Chapter Fifteen
Amariah
This morning, I decided to take care of my dad’s caretaking duties and get some of my actual work done, so I was up bright and early.
Though I knew Scottie wasn’t pressuring me to be back, I still needed to check in with ongoing projects.
After a quick shower, I slid on a pair of thick leggings, an oversized, off-the-shoulder sweater, and some fluffy Merry Grinchmas socks.
To give my mom a break, I made breakfast for both her and my dad and made sure he took his medication.
Sitting and talking with them while they ate felt like stepping back in time…
early mornings before school, laughter echoing over shared meals.
Their plates were full-course; mine was simple—egg whites, wheat toast, and coffee.
I needed to ease back into my routine. Being home meant carbs and plenty of them.
I’d started to notice the extra curve in my hips and thighs.
Not that I was complaining; the weight was landing in all the right places.
Still, I wanted to keep it under control before it decided to travel elsewhere.
Once everyone finished, I washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen while my parents relaxed in their favorite spot, the sunroom.
A couple of Christmases ago, I’d surprised them with a surround-sound system and a television in there.
The sunroom was insulated and cozy, overlooking our backyard.
It wasn’t hard to see why they spent most of their days there now.
With them settled, I turned the living room into a makeshift office. The fireplace glowed softly, and I played Christmas music low through the TV. Wrapped in a blanket with coffee in hand, I stretched across the sofa with my laptop and phone nearby.
But my mind wasn’t on work. It kept drifting to that night with Jacob.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the night that had left me reeling after he’d dropped me home the next morning.
I couldn’t believe I’d let things go that far.
We’d been tipsy, and emotions were high—a dangerous combination that led to reckless decisions.
Was what we’d shared good? No, it was phenomenal.
The kind of feel-good moment that rewires your body’s definition of the word because you’d never experienced anything like it.
Did I regret it? Yes and no. I didn’t regret what happened, just what came after…
the awkward quiet, the uncertainty. We’d just found our footing again, and then we complicated everything with…
that. As much as I wanted to believe it was just a slip, part of me couldn’t shake how right it felt.
Still, the practical side of me knew Jacob and I existed on different paths.
I couldn’t be with him, but that didn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering when I thought about him.
It didn’t dull the ache in my chest at the thought of leaving Skye Ridge—or him.
I didn’t realize I’d been staring blankly at my computer, fingering the necklace, until my phone rang, startling me. It was Scottie.
“Hey, Scottie,” I greeted.
“Good morning to you. Why are you in the files this morning?” she asked, not even giving the pleasantries time to warm up.
“I had some downtime and wanted to get some work done.”
“So, you don’t know the meaning of paid leave, huh?”
“I do, but—”
“Aht, aht,” she interrupted. “No buts. Leave means leave. Trust me, you’ll have plenty waiting on you when you return.”
“But I want to keep myself abreast, that’s all,” I countered.
“Which you can do after you return,” she pressed. “You’re there to spend time with your family and take care of your father, which you have been doing up until today. So, what changed? What’s really going on?”
Even though she was my boss, Scottie was also my objective and honest friend, always good for sound advice.
I propped my head on my hand, running my fingers through my hair. “Remember the manager at my dad’s store?”
“The man who was stressing you out? Yeah. Don’t tell me that you two are still butting heads.”
“Uh…” I brushed my forehead with my fingertips. “No. We worked things out.”
There was a beat of silence before Scottie snickered. “Did you work things out, or did he work you out?”
“Mmm…both,” I admitted timidly.
Scottie hooted. “Ahh, okay! I see you, girl. Stella ain’t the only one getting her groove back. Unless it was bad.” She gasped. “Don’t tell me it was bad.”
“Scottie!” I groaned, laughing despite myself. “It was good. Damn near magical. But that’s the problem.”
“Well, you have to forgive me if I fail to see how that’s a problem,” she teased. “Who doesn’t love to be magically deliciously loved down?”
“That’s not the issue.” I paused, thinking it over for a second. “I’m saying I enjoyed it, but it’s a door I shouldn’t have opened.”
“Listen,” she said, softening, “take it for what it was. But only you two know exactly what that is. Whether it was a fling or something more, just be clear, so there’s no misunderstanding, and you two are on the same page.”
Her words hit me with a realization that gave me pause.
The same lack of communication that broke us before was creeping in again.
If I wanted peace and real redemption, I had to change that.
That started with being honest with Jacob and trusting that he’d extend the same to me, no matter where it led.
