Just the Way You Are (A Pleasant Gap Romance Book 1)

by Pepper Basham

  Laurel’s uninhibited laughter reminded him of Eisley. He couldn’t imagine ever growing tired of her joy, her exuberance for life. Her photo Christmas card rested at the bottom of the stack. Eisley sat in front of a Christmas hearth, her shiny blue blouse bringing out the deepest auburn in her hair. Emily curled up on her lap, a black bow barely hanging on to a loose strand of blonde. Nathan stood at attention to Eisley’s left, white collared shirt buttoned to the very top, wearing a smile to match his mum’s, with Peter to her right, attention in the distance, and hand scratching the top of his head.

  Wes laughed and turned the photo over to read Eisley’s note.

  Loving this fairy tale with you. I hope we have many more chapters in this story. Here’s hoping to see you much sooner than later. I miss you with my whole heart. A very Merry Christmas to your family from my crazy one. Yours, Eisley

  He rested his chin in his palm, wrestling with the sudden force of emotions.

  With a glance to his watch and a second of mental math, he figured the time in Virginia to be mid-morning. Grabbing his phone, he pressed her number for a video call. He needed to hear her voice, see her smile. Merely forty-eight hours without a call and her absence tore into the silence of his family’s house.

  When her face came into view on the screen, his grin must have reached imbecile status. She was, quite simply, adorable.

  “Hi, handsome. This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting a call until tonight.”

  “I couldn’t wait.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “I bet not. You’ve been staying up until one or two in the morning just to have conversations with me, you poor man. You probably want to try and actually get some sleep tonight.”

  “It’s not a hardship, Eisley. Besides, texts and emails are quickly losing their charm, pet.”

  Her smile broadened and she lowered her voice. “I know, but if I close my eyes and remember your kiss, my lips still tingle a little.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth, hunger of a different kind burning an ache in his chest. “It’s good to know I can leave a lasting impression.”

  His words curled out on a growl and her eyes widened. Derail the inner hunter, chap.

  “Oh heavens, I’m sufficiently branded, whew.” She placed a palm to her chest and sighed. “By the way, Happy Christmas to you.”

  Her use of the British greeting brought another smile to his face. If love was for fools, he would happily stand first in line to don the jester cap. “And to you. I hope it will be the first of many. Thank you for the remarkable gift. I’m anxious to take its contents and apply it to my script.”

  “Oh good.” She scrunched her shoulders with sheer delight. “What do you get the guy who has everything, right?”

  “Your heart will do quite nicely, if I could make a particular Christmas wish.”

  Her gaze locked with his, her breath caught, and then she looked away, color rising into her cheeks. “Well, it was difficult to place that one in a package.” She cleared her throat and lifted her arm to the screen, shaking the bracelet for him to see. “And thank you for this. It’s beautiful—especially the message.”

  “I meant it, though I don’t fancy those many waters at present.”

  She wrinkled her nose in a frown. “No, me either, but I’m so glad I can still see you.” Her eyes glowed with addictive admiration. “I do love your emails. I never thought guys could write letters anymore. I mean real letters. I was pretty certain the only reason why Mr. Darcy could write anything was because he was a fictional character created by a woman. Please keep proving all my stereotypes wrong, okay?”

  He started to answer when a commotion crackled from her side of the phone, followed by two faces peering into the screen.

  Eisley’s smile turned apologetic and she gestured to the intruders. “I believe I have some kids here who want to talk to you.” Her brows rose in clear warning. “Ready or not. Here’s Nathan.”

  After a short pause, Nathan looked into the phone, his round hazel eyes much more serious than his mother’s. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Nathan. It’s a pleasure to speak with you.”

  “You too, Mr. Harrison…” There was a pause while Nathan and Eisley had some sort of conversation and then Nathan turned back to the screen with an uncertain grin. “I mean Wes.”

  His heart did a funny flop when the little boy said his name. “Have you enjoyed Christmas?”

  “It’s been great. You should see the Nerf sword Mom bought me.” Nathan paused for a breath and the screen shook as he moved to pick up a flash of silver from the floor. “Can you see?”

