One Christmas Wish (12 page)

F
or once, Julia didn't feel like dancing. Even to the 80s music the live band was currently playing.
Hello!
“Walk Like an Egyptian”? Usually that was her trademark dance. Which meant she had it worse than she thought.

All night during the rehearsal, then yet another party, her eyes had searched for Isaac. He didn't show up. And, while the prospect of seeing him had her all knotted up, not seeing him breathed fear into her heart. He wouldn't leave Aspen without saying good-bye, would he?

Because the thought of never seeing Isaac again made her heart feel shriveled and ancient. Like that tantalizing passion was all in her past.

“You still mad at us?” Paige appeared next to her and plunked herself down on the couch.

“I was never mad at you.” Well, at least not at Paige. The rest of her family? They deserved to have the door slammed in their faces. She shot a warning look at her sis-in-law. “You do realize you're the only other sane person in this family now, right?”

Paige grinned. “Then we'll have to stick together.”

The door opened across the room, distracting Julia. She strained her neck to get a look at who walked through.
Damn.
Just a waiter.

“So where's Isaac?” her sis-in-law asked casually. “Ben said he couldn't make it to the rehearsal. Something came up.”

“I don't know.”

“I thought he'd be here with you. Since you two kissed and all.”

Oh, yes. They'd kissed. They'd done lots of other things, too. Things that still made her stomach all molten and her face steamy. “Things didn't go so well between us,” she admitted. It wasn't like Paige wouldn't find out eventually.

“Spill it, sister,” Paige demanded. And Julia did. Every gory detail. When she finished with the long, silent ride home, Paige's eyes were practically bugging out of her head.

“So that's it?
That's
how you left it? After you two spent a hot, passionate night together, you just walked away?” Grabbing the handle of her chair, Paige jerked her so they were face to face. “Julia…I get that you're afraid he'll pick up and leave again. That makes sense. But think about it. What if he would've stayed back then? What would've happened?”

Well, according to her dreams, they would've declared their unending love and lived happily ever after. Yes, it sounded ridiculous. So she didn't say anything.

Sighing, Paige tried again. “Do you think you two would've gotten married or something? I mean, what eighteen-year-old kid is ready for that?”

The hot prickle of humiliation rolled up her forehead. “It's not like I wanted to marry him
then
.”
Liar.

Paige leaned in, her hazel eyes wide with energy. “What if he hadn't gone off and seen the world? What if he hadn't been in the Navy? What if he hadn't experienced all of that?”

“I don't know what would've happened.” All she'd known was what she'd
wanted
to happen. But now that she thought about it, Paige was right. That was completely selfish.

“All I'm saying is…” Paige took her hand, squeezing it lightly, like she wanted to ease the discomfort her next words would cause. “Maybe he came back when he was ready. Maybe he came back now because he's stronger and braver. Maybe all of that made him a better man than he would've been.”

The lump of emotions that had massed in Julia's throat burned.

Paige let her hand go. “Just like your accident made you stronger and braver. Both of you have been through hell, and now there's nothing you can't do. Including fighting for each other for the rest of your lives.”

A sweet release surged inside of her. That's what she wanted. More than anything. Paige was right. Over the last twelve years, they'd both become who they needed to be.

“I was so mean to him, Paige. I made him feel so guilty.” Even after all of that, he wasn't mad at her. Only himself.

“Julia!” Her sis-in-law whapped her. “This is amazing! You're in love.”

Yes. She could acknowledge that now. But… “What if I ran him off?”

Popping to her feet, Paige flagged down Bryce, who happened to be hovering near the appetizers. “Hey! What room is Isaac staying in?”

“He checked out. Said he was gonna stay somewhere else tonight.”

“Somewhere else?” Julia whispered. As in another city? State?

“Don't worry.” Paige patted her. “We'll call him.” She sashayed over to where Ben stood and seductively slipped his phone out of his pocket, making eyes at him the whole time.

Gross.

With the phone pressed against her ear, Paige traipsed back to the couch. “He's not picking up, but don't worry. I'll leave a message.” She paused, then her eyes brightened. “Hi Isaac! This is Paige.”

