Chapter 12
12
T he hammer glanced off the finishing nail and smacked into Jake’s thumb. He cursed enthusiastically, shaking his hand as he stomped away from the trim hanging at a slant off his bedroom closet.
That’s what he got for not having his mind on the task.
It wasn’t the fact that Aiden and Petra were right now somewhere off getting hitched on the sly that had his thoughts tumbling like straw in the wind.
Well, not totally that. Damn Melissa?—
He hauled the letter out of his pocket again for the fiftieth time, wondering why he continued to torment himself.
Hey, you,
It’s been a while, but I had this feeling we needed to touch base. I think this is your new hometown—hope it’s everything you’ve ever dreamed of. You deserve to find a sweet place that appreciates you.
You’ve always been a small-town guy at heart. I know there were things that we didn’t see eye to eye on, but I always loved how you wanted to be a part of something intimate and close-knit. Somewhere you could connect with your people. I admired that about you, even while I complained about it.
Stupid, right? That I could see what made you special, yet I didn’t tell you often enough how wonderful it was.
Anyway, I’ll be traveling later this year and would love to stop by, even if it’s only for a coffee. Let me know what works for you.
Lots of love,
Melissa
Nope. Even after re-reading it this many times, it still made no sense. The entire letter read as if she’d done a complete mental rearrangement of their past. Not once during the bits of correspondence they’d exchanged over the past years had she ever asked to meet, and she’d certainly never tossed off the word love.
Enough was enough. If he was serious about committing to the thing between him and Tansy, then it was past time to properly shut some doors.
His thumb throbbing, Jake grabbed writing supplies and an envelope.
Small towns have a charm to them, I agree.
I gave it some thought. Meeting up isn’t a good idea. You and I chose to go in different directions, and that’s how it should stay.
I wish you well, but don’t write to me anymore.
Jake
Short. Not sweet, but not mean. Before he could start second guessing himself, Jake sealed the envelope, addressed it, and deliberately left the return address blank.
Any future General Delivery mail could go straight into the garbage.
Speaking of garbage…
He rooted in the closet until he found the wad of previous mail from Melissa. It was time for a clean break, once and for all. Shoving the newest letter under the elastic, he turned toward the door and got a full body slam from Tansy.
“Finally. You ever answer your texts?” Tansy stole the bundle from his hand and threw it toward the bed. “Never mind. Hurry up, Petra and Aiden need help.”
“What?” Jake raced for the door and his boots. “Accident?”
“No, don’t panic. Sorry, I said that wrong. They’re healthy and breathing, but there’s a glitch with the wedding stuff, so Petra sent me an SOS. I need you there to—” She caught his shirtfront and pulled, hard, jerking him toward the door. “Dammit, screw the details. Let’s go . I’ll explain as we drive.”
Steps outside the door, Jake stole her keys from her fingers, pointing at his truck. “You’re in no state to drive, especially not in that death rattle of an SUV. Tell me where I’m going, then start explaining what the hell could turn a simple wedding into a call for help?”
“Rough Cut pub. Go to the back alley.”
He waited until she’d put on her seatbelt to put the truck in Drive.
She waited until he’d pulled out on to the highway to start talking.
“We’re slim on details, but for sentimental reasons, Petra asked the owner of Rough Cut if they could use the dance floor for their wedding. Ryan agreed since the place is closed today until six. My dad is the officiant, and they set up the camera and were ready to roll when some sort of security system went off that Ryan didn’t warn them about. They’re locked in, and they can’t get a hold of him or his main staff and need me to help.”
“You know how to turn off the pub’s security system?” Which made zero sense until he remembered she used to live a few doors down above Buns and Roses.
“Sort of? Turn here.”
Jake turned then pumped the brakes to stop on time. He twisted to face Tansy. “Why do you need me?”
She shoved her door open then offered a nervous smile as she slid her feet to the snowy ground. “Heavy lifting? Or I might need you as a character witness.”
She was gone.
Jake cursed under his breath as he chased after her, clicking the doors locked behind him with the key fob as he rushed around the edge of the truck.
The way she stood blocking the door made it hard to see what she was doing. Tansy suddenly stepped to the right, twisted the door handle, then bumped toward the wall with her hip. She pulled, and the door swung outward, and suddenly the faint beat of music he’d heard swelled to near deafening levels.
