Page 79 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
Bronte’s laugh was bitter. “You don’t mean that.”
“I want you, Bronte, and if that means we can’t have kids, then we can’t have kids.”
“Youcan’tmean that,” Bronte whispered. “I know how this plays out.”
“No, Bronte, you don’t. I’ve just had the worst six days of my life.”
Bronte snorted. “I can’t be the reason you don’t get your dream. You might be okay now, but what about in five years, ten? You’ll hate me.”
“You are my dream, Bronte. A life with you. Seeing where this goes and where God takes us. We can make all the plans in the world, but if they aren’t God’s plans, they are nothing. He sent you straight to me—or maybe me to you, that’s up for debate, but who are we to question Him?”
If looking into Jonah’s eyes was a mistake, letting him talk was an even bigger one, his words a soothing balm to her weary soul.
“I’m going to kiss you now.” Jonah put a hand on either side of Bronte’s face. Hot tears pooled where his hands met her skin.
Using his thumb, Jonah wiped at her tears. “Don’t cry, Bronte.”
He leaned in ever so slowly. Bronte wanted to throw her arms around his neck and pull him close and never let him go again.
The front door crashed open just before their lips met.
One voice screamed, “Yes!” while another yelled, “I told you so!”
Jonah groaned and dropped his forehead to Bronte’s shoulder. “Holland,” he growled as Holland and Lexi stumbled into the living room.
“Oh my gosh, they are kissing!” Holland said.
“I think we might have interrupted that part,” Lexi said, bumping Holland with her shoulder.
“Wait. Do you two know each other?” Bronte pulled away from Jonah, pointing back and forth between Lexi and Holland.
Lexi shrugged. “We actually just met. I bumped into them in the elevator.”
“And she heard me telling Jonah what he needed to do to win you back,” Holland added, throwing an arm around Lexi’s shoulders. “Lexi put two and two together, and here we are.”
“Have you ever met a stranger?” Bronte asked Lexi. No one would ever have guessed the two of them had just met five minutes ago.
“I don’t think either of them has ever met a stranger,” Jonah mumbled behind her.
“Bronte.” Lexi jabbed a finger in her direction. “Jonah is ten times hotter in real life.”
Bronte’s cheeks heated as Jonah pulled her back to him.
“Can you come back home with me and meet my family?” Jonah’s eyes pleaded with hers.
Bronte took a deep breath and stilled her face from the smile she felt growing. “Can’t.”
Jonah’s face fell, and Bronte let her smile break through. She couldn’t torture him any longer. “My book. I have to finish it and turn it in.”
“Actually,” Lexi said, pulling looks from both Jonah and Bronte. Lexi’s fingers were flying over the screen of her phone. “I bought you an extra week.”
“What?” Bronte’s heart pounded so hard she wondered if Jonah could feel it.
“Well, I just sent a nicely-worded email to your publisher, letting them know that you’ll have the manuscript on their desk by the twelfth. Whoever heard of turning a manuscript in the first week of the year? Everyone knows publishers are buried under their inboxes for at least the first full week back.”
“Well, in that case…” Bronte put a finger to her chin.
“You’ll come home with me?” Jonah’s hands tightened around her hips, his touch the only thing keeping her feet on the ground.