A bolt of panic shot through Julia. She made a grab for the phone, but Paige hopped away just in time.

“I'm Ben's fiancé. Remember?” she prattled. “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you're still coming to the wedding tomorrow. Because Julia loves you. Like
really
loves you.”

Julia threw up her hands. “Did I miss the time machine? Are we in junior high again?”

Shooing at her with her free hand, Paige spun away. “She's devastated that you're not here right now. And she's really hoping you'll be there tomorrow. So let us know, okay?” She made a show out of clicking off the phone. “You're welcome!”

Shaking her head, Julia held back a smile. “I don't remember saying thank you.”

Well, whadda ya know?
Julia loved him. Isaac stuffed his phone back in his pocket and swiped the sweat off of his forehead. Who knew if she'd actually
wanted
Paige to call him and leave that message? Didn't matter either way. Not really. He glanced at the boxes scattered around Julia's bedroom.

Because he was about to win her over all on his own.

He'd already rebooked her plane ticket for Sunday night and had scheduled a moving company to pick up all of her stuff after the wedding. In the last six hours, during which Julia had been occupied by the rehearsal and yet another after party, he'd packed up nearly everything she owned. Good thing she wasn't a packrat. Well, minus her shoe-hoarding problem. He slumped onto her bed and tried to stretch the kinks out of his back. Hell, he'd never seen so many different styles and colors. And those stilettos she owned? Hot damn, just the sight of 'em had made him ache. It was hard not to get distracted while he'd packed that box, picturing her in those heels and nothing else. Then there was her underwear drawer. Or should he call it a lingerie supercenter? Folding up all of that satin and lace and silk had gotten him going, that was for damn sure. He'd never seen such variety. There were things with laces and buckles and sequins…

Made his eyes cross just remembering it. That'd been the fun part of packing. Kitchen? Not so much. But he was almost done. All he had left was the back of her closet and the bathroom. Hadn't quite gathered the courage to discover what lived in her medicine cabinet. Not having sisters, he still had an aversion to female bathroom products.

Heaving himself off of the bed, he crouched to pull out the last of the stuff from her closet. Carefully, he dragged out a small chest. Looked like it would fit in nicely with the underwear. Yeah, that was convenient. He'd been looking for an excuse to revisit that box.

Wanting to make sure there was nothing fragile in the chest, he undid the clasp and opened it. Looked like papers and pictures. He pulled out a handful to see underneath.

His heart thrummed. There, stashed at the very bottom of the chest, were pictures of him. And Julia. And their whole life together. Starting with one when she was two and he was five. They were in her parents' yard—in front of her mother's prized flower garden—and he was holding her hand.

God.
If a heart could sigh, his did. Sighed and gasped with longing. There were so many pictures like that. Ones she must've saved all these years. Images of them in grade school and junior high and high school, her in her cheerleading uniform and him out on the football field.

He dug through them all, pausing to study each one. Was it right? Trespassing into her memories like this? He couldn't help it. All of these years, she'd kept the memories of him—of
them
—so close to her.

Underneath the pictures there was a sheet of folded notebook paper. He picked it up and carefully opened it. A letter. From the date scrawled across the top, it looked like she'd written it one year to the day after he'd left her in that hospital room.

The memory overwhelmed him. He could feel that heaviness in the air, smell the rain. Isaac closed his eyes. She'd been eight, at least, which would've made him eleven. Ben was there, too, but he was always wandering off on his own. They'd been in the woods, a few miles from home. The clouds rolled in fast and the air changed—got that thick heaviness that made you feel like you could hardly breathe. Julia had hated storms. When the lightning started, she got that pale, terrified look. Wind thrashed and the clouds unleashed, sending down raindrops as big as quarters. Knowing they wouldn't make it back to the house, he'd pulled her underneath a big old bald cypress. She was crying then, and there wasn't anything he hated more than seeing Julia cry. So he'd encircled her in his arms and they'd waited out the storm that way.

