Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
LEIF
“ T his Naughty List of yours is hilarious,” I said after she told me more about it and the tasks the girls had to complete. I couldn’t envision Laurel shoplifting or anything quite like that, but I loved that she didn’t take life too seriously. “Don’t fret. We’ll work something out for your next task. I’ve got this.”
She inhaled deeply, relief shining in her eyes as she reached across the table for my hand. “I knew I could count on you. I nearly fell out of my chair when I read what I had to do. Who puts something like that on a list?”
“One of your friends,” I teased. “To be honest though, I think a lot of people have something on their bucket lists that constitutes petty crime. I’m not saying it’s right. I just think a lot of people want to feel that adrenaline rush of doing something so wrong.”
She giggled. “You’re probably right. I just didn’t want to be one of those people. I don’t need to steal to get my kicks.”
“How do you get them?” Now was as good a time as any to start asking all the questions I’d realized over the last few days I didn’t know the answers to anymore. “Reading is still one way, obviously, but what else?”
“I read dirtier books these days,” she offered, a faint pink flush appearing on her cheeks. “Outside of that, I love being involved in any of the community events around here, painting random walls and furniture around my house, and running around town with Doodle.”
“Alright, I’ll accept all of those, but that’s Good Laurel talking. How does Bad Laurel get her kicks?”
“Other than hooking up with an ex-boyfriend at her reunion? I don’t know yet.”
I was definitely game to help her find out, but this wasn’t the place to get into that kind of thing. Soft music flowed from speakers and there were too many other patrons around who would definitely overhear us over the quiet, classical strands. Plus, I was pretty sure we’d both get arrested if I ended up tearing her clothes off and taking her right there.
I took a sip of the wine our server had just brought over. Then I did a slow double-take as I looked at the glass. “Okay, that’s delicious. I think I understand what you meant about this place.”
She flashed me a satisfied smile. “See, you won’t ever want to leave, but how about you? How do you get your kicks these days?”
“You know, I realized this week that I’m not sure I do get any kicks anymore. I basically just work and then shoot the breeze with Jack and the boys while getting a workout of some sort.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “I’m sure that’s not true. There’s got to be something.”
I shrugged. “There used to be, but I don’t even go out clubbing anymore. I feel way too old for that shit. I have this ex that used to drag me out every night and it was awful, so I’ve been avoiding it like the plague ever since we broke up.”
“That sounds awful,” she said. “When did you break up?”
“Before the reunion,” I assured her. “Don’t worry. I was very much single when that happened.”
She smiled, but I saw the relief in her eyes that meant she had been wondering. “Good. I don’t think I’m ready to be the bad girl who leads taken men astray.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll ever be ready for that, but I’m grateful for it. Besides, I’m completely happy to be taken by you. You don’t have to lead me astray.”
“Do you know that every time you say something like that, my heart skips, like, ten beats?” she asked.
“Do you know that every time I think about you, the same thing happens to me? It’s a problem, considering that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Have you ever wondered if skipped beats take time off your life?”
“No, but it better not,” she said, smiling as she squeezed my hand.
Our server returned to take our food orders and we both quickly studied our menus before we told her what we wanted to eat. Then we returned to our conversation as if we hadn’t been interrupted at all. “You better take care of yourself, McIntosh. I’d like to live a long, happy life with you, provided we can figure out how to do that between Franklin and Denver.”
“Let’s just take it one thing at a time. I’ll admit that this week was hard, but it’s got to get easier, right? Lots of people who’ve just started dating don’t see each other every day. I’m not entirely sure why this felt so different.”
She sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t dated anyone else that I’ve wanted to see every day.”
I thought about Rainy leaving that ridiculous gift on my desk and snorted. “I’ll be totally honest with you here, my last ex is so crazy that I eventually didn’t want to see her at all. Let alone see her every day.”
“I have my fair share of toxic exes, but what makes her so crazy?” Laurel’s head tilted. “I wonder if any of my exes describe me that way.”
I shook my head. “Not unless you’ve taken pictures of them sleeping at a time when you shouldn’t have been able to have access to their houses. Or if you can’t take no for an answer.”
Her eyes widened a bit. “No, I definitely haven’t done any of that. If it’s not working with someone, you move on, and taking pictures of someone while they’re asleep when you’re not supposed to be in their house? I don’t even know what to say about that.”
I squeezed her hand. “Agreed.”
We stayed in the restaurant talking for hours and eating one of the most delicious steaks I’d ever had in my life. When it was time for the lighting of the tree, we gathered with the rest of the town in the square and I smiled at the excitement in the air.
Freshly fallen snow drifted in piles around us. I held Laurel in front of me, the sound of a live choir singing Christmas carols a beautiful backdrop to the event. As Laurel sang and cheered with the others, I looked at her, taking a moment when she wouldn’t notice me doing it to drink her in the way I’d wanted to since I’d arrived.
