Page 30 of Just One Kiss

Why did Jake have to come home?

It wasn't as if this town had ever been enough for him. She'd certainly never been enough for him, which was why his sudden desire to have her forgive him, to welcome him back into her life, seemed ridiculous.

Was she just a challenge that he had to prove himself against? Did he just want her back to prove he could get her?

As the questions swirled around in her head, she told herself to stop thinking about him. She had enough problems without worrying about him. If she just kept enough space between them, he'd give up. He'd probably even leave town eventually. He wanted everything in his life to be extreme, to be exciting and thrilling, and he'd run out of that excitement in Whisper Lake.

Wouldn't he?

Chapter Eight

The mountainalmost kicked Jake's ass, not just because it was a tough run, but because the three college buddies who had booked the trip were nowhere near as good as they thought they were. Jake managed to coach them through some of the toughest and steepest parts of the trail, and while one of the guys had taken a hard fall, he'd only ended up with a broken finger and a big story to tell his friends who had stayed back on the less challenging slopes.

When he got back to his apartment, he took a long, hot shower and thought about the night ahead. While he was physically tired from both the skiing and the near-sleepless night, he also felt amped to see Hannah again. He'd been thinking about her all day and wondering if there was any news about Kelly. He hoped she would text him or call him with an update, but even though she'd taken his number, he wasn’t sure she'd actually use it.

But it wouldn't be difficult to find her tonight. She'd go to the carnival. Everyone in town would be there. The hospital always hosted Santa's Workshop, which involved an elaborate set featuring Santa's house, his toy shop, a barn with a live reindeer and a grand throne upon which Santa, played by his father, would grant small children their most heartfelt wishes.

His mother's bakeshop, which was hosted by the hospital's volunteer group would be next to the North Pole, providing baked treats, hot chocolate and cider as well as some very Irish coffee.

While he'd avoided that particular part of the carnival last year, this year he was willing to risk running into his father if it gave him a chance to see Hannah again.

After hopping out of the shower, he dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a heavy coat. While it wasn't snowing, it was damn cold. He walked into town. The carnival was set up only about a mile from his apartment, and he enjoyed walking the streets of Whisper Lake. The town had grown a great deal since his childhood years. There was more of everything: business, retail, restaurants, homes, and, most of all, people. The resort community had tripled in population in the years he'd been gone.

His father now ran a state-of-the-art hospital. The police and fire department had also expanded. His volunteer search-and-rescue team had doubled in size in the past six months. And his business had taken off. He was booked solid through February.

Despite the growth, Whisper Lake had still retained its charm. Some of the buildings dated back a hundred years and the more modern structures had been designed with a taste of the old and the feel of the mountains and the landscape that surrounded them. Nothing was more than three or four stories high, and there were plenty of wood structures with large bay windows offering views of the lake and the mountains.

He sidestepped a group of pedestrians who were trying to get into the Fudge Shoppe. The stores were busy tonight with holiday shopping, the retailers taking advantage of the tourist traffic and the winter carnival that would officially kick off at five, which was in about fifteen minutes.

Finally, he made it to the main square that was situated in front of city hall. The area had been turned into a winter wonderland with Christmas lights, tall, decorated trees, and an array of festive booths. While the carnival started in the square, it extended into the park with booths hosted by local businesses—everything from holiday gifts, to baked goods, clothing boutiques, photographs, antiques, glass-blown collectibles, cozy quilts, and jewelry. There were also booths featuring paintings, books, Christmas centerpieces, and home décor. In the park, the carnival became more about the kids starting with Santa's Workshop and moving into game booths offering participants a chance to win stuffed animals and other trinkets.

The park was already packed with young families, probably eager to partake before it was time to get the younger children into bed. As he scanned the faces of the little ones nearby, he found himself looking for Brett and for Hannah.

His brother had told him it was time to either go get her or let her go. He'd thought he had let her go, but once he'd come back to town, he'd wanted to get her back. And the more she didn't want to talk to him, the more he wanted to talk to her.

Did he just want her because he couldn't have her? Was it the challenge that intrigued him? Or was it more?

He believed it was more. Hannah had been the first girl he'd ever loved. He'd first become aware of her in middle school, but there had been a lot going on with her then. Her father had died, and her mother was falling apart. He'd been too scared of all that loss and grief to know how to talk to her, so he'd pretty much stayed away. But once they got to high school, they'd become much better friends.

By their senior year, things had changed a lot for Hannah. Her mom was sober, and Hannah was showing up at parties with her fiery red hair, shimmering brown eyes, and blossoming curves. He'd fallen hard, and so had she. They'd always been able to talk to each other, but now there was a smoking-hot attraction going on, too. And they were both in a place in their young lives where they were looking for a good time.

He'd lived through years of his brother's illness, and she'd lived through her mom's alcohol addiction, but for those six months that they were falling in love, everyone else was okay, or at least okay enough that they didn't have to worry about them. They could just have fun, and that's what they did. They'd gone on hikes and boat trips. They'd spent hours swimming in the lake. He'd taught her how to snowboard and helped her take her skiing to a new level. He'd pushed her out of her comfort zone, and in some ways, she'd done the same for him.

While he excelled in physical activities, Hannah brought a whole new dimension of intelligence and curiosity to his world. She read endless books and talked about science and wanted to learn everything that she could. When she'd passed books onto him, he'd thought he'd pretend to read them, but once he started, he couldn't stop. It was ironic that the books she lent him had actually inspired him to leave Whisper Lake, to see the world, to have his own adventures.

He knew she'd had some adventures, too. She'd left the lake and moved to Denver to go to college and nursing school. She'd built a life for herself outside of this small town, and while he didn't know much about that life, except what he'd heard from their friends, he wanted to know more. But mostly he just wanted to know her again.

Being with her last night—actually talking to her, eating a meal with her, helping her—had reminded him of how good they'd once been. He'd messed it all up, and his actions that night were the biggest regret of his life. But he didn't want to keep going back there. He wanted to move forward.

He'd put the ball in her court, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make a few plays of his own…starting now.

As he walked under a vine-covered archway leading into the North Pole, he saw Hannah and Brett coming in through the opposite arch. His body tightened as his gaze ran down her body, and the very sexy red and green elf costume she had on that consisted of a fur-lined short dress, white tights, and furry boots.

When she saw him, she froze, her hesitation obvious. He did not want to go back to the place where she ran out of the room as soon as he entered, and it looked like that might be happening. But then Brett saw him and sparkled with joy. He let go of Hannah's hand and ran straight to him.

He caught the little boy and lifted him high into his arms, as they exchanged a happy smile.

"I'm going to see Santa tonight," Brett told him.

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