Chapter Thirty-Two
JAKE
T he week after Christmas crawled by. I had to go to work and leave Natalia and the girls when all I wanted was to be home with them. But the working world didn’t get two weeks off for Christmas break, so I kissed my girls goodbye every morning and snuck a kiss with Natalia before I got into my car. I’d never looked forward to the weekend more than at that point in my life.
Our first week as a couple was spent sneaking kisses and touches as often as we could, and after the girls were asleep, we snuggled up by the fire, watching movies, talking about anything and everything, laughing for hours, and making out like teenagers. She made me feel young again, and I found myself falling deeper and deeper for her as each day passed.
She spent more of her time with us during the day. It was becoming normal to have her there more often, and the girls didn’t say anything about it. They loved having her there. And so did I.
When New Year’s Eve rolled around, my buddy Griffin and his wife were hosting a party at their place in Grand Rapids. It was the first time we were going to an event as a couple, and I was kind of nervous about how this new relationship would be received, especially after the teasing the guys had given me.
As the time neared, I sent the girls off to their rooms to pack their bags for their grandparents’ house. They were excited to spend one last night with their mom before she went back to Montana. That she had stuck around surprised me, but the girls had some time with Kate, and I was cautiously optimistic about future visits.
“I should start getting ready,” Natalia said when the girls were upstairs.
I walked her to the back door and drew her into my arms, and she slid her hands up around my neck and buried her fingers in my hair as my mouth found hers.
“Mmm. I love kissing you,” I whispered against her lips.
“I love your kisses.” She arched her body into mine and kissed me back with fervor.
“Daddy?” Ava’s little voice came from the kitchen doorway, and we jumped apart.
I turned around to look at her, and Natalia disappeared out the back door.
“What is it, Ava?”
Her forehead scrunched up. “What were you and Tally doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Were you hugging her?”
“I was. Sometimes people need hugs.”
She bobbed her head. “I like hugs. ”
I crossed the room and lifted her up to hug her. “I like your hugs.”
“Can I bring all my pop fidget toys to Grandpa and Grandma’s house?”
“How about you pick five.”
She stuck her bottom lip out.
“You don’t need all of them.”
“I’m going to bring the one that’s shaped like a heart and a Christmas tree and my rainbow ones and one more.” She wiggled, wanting out of my arms, so I set her down, and she ran off to pack her toys.
I let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t made a big deal about finding me and Natalia in an embrace. Thankfully, my back had been to her, or she would’ve seen us lip-locked.
The relationship was still too new to bring the girls into it yet. I wanted to give it more time. Things felt really good, and I couldn’t imagine it not working out between us, but there was always a chance. And I needed to protect the girls. Just in case.
After I’d dropped the girls off and was ready for the night, I locked up and walked to the guest house to pick up my date for the evening.
The breath left my lungs when she opened the door. Her hair was half up, and the half that was down cascaded over her shoulders in loose curls. She was wearing makeup, which she didn’t do very often, and her dress was black and glittery, off the shoulders, and fell loosely, skimming the top of her knees. My gaze traveled past the hem to her shapely legs and black high heels.
“Hi.” She smiled as if she knew what dressing like that was doing to me .
“You look … I don’t … I have no words.” I sounded like a bumbling idiot.
She giggled. “You look good too.”
“You look more than good.”
She glanced down at her dress. “I wasn’t sure how dressed up we were supposed to be. I’ve never gone to a New Year’s Eve party like this before.”
“It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
“Your reaction is perfect. You should see your face right now.”
“I’m used to seeing you in casual clothes. Not … this.” I motioned down her body.
She stepped into me and pressed a kiss to my cheek, which left me even more speechless.
“I wore it for you.”
I swallowed hard. She was going to drive me out of my mind, and judging by her grin, she knew it.
She grabbed her purse, and I helped her into her coat. Then, I offered her my arm, and we headed out on our first public date.
“Are you nervous?” I asked as I drove.
“When am I not?” She gave me a little smile, and I took her hand.
“I’m nervous too.”
“You are?”
I nodded. “I haven’t told the guys about us yet. I’ve been enjoying our little bubble.”
“So have I.” She squeezed my hand.
I was happy. For the first time in ages. And nothing anyone said was going to change that.