In front of them was the long corridor that held the bathrooms and a storage room access. The space was filled with bright lights that flashed along the walls, glancing off Tansy as she sprinted ahead of him toward the main room.
“Wait,” he shouted, not a jot hopeful she’d heard.
It was like being tossed inside an arcade game where he and Tansy were two of the characters racing for the prizes. Music blared, lights whirled. He swore glitter floated in the air.
Jake had been inside Rough Cut dozens of times, but that final step onto the dance floor had never looked like this. His gaze whizzed from spot to spot, taking in what could be still-life tableaux in the seconds when blinding white spotlights paused for long enough to let his eyes focus.
To one side of the dance floor, a tripod lay tipped over on the floor.
A few feet from there, Tansy’s dad, Malachi, sat in a chair. He had his eyes squeezed closed and his hands pressed over his ears. Petra stood next to him, her hands over his, as if trying to help dampen the sound.
The next flash revealed Aiden by the front door, banging on the hinges with his boot heel. Which struck Jake as equal parts useless and hysterically funny since—well, a boot as hammer was part of it, but also no matter how hard Aiden hit his target, Jake didn’t hear a single thump.
The entire time an epic soundtrack blared in their ears. Like a science fiction movie gone wild, it had the epic booms of evil overlords mixed with the occasional whizz-zip-boop of a ride at the fair.
Chaos.
Tansy laid a hand on her father’s shoulder. Malachi lifted his chin and met her gaze steadily for a two count before nodding.
Instantly, Tansy motioned Jake forward.
He joined her at the office door. “What are you doing?” he shouted.
“Getting to the security controls. Grab Aiden.”
Jake shoved aside his curiosity and made tracks for his brother.
He avoided getting beamed by an upswing, grabbing Aiden’s arm to twist him around. “Love what you’ve done with the wedding venue,” he teased at the top of his lungs.
Aiden grinned. “I’m going to be too deaf to hear her say I do . Thanks for coming.”
“No problem. Tansy said—” Jake glanced over to where Tansy knelt in front of the office door. She was eye level with the lock, hands twisting quickly. “Not really sure what’s going on, but come on.”
Standing behind Tansy, it was suddenly all too clear. She had lock-picking tools in her hands, fingers flexing rapidly as she adjusted them.
Shock struck hard enough to kick some of the other sensory overload to the side as Jake soaked in this new information.
He’d worked in law enforcement. He knew what the tools of the trade looked like, and seeing the criminal paraphernalia in her hands didn’t make sense with everything he’d ever thought about her.
She’d said Aiden and Petra were locked in, but Tansy had opened the back door without much fuss. Even now, she raised a hand in victory, pushing the door forward and gesturing them into the room.
There wasn’t time to do much more than gape as Petra pushed Malachi into the office and the five of them huddled together, the door mostly closed to block out some of the noise.
“I’ll try to access the controls.” Petra settled in the chair in front of the computer and booted it up. She typed rapidly, a disheartened snort escaping her a few seconds later. “This won’t take long.”
Tansy peered over her shoulder. “No password required?”
“Easy password,” Petra returned, typing madly.
The hush of silence as the system clicked and the lights and music cut off was nearly as shocking as the painful volume that had assaulted them seconds before.
For another moment, everyone stood motionless.
Malachi shook his head as if clearing it of cobwebs. “Well, that was quite the adventure. Thanks for coming to our rescue, ladies.”
Petra swung her chair around. “You’re welcome, but trust me, I will be giving Ryan a few pointed suggestions to increase his online security.”
“I’m sure he’ll be glad to take them,” Aiden assured her as he ushered everyone back into the main dance floor.
Since he didn’t quite know what to say, Jake held his tongue. He just watched Tansy without looking as if he was watching her.
Aiden and Petra picked up the camera, but Malachi went straight to his daughter and gave her a big hug.
Tansy buried her face in his chest as if soaking in comfort.
When he stepped back, Malachi gave Tansy another one of those inexplicable nods. “With great mischief comes great responsibility.” Her father pressed a kiss to her forehead. “My cochlea thank you.”
“No going deaf for you,” Tansy agreed. “And I cannot believe how many ways you can mess up that movie quote.”
