Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  "That's just what I told her," he said smugly.

  "I'm here in Seattle," she said, determined to keep a smidgen of her pride, "settling into this new job," she added vaguely, looking around the office. It was sterile, devoid of anything personal. Except, of course, for the book. She glanced down at it and then back up again quickly. But not quickly enough. Harry had seen it. "And Jace is in Zurich, taking the world of international banking by storm." She managed a crooked grin.

  "That's what I told her," he agreed.

  "He's probably got some beautiful blonde yodeling champion chasing him." If he heard her voice crack, Harry ignored it.

  "I expect he does." He shrugged. "So what do you say about this maid thing?"

  "Maid of honor?" Maybe Brenda didn't believe self-imposed exile was sufficient reason to miss a wedding.

  "I don't know, Harry," she said doubtfully. "That's a lot of responsibility and I'm trying to get established here...." She allowed her voice to trail off, hoping he'd read her hesitation, and let her off the hook. What did she know about weddings? For that matter, what did she know about going back to a family?

  But she wanted to; for the first time in her life, she wanted to go back. To be part of their future, to belong.

  Harry and Brenda's wedding seemed the most logical place to begin to rebuild.

  She looked at him and saw something shift in his eyes. She didn't recognize the emotion, but it warmed her. Then the damnedest thing happened. Her eyes misted and she couldn't look anywhere but down at the desk. She was mortified as confusion and relief and fear coursed through her.

  "Aw, nuts," Harry murmured, but she still couldn't look at him. His hand slowly moved into view on the desktop and she reached for it. He patted her fingers and squeezed her hand. "It'll be all right, Katie."

  She nodded. "I... I don't know why I'm crying. I was scared I'd lose you when... when you were in the hospital. Everything came so close to crashing down. I guess"—she sniffed—"I'm just relieved you're here and you're all right."

  Finally, she was able to look at him and recognized the mystery emotion for what it was. Love. So much love filled his gaze that she had no choice but to accept it.

  "Haven't you heard the saying," Harry said, "only the good die young? Hell, I'll be around to see your grandchildren," he assured her gruffly. "Yeah, they'll be runnin' all through the place, tearing stuff up, causing a ruckus. And there we'll be: me and Brenda, watching you tear your hair out."

  Katie wanted to weep. The image was ridiculously sentimental and she was surprised by her reaction to it.

  He patted her hand again, amazing her with his gentleness. She couldn't look into his eyes for another second or she'd risk losing her composure.

  She tugged her hand out of his grip, cleared her throat and said, "Tell Brenda I'm thrilled to be chosen as her maid of honor."

  Harry's curt nod of acceptance told her she'd done the right thing. She grinned as her tension dissolved into a feeling of joy at the thought of being back in Bellingham with the people she cared most about in the world. She glanced once more at the book.

  "Will Jace be there?"

  "On the day before."

  She had a month to find the words she'd need.

  * * *

  Jace arrived at Bellingham International Airport at 7:30 P.M. on the eleventh. He was exhausted, and most of the exhilaration of the past twenty-four hours had burned itself out. But the thought of seeing Kate again kept a flicker of hope alive. As soon as he'd seen the majestic, rain-shrouded coast of Washington, that hope had burned brightly, in spite of all the reasons it shouldn't be there at all.

  She was unpredictable. She was sassy and independent. Her life had taught her lessons he was only now coming to understand. But all of that paled against the knowledge that she belonged with him.

  He settled into his old bedroom at the back of the house. He passed in front of Kate's former bedroom door. The room was empty, of course. Empty of everything but memories.

  Kate, on the first day, tossing him that damn teddy bear.

  Kate beneath him on the bed, reaching for him, pulling him down into her. Kate, standing up to him, trying to make him hear her and failing.

  He shut the door on the memories and headed down the stairs. Rain spattered down the front window, blurring the shape of the red car outside. He looked again. A Mustang convertible—with the top up, of course.

  The front passenger door was open and the most delectable behind he'd ever seen was sticking out of it as Kate tried to pull something out of the backseat. He hurried outside, down the walkway and silently stood in the rain watching her.