He peeled open his eyes. They were hot. Burning. Even though it might kill him, he forced himself to read the rest of her words.

He closed his eyes and let the words play again and again. An unbearable weight crushed the air from his lungs. Why didn't she send him that letter? He would've come back for her. He would've found a way. If only he'd known how much she needed him. Now they'd lost twelve years.

I have to believe I'll see you again.

And he had to believe they hadn't missed their future together. If she'd give him another chance, he'd never let her down again.

S
omething wasn't right.

Julia paused on the driveway, despite the fact that her toes were already frozen into ice blocks after the short ride over in Mother's car service.

“I didn't leave the lights on.”

Oliver whined and licked her hand, as if sensing that her heart had picked up speed.

The black town car's red taillights disappeared. Ben and Paige were still partying, but she'd come back early. And now the lights were on in her house.

“Come on, Oliver.” Patting the dog's head, Julia eased herself up the ramp to the front door. Amazing how having a dog with you made you suddenly feel brave.

“I'm sure everything's fine,” she reassured the dog—okay, herself—as her hand reached for the doorknob. It was unlocked.

But if someone had broken in, why would they leave all of the lights on?

Leaning forward, she pushed open the door a crack. Through the narrow slit, all she could see were boxes. Stacks and stacks of boxes.

“Holy—”

Her trembling hands pushed clumsily on the wheels of her chair until she made it inside and closed the door behind her. Everything had been packed away. The shelves of her bookcase were bare. All of her magazines from the coffee table gone. Even the kitchen sat empty. “I don't understand.”

Oliver's ears perked. He dug his nose into the carpet, sniffing himself in circles, then he bounded down the hallway, ears flapping, paws skidding on the wood floors. Outside of her bedroom door, he plopped down into a perfect sit, his tail sweeping the floor.

If he was wagging his tail that meant…

She was almost afraid to hope.  

“Okay, boy,” she whispered, nudging Oliver out of the way so she could open her bedroom door.

On the other side of the room, Isaac was hunched on his knees next to the closet. Her memory box sat next to him. Open. And she didn't even have to look closer to know what he held in his hands.

Her letter. The one she'd carefully tucked away, knowing she could never send it, because she could never rob him of living his life.

He looked up as she eased herself into the room. Tears ran down his cheeks.

She'd never seen Isaac cry. Not even when his grandfather, who'd been his hero, passed away when he was thirteen. Not when he'd broken his arm out on the football field his sophomore year.

But here he was, on her bedroom floor, tears falling, reliving a piece of their history that no longer mattered.

“Hey.” Her voice felt velvety soft in her throat.

Oliver circled back and forth between them, wagging and snorting a happy greeting.

Isaac didn't even seem to notice the dog. “I didn't know.” He held up the letter, a helpless look gouging his cheeks. “I would've come back. Julia…I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you.”

She wheeled herself over to where he crouched. “It's okay.”

“No.” His head shook and those red eyes tore at her heart. “It's not. Twelve years. You needed me and I—”

She gently pressed her fingers against his lips. “You came back at the perfect time.” Because now she knew she really could make it on her own. She had for years. She'd been strong and she'd held out hope. She'd healed. She'd fought her way through. They'd both grown up and become the people they were meant to be on their own. And because of that, now this would be even better.

He inched forward on his knees until his arms draped across her thighs. “You were right. You deserve this chance. The job. The new life.” He looked up into her eyes and the love she saw there engraved her heart.

“I packed up everything. The moving company will take it all tomorrow night. Your flight leaves at six. I hope you'll forgive me. I hope—”

She shushed him again. “Stop talking.” Cradling his face in her hands, she tugged his lips up to hers. “Just stop talking and kiss me, Isaac Nash.” God, she'd waited so long to say that.

When his delicious lips smiled against hers, she was pretty sure the whole world stopped breathing.

Tasting her lips in a slow, sensual caress, he somehow stood and lifted her into his arms, holding her tightly against him.

“That'll never get old,” he assured her, fitting his lips to hers again, weakening her limbs and strengthening the beat of her heart all at the same time.

