Lake led them down the street to the dimly lit pavilion at the end. The far side of which a crowd had gathered, and a line of golf carts had begun to assemble for the golf cart Christmas parade—complete with a visit from Santa at the end—officially kicking off the night’s festivities.
When she’d settled on the wooden bench, Lake presented her with a gift. She bit her lip and happily ripped out the festive paper from inside. Georgia lifted a checkered black and white sweater from the bag, an image of Gus dressed as Santa across the center, and burst into laughter.
“I love it,” she said. “I may wear it every day. It’s absolute perfection.”
“I might ask you to after you left me to the wolves for so long back there.” He nudged Georgia and sat down beside her
Georgia shrugged, still admiring the ridiculous sweater and the picture of her mother’s senile, obese cat with crazy in his eyes. “It looked like you and Mr. Peters were planning matching tattoos. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Yup. Candy canes. On our chests…”
She giggled again. “I have something for you too. You aren’t gonna believe it.” Georgia handed him the small bag and watched with glee as he unwrapped the pair of custom Gus socks she had made. His fat orange body printed repeatedly across the shin-high, blue socks.
“To match your eyes,” she said playfully.
“Georgia Snow…” he grumbled. Then to her surprise, he stood up, ripped his shoes and socks off right there, and shoved the cat socks on, wiggling his toes for effect.
In answer, Georgia stood, too, and pulled the Gus sweater over her Good Start work shirt, smiling up at him proudly. Lake reached out and pulled her curls from beneath the sweater to lay across her shoulders.
“I hoped we could talk tonight. Now, if… if you’re ready?”
She nodded, more than ready. “Yes. Me first.”
He took a step and reached out, trailing his hand from her shoulder down her arm, slow and steady, until his fingers unclasped her nervously crossed arms and brought them down, not quite connecting. And instead, just rested them beside her, waiting.
“You gave me gifts all month and then took care of me all week,” she said, grazing her fingertips gently against his, playing a game all her own.
Lake’s breath hitched just slightly.
“You cooked and cleaned and bought me groceries… And you decorated the store. You did all of that work. You… you made me Southern snow, Lake.” She let her fingers trace the lines of his, teasing with the whisper of a touch.
“Yes,” he said, voice cracking.
“Why? What’s happening here? After all this time…”
Lake connected their hands and pulled her close. “I think… I think I’ve had more time to think about you and me. I know I have. The possibility that you might… That you would possibly forgive me for before. For all the things that happened."
Georgia wanted to tell him he was wrong. That she'd thought about him, and the possibilities there, for far longer than she’d wanted to admit. Had wondered where he was, how he was, and who he was with countless times since she'd vowed never to do those very things. Instead, looking up into the eyes of the man who'd captured her heart completely, she said, "None of those things matter anymore. That Lake, from high school, isn't who you are, and it isn't how I see you."
He sighed and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you. I need you to know, though, Georgia… I know I hurt you, and I'm so sorry for that, but I never…" He searched her eyes. "I never bought drugs. Never. I didn't lie to you."
Georgia stumbled back a step. "But, the rumors? AndRegen. And… Evan turning you in?"
"Griffin came home to visit the morning before the dance. He asked if he could use my car, and I said yes. I didn't need to know what it was for, just told him I needed the car back for our date that night. Apparently, he had an appointment with a dealer he couldn't miss."
Lake winced. "Evan found the drugs in my car when he was looking for a charger that afternoon. He took it straight to my dad. Never asked if it was mine."
"And you didn't correct him? Them?"
Lake shook his head. "I knew it was Griff. He’d been in trouble in Utah but didn’t want anyone to know. I confronted him, but I’d already taken the blame. I didn’t have a chance to correct it with Evan or my parents, so I covered for him. It was dumb and the wrong thing to do, but at the time… everyone thought Griffin and Evan were the golden boys anyway, ya know? Eagle Scouts. Top of their class. Scholarships to school. I just let them keep thinking what they thought about me to begin with.”
“All this time, everyone thought… I thought…” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Lakeland.”
“No, Peaches.” He wiped his thumbs under her eyes and rubbed them gently down her cheeks. “I believed them, too,” he nearly whispered.
“I believed I was who they said I was. It took me moving to the other side of the country, and going throughRegen,to really learn who God says I am in Him… It wasn’t until then that I learned to see myself truly. To see my worth in Christ alone. To find purpose.”
She put her hands over his, still holding her cheeks.
