Page 70 of The Sandover Beach Billionaire

Epilogue

The cookoutat Jackson’s was in full swing. But not even the amazing preview of summer weather could draw Jenna out of her funk. Above the sound of the surf, music and conversations rang out from the bottom patio, where Jackson manned the grill. Jenna watched him, as he flipped a burger, laughing at something Beau said. Her chest burned with longing. She had fallen for Jackson. Hard and fast. But he had been distant this week and Jenna was worried.

It had been a month since Jackson had showed her the ring on the mantle. Two weeks since Jenna was ready for him to open that box. He had said he would know when she was ready, so she expectantly waited. Nothing. She started dropping hints that seemed to fly right over his head. She wondered if she should flat-out tell him. Maybe he had overestimated his ability to tell when Jenna was ready.

Now she was glad that she hadn’t spoken up. This week things shifted and she didn’t know why. Jackson hadn’t been ignoring her, exactly, but had pulled back. He was cooler and almost aloof. His smiles didn’t reach his eyes. His kisses were brief, lacking all the passion that had been building between them. He seemed distracted.

A yawning distance opened up between them that only grew wider the more Jenna noticed it and pulled back. If he had changed his mind, it would crush her. But he should tell her one way or the other, not drag this out. She was starting to feel like he was just leaving her on the line.

Ugh. Fishing analogies. That’s when you know you’re thinking too much.

Jenna turned her focus away from the grill. She was currently beating Jimmy at bocce ball, a game she had grown up playing. He had played baseball and apparently didn’t know how to throw softly. His tosses continually landed the balls past the tiny white ball they were aiming for. His last one landed in the hard-packed sand and began rolling toward the ocean. Beau scooped it up before it disappeared in the water. He shook his head and lobbed it back. It landed right next to the white ball.

Jenna laughed. “An admirable loss.”

Jimmy groaned. “I don’t understand this game. You killed me. I think you On Island people invented it as a way of humiliating people who didn’t grow up here.”

“Where did you grow up?”

“Richmond. Which gives you a very unfair advantage, I’d say.”

“Aw, someone’s a sore loser,” she teased.

“I’ll happily take you on in baseball.” Jimmy grinned as they began picking up the balls.

“I’ll pass and go out on my winning streak. This is probably the only physical game I’ve ever won. Maybe I should go pro.”

He snorted. She dropped the last of her balls into the canvas tote Jimmy had over his shoulder. They walked back toward Jackson’s house. He lifted the spatula from the grill to wave at Jenna. She gave him a weak smile back, trying to push down the feelings she was struggling with. Better to think about something else. “Do you think you’ll stay On Island or will you ever move back to Richmond?”

Jimmy dropped the bag and got them both bottled waters from the cooler. His girlfriend, Amber, waved from the water, obviously wanting him to join her. He waved but stayed where he was. Maybe Jenna wasn’t the only one avoiding relationship issues.

“I’m not sure yet. It’s definitely where I want to be at the moment. It’s been good for me.”

“How did you end up here? I mean, we aren’t exactly the biggest beach on the map.”

“Definitely not. And that toll booth almost kept me away. I didn’t have any cash the first time I showed up here. Packed my car, drove down, and then got stopped with no money. I had to wait for another car to come and beg for cash.”

Jimmy had effectively dodged why he came here. She wasn’t going to pry. “But you still got on Sandover, despite the toll booth. And then stayed.”

“I did. The rest of my family is in Richmond still. My parents, sister, her husband, and their two kids. I miss them all like crazy. But I love my job and I’ve never had friends like these or such a supportive community. For now, here is good.”

Here is good.Jenna felt the same way. At least until this week.

She glanced at Jackson again, but he was deep in conversation with Beau. He caught her watching and turned his body slightly away from her. Beau’s eyes flicked to her and he nodded.

Her stomach dropped. Were they talking about her?

Jenna wandered away from Jimmy and settled in a beach chair, watching a family just down the beach. That didn’t help. After five minutes of the couple holding hands and laughing with their toddler (who kept trying to eat sand), Jenna felt tears spring to her eyes. She might never have that. If Jackson had changed his mind … she didn’t think she could ever open up her heart again. She would leave the beach house that felt so perfect for her and move to Burlington near Rachel. Forget the way the beach called to her. If he rejected her now, she would leave in the morning.

There were sudden shouts and Jenna glanced over to see Beau tossing Jackson—fully clothed—into the ocean. Despite herself, she laughed as he came up sputtering. Beau stood smiling on the shore, grinning with his arms crossed over his chest. “Now we’re even,” she heard him say.

Jackson made his way out of the water, wringing out his clothes. He was still smiling that big smile and it warmed Jenna. Maybe everything was okay after all. “I’m going upstairs to change. Be back down in a few.”

“Okay!”

Snap out of it, Monroe.

Great, now her inner monologue was using Jackson’s nickname for her. How had he managed to burrow his way so close to her heart in such a short time? She remembered when she first got back On Island and thought he was a bag boy, insulting him right in the wine aisle of Bohn’s. That would make a great start to their story one day, if there was ever a happy ending to share.

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