Hold Me Like This (A second chance, small town romance) (Love Me Like This Book 3)

by Lola StVil

  “Oh, I think I might be able to fit that in somewhere between now and last-minute panic,” I say.

  He steps closer and cups my face with his hands. Our lips meet, and I feel an intense rush of love for this man. He’s my past, my future, and my right here and right now. He’s all I’ll ever need, and now I know I have him forever.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  SIX WEEKS LATER

  GREY

  The last six weeks have flown by in a happy blur. Paris was everything I hoped it would be and more. We spent the time wandering down meandering streets, hand in hand. We visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe, and we even spent a day in Euro Disney.

  We ate delicious food, drank expensive wine, and stayed in a hotel so perfect I never wanted to leave. The time away healed us, brought us closer. It gave us the time to spend every waking and sleeping moment together, and it pushed away any last threads of doubt I had been hanging onto.

  Cannon was so jealous when I called him from the airport and updated him. He joked that he wished Holden was gay. He’ll find someone one day; I just know he will. I sent him loads of photos while we were away, and I even video chatted with him one morning so he could really see the city.

  On our last night, Holden took me to a beautiful restaurant. We sat outside in a pretty courtyard and watched a fireworks display as we ate. It was perfect. Holden told me that one day, we would come back here, maybe even bring our children. I’m not sure they’d really appreciate the beauty of the city, but I agreed nonetheless. It was good to know that Holden still saw children in our future. We’d always talked about having at least two children, maybe more.

  We came home from Paris tired and refreshed at the same time. Revitalized by our love and tired out from the early mornings, late nights, and constant sightseeing and lovemaking. We came back ready to face whatever life threw at us. Together. Forever.

  Holden never did take the apartment he paid his deposit on. He told me he’d rather lose the money and stay with me. He said it was a small price to pay to have everything he ever wanted. He pretty much moved into my apartment the morning after we healed our hearts, and every morning I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real. He is enjoying his job on the surgical team at our local hospital. Every day he comes home full of stories, some heartwarming, some funny, and some so utterly heartbreaking that I wonder how he can do it. He says he’s happy working there, and I believe him, but I know he has big dreams of one day running a clinic that helps people without insurance, people who need a doctor but just can’t afford one.

  He and his dad have gotten much closer, and it’s lovely to see the two of them acting like family again. I know his mom is relieved too. We don’t talk about the past. We no longer need to now. We all have a future to look forward to together. And our future is very much something his parents talk about a lot, constantly asking us when we’re going to make them grandparents.

  The diner didn’t suffer during my time away, which was both a relief and an ever so small disappointment. It’s good to know Cassie can run the place when I need time away, but I guess I would have liked to have been missed just a little bit.

  Dick hasn’t been in the diner since the night he decided to grope me, so that’s a bonus. If I never see him again, it’ll be too soon. I ran into Stuart a couple of days ago, and we ended up grabbing a coffee and catching up. I told him about Holden, about how we worked things out and he was so happy for me. He told me that he’d met someone, and although they were taking things slow, for the first time, he wasn’t thinking about his ex-wife. Life is treating us both kindly, and I love that. I don’t regret my date with Stuart. I think it was probably what we both needed at the time, and he’s a really good guy and a good friend.

  Ever since we came back from Paris, I feel like my life has been a whirlwind of busy and I have kind of neglected Cannon. I mean, we’ve seen each other, but not alone and not for long enough to have a really good talk like we usually do. Tonight, that will be remedied.

  ***

  I arrive at Cannon’s place, confused as to what exactly is going on. When he texted me to arrange the night, the instructions were weird, to say the least. I have to be at his place at five, wearing nice underwear, any old clothes, and not bothering to do my hair or makeup. The worst thing is, it’s not the strangest text message I’ve ever had from Cannon. Not even close.

  I mentioned it to Holden, who laughed and shook his head and told me Cannon’s eccentric, and I should just go along with it. He said it would work out well because some of the guys wanted a night out that Saturday anyway.

