CHAPTER TWELVE
“So, I hear you ditched Jett?” Paris’s uncle teased. Dave leaned against the doorframe of her parents’ living room, dressed in his suspenders printed with tiny Santas. It clashed terribly against his bright green T-shirt, but on him it worked. Paris adored that about her uncle. The kids in town loved him, and his new girlfriend had started taking cues from him for her dress sense. She was in the kitchen wearing a bright yellow dress with a green sash.
Paris remained in her sweatpants and T-shirt for most of the day, huddled in the corner of the sofa hugging her knees, unable to stop thinking about Jett, their night together, and her anger toward him. The past pestered her thoughts—the good times, but also the mistakes. Truth lay inside her heart, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it out loud, she still loved Jett. God, just thinking it had her eyes prickling with tears. What was she supposed to do? Her career was in the city. In Yalgoo, she had nothing except the man who had her wound so tight she couldn’t do anything but brood.
Paris stared at her uncle as he studied her with his judging ways. She threw a cushion at him.
He caught it with one hand and pressed it to his chest. “Hey, don’t be upset with me. I gave you the perfect chance to patch things up with Jett.”
She huffed. “Well, Mr. Matchmaker, what good is it if we live across the country from each other?”
Dave entered the room and sat next to her on the couch. “You’re the only one putting those limitations on yourself.”
She snatched the pillow out of his hands and hugged it tightly. “I’m so torn. And I might have made things worse with Jett. Now he probably thinks I’m a crazy person.”
Dave chuckled. “Love, he worked that out long ago.”
She stuck out her tongue. Sure, Dave might be right, but that didn’t change the cold hard facts. She’d overreacted, yet she was angry at Jett. “I’ve never felt so confused.” She brushed a tear away.
Dave tilted his head, wearing a tiny smirk. “You still love him. I knew it.”
Paris buried her face into the pillow, and a tsunami of tears burst free. She wished she could vanish from the world and stop feeling as if her soul was shattering into a million pieces. Her head was a mess, useless and knotted. Regret hung over her, drenching her in sorrow, and it felt as if ice encased her chest. She never should have slept with Jett or kissed him or anything. The stabbing in her heart was a reminder of what was coming once she returned to Melbourne. Heartache.
Dave rubbed her back. “Do you know why you’re struggling with this?”
Lifting her head from the cushion, she took a deep breath and wiped her cheeks. “Because I don’t know what I want?”
He shook his head. “You know exactly what you want, that’s the thing. But for some reason you’re telling yourself you can’t have it.” Dave was on his feet, brushing down his black pants. “Only you can make the decision now. But first, I’d recommend having a shower and changing as we’re leaving for the party in fifteen minutes.” When he left the room, Paris fell onto her side, curling up on the couch, staring at the Christmas tree in the corner.
The sparkling tinsel glinted beneath the sunlight streaming in the windows. She’d always looked forward to the festivities in her younger days, and Jett even gifted her the pair of cowboy boots on their last Christmas together. Most of her fondest memories came from Yalgoo. The fun times with family, friends, and Jett. Her aspirations had always been to find a job in the travel industry, adoring the idea of receiving cheap flights around the world. But while her first job in Melbourne wasn’t a travel agent, she found her new passion as an event planner. When finishing her school years, her thoughts had always revolved around Jett. And now their chance encounter had her dreaming of those times where the world might involve both of them together.
So why did her life seem restricted at every direction she turned?
Leaving behind the opportunity to grow her career sliced at her insides. Jett held her heart while her job had her mind, tugging her in opposite directions. She rolled off the sofa and climbed to her feet. Spending time with the family and community might be just what she needed. With no job, there wasn’t a rush to head to Melbourne since she hadn’t bought her return plane ticket yet. So, taking a time out would be exactly what she’d do. Maybe then inspiration would strike with a solution.
***
The bonfire crackled and spat embers into the park behind the community hall, glowing against the backdrop of the night sky. Paris stared into the heavens, a wave of stars adorning the tapestry overhead, brighter, clearer than on most Melbourne nights. The woodsy smell of smoke permeated the air.
Children laughed, drawing her attention to the circle of youngsters sitting on logs close to the fire. Their gazes were glued on Dave dressed as Santa. He handed a gift to a young girl, chuckling.
Paris might have arrived late to the party, but she spent the day eating, playing cricket, and hanging out. She only caught a glimpse of Jett here and there amid the crowds. He busied himself, and she remained as far away as possible, unsure what she’d say. Bringing up their messed-up relationship wasn’t ideal at a family gathering. Speaking of which, Paris didn’t want the whole town butting in either. So better she kept her smile and made it through the night.
Kid after kid collected their present, each tearing open the paper and crying out with excitement. She loved watching their beaming faces. Not every family could afford presents, so this communal event took the pressure off parents and meant no child missed out.
A young boy with reddish hair called out, “Daddy, look what I got.” He held onto what looked like a motorised sheep as big as his head. The kid ran straight for Jett, who stood amid the other parents.
Paris’s heart skipped. He crouched next to the youngster, hugging him, and the joy in his expression had Paris gasping. She’d never seen anyone beaming with such joy. He had a life in Yalgoo, so who was she to meddle with his affairs? Yet she couldn’t lift her gaze from him and his son studying the animated sheep walk across the gravelly ground. Around her, more kids enjoyed their gifts. This was Christmas. And while she might have spent the season in Melbourne at parties, dinner, or alone at home, nothing compared to being home. Or the warmth of being around people who stuck together and helped each other. Even the agony in her chest eased at watching everyone enjoy themselves.
Someone clapped Paris’s back, and she turned to find Alyson, one of her friends from high school.
“I heard you’re back and didn’t believe it,” Alyson said and hugged her.
Paris beamed and held her old friend tight. “I’m back for the holidays. How are you?”
