by Sherri Renee
I could ask him if he wanted me to bring him something to eat, but for all I knew he’d already eaten and might say no. I wanted to see him. If I went over with food in hand he probably wouldn’t turn me away. I could say it was a thank you for waiting at the hospital with me.
Kristen texted me his address, and a smile crossed my face as I read it. I was going to do it. I ran upstairs to fix my hair and makeup then grabbed my coat and purse and hurried to the car. I hoped Jace would be happy to see me even though I was a little nervous about dropping by uninvited.
If he acted like he didn’t want me there I would hand him his food and leave. But hopefully he’d invite me in.
I typed Jace’s address into the GPS and followed the directions to a subdivision I’d never been in before. Big fluffy flakes of snow started to fall as I drove, and I turned on the wipers. The snow hadn’t made it in time for Christmas, but I was still excited. I loved snow.
Jace lived in a really neat area. There were lots of tall pine trees that were quickly being painted white as the snow clung to the evergreen branches. Even though it was a residential area the houses were set far apart and a ways off the road so it felt like each home was secluded.
I stopped just down the street a little ways from where the GPS told me to and double checked the address on the mailbox up ahead. Yep, that was it.
I stared at Jace’s house and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. What had seemed like a pretty good plan at home now sounded silly. I tilted my head back to the headrest. I could go home and forget all about seeing Jace tonight.
I twisted the bracelet on my wrist and looked at the perfect little gold rose. Jace had given me every sign he liked me. Just because he wasn’t calling and texting every five minutes like some guys might didn’t mean he wasn’t interested. I knew he’d almost kissed me yesterday. I bit my lip and gave my head a firm nod. I needed to take more of the initiative.
The snow fell faster now, quickly covering my car in a spreading polka dot-pattern, hiding the shiny silver paint beneath a veil of wintery white. I worked up my courage and grabbed the bag of food from the passenger seat. I was going to do this.
Just before I opened my door, I glanced up and saw a blond girl come out of Jace’s house. Jace appeared behind her and she turned, wrapping him in a big hug. I couldn’t look away. Was that Jules? I couldn’t be sure from this distance, but from behind, that long blond hair looked like hers.
It suddenly hit me that Jace had never come out and said he wasn’t interested in Jules when we’d talked about it.
I blinked hard, determined I was seeing things. Jace was a nice guy. He wouldn’t keep sending signals that he liked me if he was dating someone else. Would he? But what did I really know about Jace besides the fact that he seemed like a nice guy? Not much.
I stared at the couple again before deciding I’d somehow been way off about Jace liking me. I needed to get out of there fast. I started the car and tried to sneak away before Jace spotted me once again unintentionally spying on him.
Whether he and Jules were dating or just friends I was too flustered to walk right up to them and find out. If I drove past his house he’d see me for sure, so I backed into the drainage ditch to make a three-point turn. Only when I put my car back into drive, my tires spun against the fresh snow covering the grass.
I glanced towards Jace’s house and saw both him and the girl watching me. I punched the gas, hoping something would catch so I could get out of there, but instead of propelling me to the road the tires slid to the side, pulling the whole car into the ditch.
I knew how to drive on snow and ice. I took a deep breath and put the car in low gear, determined to maneuver my way out of there with some sort of dignity, but before I could there was a knock on my window.
My heart jumped in my chest. I looked up to see Jace standing in the falling snow watching me curiously. I rolled down the window and shoved the bag of food at him. “I brought you dinner,” I said as if that in any way explained why my car was in the ditch beside his house.
The blond waved as she drove by in a heavy-duty SUV, and I saw it wasn’t Jules. I didn’t know if I should be relieved by that fact or not.
Jace bent so his face was even with mine. He looked deep into my eyes and said, “Spying on me again?”
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to die or throw the food at him. Instead, I just let out a long groan and closed my eyes.
“My sister thinks you’re pretty by the way.”
I opened my eyes and whipped my head to look at him. “The blond is your sister?” I asked, not totally convinced.
He started to chuckle. “I’ve been stuck in this ditch before. If you want I can probably get you out pretty quick and then we can get out of this snow.”
I realized snow was already covering his dark hair and that he was outside without a coat. On a normal day, I was confident I could get myself out of the ditch no problem, but I knew things never seemed to go as I expected when Jace was around. I simply got out of the car and turned it over to him.
It didn’t take him long at all to coax my car from the ditch. He parked in the driveway and handed me the keys. “Let’s go inside,” he said, heading that way. I grabbed my purse and the food and followed him.
I walked into his cozy house thankful to be out of the cold and looked around. A fire crackled in the fireplace in the living room, throwing a soft light over the leather and wood furniture. It reminded me of a cabin in the woods, and I loved it right away.
“I’m sorry for just dropping in,” I said, still looking around. “I wanted to repay you for sitting with me at the hospital.” I tried to explain why I’d just shown up. A bright light came from a room that looked like an office, and I saw a computer sitting on the desk.
