but I went a little rogue.”
“Big surprise,” Gavin deadpanned.
“Oh, ha ha, very funny,” Jet said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.
“I try,” Gavin replied, a nearly imperceptible smirk on his face.
Damn. Jet had gotten a couple of those smirks lately. Jet took it as a good sign that he and Gavin were really finding their relationship again. Out of all his friends and family, Gavin had been the toughest nut to crack. And now even he was coming around. A Christmas miracle.
“So, I had coffee with someone from my band a few days ago,” he started. “Rome. And, as it turns out, there’s one concert that he really didn’t want to cancel. It’s a benefit show, and it’s on Christmas Eve. In Portland. I was able to get everyone VIP passes.”
“Seriously?” Mila cried. “Me too?”
“Especially you,” he said, ruffling her hair. “I have to show you that you’re not the only performer in the family, don’t I?”
“Young man, I hope you didn’t forget me,” Grandmother Valentine said. “I could do with an evening of entertainment.”
“Forget you, Gram? Impossible.”
She straightened her shoulders and gave him a small smile. “Very good, then.”
Jet pulled out the manila envelope that Harry had messengered the tickets over in. “I’m handing these over to Gavin. He can be in charge of distributing them on the night.”
“Probably a good idea,” Gavin said, which earned him punches from Donovan and Troy.
Jet sat back down next to Abby and held out a single laminated pass to her. “Except yours,” he said softly, giving her hand a squeeze. “Because you’re driving up with me. If you want to, that is.”
She smiled and gave him a kiss. “Of course I want to. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
Chapter 30
Abby
Abby stole her millionth glance at Jet as they wound their way through the mountain roads on the way to Portland. She’d been honored when he’d asked her to ride with him on his way to the big show, but now that they’d been on the road for almost an hour, he’d barely said a word.
She didn’t speak either. If he was nervous, or tense, or even just contemplative, she knew that the sound of someone else’s voice – especially if that person were asking questions or expecting some kind of response – could be really grating, so she’d stayed quiet.
But, with every passing minute, she was rethinking that decision. What if he actually wanted to talk, and was just waiting for her to say something?
Damn! This was complicated, this whole “being on the same team” thing. Even though she loved it, obviously, in many ways their competitive relationship had been simpler to understand. The rules were clear cut. If that was what they still were to each other, she’d be ribbing him right now. She knew that was wrong – but the problem was, she didn’t know what was right.
Finally, Jet solved the dilemma for her by speaking first.
“Do you think I’m making a mistake?”
She whipped her head around, shocked at the question. “Of course not! I think you’re doing a beautiful thing. You’re giving The Angel Network a tremendous gift, and also allowing yourself the opportunity to close out a chapter in your life with dignity. And grace.”
He nodded. “I guess. Maybe I’m just nervous about what stuff performing with the guys tonight might bring up.”
“You mean, like you might feel sad that it’s really all over? That it will drive home how much you’ll miss it?”
“Yeah, that. Or that I’ll be overwhelmed by uncertainty about the future. Kicking myself because it’ll make me realize the true depth of what I gave up with my shitty behavior.”
Abby sighed. “Damn. Aren’t you glad you invited me? I’m cheering you right up. We’re a couple of rays of sunshine.”
He shot her a smile. “I’m never not glad to be with you, Abs.”
She closed her eyes, relishing the warmth that spread through her body at his words.
“Anyway,” he continued. “There is one thing I’m really looking forward to tonight. Something that I’ve never gotten the chance to do before.”
Abby’s curiosity was piqued. Jet hadn’t lived the kind of life where very many experiences were left on the table. “What’s that?”
He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “Perform with you in the audience.”
“Aww. Babe. You’re making my heart melt.”
“Good. That’s a nice warm-up on the ‘making things melt’ list. Later we’ll move on to panties.”
She laughed. “Done and done.”
It was such a nice moment, and he was clearly hanging onto the idea that she was a Valentine concert virgin as a way to navigate the evening, so she decided to keep all of the shows she’d attended in undercover mode over the years to herself. Those could remain locked in the vault, right alongside her Google search history.
The conversation seemed to break the ice of Jet’s tension, and they chatted the rest of the drive up to Portland as if it was just anot
her drive, just another night. Just another show.
When they pulled into the parking lot of the venue, it was totally empty, which felt strange. Abby asked, “Where is everybody?”
He smiled at her as he pulled the car around back. He teased, “You don’t park in the parking lot when you’re with me, baby. You’re with the band, now.”
She knew he was joking, but the statement made her feel way more special, in a very deep and real way, than she thought it probably should for someone like her – an independent, strong-minded business owner nearing thirty. She wasn’t a teeny bopper, for God’s sake.
Oh, what the hell. I get to be Cinderella for a night. Why not enjoy my Prince Charming before we all turn back into pumpkins?
Jet pulled the car up next to a loading dock at the back of the building, next to a cluster of other cars and vans.
He took a deep breath but didn’t move to open the door or get out.
She put a hand over his. “It’s getting real, huh?”
He nodded. “Realer than real.”
She grinned, hoping to tease him out of the tense headspace. “Wanna make out?”
He laughed. “Hell, yes, I want to make out. The answer to that question will never not be yes.”
“Probably not the best idea, though.”
“Nah. Probably not.”
She knew that the longer he sat here in the car, the more impossible it would start to seem to get out of it. The moment of stepping into the building, of facing the guys, would just start to loom larger and larger until it felt insurmountable.
She didn’t want to be a nag, but she had to give him a nudge. Supporting him was what she was here for. She squeezed his hand. “So, do you want me to come in with you, or should I take off and have some lunch, then come back for sound check?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then smiled. “You’re the best, Abs. And you’re right, I think I should do this on my own. Do you have your passes?”
She nodded. “No need to worry about me. I’ve got everything I need.”
Rocking Her Heart Page 13