by Carly Bloom
The words were like stones sinking into his gut. Nothing would ever change if he didn’t work for it. He’d put too much on Kate. It couldn’t be her responsibility to pull him out of the pit he’d been living in. It shouldn’t be. She deserved more. “I did use her.” He cared about her, too, but that didn’t change the facts. He’d only wanted her there because she made him feel something. She’d given him the courage to face the mountain again. All that had mattered was what she could offer him.
“Well, my work here is done.” Levi stood and gave Bella a good scratch behind the ears before he opened the back door. “We’ve got a poker night at my place next Tuesday if you’re up for it.”
Jaden simply stared at him. How could he think about next Tuesday right now?
“You can let me know after you get this shitshow cleaned up,” Levi said with a grin. Then he slipped out the back door, leaving Jaden to sit and wallow in his own stupidity.
Seeming to sense his misery, his dog walked over, sat down, and laid her head on his knee.
“Damn, Bella.” He rested his hand on her head. “How are we gonna fix this?”
* * *
The Craig Hospital gift shop was stocked with flower arrangements, stuffed animals, and inspirational books and plaques. Jaden wandered down an aisle past shelves of trinkets inscribed with clichéd messages: Get well soon! Healing thoughts and good wishes!
The sentiments turned his stomach sour. What could he say to Kipp? What could he bring him that would make any of this better? He’d been trying to figure that out for two days, and he still had nothing.
Hands empty, he ducked out of the gift shop, dragging three months of guilt along behind him. When he’d emailed a request to visit Kipp in the hospital, Jaden fully expected him to decline, but he hadn’t. Come on by anytime, Kipp had written. I’ll make sure you’re on the list.
It was surreal walking down the hall now. He’d imagined this place would look like a dungeon—dark and depressing—but windows everywhere let in the bright sunlight. Two young women pushing themselves in wheelchairs rolled toward him, chatting and laughing like they were in the hall of a high school. They smiled as they passed, and somehow he found a smile too. They looked happy. Healthy. He hoped the same was true for Kipp.
Jaden continued down the hall, following the directions to the rec center where Kipp apparently spent most of his afternoons. The room looked nothing like he imagined. There were low Ping-Pong and pool tables and a huge television screen mounted on the wall with video game consoles lined up underneath.
“What’s up, Cowboy?” Kipp wheeled himself over, a Ping-Pong paddle sitting in his lap. He looked…the same. From the bandanna tied around his head to the sturdiness of his broad shoulders to his confident grin.
The sight stung Jaden’s eyes. “You look…good.” He didn’t mean to sound so shocked, but all of the mental images he had of Kipp were still from those first few days after the accident when the media had plastered pictures of him being loaded into the medevac.
“I feel good. Just kicked Jones’s ass in a game of Ping-Pong.” He gestured to another man in a wheelchair who’d moved on to the Xbox. “You want to be next?” Kipp asked with that signature spark in his eyes. Without waiting for an answer, he wheeled over to the Ping-Pong table and brought Jaden a paddle.
He almost didn’t know what to do with it. “You want to play Ping-Pong?”
“Hell yeah. I’m undefeated.” Kipp trucked to the other side of the table and got into position. “Zeros,” he said one second before he nailed a killer corner shot that Jaden of course missed.
“I wasn’t ready.” He wasn’t ready for any of this. He hadn’t even told the man he was sorry yet.
“Better get ready, Alexander. Because I’ve had a lot of time to practice.” Kipp found another ball on the floor nearby and rolled back to the table. “One–zero.” He served another zinger that whizzed by Jaden’s right shoulder.
“Wait. Hold on.” Jaden set down his paddle. “I didn’t come here to play Ping-Pong. I came here to tell you I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got hurt and not me. I’m sorry I’m not the one sitting in that chair.” It could’ve been him. “You don’t have to pretend this is easy.” He got that Kipp didn’t want his pity—Jaden wouldn’t want pity either—but the man’s life would never be the same.