Alyson rubbed her belly and smirked.
Paris noticed her slight bump. “Oh wow. Huge congrats. That’s so exciting. Who’s the lucky man?”
“This guy I met from Perth. I moved up there with him, but we’re here for Christmas. He runs this distribution trucking business, and I’m doing the accounts. Come, you got to meet him.” Alyson grabbed her wrist and hauled her through the crowds before Paris could protest.
She kept staring at Jett, who laughed with his son, lost in his own world. But as if sensing her, he turned in her direction and offered her a wink.
Her stomach fluttered, and the next hour flew past with her floating high from that single look from Jett.
When the crowds dissipated and families headed home, Paris helped pick up the discarded wrapping paper and stuffed it into a garbage bag. Dave nudged into her side and took the bag out of her hands.
“You’ve done plenty,” he said. “Now get on out of here. Someone’s waiting for you.”
She glanced up at his smirk and followed his line of sight. Jett stood alone near the lookout area. The orange glow of the dying fire drew attention to his gorgeous face, the stubble he hadn’t trimmed, and the way he slouched with one hand in the pocket of his jeans.
He crooked a finger in her direction, and her legs gave a slight wobble. Was he calling her? With a quick scan to see no one else nearby, she handed the bag over to Dave.
“And don’t ruin it this time,” he whispered.
“Don’t jinx me,” she said and strutted her way to Jett who checked out her flowing skirt fluttering around her cowboy boots. He wore a grin on his face, the mischievous one he had on when she first met him at the airport. What was he thinking? Nerves climbed the back of her legs, and she wasn’t sure where to put her hands.
“Ace is adorable.” She broke the ice when she reached him, hands clasped behind her.
He ran a hand through his hair, though his gaze remained locked on her. “He is, and you’ve got to meet him. You’ll love him.”
She nodded, planning to visit Jett’s place tomorrow and introduce herself to Ace. She should have done it tonight, but she could barely think straight let alone approach Jett without being invited.
“Been hearing you’re having conflicting feelings about me,” Jett said.
Fire flooded her cheeks, and she glanced back at Dave who gave her a curt wave and turned away. Bastard. “Don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but you may need to change your source of intelligence.”
“Come, let’s walk.” His hand swept beneath her elbow and drew her away from the bonfire.
Jett slid an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her breath wedged in her chest from his sudden move, but the moment he curled to face her and his lips grazed hers, she was lost, gone from this world and floating amid the stars in the sky. His mouth was soft yet firm and starved, his fingers pressing into her lower back with the kind of desperation that swallowed her whole.
God. Jett killed her with his sexiness, his attention, and his kiss. She never wanted to resurface from beneath his love. Here, her life stood still and only the two of them mattered.
When he broke free, she stumbled on jelly legs, but he caught her. “Careful there.”
“Jett,” she croaked, her throat dry. “When I’m with you, everything changes. My worries vanish. I never want to leave your side. I want what we used to have, but I don’t know how to begin.” She couldn’t stop her words from spilling free, not when Jett’s breath brushed her cheeks and he smiled, the glint of faint light from the bonfire lighting up his face.
“That means the world to me.” He hugged her, and she pressed herself against his chest, inhaling his musky scent, closing her eyes. All her previous confusion faded, because in his presence, her fogged mind cleared.
“It might sound selfish of me, but I want you to stay, Paris. I’ve never stopped loving you, and seeing you again has made me fall for you all over again. And this time, I can’t lose you.”
Her eyes teared up, not because of the agony of her decision, but that she’d been blind to the love Jett felt for her. Why was she torturing herself? Dave’s words threaded through her mind about her putting restrictions on herself.
“I’m sorry for leaving you for the AFL, for scaring you, for not making a bigger effort to come find you in Melbourne.”
She nodded. “I’ve been silly, holding on to the past anger for too long. But I also love where I used to work.” And that right there was her conundrum. Thinking about her first day in Yalgoo, she already felt more at home than she had in the city over the past five years.
A piece of wrapping paper fluttered past, and she snatched it, scrunching the rubbish into a ball and placing it in her pocket. Gifts… making kids happy. That was what kept this community strong and close-knit. And Jett helped carry the tradition in nearby towns. She chewed on her cheek. What if she joined him and expanded the venture? Was it such a wild idea? What did she have to lose, and that single question to herself had her bouncing on her toes with excitement.
“I was going to pitch the toy drive idea to a few companies in Melbourne as a way to gain a new job. But what if I ran it myself from here in Yalgoo? Is that an insane idea?” She tilted her head, staring at Jett, who studied her with a serious look.
“That’s an incredible idea. I’ll help you with anything you need.” His embrace drew her closer, and her heart beat so hard beneath her breastbone, it vibrated through her. Was she really considering this?
Paris pictured it all in her head now… how she’d organise the drive, companies she’d contact for donations, branding, and even a logo. “I really like the idea. I’m so excited.”
God, she couldn’t believe she was making this decision on the spur of the moment. Usually, it took her weeks to decide on a new dress to buy, and that was after trying it on half a dozen times. But maybe this was the shake-up she needed to find happiness, break her Christmas curse, and spend every year with Jett. Plus, she’d be able to follow her dream career from Yalgoo. If it didn’t work, she’d come up with a different plan. But for the first time since meeting Jett, that heaviness in her chest eased at her decision to stay.
“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Yes to the business, or staying, or being with me?”
“Yes to all three.” She kissed him deeply, letting herself fall like she’d wanted to do from the first moment she laid eyes on him at the airport. The prospect of having Jett by her side, him loving her, reconfirmed this was the right decision. It may have taken her a while to come to the conclusion, but for the first time in too long, staying with Jett and working from Yalgoo felt beyond right. Yep… she was finally home.