Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
JACE
The streets of Sugar Hill Hollow are crowded with people from all over as they head into the different shops along Main Street. Groups of people stand in the center of the cobblestone streets, lifting their cups of maple flavored lattes with the steam rolling from the tops.
It’s amazing to see just how many people showed up for the Harvest Festival. It really breathes life back into the sleepy town, drawing in tourists and locals. It’s the biggest day of the year for the businesses that participate.
A smile tugs on my lips as I pause outside, peering in through the picture window of the bakery. Natalie and Miss Maggie are on the other side of the counter, dishing out different baked goods to the patrons.
The line snakes around the perimeter of the store and trails out onto the sidewalk, along the front of the bakery. The maple cookies that Natalie and Willow collaborated on are sure to sell out.
Continuing down the street, I bob and weave through some groups of people before I reach my final destination. Pausing out front, I tilt my head back, my eyes rolling over the name of the shop scrawled on the sign above.
She’s my final destination.
Stepping to the side, I move out of the way as four women file out of the shop. Their laughter drifts with the cool fall air, smiles lifting their lips as each walks past me, carrying their own bag with Alder’s Tap House written on them.
Warmth builds in the center of my chest, the heat radiating throughout the rest of my body as I step out of the cold and into the store. The smell of maple and cedar flood my senses, and with it comes a lightness that settles over me.
It smells like her.
I pause by the door, a smile lifting my lips as I see her mother standing behind the counter and her father off to the side, talking with a customer. They must have come to town to help out today.
My footsteps are light as I walk along the glass front wall. The store is bustling with customers, their voices filling the space, echoing off the bottles of maple syrup.
But there’s only one sound that vibrates through my soul as I walk farther into the shop. Her laughter drifts through the maple tinged air and my mind is laser focused on her.
Always her.
Running my hand along the bottom of the shelf and tracing the wood grain, I take slow measured steps as I scan the bottles of syrup lined up along the wall. I pick one up, the glass cold against my fingers as the memory flashes in my mind.
Willow’s hand wrapped around me as she lowered herself onto her knees. The way her cheeks were flushed and her gaze hooded as she stared up at me through her lashes, taking my cock deep inside her mouth.
The way I hauled her to her feet, my lips eagerly seeking hers.
“I think we’ve both been waiting for that to happen.”
Fuck.
I should have told her the way I was feeling that night. I so desperately wanted to keep things physical between us, but I was lying to myself, even then. There was never any chance for things to stay that superficial with us, not when we were both already running deep in each other’s bones.
Willow Alder has been situated in my heart since we were teenagers, I just didn’t realize it until it was too late.
And all I can do now is hope it’s not too late.
Glancing over my shoulder, I can’t help myself as I search for the woman I owe an apology to. I expect her to be standing behind the counter, ringing up customers. Instead, I see Finn standing there with a bright smile on his face as he helps the man and woman across from him.
I slowly scan the store, starting along the back wall, past the packed area near the register and making my way toward the front of the store. As I turn my body, my arm and shoulder bump into a soft and warm body.
The bottle of syrup falls from my hand, clattering onto the wood floor by my feet.
“Oh shoot, I’m so sorry,” I say in a rush, the words tumbling from my lips as I immediately bend down to pick it up. A delicate hand darts out, reaching for it at the same time.
Our fingers brush, lingering on the bottle of syrup and as I lift my eyes, my heart stutters inside my chest. My breath catches as I find those baby blues staring back at me. “Willow.”
Her name dies on my tongue and time is momentarily suspended as we’re both crouched down, gazes locked.
“Jace,” she whispers, my name catching in her throat. “Hi.”
My heart seizes.
“Hi.”
A ghost of a smile dances across her lips. “It’s a good thing this one didn’t break,” she says, her voice so quiet that if we weren’t crouched so close together, I may not have heard the words.
“The last time, things got a bit… sticky.”
Pink creeps across her cheeks and she drags her teeth across her bottom lip before immediately releasing it. “It was quite the mess.”
She grabs the bottle and we both bounce back up, standing upright as we face one another. She turns around, lifting her arm as she sets the syrup back on the shelf. My eyes rake down the length of her body.
Her long blonde hair falls down her back in a cascade of soft curls with a few pieces framing the sides of her face. Her eyes are lined with a subtle black liner and her lashes are long and curled. The plaid dress she’s wearing is fitted around her torso, flaring out around her hips.
She’s breathtaking.
“You did it, Will,” I murmur, my words barely audible with the commotion around the store. She turns back to face me and I truly smile at her. “The entire place looks amazing.”
“Thanks,” she says quietly, her eyes scanning my face, pink tinting her cheeks as she smiles sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s the Harvest Fest,” I shrug my shoulders. “What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t stop by to show my support?”
As soon as the word falls from my lips, I want to take it back. I don’t miss the way her smile falters at ‘friend’. What other word would I use in place of it? I don’t even know if she feels the same way I do.
“Well, thank you,” she says softly, bobbing her head as she glances around the room. “I appreciate that.”
“I don’t want to just be your friend anymore, Willow.”
Her eyes widen and snap back to mine. “What?”
“That word—it doesn’t feel like the proper description for what we are.”
Her lips part and she abruptly closes them. She cocks her head to the side, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “No, it doesn’t, does it?” Her gaze locks onto mine, her head slowly lifting back to a neutral position as she blinks.
“Hey Willow, can you come up front?” Her mother calls from the counter, severing the moment. “I need your help with something.”
She straightens her spine, her hand lifting as she places it on my bicep. “Can you come by after the festival is over?” She asks, her eyes searching mine. “We can talk then?”
Lifting my own hand, I cover hers with mine, her skin warm against my palm. A soft ripple of electricity trails along the nerves in my arms, sending the shock directly to my heart. “Yes, of course. I’ll be here.”
“Okay,” she says, a tender smile curving on her lips. “I’ll see you then.”
My hand lingers for a moment, her eyes still on mine when Finn calls her name again. Releasing her, I let my arm fall back to my side and she lets go of my arm. Her gaze stays on mine for another heartbeat before she turns around and heads back to the counter.
As I walk back to the front door, I pause with my hand on the cool metal, looking back over my shoulder to Willow.
She’s standing behind the counter, checking someone out, looking at complete ease in her new role as shop owner. This is where she belongs—back in Sugar Hill Hollow, running the maple store.
Her attention shifts, her eyes meeting mine from across the room and I don’t miss the way they shimmer as she stares back at me. The corners of her lips twitch as she bites back a smile, holding my stare once more before she looks back at the register.
Leaving her in her element, I head out of the shop and step back onto the busy sidewalk with the promise of returning later.
Because the Hollow isn’t the only place where she belongs…
She belongs with me.