Jeff paid the pizza delivery kid, then thanked him. The box was still warm, so that was a good sign. When he entered the kitchen again, Alicia was sitting on a stool at the island. It was both strange and amazing to have her in his house. He’d wondered if she’d ever see it—especially after their no-contact policy.
He wasn’t sure exactly what had changed over the past few weeks, but he had no problem accepting Alicia’s apology. He sensed their moms might have something to do with her change of heart. Or maybe she would have eventually changed her mind anyway. Whatever it was, Jeff was grateful. He just worried that with her mom getting better, Alicia might move and leave Pine Valley.
Alicia was the woman he wanted in his life, had always wanted in his life. He just had to figure out a way to get her to trust him once and for all, and in the process not scare her off. So, they’d just be friends. They’d do things on her terms. Her pace. Whatever that might be.
He set the pizza on the counter. “Hot and ready,” he said, opening the box. “They even sent napkins.”
Alicia had found some plates and two water bottles.
“Looks good,” Alicia said. She pulled out one of the Hawaiian slices and took a bite.
“How is it?” Jeff asked, setting two slices of pepperoni on his plate.
“Great,” Alicia mumbled. “Really great. Good choice.”
Jeff smiled and settled on the stool next to her. He could have sat one stool away, but he figured he’d take his chances.
Alicia didn’t seem to mind, at least that he could tell.
“So,” Alicia said. “My mom has been talking about selling the house and getting into a condo—at one of those active retirement communities.”
Jeff drank from his water bottle. “Really?” What did this mean for Alicia? Would she move away? “That’s kind of a big deal.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” she said. “My mom and dad had some big talk a couple of weeks ago, and my mom then spent two hours on a call with the therapist. The outcome of it all is that my mom is still carrying a lot of baggage and guilt from the divorce. Moving will be a big step in the healing process.”
“That makes sense,” he said, casting her a sidelong glance. “If your mom sells the house and moves, what does that mean for you?”
“I don’t know,” Alicia said, then took her own drink of water. “I mean, I thought about buying the house, but I don’t really have enough for a down payment, plus it needs some work. Gwen said I can move in with her—she has a roommate who is moving in the summer. So I might end up on the couch for a little while, depending on how quickly everything happens. Otherwise, I could stay at my mom’s new place until I figure things out. But that would be weird, you know. Living in a retirement community.”
“That would be weird,” he agreed.
She rose to clear her plate. Apparently she was going to eat only one slice of pizza. “Want some ice cream?”
“Sure.” Jeff finished off his second slice while he watched her scoop up the brownie fudge ice cream. Two scoops for her, three for him.
“You remembered,” he said.
“That you’re a three-scoop kind of guy?” Alicia said with a smile. She slid the bowl and spoon across the island toward him. “You’re kind of predictable that way.”
“You think so?” Jeff said. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
She laughed, then took a bite of her ice cream. She closed her eyes for a moment as she savored it. Jeff couldn’t help but watch her. When she opened her eyes, her cheeks flushed as she caught him staring.
“Good?” he teased.
“Yep.” She took another bite of the ice cream, but this time she didn’t close her eyes. “Since you’re Mr. Realtor Guy, what are the chances of my mom making a decent sale on the house? She doesn’t want to put in a lot of money to fix it up. Is that going to hurt her?”
“Not really,” Jeff said. “Some things might have to be fixed before it goes on the market, but we can also make it clear that the house price is for the ‘as-is’ condition, and maybe even advertise it as a fixer upper.”
Alicia nodded. “That sounds good. What’s your realtor’s commission, and what do you think the house will sell for?”
“You want to talk business?” Jeff teased.
She gave him a half-smile. “I do.”
“All right, let me get my laptop.” He finished off his ice cream, then went to the main floor office. He was going to bring it into the kitchen, but Alicia had followed him.
She perched on the edge of his desk while he pulled up the MLS listings website. He typed in the address of the street, and the buying and selling history of each house popped up. “We have to look at comps to determine our ballpark figure. To get a real number, we’d need to bring in an inspector.”
“Look,” Jeff continued, pointing to a listing from a couple of months back. “This sold in two weeks—which is great for winter. You could probably ask for about the same price, since your lot is larger.”
“Really?” Alicia said, leaning over to study the computer screen.
It wasn’t fair that she smelled so good. Like brownie fudge ice cream. Jeff scooted his office chair back and stood. “You can sit down if you want.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I just want an estimate to tell my mom. She asked me what I thought about hiring you.”
