He unpacked his things, forcing himself to think. Just because Grace had worked to get his charges dropped didn’t mean she’d take him back. He’d hurt her. He wracked his brain to figure out what he could do to show her how much he cared, but beyond groveling at her feet, he was at a loss.
He told his parents about the charges being dropped that night, although he didn’t tell them about Grace’s involvement. Ana had cried and both of his parents had hugged him close, thanking God for his mercy.
Fernando and Ana got ready for their interviews that Monday morning, with Jaime helping to straighten his father’s tie and assuring his mother that she looked beautiful. The rest of the day was taken up with waiting, interviewing, and more waiting, and although Jaime couldn’t assure his parents that their interviews had been successful, he could only hope that things went well for them. He knew how much stress this entire process had placed on them, besides the enormous expense.
Afterward, he told Fernando about Grace’s involvement in getting the charges dropped. His father’s eyes had widened, and he didn’t say anything for a while. It was only after Jaime had asked him his thoughts that Fernando asked, “What are you doing, still sitting here, Jaimito? Go tell the girl you love her!”
It was Wednesday afternoon when Jaime drove into Heron’s Landing, almost exactly two months since he’d left. While driving there, he got a call from the restaurant in New York City.
“We want to offer you the position,” the woman at the other end said. “No further interviewing is necessary. Your resume and your experience is enough for us to make a decision. We’d like you to start right away, if possible.”
Jaime could barely comprehend the woman’s words. He’d wanted a position like this for so long, a job in a big city instead of the middle of nowhere, but now he hesitated. Is this what he really wanted?
“May I think about it?” he asked finally.
The woman made assuring noises. “Of course. Give me a call whenever you’d like to discuss salary and whatnot. But please know we want to move quickly on this.”
Jaime hung up just as it began pouring rain, and it rained all the way to Heron’s Landing. Driving onto the unpaved road that led to Grace’s house, Jaime felt his car lurch. When he pressed the gas, his car squealed but didn’t move. He swore. Getting out, he realized he was stuck in the mud. Rain pounded down around him, soaking him instantly; he went back inside his car to call a tow truck, but he swore again when he saw that he had no service.
He got out of the car, putting his jacket over his head as a makeshift umbrella. He’d just have to walk to the Danvers’ place. But as he shut his car door, he saw something out in the distance. A figure stood in the rain, and as he walked toward it, he realized with a start that it was Grace.
Chapter Twenty-One
After her shift at Trudy’s, Grace had hoped to get home before the rain started. But as was her luck, it started right when she was halfway between Trudy’s and her house, and to make it even worse, it poured buckets. It was that cold kind of winter rain that soaked into your very bones, but it was so muddy that she couldn’t move faster than a quick walk. She was just thankful Trudy had let her borrow her giant black umbrella.
As she walked along the road to her house, the rain continued to pound, although the trees provided a little bit of cover. Turning the bend, she saw a truck in the middle of the road, and her heart started pounding. She stood and stared, the rain falling around her, and she watched as Jaime walked around to the back of the truck. She couldn't move. She could only try to steady her breathing, but it was no use.
When he saw her, though? She didn’t know if her vision blurred because of the rain or because of the tears spilling from her eyes.
“Grace!” He jogged toward her, and she met him, grabbing onto his arm to keep from slipping in the mud. “Grace, what are you doing here?” he shouted over the rain.
She laughed. He was soaked to the skin and looked cold and miserable but she couldn’t help laughing. “I should be asking you that!” She moved so the umbrella covered them both, and the rain beat down on top of them.
His face split into a wide smile. He covered her fingers that held the umbrella.
“Did you really do it? Work to get the charges dropped?” He gaze scanned her face, as if he could figure out the answer before she opened her mouth.
She faltered. Was that the only reason he came back? To thank her? Her heart clenched, and she looked away.
“When my lawyer told me…and then Adam…” Jaime reached out and touched her cheek. “Grace, why did you do it?”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “Do you really not know?” She gripped the umbrella tighter, her breath puffing. “You were right, though, about one thing. Before, it was a crush. You were a dream I created; it wasn’t love that I felt for you.”
He didn’t say anything, but he just stared at her, his fingers clutching at her hand.
“But I realized that as I really got to know you—the real you, not the dream I’d created—that I fell in love with you. With you, Jaime. I love you. I know you don’t feel the same, but I can’t keep this to myself anymore—”
Before she could finish her sentence, he pulled her into his arms, umbrella still over them, and kissed her so hard that her breath left her body. He kissed her like he’d wanted to kiss her for years and years. He kissed her like she was the most precious person in the universe.
He kissed her like he loved her.
“Graciela, my God, you shatter me. I told you that before, didn’t I? But it’s true.” He cupped her face in his hands, and the umbrella trembled over them. “I love you,” he said, his voice low but sure and true. “I love you so much.”
She made some kind of a noise—between a moan and a squeak and maybe a sob—and then she threw her arms around him, the umbrella falling into mud, kissing him for all she was worth. He laughed, pulling her close. The rain fell around them, soaking them, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except that they’d found each other.
“I got a job offer, in New York City.” He brushed her hair off her forehead. “But I’m not going to take it. I want to stay here—with you.”
“But I know you’ve dreamed of a position like that. Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I always thought I just wanted to get away from Heron’s Landing. That it was just a pit stop. But then I met you, and my dream—it changed. Because you are my new dream.”
Grace couldn’t say anything, so she yanked on his jacket collar and pressed her mouth against his, and although his cheeks and nose were cold, his mouth was hot. She moaned against his lips. He tasted like peppermint and Jaime and everything she’d ever wanted. Pressing her hands against his chest, she felt his heart pound beneath her fingertips.
“Come on, let’s get in the truck before we freeze to death,” he said. He helped her inside, and then they were kissing and touching, making the windows of the truck steam. Jaime stripped out of his jacket while Grace peeled off hers, and it was only when he stopped to gaze into her eyes that he said, “You cut your hair.”
Grace smiled. She’d cut her hair so it was a chin-length bob, and it had been freeing. A new beginning, especially when she’d thought she’d never see Jaime again. Now, he fingered the shortened locks, looking like he had no idea what to say. She hoped he liked it, and when he didn’t say anything, she became self-conscious.