Kipp rolled his eyes as though he’d been dreading this conversation as much as Jaden. “It’s not easy,” he acknowledged. “But I’ve had three months to process things. At first I was as pissed as hell about it. Some days I still am. But I’ve also learned my life isn’t over. Hell, I’ve already been invited to be a commentator for the X Games next year.”
He should’ve been competing in those games, though. Jaden didn’t say it. Kipp already knew what he’d lost. Somehow he seemed to be on the road to accepting it. So why couldn’t Jaden? Why couldn’t he release the guilt? “You let me know if you ever need anything.” Maybe that would help. If he could just do something for Kipp, maybe he could forgive himself. “I’ll be there for you. I’ll help you out however I can.”
“You don’t have to be sorry, J.J. I’ve seen the footage.” His old rival mocked him with a smirk. “It’s not your fault you’re not as good on a board as I was.”
Same old trash talk from one of the greats but this time Jaden didn’t return fire. He couldn’t. “I should’ve pulled back.” He’d been moving too fast, too recklessly. He’d wanted to win. That was the truth of it. If he’d backed off, the accident never would’ve happened.
“I would’ve been offended if you had slowed down,” Kipp said. “We competed. We’re athletes. That’s what we do.” The man’s expression sobered. “The last three months have sucked but I’ve got a lot going for me. That’s what I want to focus on now. The future.”
And that’s what Jaden would focus on too.
Chapter Eleven
Welcome to the Chocolate Therapist.” Kate greeted the older couple with the same enthusiasm as she had greeted every other couple and family group and friend group that had walked through the doors for the last nine hours.
Her feet, which were stuffed into her favorite pair of black Manolo Blahniks, ached like a mother, but even the pain couldn’t dim the excitement of day four in her new life. All within less than a week of the big falling out with Jaden, she’d managed to fly home, pack up her apartment, and say farewell to everyone before she’d driven straight back to Topaz Falls.
When she’d driven into town, the sun was setting over the mountains in a fiery red welcome. So far it felt like this place had always been her home. Even with long days of learning the wine and chocolate business, the shininess of her new venture still hadn’t dulled.
“Would you like a table?” she asked the couple, gracefully withdrawing two menus from the hostess stand. “Or would you prefer to sit at the bar?”
Darla appeared behind her. “I can take over, Kate. Your shift was over a half hour ago.”
“That’s okay. I’m having so much fun.” Even with achy, swollen feet, this was better than going back to her room at the Hidden Gem to spend the evening by herself. Despite the homey decorations, loneliness echoed between the walls.
“All right.” Darla drifted back to the bar. “But at least sit down after they’re seated.”
Ignoring her friend, she turned back to the elderly couple.
“We would love a table near the windows, dear.” The woman appeared to be in her early seventies with white wispy hair and jewel-like blue eyes.
Her husband was a head shorter than her and just as adorable with a rim of frizzy gray hair around a shiny bald spot. “There’s something going on down the street, and we’d like to see how it turns out.”
“Of course,” Kate sang. “Right this way.” Ignoring the pinch in her toes, she led them to a quaint table for two that looked out on Main Street. Darla had been right. She was good at this. Good with people. They always smiled at her, and even though she’d only been working here for a few d
ays, she’d managed to defuse three grumpy patrons’ complaints and had them all smiling and laughing again within a matter of minutes.
“Here we are.” She tucked the menus under her arm and pulled out each chair with a charming smile, patiently waiting until the couple had gotten situated before she handed them the wine and chocolate list.
Instead of opening his menu, the man craned his neck as though trying to see down the street. “Any idea why all that trash is piled onto the car out there?”
“It’s not trash, Gerald,” his wife corrected. “It’s sweet. There are flowers and streamers and balloons…”
Kate choked on a gasp. Flowers. Streamers. Balloons. On a car…
She tried to keep her hopes smothered under practical logic, which had never been one of her strengths. Jaden hadn’t returned any of her emails or calls. After a few days, she’d stopped trying.
