Kendra smiles knowingly. Guess she’s not as surprised as I thought she would be. “It’s the Police Chief, isn’t it?”
My cheeks flush. “Something like that.”
“Mmhmm.” She winks. “Tessa, from the moment you walked in the door, you have proven yourself to be a hard worker. You’re a team player. You have amazing talent and a great eye for capturing all the right moments. I am sure that we can work out something to keep you on the team, especially through the summer, if not longer.”
“Really?”
“Really, Tessa. For now, go home. Enjoy capturing all of the amazing things that Mistletoe Bay has to offer. I’ll talk it over with the other partners and see what we can do. I’ll have a solid answer for you after this project wraps. How does that sound?”
“Wow. Okay. Yes. Thank you, Kendra!”
“You’re welcome. Now, go get your man.” She shoos me out of her office.
I rush to my car with the few belongings that once occupied my desk and stuff them on the passenger seat of the rental car that is filled to the brim with things from my apartment that I didn’t want to leave behind. I’ll still need to come back before my lease ends to get the rest of my things or sell what I don’t want anymore and turn in my keys. But for now, I’ve got everything I want.
There’s no way I can wait even a moment more to head back home.
It’s twilight by the time I make it back to Mistletoe Bay. As I pass the welcome sign, I smile to myself as I glance down at the speedometer to make sure I’m not going even a hair over twenty-five miles per hour, even though I wouldn’t mind Nathan pulling me over again.
The town square is all aglow with twinkle lights and the Christmas Tree lit up at the center of it. I roll my windows down just to take a deep breath of the fresh air that smells like pine and peppermint.
Nathan’s cruiser is parked outside the station, his silhouette visible through the frosted window as I pull into an empty spot and turn off the engine.
I hover on the sidewalk for a beat, observing him hard at work while my heart beats faster in my chest, before pushing open the door.
He instantly looks up and smiles at my arrival. “You’re early.”
I shrug out of my coat. “Couldn’t stay away.”
Something shifts in his expression—relief and disbelief tangled together. He crosses the room in three strides and pulls me into him, his mouth finding mine with a hunger that feels like coming home.
When he finally breaks the kiss, he murmurs against my lips, “Tell me this means what I think it means.”
“It means,” I whisper, “I told Kendra I’m staying in Mistletoe Bay for good. I’ll have to travel back to turn in my keys, and probably will have to attend meetings at the office once in a while. But my boss said she thinks she can work something out. If not, I hear that the high school could use a new drama teacher. ”
His breath catches. “You’re serious.”
I grin and put my hand over his heart. “I am. Turns out, the story I want to tell is right here.”
He kisses me again, slower this time, one hand at the back of my neck. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Pretty sure I do,” I tease. “Chief.”
He groans. “You keep calling me that, and we’ll end up scandalizing the entire station.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time this station has been scandalized,” I whisper against his jaw.
“Home,” he orders. “Can I trust you to drive to my place without ending up in a ditch?”
I snort and roll my eyes. “Yes, Chief.”
Nathan smacks my ass. “I’ll be right behind you. Let me just give a report to Shane. I won’t be far behind.”
Reaching up on my tip-toes, I kiss him again and nod. “I’ll be waiting.
epilogue
. . .