“It’s a talent,” her father said before lowering his voice. “You are loved.”
Tansy took a big breath then nodded rapidly. “I know, Papa.”
Malachi turned his attention to Aiden and Petra. “Our unexpected chaos seems complete, so if you’re ready to get married, we can go ahead.”
Aiden took Petra’s hand, and they both nodded.
It only took a moment to get everything into place. The camera was repositioned with Aiden and Petra spotlighted in the centre of the dance floor.
Jake untangled his brain long enough to ask, “You guys want us to head out?”
Aiden shook his head. “I know we planned the whole family not being here thing, but I think you guys sticking around is right.”
Which was how Jake and Tansy ended up tucked into the shadows at the side of the room as his brother and Petra exchanged vows.
Tansy stood ramrod straight beside him. For a minute Jake couldn’t breathe until he realized she stood like that because he had his shoulders back, the tumbling thoughts in his brain making him every bit the unapproachable uptight jackass she probably thought he was.
He’d learned something new and unexpected about her today. She’d trusted him, and while he wasn’t sure how the information fit into the Tansy he’d grown connected to, he still wanted to be there beside her.
He still wanted her .
As Malachi stepped into position between Petra and Aiden, Jake slid his arm around Tansy’s back and tucked her to his side.
For a second she remained stiff, then she sighed and softened against him. She slid her arm under his jacket and rested her head against his chest until she was tucked into position, nice and close.
Malachi kept talking in the background, but Jake was more focused on his own revelation. It wasn’t what he’d expected, but when had anything with Tansy been predictable? It was worthwhile taking the time to find out more.
He had High Water to thank for that, he supposed. A place for new starts and new ways of thinking, even for him.
The wedding should have taken much longer, but maybe that was because Tansy was comparing it to all the church weddings she’d attended.
Or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part because the longer the wedding took, the longer she had before she had to explain to Jake what he had just witnessed.
But the vows were happening, short and sweet.
Petra lifted her chin. “The first time I saw you I knew I wanted you in my life. The second time reaffirmed that same thing. Attraction, yes, but the bigger tug I felt toward you was deep inside. That tug gets deeper every day, and I’m so excited to be able to spend the rest of our lives getting to know each other better.”
Aiden grinned. He glanced at the camera for a moment then back at Petra. “You know why I wanted to get married here?”
Petra raised a brow. “Good acoustics?”
Malachi guffawed, instantly schooling his features. “Sorry.”
Both Aiden and Petra snickered before Petra offered more seriously, “Good memories?”
“The best. Because the first time I saw you I knew I wanted you in my life.”
A small laugh escaped Petra at the repetition of her words.
Aiden continued. “And the second time I saw you I was so damn glad to be back here in Heart Falls at a point in my life that it was time to settle down, because you are it for me. Always and forever.”
Then they stood there grinning at each other.
Malachi started the formal part of pronouncing them husband and wife, but Tansy was more aware of Jake, who had rearranged them so that he was leaning on the wall and she was leaning against him, cradled in his arms. Surrounded by him, protected.
Jake pressed a kiss to the top of her head as Malachi made the final proclamation. Tansy held back a cheer so it wouldn’t end up on the audio.
As soon as the camera had been turned off, though, Jake let off a loud whoop of congratulations, hurrying Tansy forward so they could share hugs with Aiden and Petra.
Her father paused once again, his gaze lingering for a moment where Jake stood talking to his brother. “So.”
Tansy pushed Malachi’s arm gently. “Don’t go getting your hopes up too soon. But yeah. I like him, Papa.”
“You trust him,” her father added. “That’s a good thing, sweetie. But yes, I’ll hold my horses until otherwise told.”
Which was a load of nonsense. “You’re already planning some event so you can invite him over and interrogate him on the sly, aren’t you?”
Her father peeked at her over the top of his glasses. “Wherever do you think you learned your best tricks?”
The party headed back to High Water, Aiden and Petra taking the video camera with them.
“Tansy and I will be home shortly. There’s something I need to pick up,” Jake told them before taking Tansy’s hand and guiding her toward the back door.
“We’ll see you there,” Aiden returned.
As Tansy and Jake stepped through the back door into the wintry temperatures, he glanced at the door briefly. “Will it lock itself again?” he asked.