  Cannon ushers me inside and hands me a glass of Prosecco before I’m even fully inside. He ushers me through to the living room, where he placed a chair in the center of the room. Two of his city friends, Justin and Seb, are in the room. I smile a greeting at them.

  “Right,” Cannon says from behind me with an excited clap of his hands. “Let’s do this, boys.”

  “Umm, do what exactly?” I ask as Cannon takes my hand and leads me to the lone chair.

  Cannon rolls his eyes dramatically.

  “You really think we’re going on a big night out with you dressed like that?” he says.

  “You told me to come like this,” I protest.

  “I know. We needed a blank canvas, honey. Tonight, we’re going to have the best night ever, and you’re going to look just like a princess.”

  I decide to roll with it. Justin is a makeup artist, and Seb is a stylist, so I know I’m in good hands.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  “It’s a surprise,” Cannon says, his eyes gleaming wickedly. “Now enough talk. Drink up and be pampered.”

  The next half hour passes by in a series of hair dryers, curling tongs, powder puffs, mascara, and nail polish. My face is scrubbed and waxed and tweezed to within an inch of its life. I notice that several times throughout the process, Justin and Seb refer to a photo Cannon keeps producing. I am guessing I’m getting some sort of celebrity style makeover, but no one will tell me who or why. I give up asking questions and just let them do their thing. It’s kind of nice to be pampered, and the Prosecco is definitely helping me to just relax and enjoy the moment.

  “There,” Justin says, applying a last flick of powder to the tip of my nose with a flourish. “Isn’t she divine?”

  “She sure is,” Cannon says, beaming with pride as though my divineness is somehow his doing.

  “Do I get to see now?” I ask hopefully.

  “Oh no, honey.” Cannon laughs, shaking his head. “That would ruin the surprise altogether. Now, I need you to strip down to your underwear.”

  I choke on the mouthful of Prosecco I was swallowing, and it comes out in a fine spray. Justin makes a screeching sound and reaches for the lip gloss.

  “Are you kidding me? You wanted me to wear nice underwear so I could strip for your friends?”

  Justin waits for me to finish my rant and reapplies the gloss. Cannon raises an eyebrow.

  “You think any of us want a striptease from a girl? Really?” he says.

  “Well no, but why do I need to strip?” I demand.

  “Because you need to put your dress on,” Cannon says. “Or more accurately, I need to get your dress on you, and it’ll just be easier if you’re not wearing your clothes.”

  I open my mouth to argue, but I know it’s pointless. He’s right. No one in this room will be looking at me or caring what I look like. I stand up with a sigh and put my empty glass down. Slightly self-conscious all the same, I take my T-shirt and jeans off and stand there in my underwear, suddenly unsure of what to do with my hands.

  Cannon nods his approval, and then he walks toward me with his hands behind his back.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, instantly suspicious.

  “This,” he says.

  He reaches out, and before I can stop him, he wraps a silk blindfold around my eyes and ties it behind my head.

  “Watch he
r hair,” Seb says.

  “And her mascara,” Justin adds.

  “This isn’t my first rodeo, guys,” Cannon says.

  “Okay, enough,” I say, interrupting them and reaching for the knot at the back of my head. “What’s going on, Cannon?”

  He takes my hands in his, stopping me from untying the blindfold.

  “Do you trust me, Grey?” he asks.

  “Sure,” I say.

  Cannon would die for me, and I would trust him with anything.

  “Then play along. Trust me now when I tell you this will be the night of your life.”

  “Okay, okay.” I laugh. “Just don’t let me fall over and break my ankle or anything.”

  “Never,” Cannon says.

  He lets go of my hands, and I hear him moving away.

  “How did he rope you two into this?” I say into the direction where I think Seb and Justin are.

  “With promises of a free photo shoot,” Justin replies with a laugh.

  Cannon returns. I hear fabric rustling, so I’m guessing the dress is here.

  “Okay, I’m right in front of you with the dress. Step into it,” he says.

