Chapter Sixteen

John

Something’s not right. No way would Eve let a little upset stomach or stuffy nose keep her from enjoying the final night of the festival. She lives for this stuff. There’s nowhere else she’d rather be or nothing else she’d rather do.

After leaving work, I stop by the big box store near the hospital and grab some cans of ginger ale, sports drinks with electrolytes, and a box of saltine crackers. I hit the jackpot when I reach the deli and find their soup of the day is both chicken noodle and creamy potato. I order a large bowl of each, knowing they’ll keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. As I’m heading to the registers to pay, I find freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies. She may not feel like eating one tonight, but I can guarantee as soon as she’s better, she’ll devour them. I grab a box of six.

Once I’m on the road again, headed for Snowflake Falls, I receive a call from my mom. “Hey, Mom.”

“Good evening, favorite son. How was your day?”

“It was good. Busy. Yours?”

“Not too bad. Listen, I was going over Monday’s menu with your grandma, and I didn’t want to blindside you, but…I sent Eve a message and invited her to dinner.”

A smile spreads across my face, mostly because I was going to invite her to join us. I knew Mom and Grandma would be fine with the extra guest, and knowing Eve’s family, who celebrates their family Christmas at the noon meal, I figured she’d be able to come to my mom’s with me for the later meal.

“I sent her a text message, but I haven’t heard back yet,” Mom is saying, forcing me back into the conversation.

“She wasn’t feeling good this evening, so she’s probably sleeping.”

“Oh no, what a terrible time to get sick. Especially since it’s the final Saturday night of the festival. I know she just loves the movie in the park and all the other festivities.”

“She does. I just left the store with some necessities. I’m gonna stop by my house for a quick shower and change and then go next door to see if she’s all right.”

“Well, hopefully it’s not that terrible stomach bug that’s going around. I was told three church members manning the hot cocoa stand last night all went home sick.”

“There has been an uptick in flu cases coming into the hospital.” Worry fills my mind, since I didn’t think to run over to the pharmacy section and grab anything there.

“Well, keep me posted on how she is, and if she’s well enough to join us, she’s welcome Monday night. I suppose if she’s not well yet, we can always reschedule. Everything I bought can be refrigerated or put in the freezer until she’s feeling better.”

Another smile spreads across my lips. Of course my mom is more concerned about making sure Eve can join us as opposed to going on with our family holiday meal with her absent.

That fact just reiterates what my heart’s been telling me for the last couple of weeks. Hell, maybe even longer. I missed her like crazy when I left town at eighteen to join the Army, and it was only worse after spending that one night with her when we were twenty-one. The years that filled in the time were good, and I did love Melissa, but now that I’m here, with Eve back in my life, I realize what I want moving forward.

Eve’s the one.

I pull into my driveway slowly, noticing the single light on in her living room. There’s a soft glow around her window shades in her bedroom, most likely from her TV, which means she’s probably lying down, which is good.

I take all the bags of my purchases into the kitchen and set them on the counter. Biggie is there, staring at the door, wanting to go out. I release the cat door and watch him scurry away. If I know Biggie, he’s probably heading straight over to Eve’s house, begging to be let inside.

After running through the shower and dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, I throw all my earlier purchases into a large, insulated bag and grab my keys. I shove my feet into my boots and slip on my coat, grabbing the bottle of ibuprofen from my cabinet before I go. Locking the door, I set out toward Eve’s house, prepared to stay until she’s feeling better again.

I walk around to the front, not wanting to scare her by knocking on her back door. A fresh dusting of snow has fallen, so once I make sure she’s settled, I’ll come out and shovel both of our sidewalks and the main path in front of our houses. Raising my hand, I knock on the door. When she doesn’t answer, I do it a second time, this time with a little more force. Just as I prepare to knock a third time, I hear the slide of the lock and take a deep breath.

Eve peeks her head out between the door and the jamb. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I reply, taking quick stock of her features. Red, swollen eyes, pink nose, dry, chapped lips. It looks more like she’s been crying than sick, which elevates my concern that much more. “Can I come in?”

She hesitates. “I’m not sure that’s the best. I wouldn’t want you to, you know, get sick.” She coughs. It’s clearly fake.

My eyes narrow a bit. “I’m around the sick and injured all day. I’m up to date on my shots and if I get sick, I get sick. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

She sighs and pulls open the door, granting me access. I step inside her warm house and take a quick look around. Everything appears to be in order, including the big stack of wrapped presents beneath her tree. I had planned to bring my gifts for her over and slip them in the back, but first, I need to make sure everything is okay between us.

“You don’t really look sick, Eve,” I state, setting my bag down and taking her hand in mine. After kicking off my boots, I lead her over to the couch and turn so we’re facing each other. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Her beautiful eyes fill with tears once more as sadness engulfs her. She slowly stands, and even though I don’t want to, I release my hold on her hand. I watch as she walks into the kitchen and grabs an envelope. Slowly, she makes her way back over and hands over the contents.

