I frowned. “She’s a small-town girl, Preston. She loves this town, and now her sister is going to be staying here. I can’t imagine her packing up and leaving to go to New York, much less anywhere else. I just need to enjoy the time that I have before I go back to reality.” I shrugged again and rolled my neck. “Want to go and get some coffee? I am wiped out.”
We both grabbed our phones, and I drove us to the local coffee shop. Preston walked inside and took in the various couches and tables, along with the books that lined the shelves. “This is nothing like the corner Starbucks in the city, is it?”
“No. This place begs for you to make yourself comfortable and stay a while. They have great pastries, too.” I led him to the front counter, and the moment he spoke to order, the eyes of the two teenage girls went wide.
“I’ve never heard an accent like that in real life,” the blonde said. “Nobody comes to North Reed.”
The brunette beside her spoke up. “That’s Austin Harris, Brittany. He went to our high school.” She looked from Preston to me and blinked. “You live in New York, don’t you?”
“I do.” I held a finger to my lips. “Don’t tell anyone that I’m here. I’m visiting my family and want a break from the press. Can you do that for me?” I winked at her and gave her my crooked smile that always got my way.
“Sure, Mr. Harris.” The girls took our orders, and one went to make the drinks while the other rushed to get the pastries. I dropped a generous tip into the purple jar and waited with Preston at the end of the counter, before taking our cups and plates to a table near the roaring fire.
I sipped the strong brew gratefully and closed my eyes. “I used to come here in high school with Rebecca a lot. We’d order coffee and just talk and laugh for hours. Sometimes, some of our friends would come with us.” I smiled at the memory of holding her hand under the table, both of us thinking about finding somewhere private to go where we could fool around.
Rebecca was great back then, and now she was an animal in bed. How the hell was I supposed to leave that behind?
“It sounds like a good way to grow up. I didn’t live in a large town myself. This reminds me a little of it, though I’d forgotten all about that life once I moved to New York.” Preston looked at me. “I don’t think it would be a bad choice to stay here, Austin. Your family could use your help, and they damn sure don’t want your cash as much as they want you. I noticed that within a few hours.”
“I know. Preston. I fucking know that. I offered to find someone to take care of the house and yard for them, but Mom said Dad wouldn’t have it. He’s got a bad heart and is supposed to be taking it easy. He looked so tired the other night. I worry that he’s pushing himself too much.” I shook my head. “I have so much going on already. What am I supposed to do?”
“I can’t answer that for you. Sleep on it and spend the next few days with the people you care about the most. It’s entirely possible that you’ll be fine leaving in another week or so.” Preston’s eyes looked worried. “Just don’t lead any of them on.
Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.”
“I know,” I said, and I reached for my cup. “I know.”
I worried about Rebecca and my family, but what about the promises I needed to keep to myself? What path should I take for my own well-being?
Fuck me.
We finished the pastries and drinks and waved to the girls before we left. Preston chuckled as we walked out the door, admitting that he’d slept with a girl the first night he went to Jake’s. Preston wasn’t as cocky as I used to be with women, and he treated them well, but when he told me her name, I responded with laughter. It was the girl who Rebecca had been jealous of back in school, and she was quite easy, from what I’d heard.
“I hope you used protection. She has a reputation around town, and you will be the big story among her friends now. I hope that you can live with that.”
“I will take pride in it. She was a cheeky girl, and we had a great time. I have no regrets.” Preston grinned at me. “Will you?”
“No. No matter what happens, Rebecca is terrific. Reuniting with her is worth all of it, even if I end up leaving again. I mean, I live in New York. My business is there. What options do I have?” I stared at him. “I asked her to come with me before, when I went to college. I was willing to give her everything that she wanted if she would live that life with me. The only thing Rebecca wanted was to stay here with her family, Preston. She wanted to stay a small-town girl. I don’t think that’s changed this many years later.” I shook my head. “I saved the library to make Rebecca happy, but now I know that it will keep her here.”
“Just enjoy every moment that you have here. Think about everything and decide later, since you aren’t leaving right away. Life has a way of changing when you least expect it.” Preston shrugged. “Don’t run from it. Embrace it. You aren’t the same boy who left North Reed, Austin, and you don’t need to think like him.”
I dropped him off at the hotel, telling him to let me know if anything changed. I drove past Rebecca’s house, seeing all her lights out, and continued home. Once I was home, I got out and stood in the driveway. I looked at the soft layer of snow over the countryside and breathed in the fresh air. I compared it to New York and admitted that I loved both places.
What was I going to do?
Chapter Twenty
Rebecca
I was glad that I decorated for the holidays at the last minute with Kim after all. My heart wasn’t in it at first. I’d been so worried about Kim and the fact that my parents weren’t going to be here. I hadn’t exactly been filled with Christmas cheer.
That changed when Austin showed up out of nowhere, and we seemed to have the same connection as before. I felt so much better about the holidays and seeing his family again just made me remember the good times here.
Now, it was Christmas Eve, and every Christmas light was on in the house. Austin cooked for me, filling my kitchen with amazing smells. I sipped on a glass of wine and watched him. I thought he was sexy before, but seeing him cooking lobster tails and veggies in my kitchen was a complete turn on for me.
Before he left, he could barely throw together a grilled cheese sandwich, even though his mom was one of the best cooks in the world. I used to tease him so much about that. Now, here he was making me lobster. I was drinking some of the best wine I’d ever had, courtesy of his shopping trip before coming over. I felt like a spoiled girl for a change. I smiled as he gave the tray of Brussel sprouts in the oven a quick shake.
Austin didn’t need to do all of this. I loved him already. Didn’t he know that?