  I do as he says and I feel him pulling the dress up my body. It feels nice against my skin. Satiny. I know it’ll be gorgeous. Cannon has way better fashion sense than I do, so I’m not worried. He slips something on my wrist, and I go to touch it. He pulls my hand away.

  “Do I need to handcuff you as well?” he teases.

  “No.” I laugh. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

  He pulls up a zipper on the back of my dress. He goes over to Seb and Justin. I hear them whispering, but I don’t hear what they’re saying. Cannon comes back to me and takes me by the elbow.

  “Okay, let’s go,” he says. “I’ve got you a purse to match your dress. Your keys and cell phone are in there. Do you want anything else? I’ve got cash and touch-ups.”

  I shake my head, and Cannon starts to lead me toward the door.

  “Wait,” I say. “I don’t have any shoes on.”

  Cannon laughs.

  “You asked me not to let you fall and break an ankle. I heard you. They’re right here in my hand.”

  He guides me to the car and opens the passenger door for me.

  “Passenger seat? I thought I would maybe get to drive,” I joke.

  He laughs. “You just concentrate on being beautiful.”

  I get in, and he closes the door. I can’t resist running my hands over the bodice of the dress. It’s a perfect fit. Cannon gets in and starts the engine. He pulls away.

  “Come on, you can tell me where we’re going now,” I say.

  “No can do I’m afraid,” Cannon insists.

  I go to glare at him, and then I remember the blindfold and realize it won’t have much effect.

  “Spoilsport,” I mutter.

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure you won’t be saying that later.” Cannon laughs.

  I try to follow the turns of the car and figure out where we’re going, but within minutes, I’m completely disorientated. I rack my brains, trying desperately to think where we could be going. There’s a new club in the city Cannon wanted us to try, but I can’t see why it would be a big secret like this if that’s where we were going. Nothing that comes to mind feels right. It has to be something big, something epic, and I honestly can’t think of what it could be.

  Cannon pulls up the car and kills the engine. We haven’t been driving long enough to be outside of the town, and now I’m really confused. Where could we possibly go in town that would require all of this?

  “Okay, we’re here,” Cannon says.

  “Cool,” I say, reaching for the blindfold.

  “Don’t you dare,” Cannon warns me. “Just be patient a little longer.”

  “Patience isn’t really my strong point,” I say.

  He huffs.

  “You waited seven years for Holden. I think you can give me seven minutes,” he says.

  I laugh. “Fine. But I’m counting. One. Two …”

  “I’m coming around to get you out now.” Cannon laughs.

  He gets out of the car and closes the door. A couple of seconds later, he opens my door, and I put my hand out. He takes it and helps me to my feet.

  “Curb,” he warns.

  I step up carefully, and he closes the door. I hear the double beep as he locks it. I link my arm through his, and he slowly walks me forward. I feel kind of ridiculous, and I’m starting to wish I’d downed a few more glasses of Prosecco, but then again, if I had, I probably would have ended up going sprawling.

  “Hang on,” he says. “There’s a door.”

  He opens the door and warns me about a step up. I make it up, and the door closes behind us. He leads me forward down what I assume is some sort of entranceway. It’s silent, and I wonder again where the hell he’s taking me. It’s starting to feel like he’s leading me off somewhere to murder me.

  He stops walking, and I hear a noise in front of me.

  “Okay, step into your shoes,” he says.

  I slip my feet into the shoes, and suddenly I’m at least four inches taller.

  “What the hell?” I say. “I’m going to break my neck, Cannon.”

  “I won’t let you fall,” he assures me. “You don’t have far to go now anyway.”

  I hear him open another door. He takes both of my hands in his and leads me forward. I step cautiously, but the ground is totally flat. I hear the door slam closed behind us and I jump. I hear a gasp go up in front of me. There are people here, but no one is saying a word. I am really nervous now. I can’t fathom for the life of me what the hell is happening here.