Before I knew what was happening, I was in Jace’s arms. My eyes flew to his face and my breath caught as his eyes blazed into mine. “Never be sorry for dropping in on me.” His voice was rough and sent chills down my spine.
He lowered his head towards mine, and I was so surprised I could only watch as he got closer. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” he murmured just before his lips touched mine.
His lips were soft and warm, and I found all my embarrassment melting away at his touch. I eased my arms around his back, and he pulled me closer as our kiss deepened.
I parted my lips, and his tongue met mine in a heated dance that had me tugging him even closer. His lips trailed to my neck, and I tilted my head to give him better access.
I couldn’t think of anything beyond what his touch was doing to my body, and I didn’t want to. Losing myself in him made me forget everything that had been troubling me.
His lips burned a line of kisses across my collarbone before moving to my ear. I brought my free hand to his chest, feeling hard muscles ripple beneath my fingers as I explored the curves of his muscular body.
His lips reached my ear. His breath brushed across it. . . and it tickled. I let out an involuntary laugh and pushed him away, rubbing my ear.
He raised his brows at me with a questioning smile.
“That tickles,” I said still giggling.
His face morphed from hot and sexy to the impish boy I pictured sneaking into his sister’s room. “Tickles?” he said. “I’ll show you what ‘tickles’ feels like.” His fingers dug into my ribs, and I let out a shriek of laughter at the unexpected contact.
I twisted out of his grasp and dropped my purse and the food on a chair as I raced towards the living room. Jace cornered me between the couch and table. Just as I made a break for it his hand snaked out and wrapped around my waist dragging me down to the couch to land half-way on top of him.
Still laughing, I looked down at him. The heat in his eyes dried the laugh on my lips. His head lifted to mine, and I lost myself in his touch. Author, basketball star, and skilled kisser. Jace was full of surprises and I let myself fully enjoy this newest one.
Chapter 30
Sitting at the tabl
e with plates of reheated burgers and fries, Jace looked up at me with a smile. “This is great. I can’t believe you brought me food. I don’t think I’ve eaten since breakfast.”
I took a big bite of my veggie burger more to hide the smile I couldn’t seem to shake than anything. I couldn’t believe Jace kissed me and now that he had, all I wanted was for him to do it again.
“Why haven’t you eaten?” I asked, thinking how cute he looked with his hair hanging over his forehead. It was funny how he could go back and forth from cute to gorgeous depending on his moods.
Jace shrugged and ate a cheese fry. “After practice, I had an idea for my book and got busy writing. I didn’t stop until Jana came over.”
“Jana’s your sister?”
“Yeah, she wasn’t able to make Christmas so she dropped off a gift.” He looked up and grinned at me. “You thought she was a girlfriend, didn’t you?”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t deny it.
Jace reached over and ran his thumb slowly under my lips, leaving a line of tingles in its wake. My eyes darted to his, and I swallowed hard. “You had a little sauce,” he said then leaned closer and replaced his thumb with his lips. Although still chill-inducing, this kiss was short and sweet.
He looked into my eyes. “I’ve liked you for a long time, Michelle Morris. You don’t have to worry about me being with another girl because you’re the only one I’m interested in.”
My heart lightened at his words. I gripped the edge of the table to help keep myself from floating away. “You’ve liked me for a long time?” I repeated his words dumbly.
He sat back and picked up a fry but didn’t eat it. “I’ve had my eye on you since Creative Writing,” he admitted, and I could only stare at him.
“That was a year ago. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up, but he didn’t quite smile. “I had a lot going on at the time. I was afraid to get close to anyone.”
He didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to. The puzzle pieces were coming together and everything suddenly made sense. “You had cancer, didn’t you?” I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud, but I was almost positive I was right. It explained so many things. Why he’d been so thin and pale last year. Why he’d homeschooled the first half of this year. How he knew Dr. Jackson.
He was quiet so long I was afraid I’d upset him. “I’m sorry.” I pushed the remains of my burger to the edge of my plate. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s alright. I’m just not used to talking about it.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth then looked over at my almost empty plate. “Want to go to the living room?”
I didn’t know if he was trying to change the subject or not. I wanted to ask him a hundred questions. I wanted to know if he still had cancer or if he’d beat it. I wanted to know if he thought my mom would be okay. Instead, I simply nodded.
I already knew he was a very private person. For him to even admit he’d had cancer was huge. I wouldn’t push him.
I sat on the edge of the couch, and Jace sat beside me, dropping his arm around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. We stared at the fireplace for a while, watching the flames dance with each slight breeze.
Searching my mind for any conversation starters, I came up blank. What could I possibly say that wouldn’t sound trivial in the light of what Jace had just shared. I decided to wait for him to say something and thankfully he finally did.
“I was sick and scared last year. I didn’t know if I’d be here now.” His thumb brushed over my shoulder, and I turned so I could see his face as he talked.