I flip over the envelope, noting that it’s been opened already. Pulling the sheet of paper, I realize immediately what it is. I applied to this hospital group, as well as a handful of others in Colorado, as a way to get back to my home state, with the ultimate goal of returning to Snowflake Falls as quickly as I could. But I was worried about a lack of job opportunities nearby and decided to branch out a bit. This particular hospital wasn’t one on my list, but I found their ad online and ended up shooting them my résumé. I’d actually forgotten all about it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to open it. It was with my mail. I ripped it open before I saw the yellow change of address label with your name on it. I should have stopped reading it the moment I realized it wasn’t mine, but well, I couldn’t stop. I’m sorry. I know it was wrong and, well, you know, another one of the mix-ups,” she informs me, wringing her hands together nervously.

I toss the paper down on her coffee table and meet her gaze. “And this upset you?” I ask, needing the confirmation before I tell her why I’d never take the offered job.

Her eyes widen as anger fills them. “Of course it upset me!” she declares, throwing her hands up in the air. “You had just told Mike Vargas that you were staying and agreed to join the department. Not only that, but you also told me you were staying. Gave me that line about buying a house and wanting to be closer to your family and all that crap. Now, you’re leaving, because there’s no way you can commute three hours one way every day for work.”

I sit here and watch as she starts to pace, taking approximately three steps before spinning back around and heading the other way.

“Not only that, but your big cat knocked up my baby, and she’s going to have to be a single mother. I told you I was personally holding you responsible if my cat got pregnant, which, lo and behold, ended up happening. So now you owe me kitten support for five tiny little kittens that’re due at the end of January, and you won’t even be here to help me. I mean, what if something goes wrong? You’re a medic!”

My lip ticks upward as I try not to smile. “I’m a human medic.”

“It’s all the same!” she bellows, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. “So, I open your stupid mail and find out you’re moving, no doubt accepting that big, fancy job that stupid fancy hospital is offering you without a formal interview ,” she states, using air quotes and changing her voice to reflect her disgust, “Your stupid cat got my princess pregnant, and to make it all worse, I went ahead and fell completely in love with you again, so excuse me if I told you I was sick because I needed a few hours to think and get my emotions under control, which clearly didn’t work so well for me.” She swipes angrily at her nose, sniffling at snot.

She’s in love with me again.

Standing up, I slowly approach, my hands at my sides and exposed as if I’m dealing with a caged animal. When I stop in front of her, her eyes widen with shock. “You’re in love with me again?”

She huffs and shakes her head. “I…”

“You can’t take it back now, Tiger,” I say softly, reaching for her hip and carefully wrapping my hand around it. When she doesn’t step back or pull away, I move closer so our fronts are touching. “I love you too.”

Beautiful green eyes stare up at me as she sucks in a greedy breath of air.

I move my other hand, sliding my index finger down the side of her face before gently cupping her chin. I give it a gentle lift and hold her gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, Eve. I’m right where I belong.”

A shuttered breath escapes her throat as she shivers. “But…what about the job?”

“I have a job here, and I’m very happy. I have no intention of switching. I love my house, even if my neighbor is a little spastic sometimes and beats on my back door to read me the riot act,” I tease, watching as the fire returns to those intoxicating emerald orbs.

“Your cat violated mine! You deserved to be read the riot act,” she insists.

Unable to hide my grin, I pull her tightly against my chest. “You can read me the riot act anytime you want, Eve. Just as long as you’re by my side.” I brush my lips across hers, reveling in the rightness and the softness. “And just so you know, Biggie will be the best cat daddy ever. We’ll make sure Snowflake is taken care of. He’s not leaving her.”

She chuckles and rests her cheek against my chest. “I’m sorry I opened your mail. And then freaked out.”

“Apology accepted and thank you for opening up to me and not shutting me out completely. I understand needing a little time to process something. In the future, just tell me you need some time to think, and I’ll grant it. Five, ten minutes tops, and then we can figure it out together.”

She giggles. “Five or ten minutes?”

I shrug. “I don’t like being away from you. Even after only spending a few weeks with you, I’m a little addicted,” I confess, tracing the apple of her cheek with my thumb. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I love you, Eve.”

Tears fill her eyes, but at least this time they’re happy tears. “I love you too. Maybe I never even stopped.”

“The path we’ve taken to get here is in the rearview mirror. Moving forward, we’re only looking out the windshield, baby.”

She giggles again, sending blood rushing to my cock. “That’s kinda cheesy.”

I shrug. “I’m a cheesy guy. What can I say?”

