Authors: Kate Squires
Tracing Hearts (33 page)
“After hearing about how you saved me from the likes of Oren Newton, I’d say my dad will be most grateful.”
“Or want to kill me for putting you in that position,” I say with my eyebrows raised in horror.
She smiles, rolls her eyes, and kisses me softly, then goes to the kitchen to check on the food.
***
The plane is right on time, and I greet my family in baggage claim. My mom is the first one to me. I catch her as she runs full tilt toward me, almost knocking me off my feet.
“Oh, Sebastian,” she cries with her arms wound firmly around my neck. I hold her tightly, equally glad to see her.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m here and I’m alive,” I whisper as I rock her side to side. She continues to sob. After we finally separate, she holds me at arm’s length, looking me up and down.
“So, you’re really okay? No lasting injuries from the gunshot wounds?”
“No. Nothing but some nice looking battles scars,” I say in jest. She just rolls her eyes.
“I’m next,” Chris says, and his greeting goes from a handshake into a hug. He pats me twice on the back, then lets go. “I’m glad you’re not dead, although, I’m not giving you your stuff back.” He smiles and nudges my arm.
“Oh really? We’ll see about that,” I say as I pull him into a headlock and give him some long overdue noogies.
He steps aside and my father is in view.
“Hi, Dad,” I say and extend my hand for him to shake.
“Is that all I get?” he says, and he wraps me in a bear hug. Shocked by his affection, I hug him back. “I’m so proud of you, Seb” he whispers, so only I can hear him. “I’ve never been so proud to call you my son.”
I smile into his broad shoulder and grip him a little tighter.
When I get them back to our house, I’m happy to find my family accepting Julia, just as I told her they would. They love her instantly. My mom offers to help in the kitchen, and my dad sits at the breakfast bar and watches them. Chris and I make small talk as he fills me in on what’s been going on in his life.
The doorbell rings and upon answering it, I see Jaci and Steve standing before me with a casserole dish and a bottle of wine in their hands. They both reach out and hug me.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Sebastian, and I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you who we really were,” Steve says.
“It’s no problem. I’m just glad you were there for Julia when I wasn’t.”
“It wasn’t just my job,” he says, “I was happy to do it as your friend.”
I nod and invite them in.
Just about an hour later, the doorbell rings again. This time, it’s Julia’s dad and sister. Mick agreed to pick them up from the airport for us, so we didn’t have to leave again. When she hears the chime, Julia sets down her cooking utensils and sprints toward the front door.
“I’ll get it!” she exclaims and flings open the door. I smile, as I hear Toria squeal with delight at the sight of her big sister and watch as she embraces her father. I walk to where they’re standing and offer my hand to him.
“It’s nice to see you again, sir,” I say shaking his hand. I’m nervous about what he might say.
“Yes, it’s nice to see you too,” he says. “Thank you for inviting us.”
His formality makes me uneasy, but then I remember Julia telling me that’s just how he is.
“It’s no problem, sir.”
“Please, call me Tom.” His smile is sincere, and I relax.
“Thank you, sir…I mean Tom,” I reply.
When I look, Julia is talking excitedly with her sister and then, they both look at me and smile. I’m puzzled as to what they were saying, but just shrug, which makes them giggle. I smile and shake my head.
After saying hello to Toria, Julia starts to shut the door, when I remember Mick is still outside.
“Hold on. Mick’s probably getting the bags out of the car,” I tell her. She nods and heads toward the kitchen, where our guests are congregating. I reach the door and see Mick digging in the trunk of the rental car. He closes the lid, and I have to blink several times at the sight before me.
“What the hell?” I mutter. Peter smiles broadly and walks in my direction.
“Surprise,” he says holding his arms out to show me he’s really here. “What? Haven’t you seen a dead guy before?”
I grin at him.
“You asshole. You let me think you were dead,” I say as I hug him.
“Hey, you did it to me. Turnabout’s fair play, wouldn’t you say? And it just happened to be a happy side effect of your situation.” I shake my head and playfully punch his arm.
