by KB Winters
I winced. “I royally fucked this up.”
Gemma slid from Aaron’s lap and came around the table. She patted me on the shoulder. “Yep. You both fucked it up. But it’s not too late to fix it.”
I sighed. “I don’t even know where to start. I’ve tried apologizing.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. A little space is probably a good thing. Maybe in a few days you give her a call and ask her to dinner. Take it back to basics. Take her out on a date. Put some effort into it. Make her swoon over you.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Gemma.”
Aaron stared at his bride-to-be with pure adoration. “You’re amazing, baby. Do I make you swoon?”
She leaned over and kissed him. “All the time, lover.” She turned and darted from the room. “Now that I know you’re not going to kill each other, I gotta get ready for work. I’ll see you two later.”
Chapter Twelve
Holly
“What about this one?”
I turned and saw Rachel holding up a neon orange lamp at the other end of the aisle. My nose wrinkled and I shook my head. “No way.”
“Well, you said it was modern,” she said, as if that excused the hideous light fixture.
“Like in this era, Rach.”
She scoffed and rounded the end of the aisle to peruse the next one over. After sleeping in way too late, we’d gone to lunch at one of our favorite old haunts, and then went shopping at South Coast Plaza. I’d decided I needed a new lamp for my desk at work. There was already one there, but I wanted something personal to give the office my own flavor. I wasn’t running my own business anymore, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have some say over the decor. At least in my own little slice of heaven.
I picked up a fluted, hand blown piece and turned it so that the shards of colorful glass inside caught the light. They sparkled against the shelf and I smiled to myself. It would look amazing in the office and the ever-changing colors on the desk would remind me of the kaleidoscope I’d had as a girl.
“Rach,” I called over the shelving display. “I found it!”
She came back over to see the lamp and agreed it was perfection, especially when I showed her how the glass sparkled with the light from the shop’s front window. We checked out and walked into the mall.
“Anywhere else you want to go?”
I looked up the corridor at the stores. “I do need some new office-appropriate clothing…” I answered with a mischievous smile.
Rachel smiled. “I have a policy to never turn down a shopping spree.”
“I knew you’d be my backup.”
We laughed and headed up the walk. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun. Rachel and I used to do this kind of thing all the time. We’d go shopping and brunching on the weekends. Everything was so different back then.
By the time we hit the dressing rooms at the third store, we each had a couple of bags worth of clothing. Rachel waited outside the booth as I went in to try on a few more things. I could hear her giggling as I tugged on a skin-tight white pencil skirt. “What’s so amusing over there, missy?”
“Oh I was just looking at all these bags and thinking how it’s a good thing you landed this job because I’m pretty sure we already spent your first paycheck.”
I bent over and peeked out to see the mass of glossy shopping bags and moaned. “Sadly, you’re probably right.”
“They don’t call it retail therapy for nothing, baby doll.”
“True.” I shrugged. The skirt was incredibly form-fitting and made my ass look amazing. As I spun around to consider another angle, I caught myself smiling in the mirror. My smile faded when I realized it was because I’d been thinking about the look on Jack’s face if he saw me in it.
Without another thought, I freed the zipped and shimmied out of the skirt. I passed it over the door to Rachel. “Need a different size?” she asked, taking it from me.
“No. I don’t like how it looks.”
Liar.
I sighed and rested my head against the cool dressing room mirror. I used to go on shopping trips specifically to find something like that skirt. A showstopper. Then I’d spend the rest of the day eagerly waiting for Jack to get home so I could strut past him and watch him lose his mind.
“Holls? You okay in there? Need the jaws of life to get you in to or out of something?”
I smiled and shook my head, pushing away from the mirror. “I’m almost done. I think I’ll take the navy-blue dress and call it a day before my credit card company calls to ask if I want to report my card stolen.”
Rachel laughed. “Okay. I’m going to go check out then. Meet you up front.”
“Okay. Be there in a sec.”
