Page 83 of Getting Lucky

“I thought Adalia was helping him plant things.”

“Sure, but it’s the end of December, and he still has a black thumb. It just took the plants longer to die this time.”

Part of Maisie wanted to drive straight to Finn’s house so she could let Lee know exactly what she thought of him—and also so she could save River from what had to be the worst bachelor party ever. Except Lurch would be there soon to take them on the Brews and Bites tour, and River had Finn. Jack had no one.

No, he had her.

“River, I’m sorry, but I’m going to be late to the bachelor party. We’ll meet up with you later in the evening.”

“He’s special to you, isn’t he?” River said.

“He is,” she confirmed.

“I feel like I should tell you…” He trailed off, then cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’ve always been good to you, Maisie. When we were younger, I let you be there for me in a way that wasn’t fair. In a way that maybe held you back. That’s never what I intended.” Another pause. She fought the compulsion to fill it, her heart hammering. “I know you think I forgot about the time I almost kissed you, but I didn’t. I just…you were right. You’re family to me, and if anything had happened between us back then, it would have broken that. Andthatwould have brokenme.”

“Did someone tell you?” she said softly, thinking of Georgie. She’d gotten the sense Georgie had been cool about the whole thing, but maybe she was wrong.

“No,” he said. “I did some thinking after you avoided me this summer.” He huffed a laugh. “And when I was feeling low about you blowing me off, Dottie suggested I ‘dust’ her old photo albums. I noticed something in those pictures. We looked at each other a little differently back then. Both of us. The things that happened that year…your parents dying, my screwups, it changed everything. I think we leaned on each other too much. But things changed after that day in the clubhouse… You opened the shelter, and I found Finn. And we both grew up. We changed. But you and Beau and Dottie…and Finn when he’s not accidentally messing everything up…you’re my family. You always will be.”

“It’s not what you think,” she blurted. “I mean, yes, it messed with my head when you met Georgie. Neither of us had ever been serious about anyone else before. It was always you and me, together against the world. The people we dated were there, but they were in the background. They weren’t important. And then there was Georgie, and suddenly you and I weren’t us anymore, and I didn’t know what to do about that. You’re right, it wasn’t healthy, but I didn’t want it to change. Or I didn’t think I did. You know how I am with change.”

“I do,” he said. “That’s why I asked you to be part of the wedding. I thought it might help us work through this.” He huffed out a breath. “Or, hell, maybe I was just being selfish again. I didn’t want you to pull away. And I wanted you to get to know Georgie.”

“I talked to her today,” she said. “Ilikeher, River. She’s right for you.” She didn’t bother addingin a way I never was, because they both knew that. “And Jack…” She swallowed, then admitted out loud what she’d scarcely even admitted to herself: “I’m falling in love with him.”

A pause, then he said, “I’ve seen the way you look at him. I’m happy for you, Maisie. I…I don’t know him much, but he seems like a good guy. I’d like to get to know him better, for you and for Georgie. I should have done a better job of looking out for him today.”

“It’s your bachelor party,” she said simply. “I want you to enjoy yourself. We’re going to come. I don’t know when, but we will. Fair warning, though. If Lee’s still around when I get there, he might end up with a drink in or around his face.”

“As long as I’m not the one to do it,” he said, his tone not without amusement.

“Goodbye, River.” Somehow it felt like more than a normal goodbye. Which was silly. She’d be seeing him later that night. But she was saying goodbye to the old way of things—to the days he’d described, when they’d leaned on each other so hard. Codependent, Mary had called it. It felt like a weight had lifted off her shoulders, but it crashed back down at the thought of the whole Jack and Lee episode. Why had Dottie managed to convince them it made sense to spend any more time than necessary with the other half of the Buchanan family?

“Bye, Maisie.”

He hung up, and she tapped her finger on the side of the phone for a second before shooting off a quick text to Finn.

Whew, what a day. I’m handing you the best man baton. I’m going to be late. Jack and I will join you guys later.She paused, then added,Get Lee drunk or get rid of him. I don’t want him to ruin River’s night.

Finn’s response was immediate.Are you and Jack involved?A pause.Sorry, but Addy told me she thought there might be something between you two, and if there is, I think that’s great.Another pause.I know, I know, we shouldn’t have been talking about you, but it was in a good way, I swear. Duly noted about Lee. I’ve never seen him like this. Which, I guess I’ve never actually seen him before, but we’ve had video chats. I know you think he’s just a dick, and honestly, maybe he sort of is. But something is up with him.

Didn’t need a novel, Finn, she texted back, smiling in spite of herself. She could imagine Finn texting up a storm while Lee feigned an interest in his shriveled evergreens or whatever—what even grew in December? Couldn’t Finn have thought up a better excuse?Just take care of it. Over and out.

She thought of texting Jack, but she didn’t want to give him the chance to tell her not to come over. Better to just go there in person. Talk it out.

So she drove straight to the Buchanan house and parked in the drive next to Jack’s car. She’d had an image of hammering on his door, insisting he came out, but he was sitting on the porch with Tyrion at his feet and a purple ukulele in his lap. Strumming out a song. Which was so unexpected, she was a little thrown.

His eyes widened as she got out of the car, purse slung carelessly over her shoulder. He stood up and set the ukulele aside, which was when she caught sight of Jezebel’s flashing eyes. She’d perched on the chair next to him, but she slunk to her feet too, falling in on the other side of him from Tyrion. It was almost like they’d appointed themselves his guardians, and if there was anything sexier than a man this loved by animals, she wasn’t sure what it was.

He stared at her, eyes intense and dark and full of flickering emotion. And she knew she should probably explain why she was here, or maybe ask him what had happened with Lee, because River was right, obviously something had. Instead, she hurried up the steps and pulled him to her, right there on the porch, in front of whoever cared to look outside their windows or walk by, and kissed him, weaving her hand in his dark hair to pull him even closer. Pulling it a little too hard, maybe.

He released a little sigh—a sound of satisfaction or comfort—and kissed her back, his impossibly strong arms wrapping around her like she was his lifeline, pressing her to his body. His beautiful, hard body. Still, it wasn’t close enough. Their kiss quickly became desperate and frantic, mouths clashing and moving like the kiss itself was an alive thing—something they could barely control. And then they were backing up into the house, Jezebel shrieking and darting inside when Maisie nearly stepped on her tail, Tyrion wagging his tail as if in approval as he ambled in after them. Jack went to pull away from her to close the door, but she refused, clinging to him, and instead he backed them up so their entwined bodies closed it, then reached out to flip the lock.

“I want you here,” he panted.

“Good, because I’m not going anywhere,” she said. He’d meant he wanted her against the door, she knew, and God, she wanted that too. But her words meant more than that, and the flashing in his eyes said he knew it. Those eyes saw everything, and right from the beginning, from that first day, they’d seen her.

She reached over to pull the curtains on the sidelight windows flanking the door and then grabbed the hem of his long-sleeved thermal shirt and pulled it over his head, biting her lip at the sight of his chest and his arms, as sculpted as any statue. She’d spent many, many hours dreaming about this—about the beauty of him unclothed—after not having appreciated it enough the one day she’d seen all of him.

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