Chapter Nine

Tiffany had stood in her store, staring at the door, for at least ten minutes after Blake had left. She simply couldn’t move.

What in the hell had just happened?

Some man she’d met four days ago just walked out on her because she didn’t believe in love at first sight. She didn’t believe in fate. She didn’t agree to marry him.

Wait, she thought, he never asked her to marry him.

Her head spun.

Was that really his plan? He wanted to marry her? A Christmas wedding? A spontaneous Christmas wedding?

The thought of it twisted inside of her. He hadn’t said it was over between them either though she wondered when it really started.

He’d said he’d be back. He didn’t even give up on her when he clearly thought she’d given up on herself. Had she? The spinning in her head was nearly more than she could take. She didn’t know what was going on or what she was supposed to expect from anyone at this point.

She needed to talk to someone. She needed to figure out what just happened, because none of this made any sense.

There was only one person she could talk to. Spencer would know what to do. He’d tell her she was delusional.

Tiffany locked up and drove to the only place she knew Spencer would be on Christmas Eve—with his family.

The street was full of cars, just as she had assumed it would be. Why the Kellers and the Bensons always celebrated big events at Spencer’s cousin’s house was beyond her, except that it was tradition.

Darcy and Ed lived in Grandma and Grandpa Keller’s old house—the one they’d raised their family in. She smiled when she thought of Spencer’s mom, his aunt, and his two uncles. Three of them had been adopted. What an eclectic bunch.

Tradition was strong with the Kellers and Bensons. Perhaps that was some of the charm of being an honorary member. She didn’t have that in her own family, even if they were what she considered close. Did Blake? There was no reason to assume he didn’t. His mother and sisters had flown out to Nashville on a moment’s notice just to meet a woman Blake claimed he was going to marry. Those were the kinds of families that celebrated everything together.

Was it tradition to be with his family on Christmas even if it meant flying them out on Christmas Eve?

A lump formed in her throat as she found a place to park. Tradition or not, family must have meant even more to him than she could have possibly thought.

She turned off the engine and sat for a moment. He’d been so sure he’d wanted to marry her that he’d brought his mother to meet her. His sisters too.

Her heart hitched in her chest.

Did she feel the same way about him? She’d only just met him, but there was a pull she couldn’t even begin to explain.

She’d lunged right at him the moment he’d finished singing to her. Hadn’t that been because her heart was nearly about to explode with feelings for him?

Had she really fallen in love with him? Hadn’t she said to herself that she could?

His eyes seemed to peer into her soul. Even in her car, as she closed her own eyes, she could see them gazing at her.

She was in deep thought when someone knocked on her car window and she screamed.

Spencer’s satisfied smile didn’t make her feel any better.

She swung open the door with all intent to smack him with it. “That wasn’t funny,” she said as she scrambled out of the car.

“Was to me. What are you doing here and why are you just sitting in the car?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Okay, well, it’s cold out here. Come in. Darcy made egg nog.”

“You know I hate egg nog.”

“Yeah, well you seem uptight. Maybe you should have some anyway.”

Tiffany grabbed hold of Spencer’s arm to steady her on the slippery street. Images of Blake holding her so she wouldn’t fall flooded her mind.

As they walked up the front steps to the house, Tiffany could already hear the family inside. Warmth rushed over her. How many Christmases had she spent with this family? More than she could count.

The moment they walked through the door she was met with hugs and kisses. Not one member of the family was missing and not one of them didn’t welcome her and wish her a Merry Christmas.

The anxiety of why she was there seemed to subside when Julie wrapped her in her arms and whispered in her ear. “Guess what? We’re having twins.”

Tiffany eased back and looked at her best friend’s wife. “Wow,” was all she could say.

“We’re going to tell them tomorrow,” she whispered as she held a finger to her lips.

Again, she was entrusted with her best friend’s secret.

Spencer wrapped his arm around Julie and he kissed her cheek. When Julie looked up at him, Tiffany noticed that spark between them—almost as if she’d never noticed it before.

Spencer gazed at Julie just as Blake had gazed at her.

She sucked in a breath just as she noticed Warner walking toward her with a glass of egg nog in his extended hand.

“You could use this I suppose,” he said.

“You know?”

Spencer looked at both of them. “He knows what?”

“That Blake wants to marry me.”