No matter how hard she listened, she didn’t hear any judgment in his tone. “Yeah. I didn’t unlock it. Just did a temporary override.”
“Good to know. Come on. You look as if you need a hot drink.”
Curiously, he led her around the corner and straight into Buns and Roses. It was like walking into a hug—a safe place as sweet scents and warm air enveloped them in a welcoming embrace.
Marina waved from behind the counter. Tansy waved back as Jake led her to the prime seating spot in the corner in front of the fake fireplace.
“Hot chocolate or anything else?” he asked.
“A small latte and a chocolate chip cookie, please.” If nothing else, the sugar rush should help her maybe find the words she needed to explain— To explain her life?
Oh boy, this was going to be fun. Not .
Yet when he got back with the treats, Jake didn’t give her time to get any more nervous. He put the food down on the little table in front of them then slipped his fingers into hers and stared into the fire instead of meeting her gaze. “I’ve been having quite the conversation in my head for the last hour. Which is a good thing because it let me get out a whole bunch of the stupid questions that instantly popped to mind. Once I moved past those and started to get to some of the more complicated issues, I realized you may not have explained much before we got into that situation, but you did say one thing really clearly.”
“Prepare to be deafened?” Tansy cursed herself for trying to avoid the serious moment with humor, but as a defense mechanism, it was instinctive.
He tipped his gaze to meet hers. “You wanted me with you. That says you trusted me with a secret part of your past. That’s pretty humbling.”
Tansy took a shaky breath. “So, you still like me?”
Jake outright laughed. “Trust me back. You can’t shake me off by showing me a part of you that’s always been there that I wasn’t aware of yet.”
She nodded, the motion jerking free unevenly. “I don’t like to talk about my childhood. It’s not even really about the things that I learned to do that aren’t normal, like picking locks. It’s about the emotions that go along with them. It hurts less to not look back.”
He dipped his chin slowly. “I get that. You don’t need to tell me the details, but I hope that you keep letting me know more about you . Sometimes those things from our past that are hard— Hell, forget sometimes . The things in our past that are hard are important parts of what makes us who we are.”
He picked up her latte and put it in her hand.
Tansy took a small sip then leaned back, still curled within his protective circle. “You get gold stars today for handling spontaneity so well.”
His blue eyes flashed with amusement. “Gold stars are nice, but I’d like kisses more.”
Great idea. “I can manage that.”
“Perfect. Also, can you handle a date on Saturday night?”
Interesting. Tansy let her gaze drift over his chest and shoulders. “Am I finally getting the prearranged date with all the trimmings?”
He leaned closer, expression intensely heated. “You’re getting the prearranged date. You need to let me know if we’re a go for any activity we want to enjoy.”
Oh, hell yes.
She met his stare with what she hoped was full-on approval. “I would be delighted to be your date. For any and all activities that might entice us.”
It was a little surreal to be sitting in Buns and Roses—a place where she had so much history—with a man who intrigued her to an incredible degree and was definitely part of the present she had never imagined.
Perhaps even part of her future.
Back at the ranch house, more congratulations were shared with the newlyweds, but pretty much otherwise the day went on in the most ordinary of ways.
Jinx got home from school and promptly had to watch the video of the wedding. “Awww. You guys are so cute,” she said when it was done. She wiggled to the front of the couch and twisted toward Logan, who sat in the easy chair beside her. “Wasn’t that adorable?”
Logan shrugged. “Not much up on weddings, I guess.”
Jinx rolled her eyes. “Well, I am. And that was perfection.”
She exited the living room with a huff and a flounce in her step.
Tansy exchanged glances with Petra, amused as all get out. “It’s okay, Logan. You barely know the players. You’re not expected to be gaga over their wedding.”
“I mean, you guys look happy,” Logan offered to Petra cautiously. “That’s a good thing.”
“It’s a very good thing,” Petra agreed before bringing Logan a pot of potatoes. “You can sit there and peel these, please.”
She rejoined Tansy at the counter.
Tansy stole another hug. “I agree with both sentiments. That was an adorable wedding, and you guys look happy together. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Petra examined her face. “I’m guessing here, but it looks as if Jake handled your participation well.”
“Pretty much,” Tansy agreed. “He doesn’t know everything, but he said some really perfect things that make me want to keep moving forward.”