Griffin’s driveway was already full when we arrived, so I parked on the street and rounded the car to open Natalia’s door.
“There are a lot of cars here,” she noted.
I took her hand and squeezed. “I won’t leave your side.”
“And you’ll save me from the small talk?”
“I’ll do my best.” I kissed her softly, and she laid her hand on my chest. I loved when she did that.
I pulled back, and her eyelids were closed, then slowly opened, and she sighed contentedly.
“I feel exactly the same way.”
She gazed lovingly up at me, which made me long to take her somewhere private. I drew her close and nuzzled her neck.
“Jake,” she whispered as another couple passed by us.
I released my hold on her and brought the back of her hand to my lips before winding my fingers through hers and heading for the house.
Griffin’s wife, Lisa, greeted us at the door and took our coats.
“Hey, Jake.” She hugged me, and then I introduced Natalia.
“Everyone calls me Tally.” She tilted her head in my direction. “Except him.”
Lisa smiled. “Nice to meet you, Tally.”
She ushered us into the house, where guests were seated around every room, talking and laughing. It was quite loud in there with all that and the music they had playing in the background.
“Jake!” Brad saw me, and then his eyes widened when he saw who was with me. “And Tally. He let you out for the night?”
I opened my mouth to respond when Natalia spoke instead .
“Yeah, as long as I don’t eat anything after midnight, we’ll be fine.”
A laugh escaped me, and Brad smirked.
“ Gremlins ?” Brad said. “Aren’t you too young to have seen that movie?”
“Aren’t you too old to be wearing skinny jeans?”
“Ohhh!” Danny, who had been standing nearby, overheard the conversation. “Burn!”
Brad shook his head. “I’m still trying to figure out how he got you to come out with him when you could’ve come with me instead.”
She laughed this time. “I think I made the right choice.”
Danny cackled. “Double burn!” He lifted his hand and fist-bumped Natalia, and Brad waved us all off and walked away, shaking his head.
I was proud of Natalia for giving Brad a hard time. She could be very funny when she opened up. I was sure it helped that she’d met them previously.
Griffin joined us then, and he looked at me. “Well, I’ll be darned. This is unexpected.”
“Okay, now that you’ve all seen who my date is, let’s move on to other things. Like food.” I motioned toward the table across the room.
“Oh, yeah, help yourselves. There’s plenty of food and drinks. We’ve got some pool and air hockey going in the basement. I started a fire in the back yard, and the space heaters are out on the patio. It’s actually not too cold out there.”
We got something to eat and sat down in their family room, where Griffin and Lisa were seated, talking with some of their other friends. They introduced everyone, and then the dreaded small talk began. I tried to keep the conversation going in other directions, veering it away from Natalia, but then one of Lisa’s friends started talking to her.
“You and Jake make such a cute couple. How did you two meet?”
I was about to answer for her when she said, “I work as a nanny for his kids.”
“Really?” The woman’s eyes widened, and a protective surge came over me, ready to speak if necessary.
“Yeah.”
“So, is this …” The woman motioned between the two of us. “You two are a couple, though, right?”
“Yeah, it’s new.”
“Hey, if it works out, he won’t have to pay you to take care of the kids anymore. You’ll be their stepmom.”
Natalia’s cheeks turned bright pink, and I sensed she was at a loss for words.
“I think that’s a little premature,” I told the woman, “since we’ve only been dating a week.”
She gave a very obvious fake laugh. “I was just teasing.”
I looked over at Natalia, and she mouthed, “Thank you,” then I leaned in and kissed her cheek.
The woman turned her attention to other people’s conversations after that.
“Want to check out the fire?” I asked Natalia quietly.
She nodded, and we went and put on our coats and headed outside.
Brad was out there now with a few other people. We took a seat by the fire, and Griffin was right. It was toasty warm with the outdoor heaters and the warmth from the fire .
“Want me to roast you a marshmallow, Tally?” Brad asked.
“It’s the least you can do,” she teased.
He chuckled. “I know everyone thinks you’re giving me a hard time, but I know flirting when I see it.”
She burst out laughing. “You wish.”
He put a marshmallow on the roasting stick and held it over the fire. “I think you need a nice charcoal marshmallow after that.”
She shrugged. “Bring it on.”