Eve goes up on her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine. My tongue coaxes her mouth open, slipping inside to taste her sweetness. My hands wrap around her back, sliding down to her ass and giving it a gentle squeeze. Without giving her a warning, I lift, causing her to squeal and wrap her legs around my waist.

I walk back until the couch hits my knees and slowly lower us onto it. She’s straddling my lap, my hard cock pressed firmly between us, as we deepen the kiss. I move my hands to her stomach, letting them slip beneath the loose sweatshirt she’s wearing. I realize instantly she’s not wearing a bra. The pad of my thumb glides over her hard nipple, causing her breathing to hitch and her body to wiggle.

Pulling back so we can both catch our breath, I trail open-mouthed kisses down her neck. She sits up and reaches for the hem of her sweatshirt, and it’s in that moment I recognize it. “Hey, I know that sweatshirt.”

She looks down and smiles. “It was your favorite.”

My throat becomes thick. She kept it. All these years, Eve hung on to one of my favorite sweatshirts, even after that perfect, yet messy night we spent together nine years ago. Despite being angry and hurt, she didn’t throw it away.

“It was, but I have to admit, it looks way better on you than it ever did me,” I state, reaching for the waist and slowly lifting it up. When I’ve peeled it off her body, I toss it on the floor and add, “There. It looks even better on the floor.”

Another slip of laughter slices at my chest, causing my heart to beat at a rapid pace. Eve grabs at my hoodie and starts to pull it up. The moment it’s out of the way, her fingers dance across my chest. “You’re beautiful.”

Shaking my head, I reply, “No way. You’re beautiful.”

Leaning forward, she places a tender kiss over my heart. I’m certain she can feel the uptick in beats as her fingers splay out against my flesh. “John?”

“Hmm?”

“I have a question for you. It’s kind of an important one. It might make or break us.”

I hold perfectly still and meet her gaze, swallowing over the sudden lump in my throat. “Shoot.”

“ Die Hard . Is it a Christmas movie or not?”

“Psh,” I mutter, blowing out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Of course it’s not a Christmas movie.”

Her eyes light up. “Really? Because everyone says it is.”

“No way. It lacks all the common elements needed for a good Christmas movie.”

“It does!” she proclaims, throwing her arms around my neck and pressing her naked chest to mine. “I’m so happy you feel that way.”

She gives me a hard kiss before sitting back. “Well, to be honest, darling, I would have agreed to just about anything with you sitting on my lap, topless.”

She whacks me in the chest and laughs. “You’re terrible.”

I pull her close. Her head falls against my neck, my chin resting comfortably on her head. “You love me, even if I secretly do think Die Hard is a Christmas movie.”

She gasps and then sighs. “I suppose I do.”

“Good. Now, kiss me, beautiful.”

Under the twinkling lights of her Christmas tree, we get lost in each other’s arms and bodies. Her mouth was made for me, and I realize quickly, I could kiss her until the end of time and still want more.

As we lie together on the couch, naked and wrapped in a fluffy blanket, something hits me. I run my hand through her hair and say, “My mom messaged you. She’d like to invite you to dinner on Monday evening.”

She shifts and meets my gaze. “Really?”

“Of course. She loves this, in case you didn’t know. You and me.”

Eve smiles and rests her cheek against my chest. “I could lie here and listen to your heart beating forever.”

I wrap her tightly in my arms. “We might get hungry at some point, which reminds me, I have food in the insulated bag. I need to put the soup in the fridge.”

“You brought me soup?”

“Of course I did. You said you were sick. There are crackers, ginger ale, some Gatorade, and even some ibuprofen in there. Oh, and snickerdoodle cookies.”

She climbs off me, much to my dismay, and scurries toward the bag. “Let’s start with those.”

Chuckling, I get up and follow her into the kitchen. While she dives into the cookies, I slip the soup and other contents of the bag into the fridge. When it’s set, I turn and smile. She’s leaning against the counter, enjoying her second cookie. “These are so good.”

I walk over and press my lips against hers, tasting the cinnamon on her lips. “Delicious.”

A giggle slips from her lips as she smiles at me. “I’d love to go to your family’s Christmas dinner, as long as you’d accompany me to mine earlier in the day.”

“You got it. Though, we may have to slip in some shopping. I can’t show up without gifts.”

“You don’t have to get them anything,” she insists, but I can tell she’s already fretting about the same predicament.

“How about we go shopping tomorrow morning. You know my mom and grandma don’t need anything, but I also know you’ll insist on getting them something, just the way I am with your family. We can go to the Christmas Eve mart in the square in the morning and then go back for the tree lighting ceremony in the evening.”

She smiles widely. “Perfect.”

“Yes, you are.”

She shakes her head and exhales deeply, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling my naked body against hers. “I’m starting to get cold. What do you say we head to my bedroom, and you can warm me up.”

My cock responds almost immediately. “Your wish is my command, love.”