"Looks great," Caden announced, bringing her from her reverie. "Let's eat."As they ate, Jocelyn barely tasted the pot roast, even though it was one of her favorite meals."What are you thinking about?" Caden asked, studying her face."That's a favorite question of yours. Isn't it?"He shrugged. "I guess it is around you."Jocelyn thought for a moment. "I was just thinking that this pot roast reminds me of my mother's."Caden reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Jocelyn, I'm so sorry about that- that you lost your parents. I had no idea."She nodded, giving him a slight smile. "It was a long time ago.""Not for me." Caden turned his attention back to his food.Throughout the meal, neither Caden nor Jocelyn said much, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon, it came to an end when Caden laid his napkin down beside his plate and sat back. "Wow. That was really good. I haven't had a meal like this in a while."Jocelyn took a sip of her hot chocolate and sw
Caden threw his arm over his forehead the next morning and closed his eyes. But the sun was peeking through the curtains as he lay in bed, alerting him to the start of a new day- a new beginning.There was one thing that she asked him that bothered him. What was he doing? It was a good question and one he kept asking himself, too. He picked up his pillow and put it over his head. One thing was certain: He had to see Jocelyn again. He had no idea what he was going to tell Mallory, but the truth was a good start. He had no intention of seeing Jocelyn behind Mallory's back. Despite everything, he was a gentleman. Then he had an idea and reached for his cell phone. No matter what happened between them and no matter what the future held, they still had today. If his time in the military hadn't taught him anything else, it was to live life today, for none of us know if we have tomorrow. Although he knew he was probably setting himself up for heartbreak, he wanted today, this one more day, w
Caden took her hands, skating beside her. "Jocelyn, you're so easy to skate with, so fluid on the ice. You could have gone to the Olympics." He smiled at a personal memory. "Every time I watched the Olympics, I always wondered if I would see you there one day."A delicate blush colored her cheeks a light shade of pink. "That's very kind of you to say."He turned, skating backward and took her hands. "Tell me something. Didn't you ever think of leaving?""Christmas Cove?" she asked.He nodded."No, never." She shrugged as she let his hands go and skated to the center of the pond. "I guess I never felt the need." She spun around in a tight spin, going faster until she extended her arms and came to an abrupt stop. "Christmas Cove is my home. I never want to leave."He nodded, understanding. If he had it to do all over again, he wondered if he would have ever left, too. But then again, he guessed he wouldn't have appreciated it as much as he does now. Caden knew it took moving away b
"You added the bit at the end, but I like it," she whispered.He held the pose for a moment, enjoying the feel of her in his arms a bit too much as he looked into her eyes. At that moment, he could see a life with her. Caden could see eternity in her eyes, as well as their future. He never wanted the moment to end. In that moment, he felt more love for her than he had for any other woman."Caden?""Yes?""Are you going to let me up?" she asked, breaking the spell of the moment."Oh! Yeah- if I must," he teased. And then helped her up."Thanks." She started to skate away, but he took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Caden, no," she said, her voice merely a whisper.He nodded and let her hand go. "So, are you hungry?"She shrugged. "I could eat. What do you have in mind?""Santa's Café?"Jocelyn laughed. "I thought you said nothing too Christmassy.""In this town?" He held up his hand. "We'd have to try real hard not to do something Christmassy.""Sounds good. Let me go in
"What can I get you this afternoon?" Angela asked. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. He couldn't believe they had skated all morning, but it was another memory to add to the many he had of Jocelyn."Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the cob for me," Jocelyn replied, closing her menu. Then she looked over at Caden and stage whispered, "They have the best."Caden's stomach growled at the thought. "Make it two." He closed his menu and handed it to Angela. "Will do!" Angela tucked the menu behind the other. "I'll be right back with your meals.""So, what are you doing tomorrow?" Jocelyn took a sip of her hot chocolate.He shrugged. "I'm not sure." He didn't tell her, but he knew that talking to Mallory to break things off was definitely on the list. "I might volunteer at my parents' tree lot.""That would be nice." Jocelyn wrapped her hands around her mug of hot chocolate.Caden sighed and then took a sip of his hot chocolate and swa
As they were driving, he made a mental note to take back the ring he had bought for Mallory and exchange it for another ring for her. He knew he wanted to marry Jocelyn, but he didn't know how she felt about him. But then again, when he kissed her in the limo, she had kissed him back. So, maybe-At the movie theater, Caden paid for their tickets and they walked inside. "Popcorn and soda?" he asked her."Sure. Even though we just ate, you can't watch a movie without popcorn." Jocelyn shoved her hands into her coat pockets.He placed a hand on the small of her back and walked with her up to the concession stand. "Two large Cokes--""Diet for me," Jocelyn added.Caden chuckled. "Correction: One large Coke, a large diet, and one large popcorn." In the mood for something sweet, he looked over the candy counter. "Candy?" he asked Jocelyn. She laughed. "Where do you put it all?"He shrugged, ignoring the question, and turned to the teenage boy behind the counter. "A bag of M&Ms and a
"Caden, no," Jocelyn whispered. "Let's go.""Yeah, do as your woman says and get out of here, why don't you?" Henry catcalled as Mona cringed."Jocelyn, take the popcorn and wait for me in the lobby," Caden instructed.Just then, a skinny, teenage usher with bad skin walked up the aisle and then looked back and forth between the four of them."It all started when I threw a piece of popcorn at my- friend," Jocelyn tried to explain, "and then he threw one back at me without looking. But he missed, and accidentally hit that obnoxious jerk." Suddenly, the obnoxious jerk was standing on the other side of her."Hey! Wait a minute!" Henry roared, disturbing everyone in the theater."Yes, he's drunk, and he verbally attacked my friend," Jocelyn explained."If I wanted to attack him--" Henry began, but Mona cut him off."Henry, stop!""Mona, I've got this!" He turned around and accidentally knocked her back into the seats. "Okay, mister," the skinny usher with bad acne said, his voic
Jocelyn stood to the side of the window, watching Caden, fighting the urge to go to him. But she couldn't do that to Mallory. She shook her head, knowing that she had just betrayed her sister.Her bedroom door flew open, slamming hard against the wall. "How could you?" Mallory demanded as she marched into her room. "How could you do this to me?""Mallory, drop the martyr act." Jocelyn took a step closer. "You never cared about him.""He was in love with me!""But you never loved him!" Jocelyn yelled, clenching her fists at her sides. "You never cared about anyone but yourself!""I did to!""Mallory, you broke up with Caden because he wouldn't take you with him! You wouldn't even wait for him!" Jocelyn couldn't stop herself as the years of enduring her sister's unwitting torture came flooding out. "And look at you! For the past eight years, you've talked of nothing else but leaving- but you're still here! Why?""I'm trying!" Mallory yelled back. "I'm trying to go to California to