  "Come on, you stupid piece of—" Kate tugged forcefully on something and called it unprintable names.

  Jace grinned and waited, thinking back to the first time he'd seen her. She'd fascinated him on first sight with her colorful language and feistiness. He heard another string of curses and found it difficult to keep from laughing out loud. God, it was great to hear her husky voice and know it wasn't just in his dreams.

  * * *

  All Katie wanted to do was look cool and cosmopolitan for Jace. Getting her new wool skirt wet wouldn't exactly enhance the sophisticated impression she wanted to make. She only hoped she'd beaten him here and had time to change and redo her hair and makeup.

  "Arrgh. Damn thing's stuck. Why do I always have this problem," she muttered in frustration with her head and shoulders crammed into the back of the Mustang. "Damn it all."

  "Why don't you stop using your car as a delivery van?" She heard a deep voice, very male, directly behind her.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Jace. Oh, why did he have to find her this way? Cursing a blue streak with her butt getting wet in the rain? She gave one more tug and the suitcase was free. She banged her head on the roof and fell backward out of the car.

  Jace caught her under the arms and hauled her up before her skirt touched the sidewalk. She turned around and looked up into his amused face. His handsome, gorgeous amused face. She checked the sidewalk for a tall blonde and seeing none, smiled inwardly. She kept her face composed.

  "What are you laughing at?" she demanded, trying to blow a bedraggled lock of hair out of her eyes.

  "You." He laughed again and held her arms loosely.

  She was tempted to swat him but his laugh was so dear all she could do was stand and gawk at him. He looked different. His hair was trimmed and styled severely. His brilliant red fleece vest made his eyes bluer than she'd ever seen them. Or maybe that was just the mist in her eyes.

  He looked pale. Haggard? Maybe a little.

  He let the laugh die and stared down at her. His gaze flicked over her, and made her feel uncomfortably aware of rain plastering her hair to her head. Katie Calhoun sophisticated? Not a chance.

  "Hi," he whispered huskily.

  "Hi," she whispered back, uncertainly. She searched his face for any clue to what he was thinking and drew a blank. "How have you been?"

  "Fine." He nodded. "Pretty good, how about you?"

  "Oh, I've been fine, too." She wondered when he’d release her from his heavy-handed grip but said nothing. She was content to have her forearms pinched as long as Jace was the one doing the pinching.

  "Got some boxes for me to carry?" His blue eyes sparkled and an electric current of excitement seemed to run through him in a way that set her taut nerves more on edge.

  She pulled out of his arms, determined to regain some ground any way she could. She lifted her suitcase out of the car and set it on the sidewalk, wondering if he'd notice.

  Jace looked down. "Luggage."

  She grinned, feeling foolishly happy. "I thought—well, I see now that it’s silly to insist on boxes and cartons. I'm sorry, Jace, about the luggage you bought for me. I never should have said—"

  "Shh," he cut her off, holding a fingertip to her lips. "I'm the one who needs to apologize, Kate. You were right; I had no right to arrange your life."

  The fear she'd lived with ev
ery day since Harry's visit the previous month eased immediately.

  "No need to apologize, Jace. I understand," she said softly.

  "Good," he said briskly and stepped back. "It's raining cats and dogs out here." He bent and picked up her suitcases. "Let's go in to see Harry and Brenda. They'll be glad to see you made it. There's a pot of coffee on."

  She collected her purse and makeup case and followed him up the walkway. In spite of the autumn rain, the house managed to look warm. The main floor glowed with welcoming light.

  Jace took her suitcase upstairs for her as she made her way into the kitchen. She was tempted to follow him, but changed her mind. When they got a chance to be alone, she wanted no interruptions, and she could hear Harry and Brenda in the back of the house.

  The older couple welcomed her with hugs and kisses, and offered coffee and muffins. She poured Jace a mug of coffee when he sauntered in. Cream, no sugar, she remembered.