Julie grabbed hold of her arms, nearly knocking the drink from her hand. “You’re getting married?”

She’d said it loud enough that Darcy and Clara heard her and came running toward her too.

“Married?” Clara’s eyes went wide. “Oh, he actually did it? He asked you to marry him?” She moved past Julie and gathered Tiffany in her arms. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Who are you marrying?” Darcy pushed in.

“Blake—I mean I’m not. I don’t know…”

Her head was spinning. She’d come here to get clarity and she wasn’t sure she was getting anything but more confused.

“Who is Blake?” Darcy asked.

“Warner’s bass player,” Clara answered with a small clap.

“Oh, the rocker guy with the tattoos,” Darcy smiled as if she remembered. “He has a lot of tattoos.”

Tiffany nodded. “Yeah, so?”

“No big deal.” Darcy held her hands up in surrender. “One of them was a girl’s name, right?”

“Christine.”

Darcy nodded slowly. “Isn’t that weird to be in love with a man who has another woman’s name on his arm?”

“No, it’s not weird,” Tiffany answered realizing she’d all but spewed out the words saying she loved him. “It’s his mother’s name.”

Both Darcy and Clara’s eyes softened.

Julie touched her arm. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Tiffany looked at the three women whose eyes had gone soft and their smiles matched. Were they drunk?

“Guys, I don’t know what to do,” Tiffany said pleading to them all now. “I met him four days ago. Suddenly he thinks I’m his muse. He’s writing songs. He brought his family out for Christmas because he said he intended to marry me. This is crazy.”

Warner wrapped his arm around Clara’s shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Is it crazy? Really?”

Tiffany dropped her shoulders. “Not for you two. It worked out for you.”

“Blake is a good man,” Clara said. “He must have really fallen in love with you.”

“Why? That’s the part I don’t understand. Why?”

“Why not?” Spencer wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his hands on her stomach. “You’re very loveable. Don’t you deserve to be loved?”

“Of course, but…”

“But what?” Darcy asked as her husband Ed stopped behind her and eyed the crowd. “Don’t you believe in love at first sight?”

She thought about the moment she’d laid eyes on him. No, she hadn’t fallen in love with him at that moment. Then she thought of him walking toward her in the barn. Perhaps she’d gotten a good taste of lust in that second sight.

But the moment he’d pointed to her at the Opry, hadn’t her heart been gone? At his hotel when he didn’t try to force her into anything—when he simply enjoyed her company—hadn’t she thought he could be trusted with her life?

She sucked in a breath as she heard the song he’d sang to her in her mind. Forever mine repeated over and over until she thought her heart was going to burst.

“What if I am in love with him?” She looked up at the many eyes on her. “What do I do?”

Clara threw her hands in the air. “You know my thought on it. You run with it, honey. Life is too short to wonder what will happen next.”

“I’ve never been in a long serious relationship without it falling apart.”

Spencer cleared his throat. “We might not be in love, but you and I have had a very special relationship. This isn’t any different, Tiff.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?”

“What if it does?”

This wasn’t helping. She clenched her fist at her side. “I don’t know what to do,” she pleaded with him.

It was then she saw a woman walking toward her slowly with a walker. It was Spencer’s grandmother, who was nearly a hundred years old. In her eyes was the same warmth she saw in all the Keller and Benson eyes. This was the woman who had instilled that kindness in each of them.

Tiffany’s friends parted as their grandmother moved to her. She took Tiffany’s hand in her frail one.

“Love is instant,” she smiled. “Sometimes if you wait you only begin to doubt.”

Her words squeezed at Tiffany’s heart.

There hadn’t been one relationship in her life where she felt what she did for Blake in these four days. Yes, she’d let the other relationships fizzle out because doubt had taken over. Sex had taken over. That wasn’t the case here.

She looked at Spencer, who had a tear in his eye, but he batted it away quickly. He gave her a nod, which told her everything she needed to know. Tiffany would doubt herself forever, it was part of who she was.

Blake saw more than that in her. His songs had said so.

Suddenly, Tiffany felt light. Her mind eased, her heart lifted, and peace took over where panic had settled years ago in the matters of love.

“I do love him,” she said and Grandma Keller patted her hand.

“We know dear. It is in your eyes.” Her German accent deepened the words and their meaning.

There was only one thing left to do. She needed to tell Blake how she felt.