“Was it your idea, or Mick’s?”
“It was all mine. I figured you had it coming for all the shit you made me do for you.”
“You’re an ass.”
He grins again. “Back at you, Seb.”
The party goes on, and I mingle with our family and friends. As I walk between the groups of people talking, I spot Julia near the entrance to the Florida room. I sneak up behind her as she chats with Jaci.
“There you are. I’ve missed you,” I say, hugging her from behind. She turns in my arms and kisses me.
God
, I’ll never tire of that.
“Here I am. Do you need something?”
“Nope. Just needed a quick dose of affection from my favorite girl.” She smiles and kisses me again.
“There. That should hold you over for at least another fifteen minutes.”
“I hope so. I’m about to make small talk with your dad. I plan to apologize for getting you into the mess we were in.”
“Good luck. If you see him reach behind his back, duck fast.” She laughs.
“Thanks. I will.”
Julia
“I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of protecting you, Julia,” Jaci says, her voice laced with regret.
“You were great. Don't blame yourself for anything Oren did. You weren’t even in on the whole plan.”
She nods.
“So, are the Marshalls going to let you two stay in this house?”
“For a little while. Ultimately though, we’ll have to find our own place.”
“So, what are your plans for the future? It’s obvious he adores you, but are you planning on going back to North Carolina, or Ohio?”
“We really haven’t talked about it, but I think we may stay here in Florida,” I say, hoping Sebastian wants to. “It just feels right, you know?” She nods again.
“Julia,” Toria says as she approaches us. “How far away is Disney World from here?”
I place my arm around her shoulders and smile.
“About two hours or so. Why?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping Dad would take me. I know I’m sort of old for Mickey Mouse, but I’d like to see Epcot or Universal Studios.”
“Well, you could ask him.”
“Nah. Not right now,” she says. “He and Sebastian look like they’re in a deep discussion.”
I look over at them. Neither one is smiling. That can’t be good.
“I wonder what’s going on over there,” I say more to myself than to anyone else.
“I don't know, but I heard the words ‘Aquarium’ and ‘shark tank’ as I passed by a while ago.”
I shoot a quick glance at Jaci, and she does the same. Then, a knowing grin creeps onto her face. She nods slowly and smiles wider. I feel my cheeks heat, and I mirror her expression.
***
Long after our friends have gone home and our family has gone to bed, Sebastian and I lie quietly on lawn chairs on the back deck. My fingers are laced with his as we watch the stars, which twinkle in the night sky. The crickets and tree frogs battle for who’s the loudest and every once in a while, an owl will chime in, claiming the title. The air is warm, but the breeze is heavenly as we both sit in a comfortable silence, presumably reflecting on the day. Sebastian squeezes my hand, causing me to look at him.
“I love you,” he says and smiles wistfully. “And I thank God I was stupid enough to leave that note on your car.”
I grin.
“I love you too, and thank you for being so stupid.”
He chuckles.
“Anytime, Mrs. Smith.”
“Shall we go inside?”
“Not yet. I’m enjoying this moment with you. We haven’t had much quiet time since we met again.”
I scoff.
“No kidding. It’s been one wild ride, hasn’t it?”
“Definitely.” He pauses to gather his thoughts, I think. “I’m glad it was with you though.”
I grin broadly and we gaze into each other’s eyes.
“Back at you, baby.”
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Love will always find a way in Kate Squires’s charming novel,
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From the author of
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It’s been five years, but Chloe Shepherd has never forgotten that fateful kiss she shared with her childhood best friend, Matt Masen, after a high school graduation party…even though neither has mentioned it since.
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Can love really triumph above all? Find out in Kate Squires’s immensely enjoyable novel, That Promise.
The highly anticipated sequel to That Kiss finds Chloe Shepherd, now a successful Broadway dancer, happily engaged to her longtime friend and lover, Matt Masen.
But the path to love is never easy, and Chloe and Matt soon find themselves fighting over everything from Matt’s desire to move to Los Angeles in order to pursue his dream job, to a Russian male dancer’s apparent obsession with Chloe.
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