CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Christmas Eve
JJ—
Pulling out at first light, I ride my bike hard toward home. That’s what the tree farm has become for me—home. And the only reason is because Rebecca is there. She has become home for me. I think about her every minute of the day. I want to be with her, and these trips away from her are tough.
She’s fast become my everything.
On the way, I make two stops. Each one has everything to do with Rebecca. I lay awake last night making plans, and today I’m putting them into action. I only hope she’s on the same page as I am.
If she’s not, it’ll destroy me, and that’s got a pit forming in my stomach. Everything revolves around Rebecca’s response. If I misjudged things, I know I’m sunk, and that’s a scary feeling.
I’ve tried to fight these emotions, tried to keep up walls, to play it off as a passing fling, but I can’t pretend anymore.
Risking everything is terrifying.
Somehow, I survived a loveless childhood where I never lived up to my parents’ expectations.
If I’m being honest with myself, it’s the reason I’ve kept most women at an emotional distance, never having any lasting or meaningful relationships with them.
I’ve been protecting myself, and opening myself up to that possible hurt again with Rebecca is a big step for me. Huge.
At this point, I have to trust my instincts, let go of fear and trust in my heart.
When I turn onto the gravel drive at the farm, I spot a pickup truck pulling away from the cabin and see Rebecca standing up on the porch.
The logo on the side of the driver’s door reads, Skyland Development Holdings.
Fuck.
Richard Soren.
What the hell is he doing here? The timing couldn’t be worse.
I bring my bike to a stop, and he brakes next to me and gets out of his vehicle.
“Oh, good. A man to deal with,” he says. “Glad I caught you, JJ.”
I shut my bike off and climb from it. “I don’t appreciate you makin’ cracks like that, Soren. Don’t belittle my business partner for being a woman. That’s an asshole way to treat her, and an even worse way to do business.”
“I’m just saying, she doesn’t understand this deal. I came by with the paperwork. I have authorization to up the offer to ten million dollars. That’s a damn good offer. She wouldn’t even look at it.”
He shoves the papers toward me. I snatch them out of his hands and rip them in half, tossing them in his open truck window.
“I told you I wasn’t interested.” I take a step toward him, and he retreats a step.
“You see that woman up there?” I point toward the porch.
“There’s no amount of money that I’d take to steal the joy out of her eyes at owning this place.
It’s her dream, and I won’t rip that from her.
Now get the hell off this land, and don’t come around here again.
Don’t call. Don’t email. We. Are. Not. Selling. Is that clear enough for you, asshole?”
The guy turns pale and jumps into his truck, then roars off the property.
I feel like punching something. Turning, I see Rebecca coming down the steps, her shawl around her shoulders, and I stop short.
She’s got to be pissed.
I hold out an arm toward the highway. “I’m sorry about that, Becca. I swear I didn’t call him, and I sure didn’t ask him to come up here and…
She keeps walking toward me, and my words trail off.
When she gets to me, she kisses my mouth, and I frown, confused.
“You okay?” I ask.
She nods, tears in her eyes. “I heard what you said to him.”
I drag in a breath. “I meant it, Becca. Every word.”
“All of it?”
“Damn straight, I did.”
“Oh, JJ,” she whispers, putting her trembling fingertips to her lips, love shimmering in her eyes.
“I did something else I want you to know about.”
She frowns. “What’s that?”
“Deposited all my money into the business account. Every cent. My life savings, baby, such that it is. So, we’ll be fine, even if we run into some problems or lean years.
” Nerves flood my stomach. I’ve stared down the barrel of a gun more times than I care to admit without fear, but waiting for Rebecca’s reply is terrifying, so I keep rambling like a fool.
“But we had a really good season this year, and—”
“JJ.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
I grin, relief easing the tension in my body, the tightness in my shoulders relaxing with a sigh. Then, I do as she asks, taking her face in my palms and lowering my mouth to hers. I try to tell her without words how much she means to me.
I break the kiss and lean my forehead to hers. “Good times and bad, I’m in it with you for better or worse.”
She laughs with happiness and hugs me tight.
Then we break apart and stare at the sky as big, fat snowflakes begin to fall.
“It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s snowing,” she says, holding her palm out and catching some flakes. “It’s magical.”
I thread my fingers through hers. “It’s magical now, but I hear a storm is rolling in. Come on. I’ll build us a fire.”
Just then, Buddy trots up to the house, a golden lab at his heels. They both sit and stare up at us.
“Check it out,” I say. “He brought a girlfriend home.”
Rebecca leans to pet the pretty dog and searches for a collar but doesn’t find one. “Hey, girl. Who do you belong to?” She turns to me. “Do you think she’s that farmer’s across the road?”
I shrug. “No clue, but she seems kinda fat, so she must be well fed. Come on.”
We head up the steps, and both dogs follow us.
“Are we letting her in?” I ask.
“We can’t leave her out in the cold, JJ.”
“So, you didn’t want Buddy, but now you’re okay with two?”
“Just for the night. We’ll try to find who she belongs to after Christmas.”
“Fine with me. I’ll make her a bed next to Buddy’s.”
After setting her up with several old blankets next to his, I build us a fire and Becca makes hot chocolate.
She carries two mugs to the living room, and we cuddle on the couch wrapped in a blanket and end up watching It’s a Wonderful Life.
Becca dozes off with her head on my shoulder, and I say a prayer, thanking God for bringing this beautiful woman with her sweet and pure soul into my life. Every part of my world has gotten better since the moment she walked into it.