Something Sweeter

by Candis Terry

  Chapter 18

  He’d caught Seattle on a good day.

  As Jesse maneuvered the busy and sometimes rolling streets in his rental car, he admired the glimpses of ocean, islands, mountains, and the snowcapped Mt. Rainier against a cloudless blue sky. Allison had once mentioned how many days of rain the city received a year. Jesse couldn’t imagine living in all that gloom. But looking at it now, he had to admit it did have its perks.

  The most likely was the sole reason he’d traveled so many miles.

  Living in a town with a population far below an average day at Disneyland, he’d never needed to have supersleuth skills before. Since she still wasn’t answering his calls, he’d gratefully accepted all the help he could get from her father in tracking Allison down.

  After parking his rental car on the narrow street, he approached the typical, boxy-­looking condominium complex. A cypress hedge in front of the building did little to add to the charm. Knowing Allison as he did now, he couldn’t imagine her living in such an uninteresting place. She belonged with him in charismatic Sweet. Which didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to compromise. Hell, to be with her, he’d pack up and make Seattle his home too.

  He passed through the building’s glass entry and headed upstairs. Before he knocked on her door, he smoothed his hand over his newly cut and much shorter style hair. The long hair had simply been an image he’d presented. Time now to step up to the plate and be the man his parents had raised him to be.

  Moments after he knocked, the door swung open, and he had to catch his breath. Even in sweatpants, with her hair pulled up in a wild tangle on her head and not an ounce of makeup on her face, she made his heart explode.

  Her sensuous mouth dropped open, and her smoky eyes widened.

  His fingers tingled to touch her. To inhale that sweet scent that belonged to only her. He longed to take her in his arms and keep her there.

  At that moment, it was all he could do to keep his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans.

  There was still the possibility she didn’t want him.

  Allison had been expecting someone to knock on her door. She’d just never imagined that someone would be Jesse.

  “You cut your hair!”

  The corners of his mouth lifted into a grin, and her heart felt like it had been hit with a blowtorch.

  “I fly two thousand miles to see you, and you want to talk about my hair?”

  “No. I’m just . . .”

  “Surprised to see me?”

  “That’s . . . an understatement.”

  “Guess it’s my turn to catch you off guard.”

  At that moment, Wee Man bounced into the room and did his best rabbit impersonation until Jesse reached down and picked him up.

  “Hey, Buddy. Miss me?”

  Allison hated to admit it, but she believed that’s exactly why Wee Man had been so restless since they came back to Seattle. Of course, he could also be missing Pumpkin, or Reno’s dog Bear, or Miss Giddy, or the gazillion acres he’d grown to love to roam. His affection was noted by a long slurp up Jesse’s clean-­shaven chin. The resounding deep chuckle Jesse gave sent a little quiver up her middle.

  With a final stroke of affection over the top of her dog’s head, Jesse put him back down on the floor and chuckled as Wee Man happily trotted away. Then those inquisitive blue eyes zeroed in on her.

  “So . . .” Larger-­than-­life and a teensy bit intimidating, he stepped inside her condo. Somehow, she managed to maintain control of her breathing as she stepped back. “About this disappearing act of yours.”

  “I’m sorry.” She closed the door, hesitating to turn. Guilt pricked at the back of her neck. The night of the wedding, Danielle’s bombshell and all Allison’s reasons to run had dog piled. It hadn’t been until she’d come back to Seattle that she’d gained clarity. “I had no choice.”

  “Sure you did.” He folded his arms. “You could have told me what was going on.”

  “I promised Danielle I wouldn’t tell anyone. Not even Dad.”

  “Not talking about Danielle,” he said.

  “Then what?”

  He glanced away. When he swung his gaze back, she could sense his exasperation.

  She’d told him she trusted him.

  But she hadn’t.

  “You should have told me you were scared of what was happening between us,” he said.

  She’d said it. Just not to him.

  Hello, my name is Allison, and I’m a cowardly blogoholic.

  “Want some coffee?” In an obvious stall tactic, she headed toward the kitchen. “I just made fresh.”

  He followed her into the kitchen. “I didn’t come all this way for a caffeine fix, Allison. I came to discuss why, aside from your sister’s situation, you felt the need to run.”

  Her hands shook as she grabbed two cups from the cabinet and set them on the granite-­topped island. Then she braced her hands on the edge of the counter and dropped her head.