I redressed and carried my final selection to the register. The white skirt was laying on the counter, in some stack of discards, and on an impulse, I grabbed it and added it to my purchase. Rachel eyed me but didn’t say anything.
I was moving on. One minute at a time. One day at a time.
One skirt at a time.
****
The weekend came to a close all too soon and I wanted to get up the coast early to get settled in. Before I knew it, Hunter was loaded into my car, waiting for me to say my final goodbyes to Rachel at the curb in front of her townhouse. She wrapped me in a tight hug and for a long moment, neither one of us said anything. We’d talked it all out—repeatedly—over the weekend and it seemed as if there was nothing left to say.
Rachel pulled away and we exchanged a quick smile. “Good luck.”
“Thanks, Rach.” I stepped off the curb. “I’ll text you when I get back home. Er—to the hotel.”
I’d booked a hotel for the week. It was an economy room—my splurge at the boutiques wouldn’t quite allow for a suite—at a hotel close to my new office. At least I’d still have an ocean view. And they allowed dogs, which was the more important thing. I knew Jack would watch Hunter—and that Princess would be thrilled to have her favorite live action chew toy back around the house—but I couldn’t face the idea of being completely alone.
Rachel waved to us as I pulled out of the small lot and headed in the direction of the highway. “Say goodbye to Auntie Rach,” I told Hunter. He plastered the window with slobbery kisses. “Close enough.”
After the drive up the coast, we finally made it to the hotel. It was nice enough, so I unpacked right away to make it feel homier. Hunter lounged on the king-sized bed, taking up the majority of the real estate while I rushed around putting things into their proper places. When there was nothing left to fold, fluff, or organize, I finally relented and squeezed in next to him, TV remote in hand, and scanned the channels. I landed on a cooking show that featured one of my favorite celebrity chefs, and I reached for the bedside notepad to scrawl out some notes as she rambled on. She was making a lemon pound cake that looked like it would literally melt in my mouth.
My stomach growled, as though reminding me that watching food on TV was not the same as actually eating. I pushed off the bed and reached for the binder that stood on the TV stand. We were just outside of Holiday Cove and I knew within minutes I could be at any number of familiar restaurants, but I also knew that I’d run the risk of bumping into Jack. A somewhat inevitable event that I wasn’t quite ready for. In the end, I ordered a pizza and had it delivered to my hotel room.
Hunter begged relentlessly as I ate my first slice. I finally groaned and shoved off the bed. “Fine, hound. I’ll get you your dinner.”
As soon as I said the word dinner, he jumped from the bed and raced around the room. I laughed at his antics but then the smile slipped from my face. I couldn’t remember unpacking his food dish or the Rubbermaid container that held his kibble. After a thorough sweep of the room and the back of my car, I broke down and called Rachel, who immediately found both items on the floor of her kitchen.
I hung up the phone and raked my fingers through my hair. “Damn it.”
After a longing look at the rest of my piz
za, I closed the lid on the box and slipped into my sandals. “Come on, Hunty. I’m not leaving you here alone with that.”
He gave me his best pouty face but cheered up once he realized that going with me meant a car ride. Hunter was made for car rides and beach trips. And food. Lots and lots of food.
We drove into Holiday Cove, to our normal pet supply shop, and parked in the small lot. It was the only shop that carried Hunter’s specialty food. We went inside and after giving the regular cashier a friendly wave, we bobbed and weaved through the store to get to the right aisle. I grabbed the right bag and carted it back toward the counter. Halfway there, Hunter snagged a squeaky toy from one of the bins. “Hunter!” I lunged at him, trying to grab the toy away, but it was too late. He’s decimated the poor, plastic hedgehog into a million little pieces right there in the middle of the store.
“Hunty,” I groaned, squatting down to pick up the remnants.
While I was sweeping the slobber-soaked pieces into the palm of my hand, Hunter tugged on his leash and started barking his head off as he made a beeline back to the front of the store. I lunged for his leash and missed. Son of a bitch! This single dog-mama life is rough! How do people deal with toddlers?
