CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Headache?”
“Only when you talk,” Shae muttered, making her way over to the stove. She’d meant any slightest sound made her head throb to the beat of her heart, but her reply sure as hell came out bitchy. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant, Doc.”
Jace’s light laughter rang out through the kitchen, but it was a soothing sound more than anything. She hated that they’d spent most of last night on non-speaking terms. They’d let their guards down toward the later part of the evening, but that might have had something to do with the amount of alcohol she’d consumed after some goading by Beth Ann.
The sight of a cup filled with tea awaited her on the counter. Her attempt to smooth things over in the light of day went by the wayside, because it was apparently not needed.
“I’d walk over there to hug you, but my head might explode on impact.”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay before I head into the city to look at that lumber.” Jace was in the process of grabbing his sunglasses and wallet off the kitchen table, but his blue eyes regarded her skeptically after she’d turned to face him. “You think you’re up for making the drive with me?”
Shae closed her eyes as the throbbing in her temples remained steady, though the warmth of the cup in her hands mitigated the waves of nausea in her stomach. She’d be okay in an hour once the pain reliever kicked in, but she definitely wasn’t up for that long of a drive.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“I’ll take a kiss,” Shae offered up, hoping he understood exactly what she meant by that invitation. She didn’t want to spend the week she had left by arguing with him. It had been very hard for her to accept over the course of her stay that she was no longer going to find the answers she’d thought might finally be within her grasp. She’d found something else entirely, and she wasn’t so sure what to do with the diamond she’d found amongst the coal. “I took a shower and brushed my teeth.”
“That’s my incentive, huh?” Jace didn’t hesitate, though. He strolled over and trapped her against the kitchen counter, leaning in so that his lips were inches from hers. How was it that he could still send tingles all the way down to her toes after all this time? He surprised her when he didn’t steal the kiss she’d offered. “Doc, I understand.”
Shae wasn’t in the right frame of mind to have this conversation. Her grip tightened on the mug and her throat constricted due to the overwhelming sorrow that now surrounded them.
He was letting her go.
And he understood her reason why it had to be this way.
Shae blamed her inability to speak due to the fact that she’d had too much to drink the night before. She always became overly emotional after too much alcohol, and this moment was no exception.
Jace took the cup of tea from her hands and set it behind her on the counter. He pulled her into his embrace and held her as a few teardrops escaped, though this time it had nothing to do with the loss of her sister.
“I want you to know something, Shae Irwin.” Jace’s tone became thick with the sentiment he was conveying. “I missed out on what you had to offer all those years ago. You are an extraordinary woman filled with strength and grace who will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll thank God for the rest of my life that we had this time together.”
Shae nodded, but she still couldn’t speak. Her tears wouldn’t stop. What was it about this town and goodbyes?
“I’m not going to ruin what time we have left by pouting like a teenage boy who didn’t win the State title.” Jace continued to stroke her back with his comforting touch, reminding her that she would no longer have him to lean on when her days didn’t go quite as planned. “I’ll continue to help you search for answers regarding Emma’s disappearance, but we’re going to spend the remainder of your time here enjoying every other second of the day and night. Are you with me?”
“I’m with you, Jace,” Shae whispered, tilting her head up to receive the kiss she’d asked for earlier.
The small lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, though that didn’t stop him from softly pressing his lips to hers. The firm way he took control of the situation sent arousal shooting through her, and she was sitting on the counter before she even realized he’d had his hands underneath her arms.
Jace tore his lips from hers, but only to follow her jawline and the curve of her neck. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as he went a little lower, taking with him her loose t-shirt until he’d bared her shoulder. The light nibble of his teeth had her wondering what it would take to keep him home today.
“I’ll make sure to buy another box of condoms while I’m out,” Jace muttered, finally giving her reason to allow reality to intrude on this moment. His large hands were now resting on her thighs, which were bare due to the shorts she was wearing. “I should be back by early afternoon.”
Shae’s headache came back full force when she realized she’d set up a lunch meeting with Jace’s uncle. Those plans had been made when Jimmy Webb had shown up at the Cavern right before Harlan and Chester took the stage. She hadn’t shared the news with Jace.
“Okay,” Shae whispered, letting her hands slide down the front of him as he stepped back. She offered him a wary smile, thinking it might be a good thing she hadn’t told him of her plans. “Drive safe.”
“Always do, Doc.”
Jace reached for his sunglasses and wallet he’d set on the counter next to her tea, giving her a quick wink. She wiped away what moisture was left on her cheeks and watched the way he sauntered through the doorway. She wanted to have fun with him later, but the guilt of withholding something that could inadvertently affect him would eat her alive if she didn’t come clean.
“Jace?” Shae quickly hopped off the counter, wincing when the throbbing in her temples magnified with the movement. “Wait!”
Jace was waiting for her by the front door, his sunglasses already positioned on the bridge of his nose. The darkened lenses hid his blue eyes, but that wasn’t a bad thing. She wouldn’t be able to see his censure.
“I’m meeting your uncle at the diner for lunch.” Shae held her breath and waited for the warnings as to why that was such a bad idea. Detective Kendrick had to pull the officer that had been guarding her sometime last week when no other incidents occurred to back up his claim to his superiors that she was in danger. Jace’s counsel never came, so she followed up her admission with why the location would be safe. “I’ll be at Annie’s Diner, where I know practically everyone. And besides, he’s your uncle.”
“I know you’ll take every precaution to stay safe.” Jace lifted up one side of his mouth in an endearing smile. “See? I’m doing my best to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Jace gave her a two-finger salute before he walked out the front door. He was talking about their last week together and how they should relish every second given. And yes, he was also trying to give her some space and a little leeway to do what she’d come home to do. She still walked across the hardwood floor to throw the deadbolt, knowing full well he was waiting at the top of the porch steps to hear the latching of the lock.
Home.
Jace was right.
She did refer to Blyth Lake as home.
She sighed in regret as her hand dropped from the door. It didn’t matter how she viewed the town, though. Emma was everywhere. At the diner eating a banana split when their mom took them to celebrate the end of the school year, at the bank when she would ask for a lollipop from the teller, and at the lake where she would fearlessly jump off the pier. Every square inch of Blyth Lake was doused in memories of her sister. The air itself was somewhat overwhelming.
The incessant throbbing of Shae’s temples reminded her that she’d left a perfectly good cup of tea on the counter. She made her way back into the kitchen where her liquid sanity had now gone cold. Setting it in the microwave, she thought about the day ahead.
Would Jimmy Webb have answers that had somehow gone overlooked all these years?
It was doubtful, but it was still a checkmark on the list Shae had mentally created on the drive from Michigan to Ohio. She would still be able to say that she’d finally done all she could to find closure as she drove away from home and left everything behind once again.