“Neither will this,” she murmured, kissing her way down his stubbled neck.

“Or this.” He laid her on the bed and slowly inched up the hem of her dress. “By the way, I packed up your stockpile of Victoria's Secret inventory. It's quite the impressive collection.”

She propped herself on her elbows. “Not nearly as impressive as what I'm wearing under this dress.” Not that she'd known they were going to end up here, in her bed tonight, but a girl could always hope, right?

He made a helpless groaning sound and pushed the dress up to her hips to inspect the lace garter belt for himself.

“That's it.” Isaac sat her up and sunk to the bed behind her. “I have to get you out of this thing,” he growled, yanking on the zipper of her dress, sliding the soft fabric off of her shoulders while kissing her neck from behind.

Julia bent to start unstrapping her heels, but Isaac covered her hand with his. “No. Leave them on.”

She laughed. “You like the shoes, too, huh?”

“You have no idea.” His hands worked their way up her body. “I don't know what I'll do when you're in Dallas and I'm in San Diego,” he whined.

“There's always phone sex,” she offered.

“Not the same.” He stood and moved in front of her to peel off her dress the rest of the way. Which gave her the perfect opportunity to unbuckle his belt and take down his pants.

She loved that helpless look on his face when she clasped her hand onto him.

“I guess I can always visit,” he panted.

“Or you could come with me.” It hadn't hit her that that was what she really wanted until she said it.

Isaac froze.

Her hands fell away from him.

He dropped to his knees in front of her. “What?”

“Come with me.” She traced his lips with her finger. “You're a contractor, right? You can live anywhere.”

“I thought…this was something you had to do on your own.”

“I only said that because I was afraid of you,” she admitted, making up for it with a rather thorough kiss.  

“Julia…” His soft brown eyes locked on hers. “I will never leave you again.”

“I know.”

“I'll have to travel a lot, though. For work.”

“That's okay. I have Oliver.” Who was now perched next to the bed with his head rested on the mattress, gazing longingly at Isaac.

“Right. Oliver.” He eyed the dog.

“Are you okay with Oliver?”

“Sure. Benadryl is good stuff.” He stroked her hair. “So you won't mind if I'm gone for a couple of weeks here and there?”

“I'm fine if you travel.” Taking his shoulders in her hands, she pulled his body down over hers. “As long as you always come home to me.”

If she woke up this way every morning for the rest of her life, she'd never want anything else.

Breathing in the clean cotton scent of freshly washed sheets, Julia snuggled in closer to Isaac's solid form. He was still sound asleep, but his arms were around her and they were nestled together under the down quilt.
Don't move. Don't breathe.
Had she ever been this still? Suspended in so much hope and unbridled joy?

Sunlight brightened the room, amplified by the two feet of pure white snow that blanketed the ground outside. Through the slit in the curtains, she could just make out a patch of the luminous blue sky.

It would be a beautiful day for a wedding.

Isaac shifted and yawned, then draped a leg over her.

“Hey.” She nudged him. When nothing happened, she stretched to touch a kiss to his neck. That always seemed to get his attention.

Sure enough, his eyelids fluttered open. An instant smile softened his jaw. “I can't believe I'm waking up next to Julia Noble.” He turned on his side and pressed his body against hers. “It's like all of my sixteen-year-old fantasies are coming true.”

She laughed. His fantasies didn't hold a candle to hers, but there'd be time for unpacking that little treasure chest later. “So the wedding's in eight hours and I really should go help Paige.” She was the maid of honor, after all. It was her job to have the bride all ready to go by seven o'clock that night.

He closed his eyes and held her tighter. “Think we can call in sick?”

“Yes, please.” She felt around for her phone on the nightstand. “I double dog dare you to call Gracie and tell her we're staying in bed all day. Together.” Her mother would
die.

He pulled his body over hers and swept back her hair so he could kiss her neck.

Ohhhhhhh.
She tilted her head to the side.

“What'll you give me if I do?” he whispered in her ear.

“A quickie in the shower?” she offered.

