by Jami Wagner
“I don’t have to do anything.”
“Please.” Her voice changes to one of pleading and the look in her eyes is actually sincere.
“Fine.”
“You know my past and you know how I feel about Conner.” I turn to leave, but she grabs my arm. “But,” she practically yells, “I also know him well enough to know that he’s in love with you, not me. That the only person he wants is you, not me. And that the only person he needs right now is you, not me.”
I swallow back even more tears and avoid looking at her. She didn’t see him dismiss me today. I should tell her that she’s wrong, because he clearly doesn’t want me anymore, but I’m not ready to accept it yet and I sure don’t want her thinking that in time she can swoop in and be the woman he needs.
“You may not believe me, but I work with him, too, you know. The two of you are acting in the exact depressed, life-is-over way, and if working two jobs isn’t bad enough, having people around to bum me out makes it even worse.”
“I’m not depressed,” I say, making a sad attempt to disagree with her.
“You are and he is, so do something about it. And do it soon because the chance to be happy and in love doesn’t just happen to anyone.”
I let her words sink in. Is she talking about herself? Is that why she wants what she can’t have, because she wants to be happy and in love? She resumes folding without looking at me again. After I watch her for good minute, waiting for an action or facial expression to give me more of an idea what she’s thinking. She doesn’t give anything away so I grab another towel.
“Thank you” is all I say, and that’s the last we talk about me and Conner for the night.
To be happy and in love.
Conner didn’t give up after one attempt to talk to me and I shouldn’t either. When I get home tonight, I’m going to his apartment to demand we have a real conversation. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll go to him every day until he figures it out, just like he did all those times with me. I love him, too, and it’s about time he knew.
Chapter Nineteen
Conner
All evening I’ve been watching The Weather Channel. It’s been a downpour since the moment I left for work. Driving to pick up Jake after my shift—I worked the early one—it was hard to see with the rain beating against the window. Now it’s just after ten at night, dark, the roads are more than likely slick with the drop in temperature, and Alex still isn’t home.
I’m not a stalker, but my feelings for her won’t go away in a day and I don’t like the idea of her driving in this weather. When we were together it was easy to figure out her schedule, and I know for a fact that she would have been home ten minutes ago from work. It’s possible she could have plans after work, but if I know Alex at all, on a night like this she would cancel. She’s a smart woman.
I flick back the curtains in the living room once more, peeking up and down the street in search for any headlights. Nothing.
Earlier, when I saw her in the hallway, I wanted to believe she was out there because she was finally coming to me. But she never said anything. When Jake invited her over, I wanted to join him and beg her to come over and listen to me or even just be in the same room. Instead, I gave her an easy out. She hasn’t wanted to be around me since she found out about Heather being Jake’s mom; I wasn’t about to trick her by using my son. That, and now that Heather isn’t in the picture, I’m a package deal with Jake. My heart aches knowing Alex is the one person who wouldn’t give that idea a second thought.
I look behind me at the couch that swallows up his small body. He’s sound asleep with not a care in the world. I haven’t told him about his mom yet. He thinks she’s on a vacation again. I’ll have to tell him the truth sooner rather than later, but each time I think this is it, this is the moment to tell him, my heart breaks. He’s too young to feel this pain, and I hate his mother more and more every day that she left him to go through this.
The sound of a car driving by and splashing water makes me return to the window. It’s still not Alex. Something isn’t right.
I wrap Jake in a blanket and carry him to my truck. He wakes for just a moment at the cold touch of the rain, but once he’s buckled in his seat, he’s fast asleep.
The gym isn’t too far from our apartment. If she crashed or ran off the road for whatever reason, I won’t miss it.
I drive slowly, my windshield wipers flapping fast, trying to give me a clear view. It only takes me a couple blocks before I see her. Her car is pulled to the side with the hazard lights on. When I pull up in front of her, I see her small figure drenched in a hoodie trying to change her tire.
With the truck running, I jump out and jog to her.
“Alex, what are you doing?” I ask when it’s clear I know what she’s doing, but I don’t understand why she didn’t just call me or come home and return to this later.
“I’m changing my tire.” She sniffles. “What does it look like?”