  “You’re right. I was scared. Danielle and Andrew were my—­”

  “One hope.” He braced a hip against her counter and folded his arms again. “I get that. But don’t you think you’d be better off putting all that energy into finding your own happiness instead of hoping someone else will show you the way?”

  “Yes. And I know that now.”

  His eyes narrowed just slightly. “Do you?”

  Stunned by the intensity in his eyes, she could only nod.

  “What changed?”

  “Everything.”

  “The truth, Allison.”

  She lifted her hands. “The truth is, with you I caught a glimpse of how my life could be. And that made me realize I had to quit hiding behind excuses. I had to let go of my fears and the past. The only way I’m truly going to be happy is if I reach for the future.”

  “How does it make you feel?”

  “Scared. But hopeful.”

  “That’s a good start.” He moved closer. Finally within touching distance, he reached out and rubbed his hands over her cold fingers. “So what’s your future?”

  “Depends.” Their eyes locked. “Why did you come here, Jesse?”

  “You wouldn’t answer my calls.”

  “I had a lot to think about. Plus there was that whole trying to deal with my sister while she was trying to deal with the collapse of her marriage thing.”

  “I’m impressed that in the middle of the crisis, you realized that her happiness, or lack thereof, had nothing to do with yours.”

  “You helped me realize that, Jesse.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “So why did you come here?” she asked him again.

  “I’ll admit, initially you weren’t on my radar. I had a list of things I needed to do. ­People I needed to take care of. To make sure they were happy. You made your way onto that list. No matter how many times I heard you deny the possibility of true love, I knew it existed. And no matter how indignant you got when I forced you to see another point of view, I also heard that little whisper in your voice that said you really wanted to believe.”

  “I do.”

  His responding smile sent a warm tingle down into her heart.

  “To answer your original question, I came here for you, Allison,” he admitted. “For us. I love you.”

  When she gasped, he pressed a finger to her lips.

  “I’ve come a long way. In more ways than one. So please let me just say what’s in my head. What’s in my heart.”

  “Okay,” she said in a shaky voice.

  “Regardless of what everyone back in Sweet thinks of me, I’ve never been reckless or impulsive. I’m not now. I realize what I just said might sound crazy because we’ve only known each other a short time. Believe me, I’ve thought long and hard about everything. I love that you love my crazy family.
I love that you make me want to be a better person. I love that you don’t buy in to all the crap I spew and that you make me want to be honest. And I love that you pushed aside all the lies that were told about me and just saw me for yourself.”

  “I love that about you too.”

  “I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but you proved me wrong.” He kissed her fingers, then clasped her hands to his chest. “I knew I’d fallen hard that night at the movies when you doused your popcorn in butter, then licked it off your fingers.”

  “That’s lust. Not love.”

  “Yeah. The love part came when you were bawling your eyes out and wiping your nose on my shirt, and I didn’t mind.”

  Laughter danced in her chest. “I’m sure I’ve never heard a man say that to a woman before.”

  “I told you, darlin’ ”—­he grinned—­“stick with me, and I’ll take you places you’ve never been.”

  “Then consider me glue.”

  “Back in Texas,” he said, “I didn’t tell you I loved you because I was afraid you’d think I was crazy. I knew how you felt about relationships, and I didn’t want to scare you away. I was willing to do whatever it took and however long it took to keep you. Even if that meant finding a way to make a long-­distance relationship work.”

  Emotion floated from her heart and up into her eyes and made it impossible to see his handsome face.

  “I love you, Allison. And when I look at you, I see my future. Our future. When I see you holding Izzy, I picture you holding our own baby. When I watched my brother marry the woman he loves, I knew that’s what I wanted too. I know that might be too much for you to take in right now, and I know your life is here in Seattle, but—­”

  “I’m packed.”

  His head came up sharply. His brows drew together. “What?”

  “My suitcases are in the bedroom crammed full of everything I could fit.” She nodded, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’ve already made arrangements for movers to pick up everything at the end of the week and haul it to Sweet. Without you, there’s nothing.”

  “What about your business? Your sister?”

  “Danielle wants to buy the company. She said she needs something to focus on, so she doesn’t become a bitter divorcee like our mother.” She touched his face with trembling fingers. “I love you, Jesse. And I’m not afraid of that. Not anymore. Just promise me something.”

  “You bet.”

  “It took me a while to realize that love and a lasting relationship don’t just happen because you want them to. I’d always seen Danielle and Andrew as the golden ­couple. Like nothing could ever go wrong just because they seemed so perfect. But as time went on, they hadn’t grown together. They grew apart. Promise me we’ll always work together on our relationship. I want to be more than just your girl. I want us to be more than just a ­couple. I want us to be best friends as well as lovers.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. And you have my solemn promise.”