  “Brilliant.”

  “Mom is good with cool presents.” He seemed to notice something nearby and then focused his attention back on Wes. His face lit into a grin. “Thanks for helping her pick out the remote-control dragon. It’s really cool.”

  “Amazing creatures, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, Mom found this picture of Smaug, the dragon from The Hobbit. It looks so real.”

  “When I come to visit, I’ll bring my brother’s drawings he made from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series. Would you like to see them?”

  Nathan gasped. “Sure. Yeah—” Another interruption and pause as he spoke with Eisley. “I mean, yes sir, I’d like it. Mom likes dragons and stuff too, and she can make a really good Gandalf voice.”

  “Hmmm, that would be interesting to hear.” Wes couldn’t contain a chuckle. “It’s been a while, but I used to be quite good at fencing. Would you like to learn?”

  Nathan’s brow puckered. “My Papa knows ‘bout building fences. I’m sure he can teach me.”

  Wes squeezed his eyes closed and swallowed down another bubble of laughter lodged in his throat. “Building fences is certainly a skill worth having, but in England fencing is something like…um…let's see, sword-fighting.”

  Nathan’s eyes grew wide. “You know how to sword-fight? With real swords?”

  “Indeed, I do. My family has a small sword which has been passed down through generations. If the airport will allow me to bring it along, I shall.”

  “It’s a real sword?” The little skeptic’s brow rose.

  “Quite real, and if your mum doesn’t mind, we could practice together.”

  “Pete! Hey Pete!” Nathan suddenly screamed and set the phone down so that Wes was left staring at the ceiling. The boy’s voice grew distant. “Wes has a real sword and he’s going to bring it when he….”

  “Can you hear anything after Nathan screamed in your ear?” Eisley looked at him through the screen, another apology in her eyes.

  “He sounds delightful, really.”

  “He is delightful when he’s not causing permanent hearing loss. And after all the dragon and fencing talk, you’re his favorite person, I’m sure.” Oh, how he wanted to land a kiss on her beautiful grin. She shifted her attention to her right, where a small, web-gloved hand appeared in the screen. “Are you ready to talk to Pete, because he is certainly ready to talk to you.”

  “Put him on.” A sense of belonging settled around Wes’s heart, directly in the center of the chaos.

  “Do you really have a sword?” Pete’s face came so close to the screen, Wes couldn’t see anything except his enormous blue eyes and a ream of freckles across his nose.

  “I actually have a few swords. One from my great-great-grandfather.”

  “Whoa, that must be a really old sword.” Pete paused to talk to his mother and then said in a rehearsed tone. “Thank you for the art set.”

  “You’re welcome. I can’t wait to see all the pictures you will draw.”

  “I’m a good draw-er,” Pete added without hesitation. “I draw Spiderman and dogs and—”

  “Emily!” The delightful trill of a giggle interrupted the conversation. “Get those leggings back on your body, little girl.”

  Pete continued his explanation, nonplussed by the disturbance. “And it was a good thing you helped Mom pick out my present. Last year s
he bought me two Web-Slinging Spiderman dolls and didn’t even remember. She forgets sometimes. Says her mind is full of dumplings.”

  Dumplings? Perhaps he meant stuffing.

  Pete focused his intense gaze, serious. “Do you like Spiderman?”

  “Of course.” Wes answered quickly. A man never trifled with a child’s heroes. “I think it would be amazing to climb walls, don’t you?”

  “I can climb up the walls on the stairway.” He lowered his voice to a whisper and Wes had the sudden urge to grab the little boy in a hug and grapple him to the ground. “When Mom’s not watching.” He shot a look over his shoulder and moved, the room bouncing along with Pete’s steps. “I put my hands on one side of the wall and my feet, with no socks on, up on the other side of the wall and then I do this.” All Wes could see was Pete’s mouth. “Watch.” He placed the phone down at an angle so Wes could see Pete’s small feet, edging up the white wall. “I’m good at it.” He raised his voice to a proud boast. “See?”

