Evidently his gratitude toward Kyle for saving Jessica had been forgotten.
Jessica’s gaze zoomed back to Alex, and her mouth hung open at his brash command. Then she looked at Kyle, who did not seem amused to be ordered around by the man who had been holding hands with his former fiancée and newly obtained girlfriend. His jaw clenched as he stared at Alex, but he didn’t say anything. After a moment, Kyle glanced at Jessica, then he walked toward the staircase, and up the stairs.
“That guy is something else,” Alex said, obviously irritated with Kyle’s sudden appearance. He turned to Jessica, who stared at him in silence, then sat next to her and reached for her hands. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
She fisted her hands in her lap, making it impossible for him to hold them, then met his gaze. “I . . . uh . . . I’m not quite sure how to break this to you, but . . . well, I’ve come to a decision, and . . . I’m not going to be able to marry you.”
Alex held very still as he stared at her. “Look, I know I showed up unexpectedly, and you haven’t had enough time to think things over, so I wasn’t expecting an answer today, Jessica.” He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed once. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He smiled, but it seemed forced. “And I see that you are. So I’m going to leave now, and I want you to take your time to think about this before you give me your answer. I can wait until you come home.”
Jessica opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed his fingers against her lips, effectively silencing her.
“No, Jessica.” He shook his head. “No.” His lips curved into a smile, then flattened. “Not yet.” He stood then, and without another word, he walked briskly toward the front door, opened it, and shut it quietly behind him.
Jessica stayed in place, too stunned by the sudden turn of events to move. After a moment, Hudson crept in and jumped onto the couch next to her. Reaching out to pet him, she said, “What was that, big guy? It’s like he refuses to hear my answer.”
Confused, and not happy that she hadn’t put things to rest with Alex, Jessica stood, then made her way up the stairs and into her aunt’s bathroom where Kyle was working. “Hi,” she said, uncertain what he must be thinking after the little drama with Alex.
“Hey.” He stopped what he was doing and faced her.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t know he was coming.”
“Yeah, so what was that all about anyway? I thought you’d ended things with him.”
Jessica frowned. “Sort of.”
Kyle scowled. “What does that mean?”
“When I went to lunch with him the other day, I told him I wasn’t ready to marry him. But he told me to keep the ring and to think it over, and then tell him my decision when I went home.”
Kyle nodded, but stayed silent.
“This was before you and I . . .” Jessica thought about the day before, when Kyle had told her he’d loved her all along. “Well, before we talked.”
“Okay. So what was he doing here today?”
Why do I feel like I’ve done something wrong? Jessica thought. And why does it feel like Kyle’s mad at me? “He saw what happened to me on the news and he was worried, so he came to make sure I was okay.”
“And you told him it’s over, right?”
Jessica shook her head, frustrated that she hadn’t been able to get that settled.
Irritation swept over Kyle’s handsome features. “Why not?” Then a look of panic crept onto his face. “Have you changed your mind? About us? About me?”
She shook her head again, but with more vigor. “No, no. That’s not it at all.”
Relief replaced the panic. “Then why not? He was right there.”
Now Jessica began to feel irritated. “I know. Don’t you think I know that?” She sighed loudly. “And actually I did tell him, but he wouldn’t hear it. He told me to take my time and think it over, that he didn’t expect an answer yet, that I could give him my decision when I got home.”
A look of puzzlement filled Kyle’s eyes. “But when you told him about us, didn’t that make it clear that the two of you are done?”
Jessica’s face paled.
“You didn’t tell him about us, did you?” Hurt and confusion were clear on his face.
“He didn’t give me a chance,” she said in a rush, although if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure she would have told him that she was with Kyle now. That would just be cruel. It was bad enough that she didn’t want Alex, but to throw in his face that she was with someone else now? She knew how that felt, and she didn’t want to be the cause of someone else feeling the way she’d felt when she’d seen Kyle with Melanie and her daughter.
Kyle’s lips were set in a grim line. “Or you didn’t want him to know.”
“I didn’t even get to break up with him, let alone tell him I’ve moved on.”
“Come on. Do you really expect me to believe that the man you were kissing only days ago . . . and who you were engaged to . . .” He frowned. “Do you expect me to believe that you couldn’t somehow tell him the truth?”
“What are you saying?” Any good feelings toward him were rapidly vanishing.
He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“I think you do,” Jessica challenged, wanting the opportunity to defend herself against whatever arbitrary accusation he was thinking.
His jaw clenched, showing his agitation. “Okay, maybe I do know what I’m saying.”
“And what is that?”
He looked just past her, then met her gaze. “Maybe I’m saying that you’re keeping him in the wings in case things don’t work out between us.”
Jessica gasped. That was the last thing she would have considered. “If you really think that, then you don’t know me at all.” She turned and stumbled out of the room, but between her injured leg and her sore back, she couldn’t move very quickly, and walked toward her room as fast as she was able, then closed the door behind her.
“How dare he say such a thing,” she said under her breath. “Why would he accuse me of that?” Sinking into one of the chairs near the foot of the bed, she fumed, furious that he would think she was that duplicitous.
