“There better be a fire,” Sebastian grumbled, the sound of sleep mangling his voice on the other end of their call.
“I need you to come pick me up.”
Sebastian groaned. “Okay, be there in a few hours.”
“Do I need to set a fire? Because I’ll set a fire.”
His brother groaned again. “Where are you? Where’s your car?”
“I’m at the Kincaid Chalet. My car is not. Now can you come pick me up?” The cold was starting to seep in, and he just wanted to get home and in bed. Sleep off the sadness of loss, maybe.
But Sebastian was stubbornly standing in his way. “This is about that girl, isn’t it?” his little brother asked. “The one you stood me up hunting for.”
Noah sighed, feeling so very tired now. “Will you just come? Please?”
Sebastian muttered something under his breath as he hung up the phone, but Noah missed it. His brother would come. He had to. As much as they liked giving each other a hard time, they were a tight knit family and were always there for each other when it really counted.
Like now.
Taylor’s absence already stung his poor, tired heart. Would time really heal this wound, or would he be stuck for life with a giant, festering wound?
He watched the stars drift across the sky and could have sworn he saw Taylor’s smile there among them. Well, this was just perfect. He’d been a perfectly happy, perfectly normal guy—and now he was a sad, sappy victim of love. The only thing worse than allowing himself to fall, of course, was that he’d had nowhere to land.
A short while later, a pair of headlights illuminated Noah on the steps, partially blinding him in the process. Sebastian’s big red truck honked at him and drove dangerously close before pulling to a stop.
Noah climbed into the passenger side, expecting a string of curses or at least a good solid ribbing, but instead his little brother stayed silent, driving them both back toward the city.
After several silent minutes passed, Sebastian said, “Tell me about her.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Obviously there is or I wouldn’t be picking you up from the boonies in the middle of the night. Did she really drive you out here to, like, literally dump you and leave you behind? That’s cold.”
“No, she wouldn’t do that.” Noah rested his head against the window, but Sebastian refused to let him rest.
“Yet here we are. You don’t need to make excuses for her.”
Noah sighed. “Can we not?”
“Look, you’re the one who brought me into this. At least talk to me enough to keep me awake while I drive you home. What was her name?”
“Taylor.”
Sebastian chuckled softly, making it obvious he was pretty tired right then, too. “Like Taylor Swift?”
“She’d probably break both of your arms if she heard you make that comparison,” Noah answered with a small, sad smile.
“So she’s not a girly girl then.”
“She’s the furthest thing from it you could possibly imagine.” Noah sighed wistfully, picturing Taylor in his mind’s eye. Her smile. The fact that he would never see it—or her—again.
“Okay, why’d she dump you?” Sebastian made a sharp right turn and Noah slid closer to the window.
“She didn’t,” he answered.
Sebastian gave his signature groan. “Just tell me.”
“Oh, yes, I’m convinced. Let me just pour my heart out to you now.”
“Seems like you need to tell someone, and seeing as I’m the only one here. Start talking.”
Noah closed his eyes. “She didn’t dump me. She has to move. End of story.”
“You’re just as bad as Oscar, you know that? Worse, actually. Because while he’s happy, you’re sitting here moping.”
Suddenly, Noah just couldn’t take it anymore. He was happy that his brother had come to pick him up in the middle of the night, but now that they were together, Sebastian was only rubbing salt into already painful wounds. “What do you want me to do about it?” he shouted.
“Calm down, bro,” Sebastian said smoothly. “I don’t know the first thing about love or whatever it is you’ve caught here. All I know is if I met a woman who got under my skin the way this one has so obviously gotten under yours, I wouldn’t let her go for anything.”
“You’re right. You don’t know anything,” Noah grumbled, returning his voice to its normal volume.
And neither did Noah, as it turned out. He thought that if he wanted it bad enough, things would work out with Taylor. He thought that it was okay to abandon his no relationships rule for the right person. But Taylor obviously hadn’t been right, or she wouldn’t be going away.
All he knew now is that he had made the wrong choice when it came to Taylor Hunt, and now everything hurt.
He was also determined that he would never make such a stupid mistake again.
Taylor had a hard time driving away from Noah that night. She’d finally admitted that love could fit into her life, only to have it torn away mere seconds later. And now she wished she had never come to Anchorage in the first place, never met Noah, never knew life could be any different.
Yet here she was, driving home at four in the morning, knowing that work would be brutal the next day and not even caring. Noah had told her that the days were about 117 days long on Venus. Well, they were far too short here on Earth.
Life was too short to miss even a moment being afraid. Yet she had wasted almost all of their time together—worrying, wondering what if, being afraid.
Nothing had ever scared Taylor quite as much as the new feelings that rose within her whenever Noah was near. Except for the equally new feelings of dread and loss that flooded that same chest cavity now.
She’d be going home to Charleston, a fact that should make her feel happy. Yet here she was retreating into herself once more, feeling as if she’d let the real Taylor out only to allow her heart to be broken.