She was stunning with the snow flurries in her hair, her cheeks and nose all rosy from the cold. It hit me then, square in the fucking chest. I’ve never stopped loving her.
I suddenly knew it as well as I knew my own name. I had always loved this girl, regardless of how many years we’d spent apart.
My heart flip-flopped with the realization, but then it seemed to swell in my chest, finally feeling like it was fitting right for the first time in a decade. It was only then that it occurred to me I hadn’t felt whole since she and I had broken up, and this was why.
It really has always been her.
After a speech and some fanfare, the tree was lit. Its warm glow filled the dimming sky, brightening the gloom. A massive cheer went up from the crowd in response. I glanced at their tree and it was stunning, but I was still reeling from all my realizations.
Laurel turned her head to smile up at me. “Would you like to come back to my place for a Christmas movie night? It’s my tradition to watch White Christmas every year after the tree lighting, and you’ll be able to meet Doodle.”
“I’m in,” I said without giving it a second thought. “My hotel room can wait. Let’s go watch White Christmas.”
She grinned and I took her hand in mine. We walked back to her car parked down the block from her bookstore. Her house wasn’t too far away. It was a cute little cottage-looking thing with neatly trimmed hedges, covered flower bushes, and a snow-specked fairy garden under the cover of a small, concrete umbrella in the front yard.
Her door was painted a vibrant violet and the path leading to it was made of cobblestones. I laughed. “God, you found a house that someone plucked right out of your fantasies, didn’t you?”
She nodded, her eyes twinkling with happiness. “It’s good to know that it’s so obvious. I love this place so freaking much.”
“I can definitely see why,” I said as I followed her in, completely bowled over by how very her this was. A mishmash of old and new, color and original hardwood and stone. Knick-knacks, books, and a cozy little fireplace in the corner.
Something knocking against my legs yanked me out of my awe and I glanced down to see the most beautiful, furry face staring up at me. I grinned and dropped to my haunches. “You must be Doodle. It’s so nice to meet you, girl. Have you been taking good care of your mommy for me? You have, haven’t you? Thank you.”
It was love at first sight for Doodle and me as I stroked my fingers through her thick, clean fur. She followed me to the kitchen when I went after Laurel, who was sliding her coat off as she grinned at me. “Do you want to bake some Christmas cookies with me before we watch the movie?”
“Sure,” I said. “I haven’t done that since we did it together, though. You might have to keep an eye on my measurements.”
“I can do that. It’ll be like riding a bicycle,” she joked, but as it turned out, we fell back into a seamless rhythm, working together as if we’d last done it just yesterday.
In no time at all, the cookies were in the oven and we settled in to watch the movie together. I held her in my arms on the couch, the fireplace now lit and a blanket covering us. By the time the movie was over, I knew it was probably time to call an Uber and get back to my hotel, but I desperately didn’t want to leave.
“Would you like to stay with me tonight?” Laurel asked, turning in my arms to look up at me.
“It’s like you read my mind. I’d love to. You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“The only thing I would mind is if you left,” she said, standing up and offering me her hand.
She led me down a short corridor to her bedroom. After she changed into a pair of pajamas and I’d stripped down to my underwear, we climbed into her bed together, snuggling up as soon as we were under the covers. I pulled her back into my arms, smiling at the Christmassy print I’d made out on her pajamas when she’d emerged from the bathroom after she’d changed.
“What?” she asked.
I chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Nothing. I just really missed you, is all. It’s like I’m only really realizing how much now.”
“I know the feeling,” she murmured, reaching over to switch off the lamp on her nightstand before she cuddled into me.
The house was quiet. Doodle was sleeping in a dog bed near the fireplace, where she apparently dragged it herself when the weather started changing. There was a beautiful scene outside of the big glass windows with fresh snow falling under the streetlights. Inside, it was warm and the scent of cookies still wafted in the air.
“You do realize your pajamas have a mistletoe print, right?”
“Yeah, so?” she asked.
“So I’m supposed to kiss you under the mistletoe.”
She giggled, and the sound sent a flash of heat through my body. I’d honestly forgotten that while we’d always been in a romantic relationship, Laurel had also been my best friend.
For so many years, she’d been my person in every possible way, and I’d missed that too. When she finally fell silent, I pressed a kiss to her forehead and felt my heart starting to race.
“You’ve completed your task of stealing, bug.”
She pulled her head back to frown up at me. “We paid for dinner, didn’t we? What did I steal?”
I smiled and tugged lightly at the bottoms of her curls. “My heart, bug. That’s what. You stole my heart, and I don’t ever want it back.”