None of them heard her. They only crowded around her all the more, pushing against her. Why hadn't she brought her sunglasses? She should've known better. But with the dark weather, she'd had a momentary lapse in judgment.
Lights flashed all around her as people snapped pictures with their phones. Someone squeezed her arm. Sky yanked out of the grasp, but then noticed it was Haley.
They pushed their way out of the crowd of cheerleaders, barely squeezing out. Once they did, Sky ran around them, tears blurring her vision.
"Aspen!"
"Wait!"
"Come back here!"
Pixie squirmed to get out of Sky's arms. She held on tighter, afraid for her pup's safety. Finally, they made it back to the cottage. Huffing and puffing, Sky dug the keys out of her purse.
Haley caught up. She glanced back. "That was crazy."
"Welcome to my world." Sky unlocked the door and rushed inside.
"I've seen people ask you for autographs, but that took it to a whole new level."
Sky slammed the door shut and locked the deadbolt. "That was definitely the worst—and I never would've guessed that it could actually be crazier here in Indigo Bay than it was in Seattle."
"Maybe they're more used to seeing celebrities there?" Haley asked.
"All I know is that I'm done with this place." Sky marched into the bedroom, pulled out her suitcase, and grabbed clothes from her closet.
"Don't you want to sleep on this? I thought you liked it here."
Tears blurred Sky's vision. "There's nothing here for me. At least if I go back to Enchantment Bay, you'll be there. Plus, I won't have reminders of Jace."
Haley frowned. "Are you sure that's what you want?"
Sky blinked the tears away and nodded. "I don't even care if I lose a whole month's rent. I'm out of here."
"I'll help you pack." Haley picked up another suitcase.
Twenty-Eight
The warm wind whipped droplets of rain against Jace. He ignored it and wandered mindlessly through the cottages, checking for damage, but mostly trying to clear his head. A large branch had scraped against the red cottage, but luckily hadn't caused any structural harm. Some boards had pulled loose from the purple cottage. A small tree had taken out the deck on the dark green cottage—that would take some time to fix. Other than that, everything seemed to have survived the storm without much excitement.
He still had to check the dark blue cottage. His stomach twisted in knots. He wanted to know if Sky was okay, but he wanted to avoid actually seeing her.
Jace headed for her place but had every intention of turning around if he happened to see her. He just wanted to know that she was okay and what, if any, damage the cottage had taken. That was all.
When the home came into view, the first thing he noticed was something piled up next to Sky's car. He kept his focus on that as he neared. After his vision focused, he realized it was luggage.
He froze mid-step.
Was she leaving? As in, moving away?
Sky stepped outside and added two more suitcases to the pile before returning inside.
Terror gripped him. She couldn't leave Indigo Bay. More specifically, Sky couldn't leave him.
Jace had to do something. But what? Could anything he said make a difference?
She came back outside, added another large bag, and promptly went back in.
His breath hitched. They needed to talk about whatever their fight had been about—as in really talk. She needed to tell him what was going on, and he needed to open himself up to her completely. He had to risk it, even if she still decided to leave. If it took four hours to tell his life story and go over every painful detail to keep her in town, he would do it. He'd even tell her the humiliating story of being left at the altar, scorned by his fiancée and so-called best friend.
Jace rushed over to the pile of luggage and grabbed the two largest pieces and lugged them inside.
Sky came over from the hall with another suitcase in hand, and her eyes widened when she saw him. "What are you doing?"
"Bringing your stuff back inside."
"I can see that, but why?"
His heart pounded like a jackhammer. "I can't let you leave."
"You… you're not letting me leave?"
"We need to talk."
Her eyes narrowed. "There's nothing to talk about. You made that abundantly clear before."
Jace took a deep breath and considered his words. He didn't want to say anything that would further upset her. "I'm not sure what it is that you want me to tell you, but I'll tell you anything—anything at all. No matter how painful or humiliating."
She studied him. "You had your chance. It's clear you're more interested in keeping major details secret." She made a beeline for the door.
He stepped in front of it.
"Excuse me. I need to get by."
Jace shook his head. "We need to talk. I'll tell you everything."
"Everything?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I'll tell you every painful detail of my life if that's what it takes." His voice cracked. "And you can walk away when I'm done if that's what you think is best. I won't stop you."
She paused. "Then tell me the big thing you've been keeping from me. Start there." Sky stared him down, but her eyes misted.
Seeing her in pain was all it took to break him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Sky tried to pull away but then stopped. She didn't put her arms around him, but she leaned against him as he rubbed her back.
Jace sighed in relief. At least he had her attention—he now stood a chance of convincing her to stay. He tried to figure out where to begin, and she pulled away.
"We should bring your luggage inside first." That would buy him a few minutes to figure out what to say.
She shook her head. "I want to hear it from you before I make a decision."
"This could take a while. Someone could steal your stuff."
"In Indigo Bay?" She arched a brow.
"It could happen."
"Just tell me what I want to know, then I'll know you're serious."
