The You I Can't Forget: A Grumpy Sunshine Romance (Take a Vow Collection) by Maribelle McCrea

Author:Maribelle McCrea [McCrea, Maribelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00+00:00

Jeff stood near a pillar, his uniform crisp, his stance rigid—an island of solemnity in a sea of celebration. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the familiar cascade of chestnut hair, the woman who haunted his thoughts with a persistent, gentle tug.

"Looking for someone?" an old friend teased, elbowing him lightly.

"Ah, just enjoying the view," Jeff deflected, his mouth stretching into a tight semblance of a grin. But his insides were coiled tight, anticipation gnawing at him. He had seen the way Christina looked at him, the subtle softness in her eyes, the hesitation in her smile.

"Sure, sure." His friend chuckled, unconvinced. "Well, if you spot the enemy, give us a signal."

"Will do," Jeff managed, though his attention was already drifting back to the entrance.

His heart hammered against his ribcage, betraying his stoic exterior. Just breathe, soldier, he told himself. You've faced worse than the prospect of a conversation. But no combat drill had ever prepared him for the stakes he felt tonight.

He remembered the art auction, the last bid placed with a mix of hope and trepidation. It was more than a gift; it was a message; one he wasn't sure Christina had deciphered yet—or if she even wanted to.

"Wow," he muttered under his breath, his eyes catching a glimpse of her moving through the crowd, purposeful, inevitable. This is it.

"Jeff!" A hand on his shoulder jolted him from his thoughts. "There's someone here who wants to—"

"Later," Jeff interrupted, a rare edge to his voice. He stepped forward, his entire being focused on Christina’s approaching figure, the distance between them closing with each pulse of his racing heart.

Jeff's gaze was a lighthouse beam, cutting through the sea of people until it found her. Christina, resplendent in the success of the evening, was making her way toward him. The air seemed to vibrate with energy as she approached, and for a moment, he felt like the young man back in high school, his heart skipping every time she laughed.

"Christina," he said, his voice unexpectedly steady despite the turmoil inside.

"Jeff." She smiled, and it was as though they were the only two people in the room. "I've been meaning to find you all night."

He noted the determination in her eyes, that same resilience that had always drawn him to her. "I'm glad you did. There's... a lot I want to say."

She took a step closer and he could see the traces of vulnerability beneath her professional poise. "Me, too. Jeff, I—"

"Hey," he interjected softly, reaching out to gently hold her hand, an anchor in the swirling event around them. "We don't have to do this here. You’re working. I have made some plans that I’d love to discuss, but they can wait."

Christina's breath hitched slightly at his touch, but she nodded, squeezing his hand in return. "It's just... after everything that's happened, I've realized some things."

"Things?" Jeff echoed, his heart a tempest of hope and fear.

"About us." She paused, collecting her thoughts as if they were delicate treasures. "I've spent so much time looking backward, at everything I thought my life would be.

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