Stupid feelings.
She tried to stop thinking of what she could have had with Noah and instead focus on what she did have with the Army. Even though she’d been bored in Anchorage, she loved her job, loved serving her country, carrying on her father’s legacy.
She needed to focus on the pride she felt whenever she put on her uniform, the deep fulfillment that came with waking up every day knowing she would make a difference in the defense of her country. Those were the feelings that meant something. Those were the ones that mattered.
Taylor slept easy that night despite her anxiety. She was just too rung out to stay up any later with her thoughts.
The next morning, she received the details of her transfer. She’d be leaving for Charleston in less than two weeks, which left her just enough time to wrap things up with her life here before moving on to her life there.
And neither life could include Noah. She knew that now. In fact, she’d always known, but sometimes you ignored the truth when it painted a picture you didn’t want to see.
She passed her time by playing the video games Noah had recommended to her. They kept her hands and her mind busy, but her heart only ached harder. Why did everything remind her of him?
Play a video game, think of Noah.
Eat fish for dinner, think of Noah.
Look up at the night sky, think of Noah.
Wonder about her future, think of Noah.
This was why Taylor had clung so tightly to the rules. The rules kept people from getting hurt.
So then why did she want to throw them all out the window and run to see Noah one last time before she left Anchorage forever?
Maybe if she just drove by once? Maybe if she just said hello quickly? Could it be enough to clear any thoughts of Noah from her mind once and for all?
And now that she had this idea, she couldn’t put it out of her head. She hopped in her car and headed toward his apartment complex, praying that one last glimpse of Noah would solve everything.
She flew up the stairs,
having convinced herself now that one last kiss was what she needed. Just one last kiss.
She knocked on his door softly at first, then urgently—so full of need she wanted to burst.
But if Noah was there, he didn’t answer. She waited and waited, but he never came.
Defeated, she finally headed back home. This was right. It was what needed to happen. Maybe it was all in your head, Taylor. Maybe he never loved you back. Maybe he’s already moved on.
She didn’t know. She would never know.
And that would have to be okay.
Chapter 12
Noah had wanted to stay at home, to see if maybe—just maybe—his cat would take pity on him and actually offer some comfort for his stupid, broken heart.
But missing the weekly family dinner would mean more questions than he was prepared to answer. It was better just to go and hope nobody besides Sebastian noticed how sad the oldest Rockwell brother felt.
“I made your favorite!” his mother said as she hugged him at the doorway. “Prime rib with twice baked potatoes.”
“That’s great, Mom. Thanks.” He forced a smile, hoping it looked genuine.
Nothing ever escaped his mother, though. “Sebastian mentioned you were feeling down, but didn’t say why.”
“Did he, now?” Noah was going to kill his baby brother.
“Kelly, he just got here.” Thankfully, Noah’s father, Wayne, came to his rescue. “Let him come in and relax a bit before giving him the third degree” he mumbled as he ushered his wife back into the kitchen.
Inside the house, Oscar and Lolly sat on the sofa, flipping through old family albums.
“Hi, Noah,” his sister-in-law, Lolly, said as she gave him a pitying look. “Sebastian said you weren’t feeling too good today.”
“So I hear,” Noah grumbled. Yup, he was definitely going to kill him. “Speaking of Sebastian, where is the little brat?”
“He had to run to the store for some sour cream for Mom,” Oscar answered, studying his brother from across the room. “Tell us what’s going on.”
But Lolly placed a hand on her husband’s arm and gave him a stern look. “Don’t force him, Oscar. If he doesn’t want to tell us, he doesn’t have to.”
Noah nodded, and thanked God for bringing Lolly into their lives, seeing as she was the only one who understood enough to leave him be. “Good, because I don’t want to talk about it, and Sebastian shouldn’t have told you all about her.”
“Her?” Oscar and Lolly asked in unison.
“Crap,” Noah stood, trying to figure out the best escape route. If Sebastian had already aired his business to everyone, then he was in store for an entire night of questioning and unsolicited advice. No, thank you.
“Nope, you’re not getting away that easy.” Oscar rushed over and pushed Noah back toward the couch. “Who is she? When can we meet her?”
“It doesn’t matter, because she’s gone.”
“Gone as in dead?” Lolly asked, a startled expression on her face.
“No!” Noah didn’t even want to think about something that horrible. It was bad enough they were separated now, but at least she could still have a good, full life with the Army—and maybe eventually some other guy.
Oscar plopped onto the couch beside Noah and smiled at him. “Then you’ve still got a chance.”
“You don’t even know the circumstances. How could you possibly say that?”
“We don’t need to know the particulars. Love always finds a way,” Lolly said sagely. “That’s why I wrote a song about it.”
“I thought I had lost Lolly, too,” Oscar reminded them. “She was on her way out to Nashville, but she stayed.”
“Well, Taylor’s not going to stay, okay? It’s impossible.”
