Page 129 of Stripping Bare

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With a steaming mugof hot chocolate cradled in his hands, Jonah stood with his hip propped against the front porch railing, watching his family decorate a massive red spruce in his mom’s front yard. Only a family the size of his could disturb the peace of a mountain evening. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. This, this nuttiness, was a big part of the reason he’d maneuvered everyone into coming back home and staying here forgood.

Tessa was right when she said he wasn’t made to be alone. But without her, his life would be completelyempty.

“Don’t worry. She’ll be here.” Jonah looked over to find Grif holding up a bottle of Irish whisky. “Want some? Makes the cocoa go down eveneasier.”

Jonah held out his cup for a generous splash. “This just for the guy who fucked everything up or did everyone getsome?”

“Everyone over twenty-one and not packing a baby inutero.”

“You’re gonna be a dad,dude.”

“Again.”

“You’ll be putting your tricked-out minivan to gooduse.”

“I never imagined we’d all live here again.” Grif settled against the rail as if he was planning to dig in and stay here to keep Jonah’s miserable ass company. Looked like Grif had pulled the short straw tonight. “Hell, I sure never imagined you’d save this town. Steele Ridge, NorthCarolina.”

“It’s a good place, a solidone.”

“You helped make it thatway.”

“I’m no fucking hero.” And although hot chocolate, pricy booze, and family were an excellent combo on a December night, a chill had taken up residence in his chest when Jonah had walked out of Tessa’s hospital room. It was a place inside him that might never thaw if she decided she couldn’t live with what he’d done. “I’ve doneshit.”

“Good thing,too.”

“I’ve lied and I’ve…what?”

“The women we love may notneedus in order to make a life for themselves. Hell, Carlie Beth did it on her own just fine for a lot of years. But that means theychooseus. And when they do, that’s when you know it’s gonna all work out.” Grif nodded toward the driveway where a pair of headlights were cutting through the December darkness. “Told youso.”

That freezer-burned part of Jonah’s chest thawed a single degree. Tessa washere.

She got out of the car and freed Badger from the back. He hurtled across the yard like some kind of low-flying stunt plane, those ears almost taking him airborne. Jonah’s heart expanded at the sight of Micki scooping him off the ground and hugging the crazy canine to herchest.

Gage was in the shithouse if he hadn’t rounded up a Christmas puppy forher.

Every female in his family clustered around Tessa, hugging and talking a mile a minute. She smiled at them, but her gaze sought outhis.

Gut punch. He would never get used to how beautiful she was. But he’d come to grips with herstrength.

He couldn’t take a damn bit of credit for the amazing woman she was, but he was glad he’d had a small part in it. She, on the other hand, was the reason he was anything. If not for her, he might’ve been satisfied to be a back-room code monkey his wholelife.

His family finally released her and she walked toward the porch. And now that she was here, his vocal cords seemed to have left the building. “You came,” he croakedout.

With the white lights twinkling around them, she looked gorgeous wearing the sweater Brynne had given her. Even the bandage in the center of her forehead couldn’t diminish her beauty. “Badger wanted to seeMicki.”

“He tell youthat?”

Badger was racing around the huge tree. When Jonah’s mom had insisted that it needed to be gussied up from the top to the low-hanging branches, Britt had borrowed a cherry picker from afriend.

Tessa frowned, not exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. “Is that… Wasn’t that tree in the woodswhere—”

“My mom has a soft spot for it now. She wanted you to have it, but I wasn’t sure your condo would hold it. You’re the one who really kept my mom safe, but I figured if I tried to put you in her yard, you might protest.” He was teasing, but a part of him wanted to do just that, plant her where she could never leave Steele Ridge. Never leavehim.

But it had to be her decision. She had to choose him and accept everything he’ddone.

“Why aren’t you out therehelping?”