Page 74 of Merry Little Sugar Rush
I can tellby the devastation that sweeps across her gorgeous face she thinks I’m preparing to say goodbye. And I am, but that’s not all.
Hating the look on her face, I brush my lips across hers, closing my eyes and reveling in the feel of the connection. “I love you,” I whisper, finally speaking the words I’ve longed to say.
Her entire body tenses moments before her eyes slowly open. Green eyes gaze up at me, stunned by my admission. “You love me?”
“Yeah,” I reply with a small smile. “I think I always have.”
Kissable lips form a little O as she stares up at me. “But…you’re leaving,” she finally says after a bit of hesitation.
“Yeah,” I reply, wrapping my arms firmly around her and making sure she’s as close as she can get. “But I’m coming back.”
“You are?”
I nod. “I can build furniture anywhere, Easy-Bake. You’re here, so that’s where I want to be.”
Her mouth falls open a little more as she absorbs what I said. Then, she squeals and jumps up, throwing her arms around my neck and slamming her mouth against mine. “Are you serious?”
“That I love you, or I’m moving here?”
“Both, I guess,” she replies, still seeming stunned by my words.
“Yes, I’m going to move here. I’ve already had a conversation with my grandparents about it, and yes, I’m absolutely, one-hundred-percent in love with you. My heart is yours, if you want it.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears as she smiles. “I’ll take that heart, because truth be told, you’ve owned mine for as long as I can remember.”
Mine does a wild happy dance in my chest as I grin uncontrollably. “Yeah?”
Joy nods. “I love you too.”
The ache I’ve carried in my chest all day, all week really, seems to just subside instantly with those four little words. My right hand moves up to her hair as I urge, “Say it again.”
“I love you,” she whispers before punctuating her statement with a kiss.
Our lips fuse together beneath the brisk Christmas night sky. The soft glow of the lights fades away, and all that remains is us.
Joy and me.
Exactly how it was always meant to be.
When we pull apart, she looks up at me with wonder-filled eyes. “You’re really coming back?”
“Of course I am,” I reassure, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and slowly guiding her back the way we came. “It’ll take me a few weeks to wrap up everything back in South Carolina. I have a couple of projects I put off until I was returning so I could come here and help at the farm. Plus, I need to pack up my rental house.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you’re moving here. Just like that.”
Stopping, I pull her into my arms once more. “I want to be where you are, Joy. I’m just sorry it’s taken me this long to realize it.”
She cups my jaw with her soft hand, her fingertips cold against my flesh. “Neither of us could have known. The important part is we know now.” Going up on her tiptoes, she presses another intoxicating kiss to my lips. “Just so you know, I would go east with you if you asked.”
I shake my head before she’s even finished speaking. “Absolutely not. Your business is here. I could never ask you to walk away from that or your family.”
She shrugs and rests her cheek against my chest. “I would.”
Placing a kiss to her forehead, I reply, “I appreciate that, but no. The only place I want to be is here, and not just because you’re here, though that’s the main reason. This place is also my home, and I love it. Being back in Snowflake Falls has reminded me of that.”
“Well, I admit, I’m relieved I don’t have to say goodbye.”
I run my hands up and down her arms, trying to make sure she’s staying warm. “Just for a short time.”