  She was on shaky ground and ready to run away. She ignored her nervousness, determined to see this reunion through to the end. It was a strange, frightening situation for her. She'd never returned to a family before. Always, she'd left without looking back. Most of the time she'd refused to remember the people she'd left behind.

  But these people had insisted on being remembered. Katie cherished the memories of them all. The conversation seemed to surround her, ebbing and flowing as conversation does. She picked up the odd piece of information and nodded or smiled as needed. Mostly, she reveled in the sense of homecoming and acceptance. She may have left in a furious hurry, full of accusations and anger, but none of that seemed important now. Not to them—and certainly not to her.

  Jace caught her eye every once in a while and smiled a secret smile, just for her. Her temperature rose alarmingly when he did it, but she didn't want him to stop, just the same.

  Jace must have said something important. Harry and Brenda hung on his every word.

  "So, I told him my heart wasn't in my work anymore. And all he said was, 'What does heart have to do with it?' "

  Jace's eyes took on a gleam as he looked at her. His ardent look implied a lot and her heart beat wildly.

  Jace nodded. "I told him heart has everything to do with it." His gaze continued to hold hers and the rest of the room somehow receded. Vaguely Katie realized that Brenda had excused herself and Harry and dragged him from the kitchen.

  "You quit your job? Why?" Katie asked on a breath.

  "That's a good question. Why would I throw away what I've spent twelve years of my life working toward?"

  "I don't know," she whispered, frightened and excited at the same time.

  "Because it was a mistake. Just the way my treatment of you was a mistake. I wanted to control you, my career, your life, my life, even Harry's life to some extent." He shrugged. "I was wrong."

  "And now?" she whispered, too afraid to say anything more.

  "And now, here I am, afraid of making more mistakes. Terrified if I tell you what I want, you'll tell me to go to hell." He stood and stared out the back door window, shoving his hands deeply into his pockets. His back was rigidly straight.

  "I wouldn't do that, Jace." She stood behind him watching the even rise and fall of his broad shoulders. She went to touch him, but held back, letting her hand stay in the air, afraid to reach out to him. "I was wrong to leave the way I did, but old habits die hard. I run away when my emotions get tangled up with people. A leftover childhood and childish reaction. I'm only sorry it took me this long to see it."

  "It took me two months to see how wrong I was not to discuss my plans with you." He seemed not to have heard her. Then his stance shifted, became more alert.

  "Do you still have mixed emotions?" he asked with a half turn toward her.

  She nodded, tears filling her eyes, love opening up her aching heart. She took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears in and he winced at the sound. Then he turned fully.

  Gently, he caught one tear on the tip of his finger, and then smoothed the rest away.

  "Are you still mixed up?" he asked again.

  "Yes." She nodded. "I loved you then and I love you now, but I couldn't see any way for me to fit in with your life."

  "You could have done it, Kate. A woman as used to adapting as you are can make the best of any situation. But you would have hated it over there. The cold formality, the receptions and politicking—even I couldn't stand it. You'd have been unhappy and no one but me would ever know. And I couldn't be the cause of that. Not ever."

  Her tears made his features watery and indistinct. "So you came back? Quit your job?" She could hardly believe what she was hearing. No one, ever, had given up anything for her.

  "If you'll have me."

  "Yes," she cried and lifted her hands to his face. "Please." She traced his forehead, his cheeks and then his lips. "I've never wanted anything so much in my life."

  His eyes looked disbelieving at first then he blinked and held her close—as if he'd never let her go.

  "I don't expect you'll want to marry me, not yet. I've been thinking about our time together. I rushed you from the start. I wanted you immediately. But I worried that if I left without you, you might not follow me. I got scared and—Kate, I'm not used to being scared so I took over."

  "I understand scared. I was scared, too. That's why I ran away from everything and everyone important to me. Even Harry." And then she kissed Jace until the tears stopped flowing. He smelled wonderful, he felt solid and warm and hard. He pressed her against him and she noticed his arousal. She grinned through her sobs.

  "I bought that luggage because I'm willing to go to Switzerland. I finally realized that I could make a life there for myself. I'll sell watches if I have to."