  “Quite remarkable.” Wes barely contained his laugh.

  “Peter Jonathan Barrett!” Eisley called from a distant place. “No more Christmas candy before lunch in this house. I have a naked baby tossing wrapping paper around like confetti and a little boy who is trying to scale my clean walls.”

  “Aw, man.”

  Eisley came back into view. “I’m sorry, Wes. It’s a madhouse around here. Christmas morning and all.” The little girl in Eisley’s arms blinked big blue eyes at him, and wrinkled her nose just like her mother. He fell in love on the spot. “Actually, that’s just an excuse I’m using. It’s pretty much a madhouse every day.”

  “I can’t wait to meet them.”

  “You can’t?” She looked at him as if he’d gone soft in the head.

  Actually, he’d gone soft in the heart, and it had never felt so right. “Your boys are delightful.”

  The tension in her brow relaxed. “Yeah, as crazy as they seem, God’s blessed me with two really good boys—even if one causes hearing loss and the other attempts acrobatics.” She bounced Emily against her side. “And then there’s this adorable nudist, here.”

  “Adorable.” Like her mother.

  “You don’t seem as far away when I can see you through the screen.” Eisley stared at him in silence for a few moments, a tender smile in her eyes. Did he have the same look on his face? The sweet awe? He felt it. He attempted to make out the flakes of gold in her green eyes, but the blasted screen didn’t do them justice.

  She shook her head from her trance and grinned, a swell of auburn blush touching each cheek. “Um…so handsome, when are you going to risk the humiliation of meeting my father and trek across the Atlantic?”

  “Soon, I hope. Dad gains strength every day, but I have a few interviews to complete in the next few weeks, as well as another audition. Don’t fear, pet. I can’t wait much longer.”

  “Good, because I need a refresher kiss for sure.”

  He loved the teasing sound in her voice, igniting another blast of certainty for him. It didn’t make sense—such assurance, such intensity in a short space of time—but it was real. Love. “I assure you. I will make up for lost time.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Just as I expected.” Lizzie topped off her comment with a nod from the other side of the truck. “As charming and lovely as our ginger-headed friend.”

  Wes couldn’t agree more. A brick box-style house appeared around the bend in the road, where branching trees bowed to meet overhead and create a tunnel of frosted green up to the white-columned front veranda. He smiled for the hundredth time since his drive from the airport. Reading about the Blue Ridge Mountains in Jonathan Taylor’s book painted a dim picture compared to the actual beauty of the surrounding landscape. Smooth, rolling mountains shaded with a misty hue welcomed his arrival into Virginia. Beautiful.

  “Thank you for accompanying me, Lizzie.”

  “I’m so happy to have come.” She adjusted her collar in the mirror and tossed him a grin. “Do you realize how long it’s been since I’ve traveled anywhere beyond Matlock? Ages.”

  “A good place to start, I would think.” Eisley grew up in this cozy corner of the world. The openness, the far reaches of countryside, stirred a sense of belonging he couldn’t quite explain. The front garden stretched to the surrounding wood and the drive curved almost to the house’s steps. He tensed his fists against the steering wheel, preparing for one of the most important “auditions” of his life. As the truck slowed to a stop, two large dogs raced off the veranda in pursuit.

  Lizzie patted his arm, one corner of her lips tweaked in mischief. “Ah, yes, time for the knight to prove his worth, isn’t it?”

  “Your encouragement is somewhat underwhelming, Lizzie.”

  “Humility is a fantastic teacher, my dear boy. I’m certain you’re in for a healthy dose of it here.”

  Before Wes could respond, Lizzie slipped from the truck and slammed the door. Brilliant. Humility? What on earth could she mean? The two phone conversations he’d shared with Kay Jenkins to plan this surprise visit had been pleasant enough. Not one sign of trouble.

  He ran a hand over his tight jaw, took a deep breath, and opened the door to join Lizzie around the front of the truck. A golden retriever bounded toward them. Wes stepped in front of Lizzie and took the full brunt of the dog’s greeting, a jump that nearly knocked him over. The shepherd followed suit. At his firm sit command, both dogs obeyed at once. He rewarded them with a scratch behind the ears. Well, that wasn’t so bad.

