Page 172 of Delivery After Dark
“You’re welcome in her life—and in ours. We’ll stay in touch, okay?”
“That sounds good. Tell her… Tell her I love her, will you?”
“We will,” Jared said.
They said their goodbyes, and Jared ended the call.
Then Lizzie was in his arms, sobbing her heart out as he did the same. And then they were laughing even as the tears still flowed.
“She’s ours,” Lizzie said. “She’s really going to be ours.”
“She’s always been ours. We’re just making it official.”
“We need to text Kendall and Dan.”
“I will.” He held her as tightly as he ever had. “In a minute.”
* * *
The days flew by in a flurry of preholiday madness for Sierra, as many of her regular customers treated themselves to some relaxation amid the chaos of preparations, family gatherings, parties, shopping and wrapping. At six o’clock on the twenty-third, she closed the studio door for the next ten days, excited for a much-needed break and visit to Providence to see her dad and extended family.
If only a sense of dread wasn’t hanging over the festive season as she tried to keep herself from completely losing her heart to a man who might or might not be leaving the place she called home before too much longer.
They’d spent every night together for weeks. She’d never felt closer or more connected to a man than she did to Morgan, and despite her best efforts to contain her feelings for him, she’d fallen deeply in love for the first time in her life. What should’ve been the happiest time ever was overshadowed by unanswered questions that kept her awake long after Morgan had drifted off to sleep at night.
She was running on fumes and letting her emotions rule her, but how could she help it? Her phone buzzed with a text from her dad.
Got time to talk?
They’d been playing text-tag for days, and even though she was eager to see Morgan, she took a few minutes to call her best pal.
“Is this my long-lost daughter who has no time for her old man these days?”
“Um, hello? I’m not the one who’s been hosting parties every day for weeks.”
“I’m getting out of the holiday party business next year.”
“You’ve said that every December for twenty years.”
“This time, I mean it.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“When am I going to see you?”
“I’m on the noon boat tomorrow, so around one or so.” Tell him. Tell him you’re not coming alone. Why are you being so weird about this? “So, um, Dad, you didn’t have much to say about me bringing a friend home with me. I hope it’s okay.”
“Because you never said what kinda friend you were bringing.”
“The boyfriend kind.”
“Well… This is an interesting development. My little girl using the ‘boyfriend’ word.”
“I know, right?”
“What’s his story?”
“Remember how I told you that two local men were killed in the storm?”
