by Talia Hunter
The mayor blinked, then narrowed her eyes at me. “Is this about the damage to the gazebo? Do you have any idea of the cost to repair it? I can assure you that money won’t be coming from municipal funds. This time Willow will have to clean up her own mess.”
As much as I wanted to glare back at the mayor, I restrained myself. I cared about Willow too much to make an enemy of her mother.
“Of course Willow will handle it. She’s capable and resourceful.” I glanced over the mayor’s shoulder at Holly, who was hovering a little too close, and lowered my voice. “Maybe you could try being proud of Willow for a change. She’s done well for herself.”
Her mother sniffed. “She left town and didn’t come back. She doesn’t need anything from me.”
“Of course she needs you.”
Something flashed in her eyes that could have been hurt. “Really? Then why doesn’t she ever call me?”
“Do you call her? Do you go to see her, or make any effort at all?”
“I’m mayor of this town. I have heavy responsibilities, and—”
“You’re also a mother, and you have two daughters, not just one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Try acting like a mother to Willow, and maybe she’ll want to be your daughter.”
Her expression tightened. “She’s never needed me. She’s been distant for years, always pushing me away.”
“Because she knows you never wanted her.”
The mayor’s jaw dropped. She looked utterly dumbfounded. “What?”
I cursed my own indiscretion. Willow had told me her secret in confidence, and I had no right to shoot my mouth off to her mother. Even if Mayor Buchanan badly needed a reality check.
“Nothing,” I muttered.
She caught my arm, her eyes blazing. “No, you don’t get to say that and walk away. How dare you suggest I didn’t want Willow?”
“Maybe you’re the one who said it.”
“I never said that!” Her fingernails dug into my arm. “Apologize right now, or I’ll talk to the police commissioner and—”
“Maybe you didn’t say it directly to Willow, but what if she heard you on a phone call?” I was still cursing myself, but I was so angry, I couldn’t seem to stop my flow of words. Even if it destroyed my career, the mayor still needed a wake up call, or Willow would return to Vegas leaving the wounds between them so infected, they may never heal.
“I never…” Mayor Buchanan hesitated, her expression becoming less insulted and more uncertain. “Could she have…?” Then she closed her eyes, her mouth twisting as though she were in pain. Her hand dropped from my arm. “Oh no,” she whispered. “Willow heard me on the phone?”
“If Willow’s distant, it could be because she believes you never loved her like you love Holly.”
“But I love her just as much.” Her brow creased. “She was unexpected, that’s true. And I get impatient with her because she acts before she thinks. That doesn’t mean she’s not important to me.”
“Then you need to tell her. And not just tell her. Show her. If you don’t, she’ll leave again and this time, she may never come back.” I heard the urgency in my voice, and felt like a fraud.
Was I saying all this to the mayor for Willow’s sake or my own? There was a big part of me that wanted to arrange things so Willow would come back to San Dante to live.
Maybe I’d broken Willow’s trust and shared her secret because at heart I was selfish. I wanted her, and not just for one night.
Turning from her mother, I’d barely taken half a dozen steps before Holly moved into my path.
“I heard what you said to Mom,” she said in a low voice. “Is it true? Did Willow overhear Mom saying she didn’t want her?”
I let out a heavy sigh. This was getting worse. “I should have kept my mouth shut. Please keep it to yourself.”
“It must have been awful for Willow to hear Mom say that.” Holly’s mouth pulled down. “I can’t believe she never told me.”
“She left town because she needed to go away and prove herself. And she did it. But even though she came back a success, she still isn’t getting the credit she deserves. If her mother would just tell her she’s proud of her—”
“You like Willow an awful lot, don’t you?”
I blinked at Holly, taken aback. She stared defiantly back at me, her arms crossed. “Well?” she demanded.
“Of course I do.”
“Do you love her?”
I shook my head. “She’s only been back in town a few days. It’s too early to think about that, and it wouldn’t make any difference. You know Willow’s taking off again tomorrow.”
Holly was still examining my face, her eyes sharp. “Is your sister ever coming back from Australia? Did it hurt when she left so suddenly?”
Irritated, I threw up a hand. “How did a conversation about Willow turn into a psychoanalysis of me? That’s the only problem with this town. Everyone knows too much about each other’s business.”
Holly caught my arm, stopping me from moving away. “At least tell Willow how you feel about her, Luke.”
“Why? You were there when I turned up to pick her up for prom. You want that to happen again? We both know she’s getting out of here first chance she gets.”
“She might decide to stay.”
I blew out a huff of breath. “Never going to happen.”
“Look.” Holly nodded over my shoulder and I turned.
The mayor must have decided to talk to Willow, because she’d pulled her daughter away from her school friends. She was speaking earnestly and I saw Willow nod a few times before she looked away.
Then the mayor reached out and gripped Willow’s hand. Willow looked startled. She gave her mother a smile and said something in return. To my surprise, Mayor Buchanan put her arms around Willow. The two women hugged for a moment.
“Wow,” whispered Holly. “That was unexpected.” She let out an incredulous laugh. “I was afraid they’d never make up.”
