Faith studied him for half a beat, as if gauging how he was going to take whatever she needed to share. “Blaine wrote me a letter when he was diagnosed.”
Oh, great. He didn’t really want to focus on Blaine right now.
Her pretty mouth pursed. “He asked me to wait until today, the year anniversary, to read it.” She pulled the letter out of her purse, and for a second looked like she wanted to hand it to him, but then she shoved it back in and took a shuddering breath.
Jag took her hands in his. He didn’t want to read Blaine’s words anyway. She could paraphrase, and then whatever was between them could work out. “Faith, it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes looked suspiciously bright, but she didn’t cry. She sighed and then said quickly, “Blaine tricked us both.”
Jag tilted his head. “How?”
“He stole the letters you sent me from school, altered one, and made it look like you dumped me to pursue your career in hockey.”
Jag’s eyes widened as his stomach dropped out. “How … how dare he?”
She nodded. “He also intercepted my letters to you; then he took the one I wrote after you dumped me—I mean, I thought you dumped me—and altered it as well. I’d assume he made it look like I’d received your earlier letters and I was choosing to dump you first.”
Jag could hardly comprehend this. He stared at her for a few seconds, and then he stood and paced to the windows and back again a few times. Blaine had been his best friend back in the day, yet Blaine had betrayed him and then had the nerve to pursue and marry Faith.
He looked back at her. She was shifting uncomfortably. Jag was angry, but he was more concerned about how Faith was taking this. “He betrayed us both and then talked you into marrying him?”
“Yes. He worked on me for years. Every break he had from college, he’d come see me. He texted me and called me nonstop while he was away. I thought he was my best friend. He was very devoted to me, and he always said he loved me enough for the both of us.” She shook her head. “I’m so ticked at him right now. That’s probably why he asked me to wait a year, so I wouldn’t dig up his grave and spit on him.”
Jag let out a surprised grunt of a laugh, trying to process this. As it sank in, he could understand her anger, and he felt plenty of his own for what Blaine had robbed them of, but overriding that was the compassion for Faith. She’d fallen victim to the vicious ploy of an obviously twisted mind, and she had married the guy, had given herself to him. It made Jag nauseous. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.” He shook his head and realized he wasn’t innocent of piling heavy issues on her. “And then I load more on sharing about my disease.”
“Oh, Jag.” She stood quickly and walked to him. Putting a hand on his arm, she stared up at him, so sweet and beautiful. “I want to be there for you. Thank you for trusting me enough to include me in that.”
Jag got a little choked up. He’d forgotten how pure and incredible she was. How he loved her. “Thank you, Faith. Thank you for being here.” He tenderly cupped her chin with his palm. As they stared at each other, Jag’s mind shifted, and a stream of happiness rushed through him like he was sending a puck straight past two defenders and the goalie into the net. “Do you realize what this means?”
She gave him a questioning look. “I married a scumbag?”
Jag couldn’t help but laugh again. “No. I mean, yes, I’m sorry that he tricked you like that, but Faith … All these years, I longed for you and I wanted to forget that horrible letter I thought you sent and come for you. I kept myself busy with hockey and talked myself into believing that you truly didn’t want me, but none of that is true.” He felt all lit up inside. “You still adore me and want to be with me.”
Faith laughed. “Now that is for sure.”
Jag whooped, picked her up off the ground, and swung her around. “Finally, Faith, we can be together again. If you had any clue how I’ve missed you, ached for you all these years …” He set her on her feet, released her waist, and held up his hands. She grinned so big her dimple showed as she matched her hands to his. “Nothing can come between us,” he whispered softly.
“Nothing.”
Their hands twined together, symbolic of the past behind them and the future in front of them.
Faith released his hands and rested her hands on his arms. He took this as his cue. He cupped her face with his hands. She wrapped her hands more tightly around his biceps, clinging to him and smiling so sweetly yet sassily up at him. “How about you give me a long demonstration of how much you’ve missed me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jag didn’t need to be told twice. He bent down and softly pressed his lips to hers. Warmth and joy spread quickly from her into him. Faith let out the cutest little moan, and Jag couldn’t hold back any longer. He ran his hands down to her lower back and pulled her as tight to him as he could, and then he proceeded to show her exactly how much he’d missed her with his kiss.
Happiness like this could only exist with her. Jag was exactly where he’d wanted to be for ten years.
Faith ran her hands up Jag’s shoulders and wrapped them tightly around his neck. His lips lit up her world, as hot and beautiful as a roaring fire. She returned his kiss with all the passion and longing she’d locked inside of her for ten years. No man’s kiss had ever warmed her up like Jag’s did, and she knew inherently as he took possession of her mouth and her heart that Jag was her missing piece and she was complete in his arms.
She caught a breath and stared up into his handsome face. Even though she was ecstatic, a part of her was still furious at Blaine. He’d robbed them of ten years, and now with Jag’s prognosis … What if it progressed rapidly and she lost him? She hugged him fiercely, burying her face in his neck as tears pricked at her eyelids.
