Chapter Twelve
Erin clutched the Tupperware to her chest, feeling stupid. There had to be a better way of going about this that didn’t involve debasing herself in front of the entire town…but hell if she could figure out how. The truth was, after she’d acted so crazy, maybe a little debasement was exactly what she deserved.
She searched the crowd on Main Street, looking for the familiar broad shoulders and dark hair. There were tons of people around, but none of them was Warren. She caught sight of Sheriff Flannery with his wife and baby and blushed crimson when he raised an eyebrow at her. Yeah, he definitely knew it had been her flashing his car last night. Wonderful. But he turned to offer his wife his bag of kettle corn, pointedly ignoring Erin.
Apparently he was going to save them both a lot of embarrassment and not lecture her on the laws concerning public decency.
I was more than willing to take all kinds of crazy risks last night playing that stupid game, but he asks me to attempt a future with him and I chicken out. I’m such an idiot.
She moved farther down the street, hoping her luck would hold. What if he turns me away? The fear was almost enough to have her spinning around and marching home. Only the knowledge that this might be her only chance kept her going. The truth she’d realized today while she was elbow-deep in sugar and eggs and flour was still riding her hard—none of the guys she’d dated over the years ever made her come close to what she felt during those stolen moments with Warren. She liked him. She maybe more than liked him. And God help her, but her mom was right. She’d signed the death certificate on the relationship before it had even started.
That wasn’t the way Erin wanted to live her life.
And the more she thought about it, the more Warren’s “we’ll figure it out” made sense. There was no telling what could change in the next few months, let alone the next few years. Hell, her life was so in flux, she didn’t know what would change in the next few weeks. The truth was that she wanted to see what would happen if she truly gave him a chance.
She just hoped it wasn’t too late.
“Erin Robinson.”
She turned to find Old Joe standing near a booth of homemade caramels. “Old Joe. It’s nice to see you.” She glanced around, but Warren didn’t seem to be with him.
As if reading her mind, Joe said, “He’s a bit farther down.” He pointed in the direction she was headed.
She blushed again, and then mentally cursed herself for blushing. Everyone knew everything about one another in this town. That wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was the keen way Joe watched her, like he knew something she didn’t. She clutched the Tupperware tighter. “I screwed things up with him.”
“From what I hear, there was plenty of that going around.”
So Warren had talked to his grandfather about her. She didn’t know if that was a good sign or a bad sign. She’d always liked Old Joe in a distant sort of way—he was almost like an honorary grandfather or uncle to many of the people in town, and she’d been no exception—but she’d never really stopped to think what he might think of her.
Or of her potentially dating his beloved grandson.
She lifted her chin. “I’m going to make things right.”
“I have no doubt.” He smiled. “Get moving.”
She did. Erin picked up her pace, glad for her sturdy boots on the increasingly snow-covered street. She passed booth after booth, but none of them held Warren. By the time she approached the last block, she was wondering if Old Joe had given her bad directions. All that was left down there was the antiques store and the coffee shop. She frowned, flashing lights drawing her attention to the latter.
Erin stopped in the street, staring at the Christmas lights spelling out “I’m sorry.” Surely those weren’t for her…
But then Warren stepped out the door, a bouquet of lilies in his hand, his usual confident smile nowhere in sight. He walked over to her. “So…”
She shoved the Tupperware into his hands. “I’m sorry, too. I was an insufferable ass this morning.”
“Erin—” He lifted the Tupperware and frowned. “Cookies. You made me cookies?”
“Robinson family’s secret recipe.” She tried for a smile, but didn’t quite manage it. “With the future so uncertain for me right now, I’m scared shitless. I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life or where I’m going to end up. I took that out on you, and that’s not fair. The truth is I like you, Warren. I like you a whole hell of a lot. It scares me almost as bad as the future does.”
He broke into a wide smile. “I like you a whole hell of a lot, too.” Then the smile died. “But I’ve been an ass, too. I kind of left out a vital piece of information during our time in the last twenty-four hours.” He rushed on before she could ask what he meant. “I only have four months left in the Marines. My time to reenlist came up a while back, and I didn’t do it.”
Her gaze involuntarily dropped to his side where she could still picture the scar that had scared her so badly last night. “What are you going to do?”
“I hear the Wellingford police department has an opening for a deputy.”
That shocked a laugh out of her. “You’re going to work with my brother… Oh my God, Aaron is going to positively love that.”
“I know.” His lips quirked. “I got these for you.” He passed over the flowers.
She closed her eyes and inhaled. Lilies. Her favorite. She’d mentioned it in passing a couple years ago, and the fact that he’d remembered after all this time only reinforced that she was making the right decision. “I still don’t really know what I’m doing. I might go back to school, or… I just don’t know.”
“That’s the beauty of life—it’s always changing, and you don’t have to have it all figured out.”
Maybe. She gripped the flowers so tightly her fingers went numb. It was now or never. “I might not have the rest of life figured out, but I want a chance with you—a real chance, not one that I’ve made up in my head and then set afire. I want to be your girlfriend. I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I know I want to spend it with you.”
He used his free hand to pull her against him. She went up onto her tiptoes and kissed him. The sound of cheering had her lifting her head to find that they’d acquired an audience at some point. Old Joe stood next to her parents, and there was Aaron and Marcy and their tiny family. I have roots here. And that’s not a bad thing. Suddenly, the future didn’t look that scary at all. Not with so many people in her corner and rooting for her.
She looked at Warren. “Wellingford’s prodigal son and wayward daughter are back in the fold and dating. I think the town approves.”
His grin made her entire body hum. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”
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