4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jamie

As I park my car, I see the O'Connells and my parents walk through Jessica's front door. Hesitating to get out of the car, I sit and look over Sean and Jessica's houses, which have all the Christmas lights and decorations. A smile slowly crosses my face. The two are decorated exactly the same. The only difference is that Jessica's front lawn has a grim reaper hidden in the back corner.

My smile turns into a full grin, and I laugh out loud. The Halloween decorations are so very Jessica and her thriller novel ways. I'm sure that Sean tried to persuade Jessica to leave it packed away, which is why it's hidden in the corner, all but out of sight. I can just imagine how the "discussion" they had about it went. But like the besotted man he is, he totally gave in.

Plus, it's Jessica's house, and there was no way my best friend could talk my sister out of something she wanted in front of her house. I shake my head and chuckle.

My smile becomes hesitant as I see Evie's car parked down the street. I run a shaky hand through my hair and blow out a breath, making my lips vibrate against each other. I'm nervous and am completely stalling. I look down at the sweater I'm wearing and, for the hundredth time since leaving the house, wonder if wearing it is a good idea. The reason behind why I wore it has me feeling vulnerable. My stomach roils, my palms sweat, and my heart is racing.

It's too late to change my mind now. I turn the car off and get ready to head to the party.

Walking up the steps, I hear the sound of Christmas music and laughter from inside, and my heart starts to pound. I put my hand on the doorknob, take another deep breath, blow it out, and push the door open.

"Hi, everyone." I force a smile on my face while doing a quick scan of the room, looking for the one person I really want to see. My heart falls as I don't see her.

"Jamie!" Everyone shouts and rushes over to greet me. Liam is the closest and the first to reach me.

"So good to see you, Jamie." He puts his hand on my shoulder and extends his other hand out to me, which I shake. I give him a smile and make note of how good he looks.

"You look great." I slap him on the arm and notice his quick glance at Penny. The warmth in his eyes is unmistakable. There is a sense of ease surrounding him that is tangible. This is not the same man that I saw six months ago. The look in his eyes is no longer haunted, and his body is relaxed. The transformation is incredible.

"Thanks." He glances down at my sweater and laughs. "Wish I could say the same about you. Evie, looks like you just might have some competition." He yells, throwing his head over his shoulder while eyeing up my sweater and laughs.

At the sound of her name, I look over his shoulder but don't see Evie. I bring my attention back to Liam, look down at his sweater, and feel my lips twitch.

"Oh? Like you should talk. Yours is pretty awful, too." I slap him on the shoulder and let a smile stretch across my face.

Sean comes up behind me and puts me in a headlock before giving me a hug. "Dude, it's so good to see you!"

"It's good to be home. Nice decorations." I point toward the outside with my thumb, and Sean laughs.

"Did you notice the grim reaper," he whispers and rolls his eyes.

"I did, it's so Jess. And you are just too in love." I lightly punch him in the chest and let out a full belly laugh.

His eyes look over the room until they rest on Jessica, and his face lights up. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do to make her happy. Even if it means putting a Halloween decoration out at Christmas." He shrugs.

I laugh again with him and then make my way around the room to say hello to everyone. The entire time I greet each person, part of my attention is still trying to find Evie. I've just finished saying hello to Sarah and Mark O'Connell when I see her walk out of the kitchen carrying a platter.

My breath catches, and my heart starts to race. As always, her beauty and grace make my stomach knot and my breath hitch. She truly is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, and I struggle to redirect my attention as I watch her every move. My eyes roam her face before they fall to the sweater she's wearing. A grin spreads across my face. That new sweater is even worse than the old sweater, and before I can stop it, a laugh falls from my lips.

"It's hideous, right?" Jessica chuckles; I feel a flush creep up my neck, having been caught. "I don't know where she finds them, but she's good at it. I mean, look at yours."

I glance down at my sweater and smirk. I look back up to Jessica. "Is it really a good thing to have such bad taste?" I ask and give her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you doing? I read your latest book. It's fantastic."

"You did?" I smile and nod while sneaking a glance in Evie's direction as she rearranges the items on the table. I feel my lips pull up as Jess' voice draws me back to our conversation. "Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed it. The next one's going to be even better."

"You're already planning the next one?" My eyebrows shoot up, and Jessica grins.

"Writers are always planning their next books." She winks at me, and my eyes widen. Who is this happy person, and what has she done with my sister?

"Sean is good for you." I put my hand on her shoulder and smile as I watch her eyes light up as they land on Sean.

"Speaking of him—" her eyes dance. "I see he's standing under the mistletoe." I glance in Sean's direction and notice the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Jessica beelines over to him and interrupts the conversation he's having with Liam by putting her hands on the side of his face and kissing him. His and Liam's surprise has me laughing.

Her surprise at what he does once he recovers is even funnier. Prone to the dramatic, Sean wraps his arms around Jessica's waist, dips her, and kisses her thoroughly. The two of them have everyone laughing and cheering.

My eyes turn to Evie, and I find her watching Sean and Jess with a small smile, too. She glances in my direction, and our gazes meet. My heart slams into my chest. She quickly looks away and goes back to fiddling with the items on the table. She's pushing things around like she's rearranging, but I know that it's a sign of her being nervous. She has a tendency to need to keep herself busy when she's anxious .

I smooth my pants with my hands and make my way over to her. With every step I take toward her, my heart beats faster and louder until it's the only sound I hear.

"Hi, Evie." I sheepishly smile at her. Her shoulders slowly rise and fall as she takes a deep breath. I feel some of the tension in my chest release as I realize she's nervous, too. I can't ever remember feeling this awkward around her. She turns to face me, and her eyes sparkle with anger. I force a smile on my face. "Once again, you pulled off the best ugly sweater."

"Hi, Jamie." Her tone is cold and hard. Evie, who is always full of joy, stares at me with cold eyes. Just then, her eyes drop to my sweater, and her eyes widen. When she meets my gaze again, I see a question lingering, and then her lips tug up a bit. "Nice sweater."

One thing I have always loved about Evie is her disposition. Like Sean and Liam before the military, she's easy to laugh and quick to see the good in life. I am praying that that character trait will help me get into her good graces.

"Thanks. Someone very special gave it to me as a gift," I say softly. "Someone I've missed every day since I've been away." I watch her mouth fall open, and her eyebrows shoot up.

"I—"

"Evie! That sweater is hideous. I love it," Liam interrupts as he leans in and gives his sister a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He then peruses the table and grabs a plate. "This spread looks great. Are you sure Jessica got this together?"

Evie and I both laugh and then look at each other, surprised as if we've never laughed before.

Liam, with his focus on the table, doesn't even notice the tension between us. "I'm starving. Penny? Are you hungry?"

"I am," Penny responds as she makes her way over to the table and puts her hand around Liam's waist. "Oh, I love pigs in a blanket."

I don't know Penny very well; Liam was always spending time outdoors when we were growing up, so I only saw her occasionally at the O'Connells'. I can't help but smile at the two of them. Maybe Sean isn't the only romantic.

I look back to Evie, and the smile falls from my face as I watch her quietly head back into the kitchen. It wasn't the greeting that I was hoping for, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. Evie is not by nature a mean person, nor does she stay mad at people for long, and the look on her face when she glanced at the sweater I'm wearing has my heart stuttering.

Evie may be trying to act unaffected by my presence, but the truth is she isn't. My stomach grumbles and I grab a pig in a blanket. I feel a small smile creep upon my face as I feel a tiny flicker of hope come to life.