“Thank you, Scottie. Once again, you’re a lifesaver.”
“Well, you know me, the Jill of all trades,” she joked. “But seriously, open and effective communication works in business and in your personal life, too.”
I nodded, accepting her advice. “Point noted.”
“Note this, too: Stop working while you’re on leave.”
I was about to say something smart-mouthed when I heard commotion coming from the rear of the house. I froze. My ears perked up when I heard a loud thud.
“Scottie, let me call you back.”
I hung up before she could respond, slipped on my snow boots, and dashed toward the sunroom. Daddy was sitting on the sofa, nearly in tears from laughter. Outside, my mom and Jacob were locked in a full-blown snowball fight.
“What in the world?” I murmured, grabbing my coat. “I’ll be back, Daddy,” I called over my shoulder.
“Go join the fun,” he said, grinning.
I stepped outside, crunching through the snow. “What is going on out here?”
Mama turned to me, startled and giggling like a schoolgirl. “Jacob came over to drop off his mother’s baked goods for the Christmas market this weekend and reminded me of our annual snowball fight. I couldn’t resist.”
Jacob looked over at me, snowball in hand. “You remember that, don’t you, Mari?”
Shaking my head, my lips curved into a smile. “How could I forget? We used to do it every year around this time. Goodness, it’s been forever.”
Jacob eyed me mischievously, and I held up my hands to stop him. “Oh no! Jacob, don’t you dare—”
Before I could finish my sentence, the snowball came hurling toward me, smacking me right in the middle of my chest.
“Oh, that’s it!” I squealed, laughing as I scooped up snow and hurled it back. One hit his neck and the other his arm.
“Oh, you sneak! You’re gonna pay for that,” he yelled, standing and shaking the snow off.
We locked eyes, and both began scrambling to make snowballs.
A full-on attack ensued between us as we ran, ducked, and threw like we were kids again, full of joy and freedom.
I hadn’t even realized that my mother had left us out there by ourselves until she reappeared in the doorway.
When she called us in, we were drenched, breathless, and grinning like fools.
Inside, we stripped off our jackets and gloves and huddled by the fireplace.
“I am freezing,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “I was totally unprepared for that, but it was fun.”
Jacob grabbed the blanket from the sofa and draped it around my shoulders. His hands lingered there. “Better?”
The chill vanished instantly. My pulse quickened as goosebumps pebbled my skin from the heat that seared through my body.
My insides were reacting to the intimacy we’d shared, and I tried to contain the sparks shooting in the pit of my belly.
His touch, so firm yet so delicate against me, had me yearning for a repeat.
My eyes shifted upward toward his. “Yes.” My voice came out in a whisper.
We stood there, staring at each other and communicating what our mouths couldn’t formulate. Just as Jacob was about to speak, my mother entered with two mugs.
“Hot cocoa with marshmallows for you both,” she announced, handing them to us.
We both tried to hide our smirks as we accepted the drinks. I’m sure we were both recalling the same memory about the last time we drank hot cocoa.
“Thank you, Mrs. Luke,” Jacob said after taking a sip.
“You’re welcome. I’m going back to the sunroom with your father. You two holler if you need anything.”
Once she was gone, we settled on the sofa, and I covered us both with the blanket. Comfort found its way to us as naturally as breathing as I leaned back against him. He didn’t hesitate to pull me into his chest and wrap his arm around me.
“It felt good out there,” he said quietly, “like old times.”
“It did,” I agreed, then paused. “Wait. Who’s at the store?”
“It’ll be me when I reopen. I closed up for lunch.” He brushed the hair back from my face. “Gives us a little time to…talk.”
My shoulders shagged. “That obvious, huh?”
He pinched his fingers together. “Just a little bit.” Setting down his mug, he continued, “Mari, there’s no pressure after what happened. You don’t have to hide or feel awkward around me. I just want to be back in your life, and I’d love to have you back in mine. Is that okay with you?”
His sentiments gave me the peace that I needed. There were no strings, no ultimatums. I’d missed Jacob, and having him back in my life was equally as important, intimacy or no intimacy attached.
“That’s perfectly fine with me.”
I felt his hand on my collarbone, fingering the necklace. “You still have this?”
I nodded, touching it. “Of course. I’d never get rid of it.”
His face lit up in a way I hadn’t witnessed in a long time. And just like that, we sat together beneath the blanket, sipping cocoa, and talking softly…something we hadn’t done in far too long.