“Hunter!” I stuffed the scraps of plastic into the pocket of my jeans, abandoned the bag of dog food, and tore off after my crazed mutt before he could get out the front door and run into traffic. “Someone grab him! Sorry! Hunter, get back here right now!”
I bolted after Hunter and found myself barreling straight into Jack. I tried to put the brakes on, but my sandals had no traction on the slick linoleum flooring and I sailed halfway down the aisle and narrowly missed face-planting at Jack’s feet. Jack caught me before I fell and I crashed into his solid chest with an oomph.
My heart was slamming around in my chest and I realized Jack’s was pulsing just as fast against the side of my face. I straightened and untangled myself from Jack’s arms. Hunter was behind him, chasing Princess in tight circles in the middle of the aisle.
“You okay?” Jack asked. He slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans—the well-worn bootcut ones that made his ass look like he should have been the magazine model for the brand. God, he looked good. His hair was windswept and I knew without asking that he’d spent the day at the beach.
I nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” I glanced around the store. “What are you doing here?”
“Princess lost her tennis ball at the beach today. It was a little ratty anyway, so I thought we’d come get a fresh canister before tomorrow.”
“Big plans?”
He shrugged. “I have the day off. Not much else to do but chill at the beach. We drove up to Sunset Beach today, actually.”
“Oh?”
My heart hurt. Physically hurt.
Jack shifted his weight between his feet. “Went to Joe’s.”
“Aha. A taco feast.”
Jack smiled. “This one fell asleep in the sand,” he added, dropping a glance down at Princess who was now sitting at his feet. Hunter was sitting on Jack’s other side, peeking over at his big sis every few seconds, as though trying to mirror her. He was always so well behaved when she was around.
“You sure it was Princess that took a nap?” I teased.
Jack’s smile bloomed into a wide grin. “Guess there’s no getting one past you, huh?”
I know you too well. The thought popped into my mind but couldn’t make it past my lips. So instead, I just nodded and smiled at him. I slid my own hands into my pockets and grimaced. “Crap.”
“What’s wrong?”
I produced the half-chewed hedgehog and held it out. “Hunter did a little shopping before you got here. Or is it shoplifting? I’m not sure.”
Jack laughed and shook his head as he stared down at the overgrown puppy’s head. Hunter was almost four years old but acted just like the chubby little trouble maker pup he’d been when Jack and I first met. When Jack’s eyes found mine again, something sparked between us. and I knew we were thinking about the same thing. Reliving the same memory.
“He’s a handful,” Jack said, scratching Hunter’s ears. “But I’m pretty damned grateful. I still remember the way you looked running after him on the beach that morning. Your hair all golden in the sun, flying behind you.”
I couldn’t breathe. The way he was looking at me was too intense. Like if I took one breath, the bubble we were suspended in would pop.
“Then again, you just did a dead-on impression,” Jack teased gently. He waved his hand in the direction I’d just careened from moments before.
I smiled. “New rule, hiking boots whenever going anywhere with Hunter.”
Jack laughed and reached for my hand. I drew in a sharp, silent breath as his fingers grazed my knuckles, only to exhale with a sigh as I realized he was only taking the remains of the poor little hedgehog toy. “Here, I’ll have Paulie ring this up with my stuff. Did you have anything else?” he asked, looking behind me.
“Oh! Yeah. A bag of food. I’ll go grab it.” I turned to go but Jack stilled me with a light touch on my arm.
“I’ll get it.” He disappeared before I could object and insist that I could haul my own bag of kibble. He reappeared a minute later, the forty-pound bag on his shoulder like it weighed nothing. My eyes traced the lines of his biceps as he carried the bag. The t-shirt he was wearing was just tight enough that it showcased his muscles perfectly. I ached to feel his arms around me. Even though I knew it had only been a few days since the last time we’d been together, I craved him.
“Didn’t we just get a new bag?” he asked once he rejoined us.