Willow and her mother exchanged a few more words, then the mayor strode off to talk to someone else, and I made my way to Willow. She looked shell-shocked, but she gave me a dazed smile.
“Mom’s acting strangely,” she said. “And nice. Strangely nice. She told me she’d missed me and was happy I came back for the wedding. Can you believe it?”
“Actually, I can. She might not be good at showing it, but she loves you, Willow.”
“And earlier, Holly told me she was glad I broke the roof because the snow looked so good. She even said she should have hired me to do all the decorations for her wedding.” Willow lifted stunned brown eyes to mine. “It’s still December, right? Not April Fool’s Day?”
“I’m glad they’re both finally admitting how great you are.”
“Even with my San Dante curse, I’m having an amazing day.”
I put my hands on her shoulders. “There’s no curse. You’re just as successful here as you are in Vegas.”
She smiled. “Feel like champagne? I want to celebrate.”
“Come on.” We snagged a couple of glasses from the bar and found a place to stand amongst the crowd.
“To Holly and Rudy,” Willow said, clinking her glass against mine.
“And to getting the appreciation you deserve.” I took a sip of the sweet liquid.
“Have you ever lived anywhere but San Dante?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Since my sister left, my friends in this town have become my family. I don’t want to leave them, and if I moved away, my career would take a big step backward.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “You know what’s weird?”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Arresting an elf who turned out to be my runaway prom date?”
She grinned. “That too. But also the fact I’m not desperate to leave tomorrow. I thought I’d be counting the minutes, but if I didn’t have a ton of Christmas events scheduled in Vegas, I might even want to stick around a little longer.”
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I wanted her to stay.
But all I did was look away, nodding at people I knew in the crowd while I took another sip of my drink.
Willow had a whole life in Vegas, and plenty to go back to. She might be having an unexpectedly good day, but I wasn’t about to read too much into it.
Once she left, that would be it. Pretending any different would only be asking to be let down.
Chapter Ten
Willow
Holly’s wedding wasn’t the disaster I’d been dreading.
In fact, after enjoying a glass or two of champagne, and mingling with friends I hadn’t seen since high school, I could even say I was enjoying myself.
Enjoying myself! In San Dante!
I had to admit, this trip home had turned my reasons for leaving on their head.
But there was one main reason my visit had been so great.
Luke.
If I’d thought he’d scored the highest possible marks for looking handsome in a police uniform, his tuxedo had me readjusting the entire scale. There was just something about the way it fitted so snugly over his muscled chest and wide shoulders, and when my hand had been tucked into his elbow as we’d walked down the aisle, I’d had to keep stopping myself from stealing a feel of his bicep.
I couldn’t help wondering what might have happened if I’d stayed in San Dante and gone to prom with him. Would we have become a couple? Maybe stayed together all this time?
Luke seemed to have a considerable talent for making things better. No matter how badly I messed up, he was there to help out and make it okay again.
If I’d stayed in San Dante, maybe we would have fallen in love. Then I might have been the one getting married.
“What are you thinking about?” Luke came back from the bar and handed me the fresh glass of champagne I’d asked for. He had a beer for himself, and he sipped it while I answered.
“Marrying you,” I said honestly.
Luke sprayed his beer, choked, and thumped on his chest with one fist. “We’re getting married?” he croaked when he managed to stop coughing. He lifted his hand and waggled his third finger. “Shouldn’t you have put a ring on it?”
I was really starting to love it when sexy tough-cop Luke acted goofy.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not about to propose,” I told him. “I was wondering what might have happened if I hadn’t left town and we’d gone to prom together.”
“You think we might have ended up married?”
Some guys might freak out talking about marriage with someone who’d arrived back in town less than a week ago. We hadn’t even gotten to know each other in the biblical sense yet. But Luke was still giving me his cute, slightly-quizzical smile.
“I’m not sure.” I narrowed my eyes playfully. “Do you have any annoying habits I should know about?”
“Other than arresting you?”
I wrinkled my nose at the reminder. “Like, do you ever start sentences with the words, ‘No offense, but…’?”
“Only when I’m trying to cause offense.”
I wanted to smile, but kept my lips tight and my eyes narrow. “Do you ever vague-book?”
He wrinkled his forehead. “Vague-book?”
“Make vague and pointless social media posts.” I put on a falsetto voice, dragging my hand through the air to show it was a post I was reading. “You wouldn’t believe what just happened. It would blow your mind, but sorry, I can’t tell you.”
“That’s your deal breaker?” He shook his head, his lips pulled to one side. “It’s a good thing I don’t have any social media accounts.”
“None at all?”
“Never got around to checking them, so I deleted them.”
“That’s an acceptable answer,” I said a little wistfully, thinking about all the time I’d wasted over the years scrolling through my feeds. “Okay, last question. And this one’s worth bonus marriageability points.”
“I’m ready.”
“Do you hog the armrests at the movies?”
“Never. I’m usually a hand-holder, except when I have popcorn and need both hands for eating.”
He mimed pulling a handful of corn from his beer as though it were a popcorn box, and shoved the imaginary handful so enthusiastically into his mouth that I snorted a laugh.