“I did know that no matter what happened I didn’t want to be the object of rumors and pity so I didn’t tell anyone I had cancer. I also didn’t want my friends looking at me differently. Like I was fragile or contagious.”
“I wouldn’t have done that,” I said softly.
He looked down at me and his hard look softened. “No, you probably wouldn’t have. I think I fell in love with you a little bit through your stories.”
My eyes widened, and I didn’t know what to say.
“I felt like I was getting a glimpse into your soul every time Mrs. Harrison read one of your papers out loud. There was so much depth in each phrase you used. So much longing for something that was missing from your life. Something I wanted more than anything to fill for you.”
He shook his head and let out a light laugh. “Maybe I was reading more from your words than was really there, but I felt like I knew you better than I’d ever known anyone. I wanted so much to tell you that, but I didn’t want to hurt you. Like I said, I didn’t know if I would get better.”
He stared at the fire again. “When I saw you at Matt’s house that first day, I decided the heavens must finally be smiling down on me. I’d planned to find you when I went back to school and for you to just show up at Matt’s,” he shrugged. “It felt like fate. Of course, then I found out you were madly in love with some other guy. That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“And yet you supported me and held me while I cried for him. You even helped me talk to him at the game.” My brow wrinkled, and I searched his face looking for an explanation.
“More than anything I wanted that longing I heard in your writing to be filled. If Danny was the one who could do that then I wanted to help you stay together. That is until I saw what a jerk he could be.”
He shot me a half grin, but I couldn’t work up a return smile. His words were too deep and too sweet, and he wasn’t wrong about my writing. Even the little duck in my lake story had longed for a home where he could be safe.
That was what I’d always wanted. Not that I didn’t feel safe with Mom, but it was just the two of us. I think I always had a fear that if something happened to her I’d be left alone.
My heart thrummed at his words. “I never knew,” I said. I felt tears fill my eyes as I thought of him going through everything he’d been through alone.
“I wish you’d told me. And you’re right. I did put my longings in my stories, but I didn’t think anyone ever noticed. It was just a way to express myself without having to face my fears.”
I scooted on the couch so I was facing him and licked my dry lips. “Do you still have cancer?”
“No,” he shook his head. “But I have to go in for tests every few months to make sure it hasn’t come back.”
“And then I dragged you to the hospital this morning.” I frowned at him feeling incredibly guilty. “That couldn’t have been fun for you.”
“First, you didn’t drag me anywhere. I wanted to go. Second, somewhere along the way, I realized we’ll all die someday. Hiding away until I had a clean bill of health was simply a waste of time when I could have been living. Of course, I did write a book during that time so it wasn’t completely wasted.” He shrugged and his half smile returned.
“Wow.” My mind reeled with all the new information he’d given me. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you won’t treat me differently now that you know.” He looked at me so seriously, I ached for him. “If you don’t want to date me, I’ll understand, but I won’t be able to handle it if you treat me like I could break.”
His jaw clenched, and I ran my finger down it, resting my hand against his warm neck, feeling his pulse pound beneath my fingers. I wanted to deny I’d have treated him any differently before if I’d known he was sick, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure how I would have reacted. But I could reassure him now. “You are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” I said. “And I’ll never treat you differently.”
He searched my face with a hopeful look, and I smiled at him. He pulled me against him in a long hug, and I prepared myself for him to kiss me again. Instead, he jumped up and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet.
“I want to show you something.” Excitement colored his words and lit his eyes.
Without letting go of my hand he led me to the room I’d seen before that
looked like an office. He pulled a second chair over to the desk, and I looked around while he opened a laptop computer.
Three framed book covers were on the side wall. I recognized the first one and realized the others were for the next two books in his series. I walked over to admire them. “You already have the covers for your next books?”
He nodded without looking up from his computer. “I knew enough about what was going to happen in them to be able to have them designed.” I was happy to see the two main characters from his first book, Celeste and Arnon, fought side by side on the third cover. I was kind of a sucker of happily-ever-afters.
“I told you I wrote all day today, right?” I nodded and walked to him, noticing as I did that he was almost as messy as I was only instead of clothes, stacks of books were piled randomly around the room and some even tottered from the edge of his desk.
I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me and looked at the computer screen.
“You inspired my next character,” he said, sounding eager but nervous. I glanced up at him with a confused smile. He tipped his head towards the screen. “Read it.”
Chapter 31
I read for several minutes before Jace’s voice broke through my thoughts.
“What do you think?” he asked. He sat in the chair beside me and twisted a pen between his fingers while watching me intently.
I tore my eyes from the line I was on and blinked at him. “I think I don’t understand why you’re interrupting me. I have to know if Miranda tames the rare striped unicorn or not.” I frowned at him playfully, and he grinned.
“Miranda is you,” he said watching me closely with a nervous smile. “What do you think about her?”
I raised my brows in surprise and looked back at the screen. Miranda was the most beautiful woman in Jace’s made up world. She was a fearless warrior and Celeste was trying to recruit her to her force.