Then a thought came to mind, a thought that she didn’t even want to consider. But why else would such a thing occur to him?
Maybe he was keeping Melanie in the wings in case things didn’t work out with her.
The idea made her physically ill, and she clutched her suddenly aching stomach. Melanie, the gorgeous and smart blonde woman he’d been dating when Jessica came to town. The woman who had an adorable two-year-old girl named Avery, who Kyle admitted he was crazy about and couldn’t abandon. The woman who had told Jessica that she would jump at the chance to marry Kyle.
Yes, Jessica could believe that Kyle was keeping Melanie as an option.
And the trust issues Jessica had with Kyle weren’t helping to convince her otherwise. She had to get past those issues before she would be ready to get serious with him. Not the least of which was her trust that if he made a commitment to her, that he would keep it.
That was at the heart of their problems. He’d ended their engagement five years before because he’d gotten scared, but when they’d talked the day before, he’d told her he’d changed, that he wasn’t afraid to make a commitment now. But if that was true, how could he so easily dump Melanie? Unless he hadn’t truly let her go.
Jessica stared at the wall across from her, images of Kyle, Melanie, and Avery in different family poses filling her mind. Images that she’d found on the disc Melanie had given her. Images that were not in her imagination, but ones she’d seen on her computer screen in vivid and crystal clear color.
Chapter Two
Fifteen minutes later Jessica heard a knock on her bedroom door. “What?” she called out, not ready to forgive Kyle for his comments just yet.
“Can I come in?”
Sighing, she frowned, then shook her head. What am I doing? Kyle a
nd I have finally gotten our feelings out into the open, and it turns out we both still care about each other. And here I am pushing him away? Do I want this to work or not? “Yes,” she finally said, both in answer to him and to her own question.
He opened the door and stood in the doorway, but didn’t come in. “I’m sorry, Jess.”
His use of her nickname softened her feelings, and a wave of love for him washed over her. They had a history together, a history she had with no one else. Yes, they were just beginning their relationship anew, but that didn’t change the shared memories they had. “I hope you didn’t really mean what you said, Kyle.”
He hesitated, which made her wonder if he really did believe what he’d said—which added to her suspicion regarding his relationship with Melanie.
“Of course not,” he finally said.
She didn’t want to argue anymore, so she nodded. “Good.”
He gazed at her for a moment. “Do you want to go somewhere for dinner?”
“Like a real date?”
He smiled back. “Yeah. A real date.”
“I think I can pencil you in.”
“Great. Where would you like to go?”
Somewhere you haven’t taken Melanie, she immediately thought, but instead said, “I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Hmmm.” He stroked the stubble on his chin. “Okay. I guess I’ll surprise you.”
“All right.”
“I still have some work to do in Ellen’s bathroom first, but when I’m done I’ll go home and clean up, then come back for you.”
Jessica nodded. “I should probably do some work today too.”
“Don’t you get weekends off?”
“I could take today off, but I might as well get ahead on my new programming project.”
“Makes sense.” He smirked. “Or maybe you’re just a workaholic.”
“Like you, you mean?”
He laughed. “Hey, I’d be happy to loaf around all day, but I have a deadline and a demanding employer.”
“Meaning me, I suppose?”
“Exactly.”
She narrowed her eyes in mock sternness. “Break’s over, Judd. Get back to work.”
His eyebrows rose. “Oh, I see how it is.”
“As long as you know who the boss is.”
In three steps he crossed the room and knelt in front of her, taking her by surprise. “You can be the boss,” he began, his voice soft. “But I think we’re better as partners, don’t you?”
A thrill of heat rushed through her to have him so close. His face was inches from hers, and she locked eyes with him. “Yes,” she whispered, his nearness knocking her off-kilter.
He cocked an eyebrow. “So does that mean you’re not the boss?”
Jessica swallowed. “No. I mean yes.” She noted the satisfied smile on his face, like he knew the effect he was having on her. She tried to put a professional tone in her voice. “What I mean is, I’m still responsible for this project, so by extension I am the boss.” To show that his presence didn’t get the best of her after all, she smiled with confidence.
“Is that so?” His voice was low and sexy. He leaned even closer, their lips centimeters apart. “Is it okay for me to kiss the boss?”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted, then she barely nodded, pinned by his gaze. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, then he pressed his mouth against hers. Without thought, she wound her arms around his neck, dragging him against her, and he slipped one hand to the back of her neck, holding her in place.
After a moment he pulled away, his eyes seeming to glow. “I’d better get back to work, or I’ll never get done in time.”
Nearly breathless, Jessica nodded. She was totally captivated by this man who she was once engaged to. There was not even a small chance that she would go back to Alex. He’d never made her feel this way. “Okay,” she finally managed to say.