“You're on.” He swiped the phone out of her hand and scrolled through the contacts, then held it up to his ear.

She froze. He had to be bluffing.

“Hello?”

At the sound of Mother's shrill greeting, she shrieked. “Stop!” Laughing, she stole the phone from him and ended the call. “I didn't think you'd actually do it.”

“I'd do anything for a shower with you.” That, and Isaac always did have a fondness for playing tricks on Gracie. The trouble he and Ben used to get in—it was crazy.

She shoved her phone back onto the nightstand. “Great. Now she'll be over here in ten minutes, demanding to know what's going on.”

“Ten minutes gives us plenty of time.” He threw off the covers and gathered her into his arms, heading straight for the bathroom. “I'll have you satisfied, showered and dressed in eight.”

The man didn't lie. And it was a damn good thing he was honest because Gracie arrived in twelve minutes.

When she used the key Ben had given her “in case of emergencies”, Julia and Isaac were in the kitchen. She sat on the counter drinking coffee and he stood right in front of her, stealing a kiss every chance he got.

Neither one of them bothered to look over when Gracie cycloned into the room.

“What on earth?”

“'Morning, Gracie.” Completely unfazed by her mother's stern glare, Isaac raised his hand in a wave. “Can I get you some coffee?”

Her mother's eyes went into hyper-blink mode, like she was trying to blink Isaac right out of the room. “But…what are you doing here? I…it's…how…” Gracie sputtered.

“Relax, Mother.” Julia threaded her fingers through Isaac's and towed him closer. “You remember Isaac, right?”

Gracie simply blinked at them again.

“Pleasure to see you again, Gracie.” He lifted Julia from the counter and set her in her chair. “I'd best be going. I'm sure Ben needs my assistance with something.”

The heavy weight of disappointment settled on her heart. But he was right. As much as she wanted to spend every second making up for lost time, this day was not about them. “See you at the wedding?”

“Can't wait.” Leaning down, he kissed her once more, then backed away. “I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, too, Gracie. I look forward to it.” Without waiting for a response, he trotted out the door.

“Isaac Nash?” Gracie didn't waste any time getting right into it. “You're
dating
Isaac Nash
?”

A happy warmth engulfed her face. “I'm pretty sure we moved past the dating stage last night.” A couple of times. “And he's coming to Dallas with me.” Best to get all of this out of the way now.

Her mother's gaping mouth made the woman look truly scandalized. “But…his family. They're a joke, Julia. After all of the prominent men I've introduced you to…you choose Isaac Nash?”

“I've loved him my whole life and you know it.” Back when they were little, before his family had fallen into ruin, Gracie and Mrs. Nash used to dream about the two of them planning a wedding that would make them the envy of parents everywhere. Julia had never cared so much about the wedding, though. She was more concerned about every day after.

Steering herself close to Gracie, she looked up at her mom and let the depth of her love for him show. “He makes me so happy.” And she'd do everything she could to make him happy, too.

She braced for a lecture, but Gracie simply gazed down at her. Wait…were those tears in her eyes?

“I'm so glad, Julia,” she said quietly. “You deserve to be happy.”

Now she was the one blinking. Because she couldn't be seeing this right. Tears falling out of her mother's always-dry eyes. She cut a glance to the window, just in case pigs in pink tutus were soaring across the sky.

“That's all I've ever wanted, Julia. Don't you know that? After everything you've been through, I only wanted you to be happy.”

“
Mom…
” The word prompted her own tears. She'd totally underestimated her. The woman had real feelings. Compassion. They were actually having a real-life mother-daughter
moment
.

“At least you'll
finally
be married,” Gracie huffed, drying the tears on her cheeks. She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I was beginning to worry. And Isaac
does
have a respectable career in the Navy going for him. That should rectify all of the damage his father did to their family name. Do you think he might consider taking Noble as his last name?”

Doh.
Julia winced. They were so close.

“I'll ask him,” her mother went on before she could answer. “You know, I have a friend who runs the social column of the newspaper back home. I'm sure she'll do a fabulous profile piece on him. We'll work on repairing his reputation right away.”