Chapter 20
TWENTY
Burk
I can tell by the devastation that sweeps across her gorgeous face she thinks I’m preparing to say goodbye. And I am, but that’s not all.
Hating the look on her face, I brush my lips across hers, closing my eyes and reveling in the feel of the connection. “I love you,” I whisper, finally speaking the words I’ve longed to say.
Her entire body tenses moments before her eyes slowly open. Green eyes gaze up at me, stunned by my admission. “You love me?”
“Yeah,” I reply with a small smile. “I think I always have.”
Kissable lips form a little O as she stares up at me. “But…you’re leaving,” she finally says after a bit of hesitation.
“Yeah,” I reply, wrapping my arms firmly around her and making sure she’s as close as she can get. “But I’m coming back.”
“You are?”
I nod. “I can build furniture anywhere, Easy-Bake. You’re here, so that’s where I want to be.”
Her mouth falls open a little more as she absorbs what I said. Then, she squeals and jumps up, throwing her arms around my neck and slamming her mouth against mine. “Are you serious?”
“That I love you, or I’m moving here?”
“Both, I guess,” she replies, still seeming stunned by my words.
“Yes, I’m going to move here. I’ve already had a conversation with my grandparents about it, and yes, I’m absolutely, one-hundred-percent in love with you. My heart is yours, if you want it.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she smiles. “I’ll take that heart, because truth be told, you’ve owned mine for as long as I can remember.”
Mine does a wild happy dance in my chest as I grin uncontrollably. “Yeah?”
Joy nods. “I love you too.”
The ache I’ve carried in my chest all day, all week really, seems to just subside instantly with those four little words. My right hand moves up to her hair as I urge, “Say it again.”
“I love you,” she whispers before punctuating her statement with a kiss.
Our lips fuse together beneath the brisk Christmas night sky. The soft glow of the lights fades away, and all that remains is us.
Joy and me.
Exactly how it was always meant to be.
When we pull apart, she looks up at me with wonder-filled eyes. “You’re really coming back?”
“Of course I am,” I reassure, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and slowly guiding her back the way we came.
“It’ll take me a few weeks to wrap up everything back in South Carolina.
I have a couple of projects I put off until I was returning so I could come here and help at the farm.
Plus, I need to pack up my rental house. ”
She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you’re moving here. Just like that.”
Stopping, I pull her into my arms once more. “I want to be where you are, Joy. I’m just sorry it’s taken me this long to realize it.”
She cups my jaw with her soft hand, her fingertips cold against my flesh. “Neither of us could have known. The important part is we know now.” Going up on her tiptoes, she presses another intoxicating kiss to my lips. “Just so you know, I would go east with you if you asked.”
I shake my head before she’s even finished speaking. “Absolutely not. Your business is here. I could never ask you to walk away from that or your family.”
She shrugs and rests her cheek against my chest. “I would.”
Placing a kiss to her forehead, I reply, “I appreciate that, but no. The only place I want to be is here, and not just because you’re here, though that’s the main reason. This place is also my home, and I love it. Being back in Snowflake Falls has reminded me of that.”
“Well, I admit, I’m relieved I don’t have to say goodbye.”
I run my hands up and down her arms, trying to make sure she’s staying warm. “Just for a short time.”
“I can deal with a few weeks, as long as I know you’re coming back.”
“I promise I’m coming back,” I confirm, loving the way she fits so perfectly against my body. I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with not having her with me while I’m gone.
“Where are you going? When you get back?” she asks.
“I’ll stay with Gram and Gramps until I find a place. Gramps says I can store my belongings in the barn and his shop for as long as I need.”
“I might have a lead for you,” she says, her eyes lighting up.
“Yeah?”
Nodding, she bites down on her bottom lip and slips her fingers inside my coat pockets for warmth. “My sister and John are going to rent out his house. He officially moved in with her and Miss Snowflake. They were planning to list it but were wanting to wait until after the first of the year.”
“I’d love to talk to them,” I tell her, feeling another bubble of excitement in my chest. If I have a place to move into when I return to town that would be even better. Not that I don’t want to stay with my grandparents, but I can’t pass up an opportunity to potentially move once and be done.
“I’ll see them at lunch.” Her eyes brighten. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Well, I’m supposed to work. I think the biggest job will be keeping Gramps up at the house and not down at the barn, bossing us all around and telling us he can do it better.”
She giggles the sweetest sound. “Well, I was going to invite you over for the lunch. Eve and John are going to open presents, and you could talk to them about the house.”
“I do appreciate the invite. If we’re not too busy, I may take you up on it and stop by.”
