“How about a glass of wine or one of Seth’s beers?” he offered. “Make this a tree-trimming party ?”
“Seth makes beer? I thought he wanted to be a mechanic.” Cami followed him into the kitchen. “Wasn’t he in auto shop for four years ?”
“Yeah. He always took that. Turns out, he designed his own brew system. I guess you could call him a beer mechanic.” He pulled one of the beers from the fridge for her to read the label .
“I can’t believe how everyone has changed.” She handed the beer back to Evan. He pulled a bottle of red wine from the cabinet along with a deep-bowled glass. “Jamie has a monogram business. Samantha has kids. You’re the mayor. And I’m …”
“You’re running The Sweet Spot .” He put the glass of red wine in her hand .
She sighed. “And I’m running The Sweet Spot .” She tipped the glass to her lips. “Did you ever think we’d end up here ?”
He looked around. “Decorating a tree together in this house?” He took a swig of beer. He didn’t want it to happen, but it did. Twelve years of memories came flooding back. “Yeah, Cami. This is where I thought we’d end up. Right here in this bungalow on Cove Avenue. I thought we had a lifetime of Christmases together. It’s why I wanted to marry you. I saw all of this.” His voice quieted .
The blush spread from her cheeks along her neck .
He hung his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s in the past, right? We were kids. We’re not supposed to talk about those people anymore.” He tried to lighten the mood, but he knew he had said too much .
“It doesn’t feel like the past, Evan .”
Her blue eyes were filled with tears and he knew he should have kept his mouth closed. She wiped the corner of her eyes, trying not to smudge her makeup .
“I’m an idiot. Remember, Grinch over here? I shouldn’t have said anything about it. We were eighteen. We’re different people now .”
She sniffed. “Are you ever going to get over how I hurt you? Am I?” Her eyes darted back and forth like wildfire .
He took the glass from her hand, and placed the wine on the counter .
He tipped her chin upward. “I was in love with that girl twelve years ago. The one who wanted to take the world by storm and sing on everyone’s radio. And she broke my heart. But I want to know this Cami. I want to know who you are now, because I’m not the same guy you knew back then either. I’m a different man .”
“Because you went to war?” she asked .
“Partly.” He nodded. “And because I lost both my parents. I’m the mayor. We’ve both changed .”
“I want to get to know this Evan.” She held his eyes with her gaze. “But what if this is us playing with fire again?” she whispered. “What if we both get burned? What if we hurt each? Maybe we’re only repeating the past .”
He held her lips within inches of his. The heat built between them .
“Don’t you believe in Christmas magic ?”
She nodded slowly .
“Then tell me you think this happened for a reason. That you’re in Harpers Point because we needed a second chance .”
Before he could coax an answer from her, Cami’s lips were on his. His hands circled her waist as she raised on her toes to reach his mouth. She whimpered as his tongue pressed inside her mouth and they melted into each other .
“So that’s your answer?” he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear .
“That’s my answer. Are we crazy ?”
“I think so. But when was anybody in Harpers Point normal?” He laughed. “Come on, are you going to help me finish this tree? Decorations are in the attic .”
He threaded his fingers through hers and led her to the attic where he stored the Jacobs family Christmas boxes .
Fifteen
Cami
“A re you sure you can do this without falling this time?” Evan teased as Cami climbed to the top of the ladder. She held the angel in her right hand. It was the finishing touch on the Christmas tree .