  Her heart pounded while he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. If she’d had a flurry of fairy godmothers fluttering around, Allison knew she could not have felt more loved. Without words, the look in Jesse’s eyes said it all.

  He loved her.

  And she loved him.

  It might not always be easy, but their life together would be amazing. She didn’t know what she’d done right to find such a man, but hoping others would prove her either wrong or right about love hadn’t been it. She’d taken a chance and completely lost her heart to a man who would cherish it for as long as they both lived.

  Truth dawned in that fairy-­tale fashion of birds chirping and flowers singing.

  “Jesse?” She looked up into his handsome face and found tenderness brightening his blue eyes. “As long as I’m taking a leap, I’m going to do it without a net.”

  His head tilted. “What are you talking about?”

  “I love you.” Three little words had never felt more right.

  “And I love you.”

  “Then . . .” She took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

  The smile that pushed up the corners of those masculine lips came slow and steady. “I was going to wait for someplace more romantic than your kitchen but . . .” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box. “It looks like we think alike.”

  He flipped open the lid to reveal a stunning natural pink diamond ring. “I wanted something as unique and special as you.” He slipped the ring on her finger.

  It was a perfect fit.

  Just like them.

  She was speechless.

  Almost.

  “So . . . you’re saying yes?”

  He laughed, and the happy sound fluttered through her heart. “I’m saying yes.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to give up your hard-­earned playboy status?”

  “More than ready.”

  “What about all those female hearts you’ll break? Especially Gladys’s and Arlene’s.”

  “There’s still another Wilder brother left. I’m sure Jake can give them a run for their money.”

  “I love you, Jesse Wilder.” She touched his face, unable to believe her good fortune the night she’d stopped in that rowdy honky-­tonk. “When I came to Texas, I was looking for any reason to believe love didn’t exist. But I found something sweeter.”

  “And what’s that, darlin’?”

  “I found you. My happily-­ever-­after.”

  Can’t get enough of the wild Wilders?

  Well, get ready because next winter Candis Terry and her sparkling, sexy Sweet, Texas, series return with . . .

  Sweet Surprise

  Fiona Wilder’s past is a road rife with heart-wrenching twists and life-changing turns. But now she’s trying to make things right. Be a good single mom. Take charge of her life. And never, ever repeat her mistakes of falling in lust, not love. This includes keeping her cool when it comes to a red-hot fireman who openly admits his heart is locked up tight … even if he might turn out to be a real knight in shining armor.

  Firefighter Mike Halsey learned the hard way that life throws curves that aren’t always fair, are sometimes destructive, and occasionally irresistible. Guy code dictates that one never goes after his best friend’s ex. But what’s a guy to do when he meets a damsel in distress and their attraction is an unstoppable force as well as a danger to his guarded heart?

  Coming February 2015

  From Avon Books

  About the Author

  CANDIS TERRY was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push-and-pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily-ever-after.

  Please visit her on the web at www.candisterry.com and connect with her on both Facebook and Twitter.

  www.avonromance.com

  www.facebook.com/avonromance

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  By Candis Terry

  SOMETHING SWEETER

  SWEETEST MISTAKE

  ANYTHING BUT SWEET

  SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

  ANY GIVEN CHRISTMAS

  SECOND CHANCE AT THE SUGAR SHACK

  Short Stories

  HOME SWEET HOME

  (appears in FOR LOVE AND HONOR and CRAZY SWEET FINE)

  SWEET FORTUNE

  (appears in CONFESSIONS OF A SECRET ADMIRER—­A VALENTINE’S DAY ANTHOLOGY)

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imag
ination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SOMETHING SWEETER. Copyright © 2014 by Candis Terry. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition JULY 2014 ISBN: 9780062237279

  Print Edition ISBN: 9780062237262

  FIRST EDITION

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

  Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

  Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

  http://www.harpercollins.com.au

  Canada

  HarperCollins Canada

  2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor

  Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada

  http://www.harpercollins.ca

  New Zealand

  HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited

  P.O. Box 1

  Auckland, New Zealand

  http://www.harpercollins.co.nz

  United Kingdom

  HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

  77-85 Fulham Palace Road

  London, W6 8JB, UK

  http://www.harpercollins.co.uk

  United States

  HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

  195 Broadway

  New York, NY 10007

  http://www.harpercollins.com