Jeff shoved his hands in his pockets, because it was the best course of action when standing so close to Alicia. “And what did you say?”
“I told her you were the best in town,” she said with a smile.
He shrugged. “I am pretty good.”
“Ha. Ha.”
They didn’t speak for a moment. “So, uh, I was thinking that if you end up without a place to stay,” he started, “I’ve got two extra bedrooms upstairs. It would be like your own apartment.”
Alicia’s mouth opened for a moment, then closed. “I don’t think so, but I appreciate the offer. It’s good to have friends who want to help.”
Jeff should have known she’d turn him down. Of course she would. “I have a hot tub, too. Great view of the mountains. A gourmet chef’s dream kitchen.”
“I know,” Alicia said. “Your house is amazing, and I’m sure you’d be a great roommate.”
“The best.”
She sighed. “That would be the problem though.”
“Being a good roommate?” he asked. “I clean up after myself. We could put together a laundry rotation schedule.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” She straightened from where she had perched on the desk. “People would assume . . .”
He waited for her to finish, although he knew what she was getting at. When she merely stared at him, he said, “Would that be so bad?”
“No,” she whispered. She cleared her throat. “I just don’t want to mess anything up. I like it when we’re friends.”
“I do too.” Jeff pulled his hands from his pockets and raised his hands. “But I wouldn’t complain if we decided to be more than friends.”
Alicia merely looked at him. He couldn’t read her expression, and he wished he could, so he’d know whether he should kiss her. Because that was what he really wanted to do.
“I can’t trust myself,” she said, and her eyes filled with tears. “And I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jeff said, wondering what he’d said to make her want to cry.
She turned from him but didn’t leave the room. Wiping at her eyes, she took a deep breath. “I like you more than as a friend, Jeff.” She glanced at him, then away again. “Are you happy now?”
Jeff moved so that he was standing in front of her. “I won’t be happy if liking me makes you feel miserable.”
“I’m not miserable,” she said, wiping at her cheeks again. “That’s not why I’m crying.”
He handed her a Kleenex from the box on his desk. She took it, a sheepish expression on her face. “Thanks. I don’t know why I cry so much around you.”
“Do you want to sit down and talk?” he asked. “Eat more pizza? Get in the hot tub?”
Her lips twitched. “No.”
“What do you want, Alicia?” he asked, grabbing her free hand. “I’ll find a way to get it for you.”
She closed her eyes for a second. And when she opened them, she looked more clear-eyed. “I want you, Jeff.”
He stared at her, his heart thumping. “I can live with that.”
She smiled through her tears, and then she stepped toward him and wrapped her arms about his waist. He pulled her close. It was remarkable that with her in his arms, he felt as if anything that had ever worried him before now didn’t matter. He rubbed her back and felt her relax against him.
“But I’m not moving in with you,” she said against his chest.
“I know,” Jeff said, chuckling.
“I am really sorry.” She pulled slightly away so she could look at him. “You confessed your feelings, and I basically stomped on your heart.”
He lifted his hand and smoothed back her hair. “I know. But I forgive you.”
“Good,” she said, but then her brows furrowed. “You haven’t changed your mind about liking me, have you?”
Jeff moved his fingers to trail along her neck, then behind her head. “That will never change. But I am wondering if I kiss you, will that scare you off again?”
He thought she might laugh, but her expression was serious when she said, “No.”
Jeff smiled. Then just before he kissed her, he whispered, “I’ll take good care of your heart, I promise.” He pressed his mouth against hers and tasted her sweetness, which still had a trace of chocolate.
She rested her hands on his chest and kissed him back. He kissed her slowly as the warmth from her return kisses spread through him. Her body seemed to melt against his, and he wasn’t sure where he ended and she began.
Alicia’s hands moved over his shoulders. Then her fingers curled into his hair. She pulled him with her as she moved back against the desk, anchoring them both against it. Jeff knew this kiss was different than their first kiss. She was opening herself up to him, drawing him in, giving up a part of her heart. He intensified his kisses, and when she responded, he felt as if he was floating in a whirl of sensations.
He didn’t know if this was the beginning of something amazing; he could only hope. She had said she wanted him, and that was good enough for him right now. He lifted his head to catch his breath, and she met his gaze. The sight of her haze-filled eyes and swollen lips only made him want to kiss her more.
“You’re beautiful, Alicia,” he whispered.
She smiled, and he bent forward and trailed a line of kisses along her neck. She gave a small moan and arched her neck.