“Then why can’t you go?” Oscar asked, but Lolly hushed him.
She came over to sit beside Noah on the other end of the sofa and grabbed both of his hands in a sisterly gesture. “Noah, listen to me. I’ve been where you are. When I gave it all up, I gained everything. Do you understand? I thought I knew what I needed to be happy, but then I met your brother and all my other dreams came true, too. That’s the funny thing about love—it makes everything better.”
Noah sighed. He knew Lolly was right, and he knew his brothers were only pestering him because they cared, but none of that made the situation any easier. “My life was good enough already. It didn’t need to be better.”
“Yes, but how is it now? You look miserable,” she asked softly.
“Lolly, could we please just drop this?”
“We won’t force you to do anything,” Oscar said, standing and walking back over to the other side of the room. “Anyway, I’m willing to bet that you already know what to do. You’re just being a stubborn jerk about it.”
Noah laughed bitterly. Oscar was right. He did already know. He knew that it was over, that things were impossible now that Taylor was moving thousands of miles away from him. There was nothing he could do. The end.
One month later
Taylor’s doorbell rang bright and early on a Saturday morning, the one day she had hoped to sleep in. Knowing that she would never buy from such a tactless door-to-door salesperson or convert to a new religion outside her doorstep, she decided to ignore it and go back to bed.
But the bell continued to ring, and ring… and ring.
Finally, she flung her covers off, tugged on a fleece night robe, and went to answer the door. She was greeted by a large green and pink plant.
“Good morning, beautiful!” Noah cried, lowering the potted plant so that she could see his face. “I was beginning to think you’d never answer the doorbell, and I hated the idea that I might have to break in.”
“Noah, what are you doing here?” she asked. Already tears had begun to form in the corners of both eyes. She still thought of the man she’d left behind in Anchorage constantly. She longed for him in the day and dreamed about him at night.
And now he was here. Here!
He smiled casually as if this were just any old visit between friends. They both knew that it was so much more, though. “I heard you were new in town, so I brought you this plant as a house-warming.”
“It’s lovely, but—”
“It’s a galaxy magnolia. Get it? Like the planets and stars?” He winked and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“I do, but—”
“And it’s not just any plant, it’s a tree,” Noah continued, immune to her arguments.
“How very thoughtful, but—”
“But? But you want to know what I’m doing here?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled to see you, but—”
“But Charleston is a long way from Anchorage?”
“Yes, that.”
“Well, you see, I came to deliver the magnolia and to ask you if you know of any good places to grab breakfast around here. Do you?”
“Come inside and I can make you something. You must be famished after your long flight.”
“Nah, it only took about ten minutes to get here, actually,” he said, following her inside and setting the magnolia down on the kitchen counter.
She stared at him, unable to comprehend what he was trying to tell her, but still so, so happy to see him.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. “Okay, I see you’re confused.”
“Just a little.” But being confused was just fine if it meant that somehow, quite impossibly, they could be together.
He kissed her then, just a quick peck that left her wanting so much more. “You remember when we first met?”
She nodded, hoping he would kiss her again now. “Yeah, at the electronics store.”
“Which has over two thousand locations nationwide.” He smiled so wide, it almost felt as if his grin would fall off the edges of his face. “Well, I put in for a transfer, too.”
And, finally, it was all beginning to make sense. But still, Taylor’s heart couldn’t believe it. “Did you really move
all the way across the country… for me?” she squeaked.
“Something like that.”
“But Noah, we haven’t known each other that long. What if it doesn’t work out? You’ll have left everything behind.”
“So what?” He raked his hands through her hair, which she hadn’t had time to tie back before answering the door. “It’s the scariest things that are the most worth trying. I want to be with you, Taylor Hunt, plain and simple.”
She closed her eyes, living for that moment. His touch. His words. She never wanted it to end.
Then Noah asked, “Do you want to be with me, too?”
“Yes.”
“Then kiss me already. I’m dying over here waiting.”
She could have argued. She could have pointed out that they’d already kissed several times since reuniting, but instead, she brought her lips to his. And they shared the first kiss of the rest of their lives, the kiss that would mark the beginning of whatever came next.
“How do you feel?” Noah asked when they parted to catch their breath.
“Beautiful,” Taylor answered, kissing him again.
Must Love Mistletoe
Sebastian & Riley
Author’s Note
2017
Do you love Christmas? How about when it's no where even close to season? That's the true test of a holiday lover: to keep loving it all year long!
I absolutely love the winter, the snow, and Christmas. My husband is of the bah-humbug variety... But that's okay, because it gave me the idea for one of my most fun stories!
Yup, our heroine loves the holidays, but our hero definitely does not. They find themselves forced together on Christmas Eve--and if that wasn't an awkward enough, a life-or-death situation makes them get really close.
Will they see past their differences to survive and maybe even find love?
The Alaska Sunrise Romances: A 9-Book Sweet Romance Collection Page 14