“It’s so pretty,” the woman went on. “I saw the man fixing it all up nice. He was tying heart-shaped balloons to the door handles, the sweetheart.”
Sweet Lord…
Those darn hopes threw logic to the wind and sent her heart sky-high. Bracing her hands on the table, Kate leaned forward as far as she could without bumping her forehead on the glass. Each beat of her heart thumped harder when she looked down the block to where she’d parked her car earlier. Sure enough, it was covered.
“Oh my God.” It had to be him. No one else around here knew that story.
“Um…your waiter will be right with him…I mean you,” Kate stammered to the couple. The happiness burning in her eyes made her voice all weepy. She steadied herself against their table once more and pulled off her shoes, letting them dangle from one hand as she hurried toward the door.
“Are you all right, honey?” the woman called.
“I will be.” As soon as she saw him—as soon as she felt his arms wrap around her—she would be. Kate ran down the sidewalk barefoot, her pencil skirt surely making her resemble a waddling penguin, but she didn’t care. It was such a lovely sight, her car covered in orange. There were gerbera daisies and orange hearts cut out of construction paper, and yes, even heart-shaped balloons. But she couldn’t see the front yet. Would Jaden be there? Had he really forgiven her?
“Pardon me,” she mumbled, bumping her way past people.
When she finally broke through the crowd that had gathered, her knees gave. Jaden was sitting on the hood of her car with the stem of an orange gerbera daisy between his teeth.
“Look at you…” She stumbled off the curb, nearly incapacitated by the tears and laughter, sure that the happiness of this moment could fill a whole lifetime.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He somehow managed to enunciate perfectly, even with the daisy in his mouth.
The crowd around them grew, pressing in on both sides of the street. Both locals and tourists snapped pictures and selfies on their phones. He hadn’t tried to disguise himself. No hat. No sunglasses. Just J.J. Alexander sitting on the hood of her car. None of the attention seemed to bother him, though. He stared steadily at her as she crept closer. “What’re you doing?”
“I’m asking you on a date.” He took the flower out of his mouth and dropped it on the hood and then reached for her hand. “Kate Livingston, will you go on a date with me?”
“Hell yes, she will,” Darla called from behind her. “How about right now? We can set up a nice private table in the back.”
Murmurs of approval went around the crowd. Someone even clapped.
Kate shushed everyone with a frantic wave of her hand. This moment was a scene straight out of her dreams, and she didn’t want anyone to intrude.
“I’m sorry I was such an ass.” He eased off the hood and stood across from her. “I’m sorry I didn’t hear you out. I’m sorry I ripped up your article.”
“Awww. I’ll go on a date with you,” some woman yelled from the other side of the street.
“No.” Kate put her hands on his broad shoulders to make sure this was really happening. “I mean yes. Of course I’ll go on a date with you.”
Jaden lowered his face to hers, her favorite grin in the entire world flickering on his lips. “Now?”
“Now,” she confirmed.
The crowds parted. Cell phone cameras followed their every move as they huddled together and hurried back to the Chocolate Therapist, ducking through the doors so they could leave the rest of the world behind.
“Back here, you two.” Darla quickly ushered them down the hall to the room where they met for book club. She’d already had the waitstaff drag in a small round table, two chairs, and a vase with a single orange gerbera daisy she must’ve swiped from the car.
God, these women. They had the best and biggest and brightest hearts she’d ever seen. “Thank you.” Kate brushed away her tears as Darla gave her a wink and disappeared, closing the door firmly behind her.
They both sat down.
“You’re crying.” Jaden took her cheeks in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears.
“You humiliated yourself out there.” All for her. “That’ll be all over the news by tonight.” People were probably tweeting and Instagraming and Facebooking the pictures right now.