Happiness somehow got brighter on Petra’s face. “I’m glad.”
“Me too,” Tansy said honestly. She paused. “Good job with the hacking. What was the password, by the way?”
“His daughter’s name and birthday.” Petra sighed heavily. “Which everyone in Heart Falls knows is Christmas Day.”
“Ouch. Yeah.”
A not-so-fancy but still delicious wedding supper was followed smoothly by a couple of pretty normal days. Suddenly, it was Saturday, and before she knew it, Tansy was getting ready for her date.
She eyed herself in the mirror on the back of her bedroom door, twisting from side to side. “You don’t think it’s too much?” she asked Sydney, who had shown up to check on Logan and been conned into staying to spend the evening with Jinx and Petra watching some classic horror movie.
Sydney got to her feet and did a slow walk around.
Tansy wore leggings under a long-sleeved, body-hugging, thigh-high dress. Both the leggings and the dress were a deep azure blue that made Tansy feel as if she was a movie star headed onto the red carpet. She’d left her hair down, the blonde waves falling to mid-back.
Black leather boots with a modest heel finished the outfit, and the idea of Jake undressing her set all sorts of delightful shivers down her spine.
Sydney rummaged on the counter for a moment then passed Tansy a new lipstick. “That dress colour is dynamite on you, but you need one final thing. This will keep him staring at your mouth until he’s going wild,” she suggested.
“We pretty much already established that he and I are about to be a happening thing, at least in the sex department.” Tansy grinned. “I don’t know if there’s anything clearer than a green light, but we’ve flashed it.”
“No sharing flashing stories,” Sydney warned. “Not my kink.”
Putting on lipstick while snickering was disturbingly difficult. “Are you getting some of what is your kink these days?” Tansy asked. “If you need a confessional.” Or advice on who to hit on since Sydney didn’t seem to be involved with anyone on a regular basis.
“I’m doing what works for me, and I’m happy.”
Huh. Not the answer Tansy expected.
Sydney raised a brow at Tansy’s face. “Seriously? You thought I was staying at home every night studying medical texts?”
“To be honest, I thought maybe you were getting some during your out-of-town trips,” Tansy shared, dropping to the mattress beside her friend. “You found someone who is nice to you, girlfriend?”
“Yes, Mom.”
Tansy poked Sydney in the side. “Be serious. Petra and I care, even if you’re a Sphinx at times, so you just have to put up with our loving nosiness. Are you really okay?”
“I’m very happy with my situation,” Sydney offered slowly. “It works for me. Yes, I’m being careful. No, I’m not looking for more. I’ll let you and Petra be the starry-eyed romantics of our happy trio.”
The idea shook Tansy for a minute. “Petra is the romantic. I’m the pragmatic.”
The burst of laughter from Sydney was instant and annoying. When she calmed down, she patted Tansy’s shoulder comfortingly. “No, sweetie. You can tell yourself that all you want, but you definitely have romance in your core. I’d guess, if anything, you lean toward pragmatic romanticism.”
“Big words for I’m nervous about tonight?” Tansy asked quietly, finally admitting the truth. “I really like him, Syd. Things have been going well between us but this is right about when something usually rises up and kicks me in the teeth.”
While he’d been so sweet and not at all intrusive over watching her pick open a lock the other day, Jake had to still be wondering and worrying. It was in his nature.
Sydney squeezed her fingers. “No teeth kicking. You’re surrounded by people who care about you. Your family, me and Petra. Jinx, and many others. And now Jake, plus the other X-chromosomes in the house.”
“So no need to worry?”
Her friend smiled. “You already did the worrying. Now it’s time to let that romantic heart of yours enjoy the night. Trust me, he won’t mess this up.”
Suspicion rose. Tansy examined Sydney closer. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Sydney pressed a hand to her chest in mock innocence. “Your girlfriends would never think of interfering in your love life.”
Tansy smacked Sydney on the arm with her purse. “I hope the power goes out at the key moment of the movie and you never find out how it ends.”
“What a beautifully evil curse, but totally useless. Horror movies—everyone dies. Rom-coms, they fall madly in love. It’s fated and true.” Sydney shrugged as she rose to her feet and guided Tansy to the door. “No use fighting it.”