  “You’re here, you’re here.” A young woman, hair dancing about her face in smooth waves of caramel, approached him with the same enthusiasm as the dogs. Her red beret-like hat matched her shimmery blouse and boots to perfection, both adding a rosy glow to her smiling face. From the photos and zeal, he’d guess this was Sophie.

  “Move over, boys.” She tossed a nod to the dogs. “It’s my turn to hug him.” And she proceeded to do just that, golden eyes shining. “Oh gee, you smell good.”

  Sophie took Lizzie into a hug and then stepped back, her hands in motion with her words. “I don’t know why they didn’t tell me you were coming until today, as if I’d spill the secret or something. That’s so rude.” She rolled her gaze to Lizzie and produced a mock pout. “The boys think I’m an airhead, but I’m not. I’m just chatty. After all, I made the highest score on my GREs than anyone in the family—except Rick, but he doesn’t count because he has a computer for a brain.” She took Lizzie into another hug. “Oh, we’re so glad you’re here.”

  “It’s a pleasure, dear.” Lizzie chuckled through her words.

  “Eisley’s gonna be tickled to pieces when she finds out.” Sophie’s gaze fastened back on Wes. “She talks about you all the time.”

  “You must be Sophie.” Wes tilted his head in greeting.

  Her palm fluttered to her chest and she produced an audible swallow, eyes widening even more. “Oh! Could you say my name again?”

  He quirked a grin and exchanged a look with Lizzie. “Nice to meet you…. Sophie.”

  Her hand waved to cool her face. “Please tell me you have some unmarried brother, cousin, or nephew, who desperately needs to sweep a Southern girl off her feet. I’m ready for a feet-sweeping, tower-kissing experience....”

  “Stop your blubbering, girl. You’re embarrassin’ me.”

  Nate Jenkins lumbered toward them from the veranda, a grizzly bear in human form. Dark eyes narrowed, face void of emotion, with his moustache shadowing his upper lip from view. Was he smiling? Grimacing? Devising a murder plan?

  He stood about an inch above Wes and his chest boasted hard labor from one massive shoulder to the other. Wes’s throat tightened, but he straightened to his full height and offered his most charming smile.

  “Nate Jenkins.” The man extended his hand and gripped Wes’s in an iron hold. “I gotta bone to pick with you, boy.”

  “P... pardon me?”

  “Nice to meet you, Lizze.” Nate’s
face softened when he looked at Lizzie. “Did you have a nice trip, darlin’?”

  Lizzie’s smile expanded to laughter size. “Lovely, Nate. Thank you for asking.”

  Nate turned back to Wes, expression darkening into a looming storm. “How dare you bring some Ford pickup truck up my driveway? Don’t you know that’s almost criminal? We’re Chevy people ‘round here.”

  Wes hoped for comprehension, but Ford and Chevy strung between the word driveway left him at a loss, and the half-furious look on Nate Jenkins’ face didn’t assist his clarification.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s just teasing.” A petite, light haired woman stepped forward with enough welcome in her eyes to chase a little of Nate’s chill away. “We’re real pleased to have you. I’m Kay Jenkins.”

  “You have a beautiful home,” Lizzie interjected, giving the house another appreciative glance. “Perfectly situated on this hillside. And what a magnificent view of your blue mountains.”

  “Thank you, Lizzie.”

  “Ain’t near as fancy as some people’s houses.” Nate directed the words at Wes. “But it’s been just fine for us. Built the back addition myself.”

  “Eisley says you are quite the craftsman.” Wes hoped the acknowledgement might soften the fierce crinkle of Nate’s brow, but it only deepened. Wes turned to Kay, searching for some kinship on the battlefield. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, and thank you for allowing us to stay with you.”

  Nate’s grin lifted viciously. “Best way to keep your eyes on the enemy.”

  Their gazes locked for a few seconds. “Well, I don’t suppose you have any enemies within close proximity at present, Mr. Jenkins.”