Kyle smiled, obviously liking the impact he had on her, then turned and left the room. Jessica watched him go, her pulse fluttering, still unbelieving that they had gotten back together after all this time. In a way, she was grateful to Douglas Harrington. If he hadn’t attacked her, would she still be allowing Kyle to believe that her engagement to Alex was still on? Would she be avoiding all interactions with Kyle Judd in an attempt to protect her heart from breaking every time she thought of him with Melanie and Avery?
Of course she didn’t like that she and Kyle had been shot at and could have been killed, but now that they were safe, she was glad the near-death experience had brought them to the point where they’d finally expressed their feelings for each other.
Sitting in the warmth and light of the sunroom, Jessica fantasized about all the possibilities their future held, but then she vividly recalled the phone call she’d received five years before when Kyle had told her he couldn’t marry her, and then the crushing feeling that had made her non-functional for weeks. Just the night before he’d told her that he had changed, that he wasn’t afraid to make commitments anymore. But what if he really wasn’t? What if he thought he was ready, but when it came down to it, he wasn’t? Was she willing to take that chance?
Her fantasies fleeing, Jessica touched her mouth, trying to recall the joy she’d felt mere moments before when Kyle had kissed her. He really did seem to be in love with her, but was that enough? Enough to see their relationship through? It would take some time before she could truly give her heart to him, to truly trust him.
Not wanting to think about that just then, she turned her phone back on and saw she had several messages. Most were from reporters wanting to hear first-hand what had happened with Douglas Harrington, and she deleted the messages, not interested in talking to them. The only message she cared about was from her mother. She called her right back.
“Hi, Mom,” Jessica said.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?”
“Okay. But what about you?”
Her mother sighed. “This flu is miserable, but I think it’s getting better.” She sighed. “I want so badly to be there with you, to make sure you’re okay. But it wouldn’t help if I gave you this nasty bug.”
“I know, Mom. I’ll be fine.” Both her parents were down with the flu, so neither could come see her. “How’s Dad? Is he feeling any better?”
“Yes, I think so. But we just don’t bounce back as fast as we used to. It will take a few days.” Her mother hesitated. “So did Alex ever get in touch with you after I came to see you the other week?”
Jessica had avoided telling her mother all that had happened with Alex—and she’d never mentioned Kyle at all—but she knew she needed to bring her up to speed before she came for a visit. Especially now that she and Kyle had rekindled their romance. “Yes, he did, actually.”
“Oh?”
She recounted how he’d shown up unexpectedly, and how he’d tried to woo her back. She didn’t mention their two day engagement.
“So, are you back together then?” her mom asked.
“No. I just don’t believe he’s the right man for me.”
“Well, if he’s not right for you, then that’s that, I suppose. I’m sure you’ll find your true love one day.”
An image of Kyle filled Jessica’s mind, and she smiled. “Mom, I’ve found my true love.”
Her mother was silent a moment. “But you’ve only been there three weeks. Forgive me, but how can you be sure this man’s your true love? What’s his name, anyway?”
While in the hospital, Jessica had spoken to her mother several times, and as much as she’d wanted to tell her about Kyle, she hadn’t been up to the task of explaining her complicated love life, so she hadn’t yet told her that Kyle had been the one to save her. Now, bracing herself for how her mother would react to her news, she plunged in. “It’s Kyle. Kyle Judd.”
Her mom gasped, then was silent a moment. “I don’t understand. He left you, what? Five years ago?” She paused for a second. “What are you saying, Jessica?”
“How did this happen?”
“He’s back in town, Mom. Ellen hired him to remodel her bathroom.”
“I see.” Her mom began coughing.
“Mom, maybe we should discuss this when you’re feeling better.”
“No,” her mother said between coughs. “No, I want to talk to you about this now.” She coughed again, then her lungs seemed to settle. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I was there, Jessica. I saw what you went through when he broke your engagement. You locked yourself away into a dark place, and frankly, I was deeply worried about you.” Her voice softened, but still sounded scratchy. “There was a period of time where I wasn’t sure you’d come out of it.” She paused. “Are you sure you want to risk going through that again?”
Her mother’s words served to remind her of what she’d been trying to forget. Kyle hadn’t just broken her heart, he’d pulverized it when he’d told her he couldn’t marry her. Her mother’s final question placed a wedge of doubt into her mind. A wedge that created a wide gap between what she ultimately wanted with Kyle, and what she feared would actually happen. A gap that she hoped she could bridge over time.
“Mom, when I saw him again, I realized that I still loved him.” She sighed. “Of course I’m a little scared about trusting him, but I just feel like . . . well, I think I need to give him one more chance.” She paused. “And, Mom. He was the one who saved me when I was attacked. If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be dead.” Jessica heard her mother’s sharp intake of air.
“Oh. I didn’t know.” She was quiet for a moment. “Even so, sweetheart, you need to be cautious.”
Her mother voicing her own concerns upset her a little, made her doubt herself, and she didn’t reply.
“Jessica,” her mother said. “You know all I want is for you to be happy, right?”
“Of course.” She had no doubt that her parents loved her and wanted what was best for her.
“But please be careful. Please. I don’t know if I can watch you suffer through that kind of heart break again.”
Second Chances (sequel to Over You) Page 2