  Why is it so quiet? Who is here? And why? I don’t bother asking the questions. I know Cannon won’t answer any of them. He leads me forward a few more steps, and then we stop. He moves to my side and takes my hand in his.

  “I want you to know you’re my best friend and I love you all the world and back again. And you look gorgeous. Now I’m going to take the blindfold off, okay?”

  I nod. He steps in front of me, and I feel his hands reach around the back of my head and undo the knot. He slips the blindfold away, and I blink a few times as my eyes adjust to the light. I look around, my jaw dropping.

  I know instantly where I am. The school gym. It’s decorated exactly the same way as it was for our junior prom. I saw enough of my friends’ pictures to know. The Northern Lights dance back and forth across the ceiling, and fairy lights are draped everywhere.

  I look down, and I finally see what I’m wearing. My prom dress, a red satin bodice with a flared skirt and matching shoes. And the corsage I never got. I’m getting the prom I never had. Holden left before the prom, and I just couldn’t face going without him, even though I’d already bought my dress. It’s sat at the back of my wardrobe all of these years, and I didn’t notice it was gone.

  “How did you …?” I start.

  Cannon winks at me.

  “I had it altered for you,” he says.

  He steps to one side, and my eyes go to the crowd of people who stand smiling before me. My parents (how the hell are my parents here? The last I heard, they were in Italy) and Cannon’s parents, Dr. Riley and Mrs. Riley. Cassie and the waitresses from the diner. Rick, Zeke, Carla, and some of the others from high school. Carter and Ryan. Shauna and Gary, who lived next door to me when I was a kid. Knox and Mel. Fay and her husband. Don and Sally, who run the ice cream parlor. Justin and Seb. Even Stuart and his date are here.

  Everyone is here except for one person, and for a second, I’m back there. I’m having to go to the prom without Holden. But this time it’s different. This time, I know he’ll be waiting for me when I get home.

  I jump as a loud voice booms out across the auditorium.

  “This year’s junior prom prince and princess: Holden Riley and Grey Thomas.”

  A spotlight pings on, lighting me up. The crowd before me parts and there’s Holden, a spotlight on him too. He is on one knee,
and he holds out a ring box. Our eyes find each other, and the tears in my eyes mean I can see two of him.

  “Grey Thomas, I’ve loved you all my life, and I will love you forever. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” I whisper. Then louder. “Yes. Yes. Of course I will.”

  I hear myself giggle as Holden gets to his feet. I run to him, forgetting my worries about a broken ankle, and throw myself into his outstretched arms. Our lips meet, and the crowd around us clap and cheer. I wrap my arms around Holden’s neck, and he wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around in a circle.

  He sets me back down on my feet, and we pull apart, both of us grinning from ear to ear. The first haunting notes of “A Thousand Years” fill the gym.

  “May I have this dance?” Holden asks, holding out a hand to me.

  I nod and slip my hand into his. He pulls me into his arms, and he twirls me around the dance floor, the spotlight staying on us. He pulls me closer, and we hold each other, swaying in a gentle circle to the music.

  “Who needs a thousand years when we have forever?” he whispers into my ear.

  EPILOGUE

  THREE YEARS LATER

  HOLDEN

  “We’re going to be late,” I shout up the stairs to Grey.

  “Almost ready,” she shouts back.

  I smile and shake my head. I go back to the living room and sit down. I look around at the spacious, airy room and wonder how I got so lucky. Grey and I spent two years living in the apartment above the diner, saving so we could afford a house of our own. Once we had the money saved for the deposit and the decorating and furnishings, we began our search, and the second we stepped into this house, we both knew it was the one.

  It’s in an ideal location. It’s ten minutes from the hospital, just up the road from my parents, and close to a great school. It’s a little further from the diner, but Grey insisted that’s a good thing as she’ll be less tempted to micromanage when she’s meant to be off work.

  Grey is still running the diner, and she’s doing an amazing job, but she’s learned to let go a little. When I was gone, it was her crutch, the one thing she had to focus on to not feel the pain, and I think she found it kind of hard to let go a little.