Jag held her close, but after a little while he pulled back and smiled down at her. “Where were we … Faith?” He stared at her. “Why are you crying, love?”
She blinked and wiped the tears away. “I just want you close. What if something happens to you?”
“Is it too much to ask of you? Loving me when I might be …” He swallowed and then muttered, “Disabled soon?”
“No!” She shook her head, holding him tighter. “No. I’d love you if you were going to die tomorrow or be in a coma for life. Nothing will stop me loving you.”
Jag smiled tenderly at her. “Thank you.”
“Nothing has stopped me from loving you, Jag. Even when I was married to Blaine.”
He winced as if he could hardly stand to hear the words, “married to Blaine”.
“I felt so guilty because I still just adored you. Even though I thought you’d written me off and gone on to success without me, I always loved you and longed to be with you. Only you.”
Jag kissed her softly. “I was the same. I tried to date, tried to find someone to replace you.”
Now she was the one wincing.
Jag smiled. “But there’s no one like you, Faith. No one for me but you.”
“Don’t you forget it,” she teased.
He lifted her off the ground, hugging her tight. Giving her a lingering kiss, he tugged her over to the couch, settled down, and pulled her onto his lap. “Can we just be close? Talk the night away? I want to know everything about you, everything I’ve missed that you want to share.”
She doubted he wanted to hear everything, as much of her last ten years had been centered on Blaine, but there was a lot she could share.
“So you just want to talk?” She pumped her eyebrows, and then she leaned close and kissed that scar next to his lip.
Jag groaned and turned his head to hers, murmuring against her lips. “You’re right. Talking is highly overrated.”
Faith opened her mouth to protest, but he was already kissing her. There was no world where she could protest that. She cuddled against him and let him take full advantage of her mouth. He was right. They could talk anytime. Happiness
like this was meant to be savored.
Chapter Eight
Jag followed Faith home late that night to make sure she got home safe. He gave her a lingering kiss on the doorstep but didn’t come in. He’d teased about talking or kissing the night away, but they both knew that was playing with fire. They’d waited this long to be together; they could wait until they were married. Married? There’d been the talk about being fake engaged and real engaged, but she wondered when they’d officially make that next step. They lived on different sides of the country, and both of their lives would need some adjustments if they got married. She’d do anything to be with Jag, but the thought of leaving her valley and her family, her safety net, was unsettling. She’d left for short vacations and that had been fine, but to permanently leave everything she knew and loved? Only for Jag would she consider it.
The next morning, she awoke to the ringing of the doorbell, then a rapping on her front door. She groaned and peeled open her eyes. The sun wasn’t even up. She glanced at her phone. Seven-ten. She only had time in her schedule to sleep in on Saturdays, but it was Christmas Eve and she and Jag had been up really late last night.
She hurried out of bed and rushed through the house to the front door. Looking through the peephole, she grinned. Jag was standing there, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He lifted his hand to knock again. Faith yanked the door open, and he stumbled forward. He recovered quickly and laughed. “Good morning.”
“Good would have been ten. Come in, it’s freezing.” She hugged herself for warmth, only in a tank top and shorts.
Jag stepped in, and she shut the door behind him. He took off his coat and set it on the bench in the entryway. He wasn’t even looking at the house; he was hyper-focused on her. His eyes slowly roved over her body and then met her gaze. “Do you dress like this all the time?” he asked.
Faith patted at her hair; she probably looked a wreck. “I was asleep,” she protested.
Jag swallowed hard, and the look in his eyes brought warmth to her abdomen. “You … sleep like that?”
“Yes, I sleep like this.”
He tilted his head. “And you answer the door like that?”
She grunted and rolled her eyes. “I saw it was you.”
“What if I had been the FedEx driver?”
She pumped her eyebrows. “Oh, then I would’ve planted a big kiss on him.”
Jag growled low in his throat and stepped in closer. He looked incredible in a nicely fitted white long-sleeved shirt and black jogger-style pants. “You’d better only answer the door like this for me.”
“Jealous much?” Faith laughed and pushed at his shoulder.
Jag grabbed her hand and tugged her close. “You have no idea.” He spun her around, pressed her back into the door, and bent down low. His lips grazed her bare shoulder, and the warmth she’d been feeling became an inferno.
She moaned softly, and his gaze darted up to hers; his blue eyes so taken with her that she could hardly stand up straight. Thankfully he had her pinned against the door and she didn’t have to do anything but enjoy his touch. He trailed his lips slowly, achingly across her shoulder, up the side of her neck, and to her ear. He whispered softly in her ear, “No one sees this but me.”
Faith loved the possessive note in his voice and she absolutely agreed. She wanted no man but Jag. “Ask me nicely,” she breathed, as his strong body pinned her in place and his lips made their way closer and closer to her mouth.
Jag grinned and captured her lips with his. The kiss was powerful and seductive and had her panting for air. He pulled back, and she tried to form coherent thoughts. She wanted to keep teasing with him, so she said again, “I thought you were going to ask me nicely.”
Jag framed her face with his hands, tilted her head, and said, “I just did.”