His stomach tightened. "Of course I'm serious! I'm here, aren't I? And since I don't know what it is that you want me to tell you, it could take a while to get there."
She stared at him, her expression conflicted.
"Or you could tell me what you want to know. That could speed up the process quite a bit."
"Why won't you tell me?" she exclaimed.
Jace threw his head back. "What do you want to know?"
The front door creaked, and in walked a blonde Jace had never seen. Her eyes widened. "I'll come back."
Sky grabbed onto her. "No. Stay."
Jace tilted his head and gave the stranger a curious glance. "Who are you?"
"She's helping me move." Sky stepped closer to the lady. "You want to talk, talk."
"I meant in private." Did she honestly expect him to pour his heart out in front of someone he didn't know?
Tears shone in Sky's eyes. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Haley."
Haley put a hand up. "Really, I can go. I should, Sky."
Sky glanced back and forth between the two of them. A single tear slipped from her eye as her gaze locked with Jace's.
He stepped forward, wiped the tear with his thumb, and kissed her soft, sweet lips. She tasted like white wine and milk chocolate. Sky stiffened, and then relaxed, putting a hand on his arm.
Twenty-Nine
Sky clung to Jace and kissed him back, a wild range of emotions welling up inside her. He smelled like sandalwood, and his touch was both comforting and electrifying at the same time.
Jace pulled back, ending the kiss almost as suddenly as it had begun. His eyes were dazed, as she was sure hers were too. Sky gasped for air, desperate for a coherent thought. She couldn't think straight in his arms.
Sky cleared her throat and took a step back. "We'd better get go
ing, Haley."
Disappointment washed over Jace's expression. "You're leaving now?"
A lump formed in Sky's throat. "I need to."
"You won't hear me out?" His eyes pleaded with her.
It was almost enough to get her to stay. She couldn't do it. Everything in Indigo Bay was part of her past now. She stepped over to the coffee table and grabbed her keys.
"Sky, wait."
More tears threatened. She needed to get out before she caved. "Excuse me."
He didn't move, so she pushed past him before she changed her mind. Jace ran outside and stood behind her car.
"What are you doing?" she exclaimed.
"If you leave, you're going to have to run me over first."
She gave him a double-take. "You're crazy."
"For you."
Sky blinked back the threatening tears. "Don't do this."
"You leave me no other choice."
Haley came outside. "I, uh, I'm going to put the suitcases in the car."
"No," Sky said, not taking her gaze from Jace. "Not yet."
"Really?" Jace asked.
"The rain's picking up," Haley said. "Everything's going to get soaked."
Sky swallowed, trying to push down the lump in her throat. "Then I'll bring it back in—for now."
Jace shook his head. "No, you won't. I will."
She stared at him, unable to find words.
He brushed his lips across hers, grabbed some suitcases, and hurried inside.
Haley turned to her. "I'll head over to that cafe and let you guys talk. The poor guy turned pale as a ghost when you told him to talk in front of me."
"Please stay. I don't think I can do this without you."
"You can. Did you see the look on his face? He really cares about you—a lot. I have a feeling you're going to stay here after this."
Sky frowned. "Don't be so sure." She grabbed a suitcase and headed inside. Haley followed her, and as they came in, Jace went back out. He returned with nearly half the luggage. He had suitcases stuffed under his arms and held two in each hand. "Where do you want these?"
"Anywhere," Sky said. "Don't hurt yourself."
He snickered. "I won't."
Haley and Sky went out into the rain with him and brought the rest inside.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone." Haley brushed some rain from her shirt.
Sky shook her head. "I already told you no. We can go for a walk."
"You don't mind the rain?" Jace asked.
"I'm from the northwest. It helps me to feel at home."
"Perfect." He held her hand, threading his fingers between hers. "Where's Pixie?"
"Sleeping in her bed in one of the spare rooms. I didn't want her getting out while we packed the car."
"It isn't the same without her running around."
Haley threw Sky an approving glance. "Want me to grab Pixie?"
"Yes," Jace said. "She'd enjoy the walk."
Sky's heart warmed, feeling like it was growing in size.
Jace squeezed her hand.
Haley returned with Pixie, and handed the leash to Jace. "Have fun, you three."
Sky let go of Jace's hand and embraced her friend. "Thank you."
She squeezed her back. "Just go make up. I don't want to see you again until you can introduce me to your boyfriend."
"We'll see." Her doubt was fading, and as long as Jace could be truthful about his marriage, she would most likely be willing to stay. It was probably really painful for him since he was being so secretive about it. She turned back to Jace, who was patting Pixie and speaking to her in a high-pitched voice. She beamed, watching him with her pup.
Jace turned to her and rose. "Ready?"
She gave a little nod and laced her fingers through his. Haley gave her a thumbs-up as they left through the sliding glass door. They walked in silence, stepping over branches and other debris from the storm.
After they reached the beach, he turned to her. "Should we go to our spot?"
Her heart warmed at him calling it theirs. "Okay."
When they got there, Jace cleared some leaves and branches, and they snuggled together on the root-chair. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, feeling at home. Pixie jumped up and made herself comfortable, half on his lap and half on Sky's.
