Page 47 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Lexie

The day floated by in preparations for the night.

The guest list included Dexter, Remi, Remi’s son, Raya, Remi’s new roommate, Luke, and, of course, Jace.

Magnolia had cornered me as I was helping prep the Christmas ham, while Sloan was doing his best to usher me out of the kitchen because I kept adding salt to everything.

“Jace said he doesn’t have to come if it makes you uncomfortable…I just wanted to let you know that I can tell him not to come,” she told me while Sloan did his best not to side-eye her. Magnolia shrugged at him. “He made me promise to tell her that he doesn’t have to be here.”

I’d spent so much of my time explicitly trying not to think of Jace, yet somehow gravitated toward his presence those past few weeks. My cheeks burned with the knowledge that one of the reasons I loved being in my room so much was that I could hear him working in the guestrooms next to mine.

“It’s okay. He should be here,” I tried to offer in a nonchalant voice, as if the anticipation of being around him didn’t make my heart race. As if, throughout those last weeks, he wasn’t the one who had held me there.

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Magnolia said, trying her best to not show a reaction. But I saw Sloan give a small fist bump to her when I turned around to add some seasonings to his bland potatos.

“Stop touching my food, Lexie, or you’re going to lose a hand,” he chastised.

“If you seasoned correctly, I wouldn’t have to!

” I shot back. “Potatoes shouldn’t be bland .

Did you forget how to season since you last cooked me dinner?

” I didn’t miss the look that passed between Magnolia and him, but before I could ask, I heard the unmistakable sounds of the door, dogs’ nails, happy barks, and playful yips coming from the front.

“Oh! Dexter and Mac and Cheese are here.”

What?

“What did you just say?” The laughter was starting to bubble up in my chest. “Did you say Mac and Cheese?”

“Don’t even get me fuckin’ started, Lex. We have an entire meal in dogs.” I could hear the exasperation in Magnolia’s voice like it was a fight she had already lost. But honestly, it was the best thing I’d heard in a while.

“So…there’s Peaches, Sweet potato, Pie. And then Mac and Cheese?” I choked out, holding in my laughter.

“ Yes, ” she hissed.

“We call him Mac for short,” Dexter said as he entered the kitchen. All three puppies circled him like they hadn’t seen him in years. I couldn’t hold it in anymore, and just started to laugh. “That’s amazing,” I wheezed out.

It took me a minute in my fit of giggles to realize that the kitchen had gone still at the sound.

And I also hadn’t realized that Jace had come in right behind Dexter.

I was so caught up in the absurdity of it that I missed his entrance.

His mouth was slightly agape as he took me in, and I couldn’t help but blush at the way he took me in—not my body, but the look on my face and my smile.

He looked at me the way Sloan looked at Magnolia, like she was everything .

Sloan cleared his throat and pointed his spatula at me. “Stop seasoning my food. You’re banished from the kitchen.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang, and I decided it would be best if I went to get that instead. Magnolia hollered after me, “I bet it’s Remi! She texted me that they were packing up and headed our way a few minutes ago.”

I made my way to the door, a ghost of a smile still on my face as I pulled it open, expecting it to be Remi and Raya, only to be shocked by who was on the other side instead.

“ Jess? ” I whispered in shock.

Jess.