“Aha!” I pointed an accusing finger. “A messy eater. I just discovered your fatal flaw.”
“You’re right, but I refuse to apologize.” His mis-matched eyes were darkening, and he gave me a look I could only describe as steamy. “There are some things I love to eat.” He lowered his voice, his tone highly suggestive. “And one of those things I haven’t even tasted yet.”
My face warmed and my thighs threw a tingle party. If only we were alone instead of in the middle of a crowded park, I would have offered myself on a platter.
Clearing my dry throat, I asked, “If you haven’t tasted it, how do you know you’ll like it?”
“I have a hunch.” His smile was wicked. “So, did I pass the eligibility test?”
“I just thought of another question.” I studied him a moment, trying to work out the mystery of Luke. How come it was so easy and fun talking to him, while at the same time there was so much chemistry crackling between us, it felt like holding a lightning rod in a thunderstorm? Shouldn’t it be impossible to find someone both exciting and comfortable?
“You think we could have been lovers in a past life?” I asked.
He cocked his head. “I don’t know about the past life bit, but the rest of the question’s intriguing. And I think there’s only one way to find out.”
I swallowed. Things were moving pretty fast between us, but I didn’t want to touch the brakes. On the contrary, I wanted more. More Luke. More passionate kisses. More everything.
Especially if it meant getting to take off his tie and unbutton his fitted white shirt. As good as he looked in his tux, imagining him without it was driving me mad. He still had a delicious scent that was exactly like new leather, and I needed to figure out how the heck he could smell so good. Could his secret be leather underwear?
I glanced around, looking for my sister. Rudy and Holly were deep in conversation with some of their guests, but people were starting to leave.
“Everyone’s heading to the hotel for the wedding reception,” I said, hardly believing I was about to be so brazen. “You want to sneak off somewhere private? If we’re quick they won’t miss us. Dinner won’t start for another hour or so.”
“Quick?” He looked shocked, but his tone was still light. “Are you suggesting I’ll be quick?”
“So you don’t want to go?”
“Hell yeah, I want to go.” He took the champagne out of my hand and handed it to a passing waiter, along with his beer. Then he grabbed my hand. “Just don’t ask me to be quick.”
“Where shall we go?” I asked as he led me out of the park.
“To the hotel.”
“To the wedding reception with everyone else?”
“To a hotel room with nobody else.” He shot me a sideways look so hot it all but seared my clothes off. “If you want to be alone?”
“Hell yeah.” I used the same inflection he had, hurrying to keep up with Luke’s long strides. “Alone with you is exactly where I want to be.”
We got into the back of one of the cars waiting to take the guests to the reception, and as the driver pulled away I couldn’t hold back. I moved into Luke, turning my face up to his, all but climbing into his lap.
He kissed me slowly, parting my lips, exploring me with his tongue. His hand was in my hair, behind my neck. My body vibrated with longing, my hands running up and down his tux as though I could wear it away and make it vanish.
“You kiss like a cop,” I whispered.
He drew back a little, his mouth hovering above mine. “How do cops kiss?” He looked amused and a little puzzled.
“Like I’m under arrest and you’re frisking me while you read me my rights.” It wasn�
�t an accurate description, but my brain was too full of wanting to think clearly. What I meant was that his mouth was commanding and yeah, a little bossy, but in the best possible way. His mouth was so authoritative it made my entire body want to yell, “Yes sir!”
But actually thinking of the words to explain all that when my lips were a hair’s-width from Luke-heaven was way beyond me.
He cupped the side of my head, holding me still while his gaze searched mine. “You have the right to remain beautiful,” he whispered. “And you have the right to drive me completely crazy in every possible way.”
I touched my nose against his. “Driving you crazy is a good thing, right?”
He answered by giving me another of his cop kisses that left me breathless.
“My San Dante curse has definitely been broken,” I managed to say when he drew back for air. “I’m having the best night ever, and so far nothing’s gone wrong.”
“You were never cursed. You just didn’t have anyone to remind you how incredible you are. Now you have me, and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
“Come to Vegas,” I blurted. Then I bit my lip. Suggesting he give up his entire life to be with me was probably a suggestion best kept for after we’d done more than kiss.
He looked troubled, and when he pulled further back I cursed my reckless suggestion.
“I’m sorry, Willow, I can’t leave San Dante. My career is taking off and there’s no way I can—”
“Of course,” I said quickly. “I just meant you should come to Vegas for a weekend. Whenever you get some time off.”
“You want a long distance relationship?” He sounded doubtful and I wrinkled my nose.
“Doing it long distance would suck,” I admitted. “But I only have one more night in San Dante. I’m leaving first thing in the morning.” His frown made me wish I hadn’t said anything. “Let’s just enjoy the time we have,” I added quickly. “One entire, long night. Forget about the future. Tonight’s all that matters.”
The driver was pulling up to the hotel and I held my breath, hoping I hadn’t blown it.
Luke gazed into my eyes, his expression troubled. “One night,” he agreed softly. “I want more, but if that’s all we can have, I’ll take it.”