“I see that, but come on.” I take off my jacket and hold it over our heads as I crouch down next to her. “Let’s go home and fix this in the morning.”
“I can do it.” She sniffles again, and I recognize the noise as not from the cold and a runny nose, but because she’s crying.
“Alex,” I say calmly.
“No, I’m fine—just go. I’m going to do it tonight.”
“Alex,” I say again, this time reaching out to gently grab her chin and force her to look at me. It takes a moment before her eyes look up. “Let’s go home.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because nothing else was supposed to get in the way of us being together. You being in a hurry this morning was a sign, and now me getting a flat after I told myself the first thing I was doing after work was coming to talk to you is another sign that we aren’t supposed to talk. That this isn’t going to ever work.”
“By this, do you mean us?” I ask just to be clear.
“Yes, we aren’t meant to be.” She starts to sob, falling into my shoulder as she cries.
I want to ask what she was coming to me to talk about, but I don’t want to make things worse than the way she sees them right now. Tonight, I’m not letting her go until we are back together.
“I see it differently,” I begin, wishing we could have this conversation in my truck where it’s dry. “I think you were meant to get a flat so you would come to me sooner. So you had no choice to back out.”
“What?” She pushes away to look at me.
“Yeah, I think your life wasn’t about to let you go another day without me, so to prove it, it decided to remind you how much you need me.”
She blinks, wipes away the mixture of rain and tears, and then laughs. The sound warms my entire soul. I thought I’d never see that smile again.
“Your version of my flat tire is so much better than mine. That right there is why I love you,” she says and my heart stops.
“You love me?”
She nods, biting her bottom lip. “I should have told you a long time ago.”
I don’t know if she planned to say anything else, but I don’t let her. My lips steal any words she was about to say. I kiss her hard, never letting our lips part as we stand. When we finally pull away, I wrap her in my coat and I hold her tightly. There is no way I’m ever letting her go again.
Epilogue
Alexis
The last couple months have been better than I ever imagined they could be. I glance over in the waiting room to see Jake laying on one of the chairs with his head in Conner’s lap. Conner’s head is tipped back and his eyes are closed. Yes, it’s late, and yes, I should be sleeping, too, but I’m too excited to sleep. Any minute now I’m going to be an aunt. The black coffee I’m sipping on is also helping. I don’t want to be asleep when Logan finally comes out.
The silence the waiting room brings to me allows me to reflect on how my life has changed in the last six months. I moved to a new town, have a relationshi
p with my brother, met a guy and fell in love with both him and his son, I have the best of friends, and I’m happier than I ever thought possible.
We don’t have any more secrets. Conner told me about Heather right after we got home that rainy night. The night he told Jake about his mother has been the only heartbreaking moment since Conner and I got back together. Jake didn’t cry and he didn’t ask anything other than if I or his dad was going anywhere, but I wanted to cry for him. I saw relief in his eyes. We’ll never know what his life was like when he was with Heather, but we do know that his life will be the best now because he has me and the best father a kid could ask for.
Jake stirs and his foot stretches out to kick over Conner’s backpack, knocking a book onto the floor.
I moved into Conner’s apartment just before the fall semester started and I switched to just days at work. At night, while Conner is either at the BA or taking night classes at the local college, I watch Jake.
Of course, Logan complained about us rushing things, but we ignored him because we knew it was right. He still acts weird about the whole Conner and me thing, but honestly, I think he loves it. He just won’t admit it.
“Hey, what time is it?” Conner whispers.
I glance at my cell phone.
“Just after midnight,” I answer.
Her rubs his sleepy eyes and flashes me a grin. It’s the same grin that make me blush every time he looks in my direction. Even now. I lean over the small table between us and kiss him.
“Seriously? Every time I see the two of you, you’re kissing. Do you know where that leads you? Right here, that’s where.” Logan’s father voice is spot on. “It’s a boy,” he adds proudly.
Another hour later, with Jake now lying in a chair in Sara’s room, I get to meet the newest addition to my family.
