Make Me Over_ Getting Real - Leslie Kelly [70]
There was more, he knew it, he could see the emotion on Jacey’s face. She was hurting, too, for some reason, and he sensed she had her own romantic battles ahead.
But that was for Jacey to deal with. Right now, he cared only about his own. So with one more nod of thanks, he stalked to the foyer, grabbed his heavy coat, then stormed out the front door. Heading directly toward the stables. And the sleigh.
Once he was gone, Jacey just stared at the door for a long moment, until she heard footsteps racing up behind her. She looked around in time to see Niles Monahan, panting and out of breath. “I just saw you talking to Drew, and he ran out of here. Where’s he gone?”
Jacey smiled. “To get his fair lady.”
T ORI SAT UP LATE into the night, watching the thick snowflakes hit the window of her hotel room. They gathered at its base, rising higher and higher, until she had to stand to look outside, unable to see from her chair.
The snow was peaceful. Soothing on this silent night. Appropriate for a few nights before Christmas. She’d had a few white Christmases, when they’d gone up to visit family in the mountains for the holidays. But not any in a while.
She wished she’d have this one. Wished more than anything that she could stay here, anticipating the holiday with Drew. They wouldn’t need prettily wrapped presents, not when they could give each other the gifts of love and emotion.
And sex.
Yeah, that, too. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to make love with anyone else again, not after having something so perfect with Drew. He’d been joking, but he’d been right the other morning when he said she’d never want any other ride.
She sniffed a little, replaying that conversation—every conversation, really, that they’d shared over the past few weeks. She was going to miss him terribly.
“Please, Drew,” she whispered, “please realize why I did it and find me. Soon.” Then, clasping her fingers in her lap, she added, “Lord, if you can help him make it by Christmas, that’d suit me just fine.”
At that moment, the jingling of bells interrupted her little prayer. If it had been Christmas Eve, she would have thought a mama or a daddy was playing a sweet-natured prank on their little ones, jingling the bells as Santa landed on their roof.
The jingle bells grew closer, louder in the silent night. She doubted anyone who was asleep would be wakened by them, but for her, probably the only soul not sleeping in this hotel, they filled her head completely.
Curious, she rubbed a spot away on the glass and peeked out. Just in time to see the sleigh come into view. It resembled the one she and Drew had ridden in earlier that day, which made her heart clench up again.
When the sleigh drew closer to the streetlight, and she got a better look at the smiling driver, she gasped. There’d been a flash of gold in that smile. “Anthony!”
Her heart went into overdrive, beating rapidly until her pulse drummed in her ears. Almost holding her breath, she peered harder, mentally urging the sleigh to move closer so she could see if it held any passenger. One specific passenger.
Then the sleigh moved.
And she saw it did.
“Oh, thank you, Lord, that was the fastest-answered prayer I’ve ever heard of,” she muttered even as she grabbed for her coat and pulled it on over her pajamas. She yanked her boots on, too, not bothering to tie them, then raced out the door onto the second-floor balcony.
“Drew!” she said in a whisper that masqueraded as a shout.
He looked up immediately. Met her stare for the longest moment Tori had ever experienced in her whole entire life.
Then that mouth widened into a smile. And everything was right with the world again.
She ran for the steps, tripping down them two at a time while he approached from the bottom. When they got close enough, Tori launched herself down, landing with an oomph in his arms. Then those arms closed around her and he hauled her close, covering her mouth with his for a