Page 29 of #Resort Romance
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her about his conversation with Walker, but he didn’t want to get her hopes up. That whole situation was between him, Walker, and Kelsey. With any luck, he’d have good news to share soon enough.
And not just about Lakeview Harbor Resort.
“I’m so glad I brought a dressy dress with me,” Kelsey murmured to herself as she checked her reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t full-length and it was a bit awkward to fully see herself, but from what she could see, she looked pretty darn good.
Smoothing a hand over the snug bodice, she let out a small breath. The peach color looked fantastic against her tanned skin, and honestly, she loved the vintage look of a swing dress. Was it too dressy? Not dressy enough? Tonight was the big anniversary party, and she had been so focused on hearing about all the details of the menu and music that she never really bothered to ask about what everyone was wearing.
Earlier today, she thought she’d be able to ask Lori or even Jayce what she should wear, but the entire day was spent welcoming all of Jayce’s relatives.
And there were a lot of them.
Growing up in a small family, Kelsey never experienced large gatherings like this. Both her parents were only children, as were her grandparents. She was literally the only one left on either side of her family, so this was all overwhelming. Jayce was an only child, but Lori had four sisters and three brothers. Back when she and Jayce were kids, she remembered meeting some of his cousins, but it didn’t really register just how extended his family was.
Now she knew and she hoped she could remember everyone’s names.
“Knock, knock!” Jayce called out as he walked into her cabin. “I’m not too early, am I?”
Smiling, she walked out of the bedroom and posed. “Is this dressy enough for the party? I feel like this is such an important night and I don’t want to stick out for not being dressed up enough.”
He was wearing a dark suit with a snowy white shirt—no tie, but so elegant. He was devastatingly handsome. Walking over, he wrapped his arms around her waist and studied her. “You look beautiful. The dress is perfect.” He paused briefly. “You’re perfect.” His voice was low and a little gruff, and it felt like an important moment.
In a move she was coming to love, one of Jayce’s strong hands came up and gently caressed her cheek. She leaned into it and sighed happily.
“Is it wrong that I’d rather spend time alone with you than have to share you with everyone at the party tonight?”
Kelsey felt her cheeks heat.
“I leave in a couple of days and as much as I love my family and I’m happy for my grandparents reaching this milestone, I don’t want to miss out on even a minute of the time we have left.”
“You’re not,” she consoled. “I’m going to be by your side the entire time. I promise. Besides, I don’t know anyone there except for your parents, grandparents, and you. You’ve introduced me to everyone, but…I don’t know them, so I’m going to be stuck to your side like glue.”
That seemed to please him because he visibly relaxed. “I like the sound of that, Kelse. And not just at the party.”
Smiling, she was about to comment, but he had more to say.
“I know this probably isn’t the right time; we need to be up at the lodge in a few minutes, but…I want you to know that…I don’t want what we have to end when I have to go back to Raleigh,” he blurted out. “And the thought of leaving you here? It’s killing me. I know it’s fast and I know that you probably think this is too soon, but…I want more with you. With us.” His shoulders sagged as he let out a slow breath. “You’ve been through so much, and the last thing I want to do is add any pressure on you.” Another pause. “Say something. Say something, please, because I need to know if I’m freaking you out or if I’m misreading things between us.”
Panic kept her paralyzed for several long moments before she could speak. “You’re not freaking me out,” she quietly assured him. “But…I’m afraid to think too far ahead. I mean…the last time you left Lakeview Harbor Resort at the end of your vacation, I didn’t see you again for more than a decade.” The nervous laugh was out before she could stop it. “I know that’s not going to happen again, but…it’s there, and a small part of me can’t help but think about it.”
“I was a kid then, Kelsey. I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know this was love.”
Gasping quietly, she looked up at him. “Love?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, caressing her cheek again. “Love. I’m in love with you, Kelsey. Back when we were kids, I didn’t understand that everything I felt for you was so…real. And this time, when I have to leave Lakeview Harbor Resort, this isn’t going to end. I don’t know how everything’s going to fall into place, but I know that it will because I don’t want to live without you. I know you need time to figure out where you want to live, and if you want to stay in Rochester, then…then I’m moving to Rochester. And if you want to move to Raleigh, then I’ll clear out half of the primary closet and make room for you. Hell, I’ll put half my house into storage to make room for all your things.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Jayce, I…I don’t even know what to say. This is so much more than I let myself even dream!”
“I know, beautiful girl. I was trying to take things slow, but…we’ve already missed out on so many years that I don’t want to miss out on more.” Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against hers. “We’re not going to have all the answers right now or even tonight. There are a lot of things to work out—a lot of logistical things—but I want us to work them out together, okay?”
Wordlessly, she nodded and sagged with relief when he claimed her lips with his. It wasn’t wildly passionate or even seductive, but it was a kiss full of promise and confidence that they had all the time in the world to be like this.
Just…not right now.
Slowly, Kelsey pulled back and ran her hand along his jaw. “I seriously could kiss you all night just like that and be the happiest girl in the world, but we need to head up to the lodge. I don’t want your grandmother to think we’re not coming.”
“As much as I’d like to argue that point, you’re right. It won’t matter that there are fifty other people there; she’s going to be looking specifically for us.” Glancing around her cabin, he asked, “Do you have everything?”
“Um…let me just grab my purse.” Laughing softly, she went back into the bedroom to grab it before walking back out to the living room. “Like…in theory, I know I don’t need to bring a purse. I could give you my cabin key and be totally fine. But then there’s my phone and my lipstick and it suddenly becomes a whole thing.” Holding up the small clutch, she smiled. “At least it’s tiny, right?”