“I can’t believe I’m an aunt,” I whisper to Conner as he stands behind me and we gaze down at my nephew, Brock. He’s sleeping in his blue swaddled blanket in his spot next to Sara’s bed. She, too, is sleeping, or pretending, I’m not sure. I don’t blame them. They both had a rough night.
“It’s a crazy feeling, huh?” Conner kisses just below my ear as he wraps his arms around my mid-section and rests his chin on my shoulder. “Almost feels unreal that you can love someone so much, doesn’t it?”
I nod.
“Just wait until we have kids. The feeling is multiplied by like a million.”
“Oh, we’re having kids?”
“Someday, yeah.” I feel his cheek press against mine as he smiles.
“Can I see?” Jake comes up behind me, his lips forming an o shape as Conner picks him up so he can see baby Brock. I hadn’t even realized he woke up, but he’s in this sneaking around the apartment phase. He also enjoys scaring me. I hate it, but he’s so cute when he does it.
“Well, aren’t you the cutest little family,” Logan says from the doorway.
“Congrats again,” Conner says, shaking Logan’s hand and patting him on the shoulder. “You’re lucky he’s a cute little thing and got all of Sara’s looks.”
“Ha ha, funny.”
“I’m serious though, you’ve got a beautiful family right here,” Conner says, giving Logan a shoulder squeeze.
“I should be saying the same thing to you.” Logan grins at him. “I never did officially tell you how I happy I am you’re the guy my sister ended up with.”
This earns him a hug from both me and Conner.
As I stand there, wrapped in the arms of my brother and the man I love, I know life can only get better from here.
The day I met Conner was the day my heart was touched and recharged. Moving to Wind Valley and meeting him changed my entire life, and even after everything that’s happened in my past, I wouldn’t change a thing if it means I end up here. This is where I’m meant to be.
THANK YOU for reading Just One Touch, the third book in the Black Alcove series. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the next book in the series by visiting www.jami-wagner.com.
Acknowledgments
This story was my hardest to write and also my favorite. I faced the most challenges ever with this story, but once I changed the plot for the third time, I knew I found Conner and Alexis’s story, and from there I was swept away. I have a pretty good feeling my family and friends were just as happy as I was when that final draft was finished.
Most of you may notice that I include the same group of people in this section. I’d like to include others and hope to one day do so, but for now, this is my team. These are the people who want to help me be better in any way they can. These people are important to me, each in their own way, and will always remain that way.
Dad, Mom, and Holly—it feels amazing to know that no matter what, you support me and believe in me. Thank you.
Dana Volney—you are mentioned in ALL of my books, and I hope you know how thankful I am for everything you’ve done for me. You are always there for me and none of this would be as fun and exciting without you.
Kate Maxwell, Megan Phillips, Mallori Roth, and Mom—you are the best Beta readers and you rock. I love how each of you view my stories differently. You all help me succeed in different ways, and I will never be able to thank you enough.
Julie Sturgeon—you sent a pin out that read “I survived Julie’s edits,” but I want you to know that your edits are easy to survive because you are thorough and it’s easy to see that you want the authors you work with to succeed. You make my novels stronger, and I will gladly take your edits anytime if it means we can continue working together. Thank you!
Christa Holland—I am so happy I found you! These covers just keep getting better and better. Thank you for everything you do.
Jesse Gordon—you do the best formatting. Thank you for always getting everything back to me so quickly and in good quality.
Trisha Butcher and Alyssa Navarro—thank you for reminding me that I can be both a committed writer and have a social life at the same time. Also, thank you for allowing me to talk about and fill you in on my writing when you do finally get me out of the house. Baby steps :)
Grant—thank you for putting up with me. I may not always show it, but I appreciate everything you do. Without you being here, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
And finally, thank you to the readers, bloggers, and social media fans who are reading the Black Alcove series and spreading the word. Everything you do to support me and my dream is amazing!
JAMI WAGNER was born in Wyoming. Still living in the Cowboy State, Jami and her boyfriend are currently writing their own love story with their yellow Lab.
Jami enjoys writing New Adult and published her debut novella, Date in the Dark, in 2015. Just One Kiss, the first novel in her Black Alcove Series, is available now.
Visit and connect with Jami at jami-wagner.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram.