“Yes,” I whisper.
His hand brushes my jaw, tilting my face up, and then his lips are on mine. This kiss is nothing like our first. It’s not rushed, not fueled by alcohol or confusion. It’s soft and sweet, full of unspoken promises. His fingers linger against my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin, and for a moment, everything else fades away.
When we pull apart, I take a shaky breath, my forehead resting against his. “I don’t know how this is supposed to work,” I admit. “I have Stevie. And you’re leaving after the construction project is done, so—”
“I’m not leaving,” he interrupts. “I live in the next town over. I’m not going anywhere, Judd.”
That revelation hits me harder than it should. He’s not leaving. He’shere.
“Dinner?” he asks, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I chew on my bottom lip, my thoughts spinning. But then I nod. “Yeah. Dinner at mine?”
He grins, stepping back. “I’ll meet you at yours at seven.”
And just like that, he’s gone, disappearing out the door before I can even process what just happened. I sink into my chair, staring at the closed door, my heart racing.
I don’t have long to sit in stunned silence before the door bursts open again. This time, it’s Athena and Jess and they both look like they’re ready for a fight.
“Well?” Jess demands, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s going on?”
I groan, leaning back in my chair. “Nothing.”
Athena raises an eyebrow. “That didn’t look like nothing.”
I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Fine. We went out on Friday night. Things got… heated. And I kind of like him, okay? But don’t tell Mom. Please. Not yet.”
Jess’ eyes widen and then she grins. “Called it,” she says, nudging Athena as she wiggles her fingers. Athena sighs and slaps a $20 into Jess’ open palm. “I get dibs on babysitting Stevie tonight.” I open my mouth to refute that when she cuts me off. “Judd, you’ve been hoarding our niece and we’re only ever in town during the holidays. We’re going to soak up every last minute with her while you finally learn to have some fun.”
Athena just stares at me, her expression unreadable. “Are you sure about this?” she asks after a moment. “You’ve been through a lot with Ava. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’m sure,” I say, though my voice wavers slightly. “It’s scary, but… it’s something I want.”
Jess claps her hands together, her grin widening. “Well, in that case, what are you going to wear?”
I blink, caught off guard. “I don’t know. Whatever I find.”
They exchange a look, then turn back to me in unison. “You’re dense,” Athena says. “This is a date. You need to dress nice.”
“I don’t even know what ‘nice’ means,” I protest.
Jess cackles, shaking her head. “When I come over for Stevie, I’ll help you pick something out. God forbid our brother gets tossed because he can’t dress right.”
I find myself laughing with her and Athena, enjoying a moment we haven’t shared in years. Living in different cities, finding our paths, and falling apart has made it harder to connect with each other but I’m seeing that as each of us finds ourselves, we’re coming together again.
Judd
I feel queasy and it’s not because of the chicken in the oven. My kitchen smells great—garlic, rosemary, and thyme filling the air—but my stomach hasn’t settled since Nakul texted to say he was on his way.
I glance down at myself, smoothing the beige sweater Jess picked out, wondering if it’s too much or too casual. I settled on jeans, figuring they’d balance out the sweater, but now I’m second-guessing everything. Even with Stevie out of the house and the only thing I have to focus on is dinner—I’m still freaking out a little.
A date. This is a date.
I grab a glass of water and take a sip, hoping it’ll calm my nerves. It doesn’t. The timer on the oven beeps, an undignified shriek tearing from my throat as some water splashes on the floor. I place the cup on the counter and wipe up the spill, hating myself a little more than usual right now. I’m in my early thirties, so I should be able to handle a little date.
“Get it together,” I mutter, pulling the pan from the oven and setting it on the stovetop. The chicken looks perfect, golden and crisp. It’s just dinner. No big deal. Except itisa big deal.
A knock at the door makes my heart leap into my throat. I wipe my hands on a dish towel and head to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it.