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“You going to give up on her?” Miti asked, looking me in the eyes.
“No.” And this time I felt it. “No, I’m not.”
She smiled. “That’s the Jacob I know.”
I paused, turning to face her. “Miti.”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask you to make something for me?”
Her smile widened. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Millie
I hadeverything in my apartment packed up into boxes or saran-wrapped in two days. All that remained was the Christmas tree. Becca said she would come and take it with all its decorations and lights. But I kept Rosey’s Diner. For some reason, I just couldn’t let it go.
In my weakness, I had also accepted a lunch date with Jill and Becca while talking to Becca on the phone. It would be a farewell meal before I moved back to San Francisco. I didn’t think it was necessary since Becca still came down to the city once a month, but they insisted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Lira was invited to attend, too, but Lira had not responded to any of my calls or text messages since she left.
I wanted to be upset at Lira for up and leaving me just like that, but then I remembered the day she took care of me when I was in a state of comatose after returning from the ice rink debacle. She would be dealing with things in her own way and deserved to do so. But where did she run off to?
Picking up my purse, I left my apartment and entered the address they had sent me into my car’s GPS system. Becca and Jill had chosen a new restaurant, which was said to have an up-and-coming chef. They’d been wanting to try his food and thought this last meeting was the perfect opportunity to do so. I had to admit, I was excited to try some first-class cuisine too. I felt like I needed it after the last week.
I found the restaurant hidden behind the town library. It was unlabeled and had an awning and a couple of small plants at the entrance. Christmas lights adorned the roofline and the frame of the bright blue door, but otherwise, there was no sign that this was a food establishment. I hesitated, wondering if this was a joke, but reminded myself that Jill and Becca would never trick me like this.
On opening the door, a maze of enticing aromas swarmed my senses, accommodating a range of scents I hadn’t experienced in a really long time. That cemented it—I was hooked.
I entered, only to stop as soon as I passed the threshold. The floor was covered in white carpet, with numerous Christmas trees of varying heights displayed along the back wall. All of them were sprinkled in white dust, making it look like I was standing in a forest covered in snow. Christmas lights adorned the edges of the room, giving off a soft, inviting glow, and in front of the trees was a table for two, complete with a white tablecloth, white candles, and a series of elegant, silver-lined dishes.
“Do you like it?”
His voice slid like liquid through my body, nestling near my heart and warming my insides. My hand went to my chest, directly above my heart, as I turned to my left. Sure enough, Jacob was standing at the other end of the room, dressed in a suit and looking bashful and scared. I couldn’t help it. I walked over, planning to envelop him in a hug, but my hand went out of its own free will and slapped him across the face. Hard. “That’s for placing a bet on me.”
His face was white under the imprint of my hand. “It wasn’t—”
“Not your time to speak!”
He nodded, immediately clamping his mouth shut.
I continued, “And for not telling me you were a shifter.”
“But I—”
I held up my hand. “And for tricking me to come here today so you could see me.”
He waited a moment to see if I was done. When I said nothing further, he said, “I didn’t know how else to see you, Millie.”
I felt the flames of anger wanting to come out. I was so mad, but the suddenness of him being here right in front of me had shocked my system. I realized I had missed him so much. My heart was beating so fast that it felt like butterflies had taken off in my stomach. Instead of yelling at him further, I ran into his arms, and he held me there while we both cried.
Caught in his embrace, it felt like I had come home. Everything that had been unstable these last few days now felt calm and leveled out. I sank into him, relishing the feeling of being held by him.
When we had both quietened, I pushed back on his chest to see his face. He gave me a soft smile as he wiped the tears from my face and planted a light kiss on my lips that sent a shiver through me. I smiled, and he took my hand and led me to the table.
That’s when I noticed the little blown-glass Christmas tree sitting in the middle of my plate.
Picking it up, I twirled it around, admiring the way it caught the candlelight. “You remembered,” I said.
“I remember everything you’ve ever said to me,” he said softly.