Then Jeff was tasting her mouth again, and she kissed him back just as deeply. He felt as if he’d been waiting ten years for this, or more than ten years. He lifted her thighs, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he sat her on top of the desk. Some items might have scattered to the ground, but Jeff didn’t really care. He was holding Alicia in his arms, and she was kissing him.
“Jeff,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Hmm?” He didn’t want to talk.
“I think I heard a car door shut,” she said.
He lifted his head. “What?”
Alicia ran her hands down his chest, then drew away. “Are you expecting company?”
“No,” he said. Then he remembered. “My mom.” He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, then tucking in a part of his shirt that had come untucked. “She said she might come over after—”
“Jeff?” his mom’s voice rang out clearly, as if she was in the next room. Which she apparently was.
Alicia was frantically trying to smooth down her hair and straighten her clothing. Jeff might have laughed if his mom wasn’t within hearing distance. “I’m in the office.”
“I saw Alicia’s car outside,” his mom continued, her voice getting closer.
And then she stood in the doorway.
Jeff was sitting in the office chair, the laptop open, and Alicia was leaning a hip against the desk, in a total casual pose.
“Ah, you are here,” his mom said to Alicia.
“Hi, Mrs. Finch,” Alicia said, in a perfectly innocent voice.
How did she do that?
“Jeff’s going to be my mom’s realtor,” Alicia continued, “so he’s showing me some comps.”
Jeff watched his mom’s eyebrows lift just barely. Did she suspect?
“That’s great,” his mom said. “I brought back the book stands you let me borrow for the booth and was going to see if you wanted to get something to eat, but it looks like you ordered pizza?” The interest in her voice was unmistakable.
“Yeah, we got talking, and I was hungry, so—” Jeff started.
“Do you want some pizza?” Alicia cut in. “I can warm some up for you.”
“No, that’s all right,” his mom said, then looked back at Jeff, her eyes lively. “Dad might be waiting for me.”
“Okay, I’ll grab the book stands from your car,” Jeff said, rising from the chair and practically ushering his mom out the door.
Once they were outside, his mom turned on him. “What’s going on between the two of you?” she whispered loudly, as if Alicia could hear them from inside the house.
“Her mom’s selling their house,” he said. “Alicia wants me to be the realtor. We were just looking at—”
“I got that much,” his mom said, eyeing him. “Did I interrupt something else?”
“No.” Jeff didn’t want to embarrass Alicia by telling his mom that she had interrupted something.
She turned and opened the trunk of her car, clearly not believing him.
Jeff lifted out the two metal stands his mom had borrowed. “How did the day end up at the fair?”
“Really great,” she said. “We’ll have a decent profit, but you know I don’t really do it for money. I like staying busy.”
“Yep,” he said. “If you need to borrow these again, let me know.”
“I will,” she said. “Thanks again, and I want to know what’s going on with Alicia when you’re ready to tell me.”
“Mom—”
She shooed him away. “Bye, Jeff. Have a nice evening.” She climbed into her car and backed out of the driveway.
He watched her drive down the road. The daylight had faded, and the sun was setting in a pink and orange riot of colors, splashing across the sky. It was too beautiful not to share with Alicia. Jeff turned back to the house and carried the book stands inside.
Alicia was in the kitchen, cleaning up the rest of their meal. “Hey,” she said when he came in. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothing.” He set the book stands next to the island. “Although she can probably guess. My mom is kind of smart that way.”
Alicia smiled, but it was strained.
He walked around the island to where she was standing and took her hand. “Come here, I want to show you something.” She let him lead her through the house, to the sliding glass doors that overlooked the backyard. The snow on the mountain was bathed in golds and pinks, soaking up the rays of the setting sun.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” she breathed.
“Um hm.” Jeff slipped his arms around her waist from behind, then rested his chin on her shoulder.
She leaned back against him and exhaled. “You really didn’t tell your mom?”
“I didn’t want you to feel awkward, so I kept to our story.”
“Okay,” she said. “I don’t mind telling our parents, just not like two minutes after we were . . . you know.”
Jeff smiled and inhaled the scent of her hair. Strawberries. “We’ll tell them whenever you’re ready. Sneaking around might be kind of fun, though.”
She laughed and turned to face him. She looped her arms about his neck. “Remember what you were doing before your mom interrupted?”
He grinned. “I do.”
She raised up on her toes and brought her face to within an inch of his, closing her eyes. “Do that again.”