  He pulled back just far enough to look into her eyes. His joy shone in his gaze.

  "You won't have to. I've taken a new job at a Seattle bank. I'm V.P. of their on-line banking service." He grinned.

  Her throat constricted at the sacrifice he'd made. "Oh, Jace, you worked hard to get to Zurich... and you wanted to work abroad...."

  He shrugged and suddenly looked uncertain. "I want a fresh start, Kate. Our time together was so short that our perspective was shot to hell. I hurried you, because I felt time was against me. That was wrong. I'd like to ask permission to court you." He watched her anxiously. "If you don't mind."

  Katie smiled. "Okay," she drawled. Court her? What was he? A hundred?

  "Okay, what?"

  "Okay, we'll court. On one condition."

  "Which is?" He cocked an eyebrow and waited.

  "We skip all the first date stuff and get right to the good part." She raised his right hand to her breast and sighed, content when he caressed her.

  "Not afraid of me taking over?"

  "Oh, I'm sure there'll be times when I'll want to wring your neck, but I'll cope."

  He blew out a whoosh of air. "Well, then, I might as well go for broke. Will you marry me?"

  "I should hope so. I didn't go through all this soul-searching for nothing. When I decide on a course of action I take it to the limit. And my limit is three."

  "Three?"

  "Children, of course. I figure we'll have one for you, one for me and one for Harry and Brenda to spoil."

  The kiss Jace gave Katie in response was the one she'd hoped for. It was a kiss of passion, of fire, of love and commitment—a kiss to last a lifetime.

  Excerpt from LOVE IN A PAWN SHOP

  If you enjoyed Sweet Ride! You may enjoy Love in a Pawn Shop. See below for a sneak preview.

  Or check out my website for more sample chapters. www.bonnieedwards.com

  Love in a Pawn Shop by Bonnie Edwards

  April 1 Seattle, WA

  Dane Caldwell ignored his better judgment at 3:45 p.m. and walked across the street into Dixon’s Pawn Shop. Like millions of others in every city in America, the shop sat in a row of storefronts with overhead apartments. Except for the signs, they were all identical. Each one had a door at the side
for the apartment stairwells, and he’d bet each one also had a rear entrance to the apartment from an alley in back.

  Cops liked to know where the exits were, but since he was here without backup, he’d take the most direct approach and walk in like any other customer. He was so far out of his jurisdiction, he might as well be from Mars.

  He’d watched the place since arriving from Philly this morning. But at 3:10 p.m. waves of school kids had begun to visit the store and he had to see for himself what drew them in. He didn’t know much about children, but a pawn shop was a damn strange hangout for nine-year-olds.

  Three boys went inside, and he slid in behind them and kept his back to the window as they barreled up to the counter in the darker recesses of the store. He planned to hang back and observe, nothing more.

  Then he saw her.

  Dark red hair fell in slight waves across her face. Her mouth, pursed in concentration, sat over a strong chin with a slight dimple. It had to be her. His information said she worked alone every weekday.

  The woman must be Dix Dixon. She bent over her cash drawer with a screwdriver in her hand.

  As the boys raced toward the counter, papers fluttered in their hands. “Hey, Dix! We got our report cards! Wanna see?”

  Her chin dimple disappeared when she smiled at the boys. Warm, friendly, and bright enough to clear the gray Seattle sky, her smile packed a punch. He narrowed his gaze as she patted each head affectionately and read their report cards in turn. Each boy preened at her compliments. Dane frowned. She could charm the birds from the sky.

  And his grandmother out of the family jewels. For a woman like Dix, conning an old lady would be a piece of cake.

  The boys were busy petting some kind of animal; from where he stood, he couldn’t tell if it was a cat or dog.

  Dane hung back, surprised that a woman he was half convinced was a con artist would give this kind of attention to neighborhood kids. He supposed that her wide-open smile worked its magic on most people. It was certainly working on him. He fought the urge to smile along with the boys and feigned interest in a carpenter’s tool kit. He’d given in to his curiosity and come into the shop, but he wasn’t idiot enough to move closer.