Chapter Twenty-Seven
It felt like their last chance to get things right.
Justin was at his parents’ house with the rest of his family when the message from Felicity dinged on his phone. He raced out of the house so fast he left his family with surprised looks and unanswered questions. He’d fill them in later.
He might have broken a speed limit or two on his way home. It was a good thing for him that the sheriff was still sitting in their parents’ living room, enjoying his second slice of pecan pie. But Parker would understand that it was a special circumstance.
Justin was grateful that Felicity was back in town. When she’d messaged him and apologized for disappearing, she hadn’t mentioned when or if she’d be back. And he didn’t want to pressure her, so he didn’t ask.
When he reached the Evergreen Apartments, he took the steps two at a time. Inside his apartment, he rushed to the closet and pulled out the Christmas presents he’d gotten for Felicity before he’d ruined everything by rushing things.
He arranged the wrapped packages on the coffee table. On top he placed a small black jewelry box with a simple red bow. Then he started to pace.
It was so quiet in there. He’d never noticed that before. He supposed he’d gotten used to sharing the place with Sunny. And for a little pup, she was full of all sorts of noises from whining for breakfast to yipping to go outside. She was definitely vocal.
And he missed her. But giving her back to Merry was for the best. She deserved a loving, attentive family.
Knock-knock.
As he strode to the door, he heard a bark. It sounded just like Sunny. It couldn’t be…
He opened the door to find Felicity standing there with Sunny in her arms.
Felicity was smiling. “Someone missed you.”
Sunny yipped and wiggled until he reached out and took the pup into his arms. While Sunny lathered his face with kisses, he stepped back and ushered Felicity inside.
“Merry Christmas.” She smiled, but her voice wavered ever so slightly, as though she weren’t so certain where things stood between them.
“I didn’t think I was going to see you.” He kept his guard up. He wasn’t going to let her see how happy he was to see her again.
Felicity turned to him. “I’m sorry I ran out on you. I panicked.”
He sighed. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I should have waited. I caught you off-guard.”
Her gaze searched his. “Did you mean it?”
“Of course I did.” The admission came tumbling out before he could stop it. Needing to slow things down before he said something else to scare her away, he asked, “How did you get back from New York on Christmas day?”
“I didn’t make it that far. I stayed at a hotel near the airport.
I needed time to think.” She paused as though searching for her next words.
“I heard from my former employer. It appears Tanner, the guy who got the promotion, set me up to be fired. In the end, he got fired, and they want me back with a big raise.”
Those words were like a punch in the gut. Did she ask to meet him to tell him goodbye? Because if that were the case, this was the worst Christmas ever.
He drew on his willpower and said, “I’m happy for you. You deserved the raise and so much more.”
Her cheeks filled with color. “Thanks. But I didn’t take the job.”
“What?” He wasn’t sure he heard her right. “Of course, you did. That’s what you wanted.”
She shook her head. “It’s what I thought I wanted until you showed me how much life I’ve been missing by spending all of my time working.”
He put the puppy down and stepped up to Felicity. “What are you saying? Are you giving up being an editor?”
She shook her head. “These days I have options. I’m going to stay on at the bookshop while I start my own online editorial business. That way I can make my own hours.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “That sounds very industrious. And where are you planning to live during all of this?”
“I’m not sure.”
He moved to the coffee table and grabbed the little box on top. He handed it to her. “This might help you make the decision.” When she stood quietly holding the box, he said, “Go ahead and open it. It won’t bite. I promise.”
She lifted the lid and gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
She lifted the white-gold necklace from the box. The diamond star pendant dangled in front of her. By the big smile on her face, he assumed she liked it.
“This is your North Star,” he said. “So, no matter where you go in this world, you’ll always be able to find your way home.”
Her eyes shimmered with what he hoped were happy tears. “I love it. Thank you.” She held it out to him. “Will you help me put it on?”
She swept her long hair to the side, and it took him a couple of tries, but he finally got the clasp to work. When she turned around, the pendant sparkled as it rested against her green sweater. It looked almost as beautiful as its owner.
His heart was beating fast, and his palms were damp. This was his third time attempting this. Hopefully, the third time was the charm. “Felicity, I love you. Will you give us another chance?”
She paused as though giving his question due consideration. Her gaze searched his. “What if things don’t work out with my new business? What if I decide to move back to the city and take an office job?”
He’d given this a lot of thought. “Then I’ll move to.”
Her mouth went slack. She blinked. “You’d really do that?”
He nodded. “If it means we can be together.”
The breath caught in her lungs as he waited for her decision. He knew how much was riding on this moment.
She leaned forward and lifted up on her toes. Her hands came to rest on his chest. “I love you.”
“You do?” He couldn’t believe how much he’d needed her to say those words.
She smiled and nodded as her arms slipped around his neck. “I do. I used to think home was a house—a place—but you’ve helped me realize that my home isn’t any of those things. It’s you. You’re my home.”
He was so touched he didn’t have words to express the depth of his emotions. Instead, he decided to show how much her words meant to him. He lowered his head and claimed her lips with his own. It was a long, slow kiss filled with love.
When he finally pulled back, he said, “This is the best Christmas present ever.”
“Oh. Then I guess you don’t want the one I have for you.”
His gaze narrowed as he stepped back to give her a quick onceover. “I don’t see a gift.”
She smiled broadly. “It’s not the kind of gift you can wrap.”
He arched a brow. “What kind of gift is it?”
“Well, you see, I, uh…took the liberty of sending your manuscript to a friend of mine. They’re a well-respected literary agent. I never expected to hear back from them so quickly, but they said once they started to read your book, they couldn’t stop. They want to offer you representation.”
His mouth gaped. “Seriously?”
Felicity smiled as she nodded. “Now, it’s no guarantee of a publishing contract, but I don’t think you’re going to have to worry.”
With a smile on his face, he picked her up in his arms and swung her around. He placed her feet back on the ground. “You’ve made this the best Christmas ever.”
“I knew you had talent—”
“No. Not that. I’m talking about you giving us a second chance. I love you. From cradle to grave.”
“I love you too. From cradle to grave.” She smiled up at him. “You know what this means?”
“No. Should I be afraid to ask?”
She smiled. “It means next Christmas it isn’t just going to be you. You’ll have me and Sunny. And…”
“And what?”
“You’re going to have to get a Christmas tree. Then we can sit by the glow of the tree lights and watch the puppy play.”
He nodded. “I’m totally onboard with that idea, but can we just enjoy this Christmas first?”
“Absolutely.” She lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.