“I don’t care.” Something had changed on Jaden’s face. The day she’d met him, it had borne the lines of tension and stress, but now his features seemed softer. Relaxed. “I’m tired of caring what everyone else thinks. Except you.” He slipped his hand under hers and held on. “You were right. There is something between us. Something…special. Something I’ve never had with anyone else.”
Kate closed her eyes, letting those words soak in to heal all of the wounds he’d inflicted before. She looked at him again, wanting him to cut away that last bit of uncertainty that still dangled from her heart. “What changed?” she whispered. “You were so angry…”
“Yeah.” A sigh slipped out. “Levi pretty much put me in my place. Told me I’d better get my head out of my ass and figure things out before I lost you for good.”
“Levi, huh?” She smiled, thinking back to Jessa and Naomi’s secret little side conversation at Everly’s café the day she’d told them what had happened.
“Yeah, Levi.” His smirk confirmed her suspicions. “He reminded me that I had issues to work on too. So I went to see Kipp.”
Kate tightened her grip on his hand. “That must’ve been hard. How is he?”
“Still in rehab.” Jaden threaded his fingers with hers, and the power of it, the intimacy of that gesture, heated her eyes again.
“But I spent the afternoon with him. He’s exceeding the doctor’s expectations. He’s even taken a few steps with a walker.”
“That’s great news.” For Kipp and for Jaden. No wonder his appearance had changed so much. He’d been set free.
“I read the article too. Actually, Levi read it to me.” Jaden brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, sending an electrical charge all the way down to her toes.
“I’m sorry I betrayed your trust.” She’d been waiting to say those words for over a week, but before now, something told her they wouldn’t have done any good. “I should’ve told you. Right away. But I was afraid you’d keep me out. And I loved being with you.”
“I loved being with you too,” he murmured, leaning over the table until his lips were nearly touching hers. “I think that’s why I lost it when I found out about the article. It was an excuse to bail. I figured you’d turn out to be like everyone else.” His gaze shied away from hers. “I haven’t exactly had much commitment in my life.”
She kissed him, hopefully taking away any lingering doubts about her feelings for him. “I meant everything I said in the article.”
This time his eyes stayed steady on hers. “I know.”
“Levi said you were thinking about moving away.” God, when she’d heard that, she’d had to excuse herself so she could cry in the bathroom.
“I was seriously considering it,” Jaden said. “Until he reminded me it wouldn’t he
lp. I want to stop hiding. I want to make you happy. I want to focus on the future instead of the past.”
She rested her forehead against his. “Me too.”
Just as his lips brushed hers, the door swung open.
“Don’t mind us.” Darla traipsed in, followed by Everly and Jessa and Naomi, all carrying something different. They set down truffles and a bottle of wine and glasses and small china plates.
“Carry on,” Everly said, herding the others toward the door.
“Those truffles are strawberry-filled dark,” Darla called, fighting Everly’s hold on her.
“The perfect aphrodisiac,” Jessa added before Everly shoved her outside.
“Happy date night!” Naomi said with a sly grin.
Shaking her head, Everly waved at Kate and Jaden once more before closing the door.
Jaden laughed. If she could bottle up that deep throaty sound and listen to it every night before bed, she totally would.
“Levi wasn’t kidding about their persistence.”
She leaned in to claim the kiss she’d never stop craving. “Sometimes true love takes a village,” Kate murmured against his lips.
And they seemed to have found theirs.
Acknowledgments
Thank you, dear readers, for spending more time in Topaz Falls. I hope you are enjoying this town and these characters as much as I am. It’s impossible for me to express how grateful I am for your notes, comments, reviews, and mentions. Your support keeps me going.
As always, I am so thankful to the team at Forever for allowing me to live my dream and write more books. You all continue to amaze me! With each project I learn more from my brilliant editor, Alex Logan. Thanks for everything you do to make me look good.
I will never be able to thank my family enough for their patience and perseverance, especially while I was writing this book under such a tight deadline! Will, AJ, and Kaleb, you will always have my heart.
