“I’m honored to be included. They told me this was something you guys did with Hannah.”
“She loved decorating for every holiday. The girls have ensured we continue the tradition.”
“You’re a great dad, Holt.”
“I try to be. It’s hard though. I never imagined I’d be doing this by myself. Half the time, I’m terrified I’mmaking all the wrong choices, and the rest of it, I’m hoping I don’t screw them up so bad they go into debt with therapy bills.”
Gia laughs. “I think they’re going to grow into strong women who won’t take any shit from anyone.”
“I hope you’re right.” Looking into those denim-blue eyes, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for having met this woman. “Thank you, Gia.”
A line forms between her eyebrows. “For what?”
“For reminding me that I’m more than just a grieving dad. For showing me that I still have a lot of life to live, and I want to live it to the fullest.”
“Oh, Holt,” she whispers. Her lips meet mine in a soft kiss that makes my heart splinter. I want to ask her to stay. I want to tell her that we can find a way to make this work. But the words don’t come out. They stay stuck in my throat until giggles and pounding feet coming down the stairs end the moment.
CHAPTER 17
Gia
“Will you read me a story?” Leah asks with sleepy eyes. She’s fresh and clean from her bath and is squeezing a book to her pajama-clad chest.
I raise my eyebrows at Holt to see if he has a problem with that. He makes a face that says it’s up to me, so I give Leah a smile and follow the girls back upstairs.
Leah gets settled under her pink sheets, handing me the book she wants to read. Lauren comes in a minute later and asks if she can listen too. Leah pats the bed for her sister to join us.
The story is about a little girl slaying dragons all by herself. I use silly voices for the characters, making the girls giggle. Once we get to the end, the moral of the story becomes clear that even though you can slay dragons on your own, it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
Leah is almost asleep when I set the book back on her shelf, but she still asks, “Do you hafta leave?”
I sit back down on the edge of her bed, put on the spot by her sleepy blue eyes. “Yeah, I do. I miss my sister and my family. I’ve got things I need to do back home.”
“But you’ll come back, right?” Lauren asks.
“I don’t know, sweet girl. I hope so, but if I do, it won’t be for a while.”
The heartbreaking expression on their faces almost makes me cave. “We’re going to miss you.”
I swallow down my tears. “I’ll miss you just as much.” Without thinking about it, I press a kiss to both of their foreheads and then leave the room before I have an epic breakdown.
Holt’s right outside their room, his face a wash of emotions. He swallows them back the same way I did. Then he holds his hand out to me and leads me down the hallway to his bedroom.
In all the time I’ve been here, I never ventured into his space. It felt wrong to go snooping without him around.
As we step through the threshold, it’s much bigger than I realized. A wall of windows allows the moonlight to brighten the space while a lamp on Holt’s nightstand lights the other half. He has a four-poster bed with light blue bedding. There’s a cozy sitting area on the opposite side of the room in front of the fireplace.
Holt turns me into his arms, cupping the sides of my face. His heated gaze is heavy with the words he’s not saying. It might be wishful thinking, but it feels like he wants to ask me to stay the same way the girls did. In the next second, the thought is gone as if he decided against saying what’s on his mind.
I’m grateful for that because if he asked, I’d probably say yes. And then in the morning, I’d have to go back on my word.
I can’t stay here, even with Gwen’s offer. This town isn’t my home. I can’t leave my entire family behind based on a whim. I’ve made a lot of rash decisions in my life, but this isn’t going to be one of them.
Holt leans in to kiss me just as softly as he did earlier. Weboth know that tonight is our last goodbye. I have one more full day in Pine Creek Falls before I have to be on a plane back to North Carolina.
As our tongues glide, I tug on the hem of his T-shirt. He pulls away only long enough to let it slide over his head before he’s back, making me dizzy with kisses. I run my palms down his muscled chest to play with his happy trail. A shiver runs through him when I dip my fingers into the top of his jeans.
He leans back and starts to divest me of my clothes. My sweater goes first, dislodging the clip from my hair. I pull it out and chuck it on the floor, letting the strands fall around my shoulders. It’s about as long as Ginny’s now, which is not something I’m used to. I usually keep it short to minimize the chances of being mistaken for her.
