Page 8 of Christmas in Paradise

I blink as the weight of his words sinks in. My head spins, and I take my hand from his. When I open my eyes again, I realize Sebastian’s words are exactly what I needed to hear to right myself.

I was in danger of falling hard for him. I still am. I see that now.

So after he takes me back to Evie’s, I pour everything into the last kiss I know we’ll share.

Then I work out a plan with Carson to work remotely, and Evie helps me pack my bags, assuring me Adam will be fine without me.

The next morning, as soon as the sun peeks its head above the mountains, I’m in my car, headed to Kansas.

On my way back to Charly.

Chapter 1

Sebastian

October

I pull open the heavy door and let the wind slam it shut behind me.

“Dude! Careful with my door!” my cousin Adam yells from the open kitchen of his restaurant, the Garden of Eatin’. “You break it, you buy it!”

I pull off my beanie and shake the snow from it, then stamp my feet on the vinyl mat. “Tell it to the blizznado blowing out there,” I yell back. We’ve watched all theSharknadomovies together. He’ll get the reference.

There may not be sharks in the weather happening here, but it’s as dangerous as a shark tornado. Just less bitey.

I take that back. The icy wind chews through everything. My North Face puffer. My Doc Martens. Adam’s stupid door. Nothing can keep out this freak storm with its freezing temps and flying snow.

“Seb!” Britta cries. “You’re getting water everywhere.”

“Sorry, cutie.” Adam’s younger sister has a soft spot for me. Which is true of most women, but Britta’s my cousin, so her tolerance for my messes is out of affection, not attraction.

She sighs loudly, but she’s already grabbing a dishtowel to dry off the water spots I’ve left on her wood host stand. “The rest of the band is here already.”

Britta’s being snarky. It’s impossible not to see for myself that I’m the last to arrive for practice.

This restaurant is a big, open square, and I can already see Bear setting up his drums on the makeshift stage. Evie is working on the mics and speakers, and our new addition to the band, Carson Stevens, is tuning his guitar. I don’t need Britta to point out I’m the last to arrive. I’m always late, I’ve given up trying to be anything different and the people in my life roll with it.

We don’t usually set up for practice this early on a Friday night, but I doubt people will brave this weather, even for the best food in town. Plus, Halloween is a few days away so the school is sponsoring an indoor trunk-or-treat that about everyone will be at.

I’d be there too—I love Halloween—but since we’ll be playing at the Jingle Ball in a month or so, we need to practice. It’s not like there’s anything else to do, anyway. Paradise shuts down every winter, but especially when snow rolls in earlier than expected.

I toss my coat on a chair, then step onto the stage and nod to my soon-to-be cousin-in-law. “Hey, Evie.”

“Hey, Seb,” she says brightly, totally unaware how much I want to ask her about Hope and that I’ve wanted to every time I’ve seen her since the day Hope left.

And I’ve seen her a lot.

I glance at Bear who gives me a look. He’s listened to me whine over one too many beers about Hope. We may be cousins and best friends, but I can tell he’s nearing the end of his remarkable patience with me. If I don’t talk to Evie tonight, he may disown me.

As she gets the mics set, I tune my bass. I glance at her every few seconds, waiting for the right opportunity to ask one of the questions Bear’s been telling me for months I need to man up and ask her.

I loop my guitar strap over my shoulder and inch closer so she’s the only one who will hear me.

“Evie,” I say too quietly at the same time she says into the mic, “testing one-two, one-two.”

So I move closer, plucking my bass strings, trying to act casual. But my heart pounds as loud as the beat I play.

Evie’s wedding is a little more than a month from today, and I know Hope will be here for it. What I don’t know is when. Days before? Weeks? How much time will I have to figure out what I did wrong and try to make it up to her?

---