Jace cleared his throat. "Do you want me to start at the beginning, or would you like to tell me what has your feathers so ruffled?"
Her heart raced. She blurted out, "Why didn't you tell me you were married?"
"What?" He sounded confused.
"I ran into your ex-wife the other day."
"My ex-wife?" Now he sounded angry. "Is that what Alisha told you?"
Sky thought back to the conversation. "I believe her exact words were, 'I'll never forget the day of our wedding.'"
"That's because that's all it was. Our wedding day. We never got married, though."
"What? What do you mean?"
Jace's face tensed. "She never showed up. Left me standing at the altar, looking like a fool in front of everyone we knew. She and my best friend left town together that day."
Sky's mouth dropped. "I-I had no idea."
He laughed bitterly. "I'll bet she left that out."
"Yeah." They sat in silence as Sky took in what he said. "What happened?"
"Apparently, I grew too boring for her after my father and brother died, and then my mother forgot me. Neither of them even had the decency to tell me ahead of time. I had to find out at the altar in front of everyone I knew."
"I'm so sorry."
Jace shrugged. "Probably for the best. At least I saw her true colors before making the biggest mistake of my life."
Sky took a deep breath. "I can't imagine how much that must've hurt. Jace, I'm really sorry I didn't ask you about it before jumping to conclusions."
"I'm sure Alisha told you a pretty convincing story."
"Still, I should've asked for your side before accusing you like that."
"We all fly off the handle from time to time."
She leaned her head against him. "It's no excuse."
"I'm just glad you decided to hear me out."
"So, you must've had a really hard time when all that stuff happened with your family."
He let out a long, slow breath. "I always knew I'd have less time with my parents since it took them more than twenty years to have Connor and me. Didn't make it any easier when Dad passed away from kidney failure, though. Then before any of us had a chance to recover from that, Connor was struck by a falling beam at his construction site. Died immediately with no pain—that's supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn't. My brother's gone, and he's never coming back." He wiped his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
"I can't even imagine."
Jace looked at her, his eyes red. Tears fell when he blinked. It tore her up seeing him so hurt. "It sent Mom over the edge. Now she lives somewhere between the past and an imaginary world. Then when I thought things couldn't get worse, the only girl I ever dated left me at the altar, taking my lifelong best friend with her."
Sky felt so stupid for getting worked up over being mistaken for her famous twin. He probably thought she was horribly petty.
"So then I buried myself in my work and art, leaving no time for anyone else. Until you showed up."
The lump in her throat from earlier returned. She knew if she said anything, she'd be in tears too.
He held her gaze. "I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with all of it."
Sky's heart broke in two. She pulled him against her, pulled off his hat, and ran her hands through his hair. "You're supposed to cry and scream about how unfair it is, and after that, talk about it with someone who cares. Then repeat the whole miserable process over and over again until it starts to hurt a little less." He shook in her arms. Sky heard his muffled sobs. She kissed the top of his head. "That's it—let it all out."
She rubbed his back as he continued shaking, and his tears wet the collar o
f her shirt. She teared up thinking of all he'd gone through—and alone, no less!
After a while, Jace sat back and wiped his tears away. The skin around his eyes was red and splotchy. "I've never cried like that. Not since I was a kid, anyway."
"You've never mourned at all?"
He shrugged. "I took my frustrations out with a hammer on the cottages."
"That's not grieving."
"I'm starting to see that."
She squeezed his hand. "Do you feel any better?"
"Actually, I do. A little bit. That's offset by my embarrassment, though, at this pathetic display of weakness. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped this on you. I should have dealt with this years ago, on my own."
"Are you kidding me? I'm happy to be dumped on. And by the way, you're the strongest person I know." Sky leaned over and brushed her lips across his. "I'll have to stay in town so you can do that over and over again. It's all part of the process, and like I said, you need someone who cares to listen."
He pulled her close and kissed her passionately. "I think I love you."
She grinned. "I think I love you, too."
Thirty
Jace clung to the leash as they neared the edge of the beach. "She's surprisingly strong."
"Tiny, but mighty." Sky laughed. "That's my Pixie."
Good heavens, Sky was breathtaking. He grinned at her and then stepped around a branch. "You know, I might just have to convince Dallas to hire someone to help me with this cleanup."
"I can help you."
"Well, I was actually thinking of someone a little more permanent."
"Oh?" Sky asked, tilting her head curiously. "Why's that?"
"I think I'm done being the only handyman for the cottages. It's really a two-person job, and now that I found someone worth spending my time with—"
Sky kissed him. "You're totally amazing, you know that?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Of course you wouldn't. That's what makes you so wonderful." She toyed with his hair and held his gaze.
Jace's breath caught. He was still feeling raw from having broken down in her arms, but it had been refreshing at the same time. He'd never given into his emotions like that, but she'd been right. It had helped. And even better yet, she continued giving him adoring glances—she didn't think poorly of him for having a hard time with things or having been left at the altar.
Sweet Dreams (Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series Book 1) Page 11
