Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,103

and my brother. I realize that our fight has been hurting them, which is the opposite of what I wanted to do. I don't know if he'll tell Mom the truth. I don't really care, actually. I want everyone to be happy."

"We're all on a good path."

He gazed deep into her eyes. "I love you so much, Hannah. There's never been anyone else for me. You asked me before if I'd had a serious relationship, and I made up some lame excuse about traveling too much, but that was never the reason. I just couldn't get over you. That's really why I came home. I had to see you again. I had to find out if there was a way to get you back. I couldn't give up on us."

"I'm sorry I made it so difficult for you."

"No, you're not," he teased. "You wanted me to earn it."

"And you did," she said with a laugh. "But I'm a little sorry, because we wasted so much time. I could never get over you, either. Everyone else seemed boring. I love you, Jake. I fell in love with you the first time we kissed. That's all it took—just one kiss. No one else has ever come close to making me feel the way I feel about you, and it's not just the incredible chemistry we have together, it's everything else. You were always my best friend."

"I want to be your best friend and your lover and everything else. I want to spend every minute of my life with you."

"That could work, except when you're jumping off a mountain," she said with a laugh. "You might have to do that minute alone."

"Or maybe I'll convince you to go with me," he said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"God help me, you probably could."

"But I don't want to take over your life, Hannah, I just want to share it."

"I feel the same way. I do have one important question, however."

"What's that?"

She gave him a happy smile. "Who has the ball now?"

He laughed. "I think I do."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I have a lot of ideas. None of them involve your whole family, though, so my ideas might have to wait. In fact, I should probably go home and let you have this time with everyone."

"No way. You're not leaving, because you're my family, too."

"Good. Because there is no place I'd rather be." He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, creating a lovely island of heat and love in the middle of a cold, dark night. But that was Jake. He'd always been able to bring the light into her life. She wanted to do the same for him.

He lifted his head as the bells rang from St. Mary's Church. "It's midnight, Hannah."

"Merry Christmas, Jake. I'm going to love you forever."

"I'm counting on that."

# # #

Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,103

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