She drew back and grinned. “Thought you would.”
“I was supposed to pick up youractualChristmas present the day you went missing. It’s too late today, and starting tomorrow they’re closed until after Christmas, so I’m hoping you don’t mind getting it late.”
“You got me a gift?” There was wonder—or was that panic?—in her voice.
“Uh-huh,” he chuckled.
Sheepishness crept into her eyes. “I could use some extra time too.”
“You don’t have to get me anything. You being here, sitting on my lap, is present enough.” He stroked her good arm. “While we’re on the subject, I’ve been thinking. What do you say we celebrate Christmas Day together? Just the two of us, without friends and family?”
An impermanence existed on the wavy outer margins of their relationship, and it was a hard edge to straddle. He wasn’t sure if they were together-together, like his brothers and their wives, and a victory in a game of rock, paper, scissors wasn’t enough to seal the deal for him. They were in this weird gray area where a piece of paper said they were together, bolstered by what they did in the bedroom and the easy rhythm they’d developed living with each other for a month. But he needed to turn those margins into something rigid and lasting, and for that, he needed time alone with her—like on Christmas Day—without anyone else around. And that led him full circle back to his father and tomorrow’s looming family get-together on Christmas Eve. Reece dreaded the earful he was sure to get from his dad when he found out Reece had backed out of his obligation to Stowe Mountain.
Happy Holidays.
He ran his hands along the outside of her thighs. “Actually, there isonething you could do for me. Tell me again I’m not an asshole for breaking my promises.”
She’d been doing exactly that since the ride home from the hospital two days ago, but he wasn’t buying it.
She rested her head against his, her soft hair tickling his beard. “Reece, you’ve always been a man of your word, and this time isn’t so different. I know it feels bigger, but think of it this way. You had a bunch of commitments all vying for top spot, and you had to give up something, because as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t fulfill them all. They weren’t compatible. Some of those obligations are to your folks, your brothers, this town. Those were at odds with the ones you made to Stowe, but in the end, they carried the most weight. You had to make a choice, and you did. You’re following what you feel in your heart is right.” Sitting up, she placed her small hand on his chest, and he covered it with his.
“I’ll chew on that.”
“You do that.”
“In the meantime, what am I supposed to do with my time?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Never mind. I have an idea. I’ll chew onyou.” He nibbled her neck until she squealed.
She gave him a playful tap. “Even you can’t keep going all day and all night.”
“But I could die trying. Can’t think of a better way to go.” Making love to Neve all day and all night had a definite appeal to it, but his spirit was restless. He also wanted back into something that gave him purpose, that made a difference for his community.
Her phone rang, and she swiped it from the coffee table. “Jill Carlisle,” she hissed. Before he could stop her, she answered it. “Merry Christmas Eve Eve, Ms. Carlisle. Reece is here. Is it okay if I put you on speaker?”
Reece could hear the lawyer agree, followed by her laughter trilling over the phone. “Same to you, Neve. And I’m glad you’re together because this call is for both of you. I’ve done my research, and honestly, we’re down to the one option. But it should be relatively simple since we’re not dealing with a property settlement or children.”
Neve’s eyes slid to his. “Well, we might have a second option.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Would you mind if Reece and I talk and get back to you?”
“I’ll be in my office for another hour, then I’m out for the holidays.”
“Thank you. We’ll call you.” Eyes still glued to his, Neve ended the call.
“What’s on your mind, Doc?”
Her mouth twisted side to side. “I’ve been thinking. You’re not moving to Vermont, and going through a divorce—no matter how simple—isn’t going to be easy or cheap. Then there’s that big black mark on my record that might scare off my next husband.”
He was pretty sure she was yanking his chain, but he gawked at her nonetheless. “Yournexthusband? Who the hell is this guy?”
“Nobody you know. In fact, neither do I.”
With one hand holding her at the small of her waist, he traced his fingertip along the side of her face to her throat, where he wrapped his hand around her nape. “When you talked about promises just now, you left out the most important one: you. I swore an oath to you, Neve. In Vegas. I might have been drunk off my ass, but I still did it. That’s the promise I hold above all the others.”
Large denim-blue pools sucked him in, and he let them. He had bared himself to this woman he’d known his entire life yet had never really seen until now, and he wanted to continue baring himself. The windows were open, and their souls reached for one another. Connected. Intertwined. The way it was supposed to be.
“You know, when you asked me about people I’d dated before …” she started, and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to finish. He braced himself, and she went on. “What I didn’t say was those relationships didn’t go anywhere because sparks never flew. I was in love with someone else.”