Faith laughed. “You’d better ask again.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Then he was kissing her, and all rational thought disappeared.
Jag got permission to take Faith skating on the Strongs’ lake, which was a couple miles east of their house. They said hello to Gavin and one of the twins—Jag thought it was Ella—then hiked along the snow-covered trail to the lake. Jag carried their skates and happily followed Faith up the trail, and they chatted like they’d never missed a moment of being together. The trail was well packed, so they didn’t even need the snowshoes Gavin had offered for them to use.
When they got to the lake, Jag felt like he had the entire world in his palm. He loved this spot as much as any in the world. They put their skates on, and Jag tugged her out onto the ice. They skated along more slowly than he normally did, holding hands and sneaking glances and smiles. It had about killed him earlier to let her go and get ready. Seeing her in only a tank top and shorts had him envisioning married life much too quickly. Could he talk her into marrying him really, really soon? Would she be okay relocating? He loved this valley and would happily stay here anytime they could, but his home for the foreseeable future was Boston—as long as nobody found out about his degenerative condition and he got another contract after this season.
“When do you have to go back?” Faith asked. They’d decided to just be together this morning and then spend the afternoon with his family and the evening with hers. Already they felt like a couple, and he loved it.
“I have practice on the twenty-sixth and a game on the twenty-seventh.”
Her face fell, but she squeezed his gloved hand as if she was fine. He’d always loved Faith’s strength and resilience. She’d stayed much the same as he remembered her from before, but there was a maturity and depth to her that had increased.
“Will you come with me?” he asked.
Faith tilted her head as they glided along on the ice. “I have to work.”
Jag turned around and skated backwards, grasping both of her hands. “Faith, if we’re going to be together … Are you all right finding a job in Boston?”
“Boston?” Her brow furrowed. “You want me to move to Boston?”
Jag chuckled, but it was uneasy. He glided to a stop and held on to her hands. “It’s kind of better for a married couple to live in the same city.”
Faith just stared at him. She was stalling, and he was suddenly afraid that she wasn’t at all ready to move and be with him. “I know you claimed a fake engagement for the reporter lady,” she said, “but are you ready … for us to be together?”
Jag understood now. She was as vulnerable and uncertain as he was. He hastened to reassure her, “Being with you is all I can think about. Nothing about what I feel for you could be fake. I don’t have a ring yet, but I’ll get one and I’ll ask you in some big way.” He tugged her close, wishing they didn’t have the coats between them but at the same time grateful they did. She made him want to be married right now. “I can’t be without you again.” Staring down into her deep brown eyes, he begged, “Please say you feel the same.”
Faith lifted her face up to him. She couldn’t go on tiptoes with her skates on, but Jag happily obliged her by bending down and kissing her long and good. When he pulled back, she didn’t answer as quickly as he’d like. “I don’t want to pressure you or uproot your life,” he said into the silence, “but I need you with me. Can we make this work?”
Faith got a teasing glint in her eyes. “You know you haven’t really told me you love me.”
His eyes widened. “I love you, Faith Summers. I adore you. I worship you. I will do anything in the world to have you be mine.”
She smiled. “I guess that’ll have to do, until you learn how to be a little gushy for me.”
Jag chuckled and bent down close again. “I’ll show you gush.”
She winked up at him. “I can’t wait,” she said just before they kissed.
In the back of his mind, Jag knew that she hadn’t really agreed to move to Boston, but that would work out. They loved each other. They were going to get officially engaged soon. Now if only he could bring her home with him in two days. The vision of seeing her
in his box at the next Bruins game wearing his jersey was only upstaged by the vision of them married and her only wearing that tank top and shorts. He increased the pressure of the kiss. Okay, the vision of them married was definitely at the top.
Chapter Nine
Faith loved ice skating with Jag again, especially the kissing, but something in her was scared. She didn’t know if she wanted to leave her little happy valley. Maybe it was pathetic, but she’d only left for vacations. She’d done high school, swim team, and then beauty school in the nearby town of Vail. She’d never moved away. She’d ached for Jag over the years, but she’d been happy here.
Glancing up at Jag as they hiked back down the trail from the lake, she felt a surge of love. He smiled down at her, and the surge intensified. She’d go anywhere, do anything for him. Putting him first was the right path for her.
“Do you want to do something fun?” she asked.
“Kiss you nonstop. Sure.”
She giggled. “Okay, not quite as fun as that.”
“Dang. Got my hopes up for nothing.”
They were approaching the back of Gavin Strong’s house.
“So what do you have in mind … that’s not quite as fun as kissing you?”
She smiled, loving that he was so taken with her. Blaine had claimed he loved her desperately, but his love had felt oppressive and controlling. Jag’s love felt invigorating and thrilling.
They went to walk around the house, not wanting to disturb the family, and Faith’s boss, on Christmas Eve. Austin Strong, a cute ten-year-old boy, ran out onto the back patio. “Hey, pretty lady,” he called. “Hey, my favorite hockey player, Jag Parros.”
Her Hockey Superstar Fake Fiancé: A Strong Family Romance Companion Novel Page 7