Hunter and Princess followed as we went to the register. “I took some when I…left.” God, this is so awkward! “But I accidentally left it at Rachel’s. Oh!”
I hurried back in the direction of the food and grabbed two stainless steel bowls from one of the shelves. They were the same ones Hunter was used to and the easiest ones to keep clean. Jack was nearly done paying when I came up behind him and added the two bowls to the purchase. He handed his debit card to the cashier and within minutes, all four of us were back outside, walking down the sidewalk toward my car.
Jack loaded the food into the back. I tried—and failed—to not stare at his ass. My heart ached. I missed him. I wanted my Jack back.
“Did you eat dinner yet?”
I thought of my pizza box on the dresser back in my hotel room. “Not yet,” I answered.
“You want to grab a bite? We could drop the dogs off at the house.”
His eyes searched mine, waiting with baited breath for my answer. Finally, I gave a slight nod. “I’d like that.”
“Your ride or mine?”
My cheeks warmed, thinking up other ways his offer could be interpreted, but managed to keep it together long enough to agree to ride in his car. “You know I always love to ride in the Camaro.”
Chapter Thirteen
Holly
With each passing mile, my anticipation and anxiety ratcheted up another few degrees. Jack was behind the wheel and kept his eyes on the road, almost in a deliberate sort of way. Like he didn’t want to look at me. I scanned through the radio stations until I landed on a channel playing one of my favorite 80s songs. Jack normally would have flashed me a smile, made a comment, something. But instead, he kept his hands glued at 10 and 2 and his eyes trained on the road ahead. I sighed and looked out the passenger window as the coast flew by in a blur. Princess and Hunter were safely back at the house, as we’d left, they were already cuddled together on the couch as though their separation had been months, not days.
“How’s work?” I asked, more for there to be some kind of conversation than actual curiosity. After all, it had only been a couple of days since the last time we spoke.
Jack hitched one shoulder. “Same old. Aaron’s off on some treasure hunt this weekend. Nick’s a little afraid of what he’ll bring back.”
I smiled. That sounded like Aaron.
“What about you?” J
ack asked, finally turning to glance my way.
Damn it. Hadn’t seen that coming. I shouldn’t have opened the work conversation. I smiled sweetly. “It’s great. Thanks for asking. My office has an ocean view. Well, to be more accurate, nearly the entire office has an ocean view.”
Jack looked back at the road.
“I did my orientation and will officially start tomorrow.”
“Aha.”
“Jack…”
His shoulders rolled forward. “Right.”
“I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but Noah is a good guy. He’s been nothing but professional and polite. He treats his staff like gold and they all adore him.”
“Wonderful,” Jack replied dryly.
I rolled my eyes and blew out an exhausted sigh. My fingers went to my ear and I found a strand of hair to twist and play with. It was a nervous habit and the simmering argument between us, less than five minutes into our night together, was enough to make me jumpy. At this point, it was like any wrong step could send us off the cliff. I wanted to tread carefully.
Jack took an exit off the highway and I knew where he was taking me before I even saw the sign. The Prickly Pear was a swanky little martini bar on the edge of Holiday Cove. Jack and I used to go there when we were in the mood to dust off the sand and play dress up. It also was the place one of us suggested when we were feeling frisky. Something about the fancy clothes, dark, mood lighting, and out of this world cocktails were all it would take for us to go home and be tearing each other’s clothes off before we even reached the stairs.
Why is he taking us here tonight? I wondered as he found a parking spot on the street.
When he put the car in park and killed the engine, he glanced at me, but his reflective shades didn’t allow me even a hint of what might be rolling around in his mind.
“I’m not sure I’m really dress code appropriate,” I said, looking down at myself. I’d selected a cornish-blue and white sundress that was loose and flowy. My blonde hair was down around my shoulder, likely tangled from a day of driving with the windows down. I hadn’t even put on much makeup that morning at Rachel’s. A slathering of tinted moisturizer, lip gloss, and a dab of mascara was all I had on.