Page 281 of Screwged for Christmas

“Ain’t that the truth. My dad wanted me to be a lawyer and he thought Jon would be an architect. But Jace a pro ballplayer? Now that I would have loved to see.”

“He was good. Real good. After his injury, he and I talked about what I always wanted to do. One thing led to another and that year Chief Matthews took us under his wing. But that wasn’t enough.”

Ivy nodded. “Small town like this had no adventure for the Big Dix boys, huh?”

He huffed. “We wanted bigger so we went to California where the real danger was.”

Aspen paused. Four years and the words still tied his tongue into knots along with his guts. “Jace died in a wildfire in upstate California a little over three years back. And now, here I am.”

Ivy gasped, a delicate sound but it struck a nerve just the same.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“That’s okay. Plus, how could you?” He drew out the words, hoping as time went on it would help lessen the pain. “We kept the funeral low-key. Just the rest of the Kennedy crew. A few people from town. Simple like he would have wanted it.”

By crew, he meant his three remaining brothers, a bull-headed sister, more cousins than he could remember and enough aunts and uncles to fill the Winters’ inn three times over.

“Your gran held the service at the B&B. It was nice.”

“And your other brothers? Julie? Are they doing okay?”

“It hit them hard. Julie and Jace were closest so it hit her the hardest, I think. They all come home now more than they used to, which is nice especially for Mom and Dad. Kade recently returned and is the rookie down at the station and Ryder took over the grocery store. Thank God! I dodged a bullet on that one.” He knew all too well how draining the place could be, needing constant care, but his brother was good at balancing numbers and people loved him.

“Yeah, after high school we all went our own ways too. And… you know, what happened between us. Only a few of us ever come back for holidays and birthdays. Jon was the first of course, being the oldest, Carol followed next with her record deal in Nashville. No one saw that coming.” She laughed softly. “But Mom and Dad handled it well, I guess. They travel a lot to see her.” She watched the ends of her scarf as she threaded her fingers through the fringe rather than see Aspen’s hurt expression at what she said next.

“But no matter how busy our lives were or what happened between us, we—I—should have been there for you and your family.”

She leaned forward and the scoop neck of her sweater dipped to reveal creamy swells of her breasts that would make any man drool.

Damn she was pretty. No, she was pretty in high school, but now she was stunning. Fully grown into the woman he knew she would be. Long wavy brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail revealed her delicate neck he used to love kissing. Light brown eyes that caught every detail and right now watched him with a hint of hope, for what he didn’t know yet but he recognized it from when he was up against the world and looking for a thread that would lead him back to the path he should be on. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think it would be him.

Not anymore.

But nothing said it couldn’t be either.

So maybe he was arrogant enough.

Seeing her again, smelling her, feeling her skin against his did his heart good.

“It’s okay, Ivy Sunday. Really. You have your own life now. You don’t owe me anything.” He wanted off the topic as quickly as possible but didn’t want to hurt her feelings in the process. Truth be told, losing his brother damaged a part of him he didn’t like revisiting and the more they talked about it the more his chest hurt.

He rubbed at his jaw considering what to say to cut the mounting tension and bring back her bright smile and bright gaze.

Ivy turned to him from where she was looking out at the white scenery passing by. “You know, I’m glad I am here.” She caught him off guard with her admission. With how long it took for her to return, he would have staked everything he owned on never seeing her sweet, sincere face again.

Eight years seemed like a long time and it was. The day she walked out of his life, his brothers said she’d be back. To give her time to figure out what she wanted in life. He didn’t believe them. But he’d waited all the same. For a while anyway.

He slid a glance her way. Soft hair fanned around her face and it took everything he had not to reach out and stroke the back of his hand along the soft skin of her cheek. Or slide his hand over hers and link their fingers together just to see if they still fit together.

“Those reindeer slippers made my morning. The guys back at the firehouse will love to hear all about them.” He chuckled and marveled at how easy it was to laugh with her. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a big O in surprise. “You wouldn’t dare!”

The gasp leaving her lips had his dick hardening. Last time he heard that sound from her they’d been celebrating their engagement at what would have been their first apartment over his parent’s store.

“Depends.” he teased, reminding himself to stay in the present and away from the haunting memories of their past.

Ivy turned with a narrowed-eyed gaze that made him want to laugh and tease her more.

“On?” She braved the water with her question with how she fiddled with the ends of her scarf and shot him a worried look.

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