He laughed. “I think you’ve got your hands full with this one, Jake.”
“I have no problem with that.” I slid one hand around behind her waist and pulled her into my side, kissing her temple.
“Well, aren’t you two just adorable?” Brad slowly spun the marshmallow, holding it high enough above the fire not to burn it like he’d threatened. “Seriously, Tally, what are you doing with this old guy? Don’t you want a younger man?” He motioned toward himself.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re one year younger than me.”
He shrugged. “Still younger.”
“I’m good,” Tally snuggled closer into me.
“Hey, if you change your mind, come find me at midnight.”
Brad held the roasting stick out to Natalia, and I snatched it from him and waved it in his direction.
“If you don’t get out of here—”
“I’m going. I’m going.” He raised his hands and backed away. “See you at midnight, Tally.” He gave her a wink, and I swished the stick through the air at him, causing the marshmallow to fly off and nearly hit him as he took off for the house, his laughter trailing behind him .
“He’s funny,” she said. “How come he’s not married?”
“It’s not his thing. He’s happy single.”
“Or so he says.”
“Yeah. I sometimes wonder if he wants more now that he’s older. But he’d never admit to it. He likes to date around, and doesn’t want to settle down with just one girl.”
“That must be a lonely kind of life.”
“Some people prefer it that way.”
“I guess so. At least he has friends like you and Danny and Griffin.”
“Yes, he does.”
We spent a while by the fire, under the clear winter sky, then headed back inside to warm up.
It was nice having someone to bring to events again, and I was proud of how well Natalia was handling being around this many people. It was one thing to go to a crowded place like The Sawmill, where talking to people was optional, but she made her way through this party as if she were completely comfortable, which I knew was not the case.
As midnight drew closer, we decided to go outside again. The stars were spectacular, so we took a walk out into the yard, where we could see them better away from the house lights. We’d been standing there for a while, her snuggled against my side, staring upward and getting cricks in our necks, when she suddenly jumped.
“Shooting star!”
I spotted the tail end of it as it faded away. “Nice one.”
“That was so incredible. I haven’t seen one in a long time.” She turned into me and wrapped her arms around my back, and I drew her close .
She was so sweet and happy in that moment. It filled my heart with joy.
“I’m so glad I got to share that with you,” she said as her gaze turned upward again.
I had a sense of smallness, standing under the vastness of space. And I was struck with how right it felt being here, holding her in my arms under the endless sky.
I kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze.
“We’ve got hundreds of shooting stars in our future.”
From the house, the countdown to midnight could be heard.
“Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.”
“Oh, it’s almost midnight,” she said. “We should go inside with the others.”
“I think right here is the perfect place to start the new year together.” I took her face in my hands. "Five."
“Four.” She smiled up at me.
“Three, two, one,” we said together.
And then I experienced the most magical kiss of my life. My lips met hers, soft and warm, and I held them there for a long moment as we breathed into each other. She broke contact first, then brought her lips immediately back to mine, and suddenly, a loud boom sounded, and sparkles of light exploded in the sky. Either Griffin or a neighbor was shooting off fireworks, but I didn’t care who. I only cared about the woman in my arms.
“How beautiful.” Her eyes twinkled as she watched, but I stared at her, completely enraptured, falling for her. Oh, who was I kidding? I’d fallen the moment I met her .
I had the strongest urge to tell her, but wasn’t it too soon for that?
Her eyes met mine, and she lifted up to kiss me again. We took our time, kissing with all the passion we had for each other, starting our year off right.
She broke contact first and looked up into my eyes. “I love you, Jake.”
It took me by surprise after the thoughts I’d just had, and I didn’t reply right away.
The light of the bursting fireworks above us showed the expectation and uncertainty on her face, and I cupped her cheeks in my hands.
“I love you too.”
My heart pounded loudly as I sealed our profession of love with a kiss. Maybe I should’ve waited. Maybe it was too soon, but I couldn’t not say it back when she was staring up at me like that. And I worried I might have said it because she had. Not that I wasn’t feeling the same. But I needed to slow down. We weren’t in a rush. She was so young and inexperienced with dating, and I wondered if she really knew what love was or if she was just wrapped up in the excitement and emotion of a new relationship. And maybe I was too.