Page 84 of On the Power Play

Country watched him. “I won’t pretend my experience is equal, but I know what it feels like to lose someone.” He told Jack about his time in Toronto. How he had a ring and was planning to propose to Jenna, and then she’d slipped through his fingers.

Jack thought in some ways that would’ve been worse. To know the person you wanted still existed but you couldn’t have them. To wonder why and get no answers.

“By some miracle, I got a second chance.” Country rubbed his palms across his jeans and leaned forward. “That’s probably a dick thing to say.”

Jack shook his head. “I’m happy for you, bud.” He sniffed and stretched out his back, then drew a deep breath. “Would you have moved on? Eventually?”

Country stood, catching sight of something out the window. "For twelve years, I tried. I think with me and Jenna . . . I don’t know. There was something here that told me it wasn’t finished." Country put a hand over his heart, then dropped his head. “Sounds hippy dippy, I know.” He walked to the door and opened it as a sleek, black car turned off the county road and parked next to Jack's truck. Delia.

Jack quickly swiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. “Thanks, bud.”

Country looked back. “My advice still stands, eh?” Jack nodded, and Country motioned to the hall. "Will you yell out back and tell Jenna she’s here?"

_____

When Jack meandered back into the living room, his head felt clear from the fresh air. That lasted all of two seconds once he saw Delia standing in the entry.

". . . I assumed you'd already had plenty of media training," Country finished. Jack hadn't heard the beginning of that sentence, but he saw the effect of it on Delia's cheeks.

She flushed as she stood upright after pulling off her boots and plastered a smile on her face. "I have. I just wanted to be supportive. Plus, I've been writing all morning and wanted to see Jack." When neither of them responded to that, her eyes narrowed. She looked between Country and Jack. "You told him, didn't you?"

Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. How had she caught on to that in the ten seconds she'd been standing there?

Country grinned. "He did, but I promise your secret is safe with me. Jenna and I?—"

"Jenna and I, what?" a voice called from the kitchen. A petite woman with long, blonde hair stepped past Jack and strode toward Country. She planted a kiss on his lips, then took off her coat and hung it on the hooks mounted to the wall next to the door.

"Jenna and I know what it's like to play games at work." Country raised an eyebrow, and Jenna shot him a look.

"I don't want to know why that's coming out of your mouth right now, and—" she held up a hand. "Don't comment on that, please."

Country smirked. "I'll save my thoughts for later."

Jenna rolled her eyes, then looked between Jack still standing in the entrance to the hall and Delia next to the door. "I'm sorry that was your introduction to what I'm hoping will be a much more professional?—"

"They're not dating. It's fake," Country interrupted. He reached out and pulled Jenna against his side, sliding his fingers into the front pocket of her jeans. Jack watched Delia notice that detail and his blood hummed.

Jenna blinked, but the announcement didn’t throw her for more than a second. "Well. No wonder you need some training.”

Delia looked at Jack, with an, Are you sure we can trust them? look in her eyes. Jack nodded once.

“Let's get going, then." Jenna led them past the kitchen into a bedroom at the other end of the hall that contained no furniture other than a desk and chairs. Though the room was bathed in natural light from a tall window along the side wall, a ring light stood on a telescoping stand, pointing from the opposite direction. A webcam was mounted between dual monitors on a tripod, and there were two microphones suspended from scissor-arm stands on either side of the desk.

A squeak escaped Delia's lips, and Jack turned. "You going to be okay?" he teased.

She fanned her face. "Sorry. I'm not even into hockey, but I watch your highlight reels. They're hilarious."

Country looked a little too pleased with himself as he pulled two chairs off the back wall and set them in front of the desk.

Jenna sat in her swivel chair and rested her elbows on the polished wood. "We're playing it cool, but both of us were dancing in the kitchen to ‘Shiny People’ an hour ago."

A smile stretched across Delia's face, and Jack's heart stumbled. He'd looked up the lyrics to that one yesterday. Shiny people, in the neon glow, Dancing fast, and living slow. He hated them.

"Did you write it?" Country asked.

Delia fiddled with the hem of her sweater. She shook her head. "Nope. IndieLake isn't a fan of my lyrics."

Jenna frowned. "You had lyrics for it?"

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