“I’ll get you John’s number, and you can discuss details with him.”
Slipping my arm around her shoulder once more, we start to head back toward her apartment. “Come on, Easy-Bake. Let’s get you back home. As absolutely amazing as this dress looks on you, I must confess, I’m even more curious to see how it looks lying on the floor.”
Almost three weeks later
I pull open the door to The Sweet Escape and smile.
There she is.
The woman I love. The one I relocated across the United States to be near. The one I haven’t seen in almost three very-long weeks.
Even though we’ve talked on the phone or sent text messages every day since I left Snowflake Falls to return to South Carolina to pack up my life, it wasn’t the same.
There was too much distance between us, and I hated every minute of it.
That’s why I worked hard to wrap up the work I had put off in December and got everything I needed done, so I could leave town a couple of days earlier than planned.
Which is why I’m here.
Joy has no clue.
When we texted earlier, she thought I was just getting ready to pull out of the town I called home for the last fifteen years in my U-Haul, but the truth was, I was already back in Snowflake Falls. I got to town around ten this morning and met John at the house I’ll be renting from him.
Fortunately, he was leaving a decent amount of furniture in the house, so I was able to sell a lot of what I didn’t need to bring cross country.
My personal belongings and all my woodworking tools fill the back of the small trailer, which of course, is sitting in the driveway, waiting to be unloaded.
But first, I needed to see the woman I love.
And maybe steal a kiss or two.
I stand at the door, holding the bouquet of flowers. She’s finishing up a coffee drink before placing it on the counter. The moment she does, she looks up and our eyes meet. A look of shock transforms to a grin as we just stare at each other for several seconds.
Then, she’s moving.
Watching her pace pick up as she makes her way to me gives me plenty of time to brace myself for the impact. Joy leaps at me, crashing into my chest. I’m able to help stabilize her with my left hand without dropping the flowers in my right.
“You’re here!” she whisper-yells, her legs wrapping around my waist.
“I’m here,” I confirm.
“How? When?”
“I actually had just pulled into town when I talked to you a bit ago. I met John at the house and dropped the trailer.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re really here? To stay?” she asks, and even though we’ve been over this a dozen times since I left, promising to be back, she still seems shocked by how everything has turned out.
“If you’re here, I’m here, Joy. There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
Then, finally, after nearly three of the longest weeks ever, she presses her lips to mine. The kiss feels like coming home, a culmination of days’ worth of packing, selling off furniture, and then traveling. Nineteen days to be exact. And I am ready to be home.
The door opens, the bell chiming throughout the bakery and alerting to a new customer arriving. I release her lips and smile. “You have work to do,” I say softly, wishing it were already closing time.
“I do.”
With one hand, I slowly help her slide down my body. My cock is hard, but thanks to where she stands, I don’t think anyone can bear witness to the extent of my excitement to be back. “These are for you,” I state, handing over the bouquet of red roses and white lilies.
“They’re gorgeous,” she beams, leaning in and inhaling. When she makes eye contact, she asks, “Will you be at the house?”
I nod. “Come on by whenever you’re done here.”
She glances over her shoulder to the customer approaching the counter. Even though Jan is there to help, she still needs to get back to work. “I could just close up now,” she mumbles, making me laugh.
“It’s not much longer. Besides, I was going to stop by Feldman’s and talk to Tim and Nancy. Gramps said they were interested in selling my furniture pieces when I get back into it.” Feldman’s is the small furniture store on the square, not too far from the bakery.
“I’m so happy for you.”
Gramps is going to let me use his shop too.
Sure, I have the small garage I can put some of my tools in for smaller projects, but I’ll have a lot more space at the farm.
Plus, my family asked me to work at the family farm part time and as needed.
During the slower months, I’ll be able to spend more time in the shop, doing my thing, but in the busier seasons, I’ll help where needed.
It’s the best of both worlds, and I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity.
“I’ll let you get back to it,” I tell her, leaning forward and pressing my lips to hers once more.
“More of that later,” she states the moment she pulls her mouth away.
“Damn right there will be.”
I watch her walk away, placing the flowers on the counter as she gets back to work. She turns around and helps make a drink, while Jan pulls pastries from the glass case.
I don’t know how long I stand here and watch her, but I’ve never felt more settled, more complete in my life.
If you would have asked me if returning to Snowflake Falls in the wake of my grandpa’s stroke would result in finding the woman I hope to one day spend the rest of my life with, I would have told you to get the hell out of here.
But here I am, completely in love and looking forward to the future.
A future with Joy.
From childhood best friends to hopefully spending our lives together.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty damn good to me.