Page 53 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

Her face leaned into my hand, and she sighed.

I froze with my hand cupping her cheek as I faced forward, trying to keep my eyes on the road. This ridiculous urge to store away these little memories of our time together had me leaving my hand where it was for the next fifteen minutes.

It wouldn’t be long before my hand would have to drop away due to lack of feeling, but stubbornly I held on, even as my hand cramped further, wanting a few more seconds of being close to Jess.

Once we crossed the state line into Rhode Island, we had about thirty-five minutes more to go to our destination.

“Mmm,” Jess groaned and stretched, waking up.

I jerked my hand back so fast it made a slapping sound when my palm hit the steering wheel.

“Alden? What was that noise?” she asked, sleep making her words slur the tiniest bit.

“Noise? I didn’t hear anything.”

“Weird.” She rolled her neck from side to side. “I must have been dreaming.”

“Must have been.” I agreed.

In my peripheral, I saw her rub at her cheek, the same one I’d been cradling in my hand. Her eyebrows drew together as her hand slid off her face and she stared at her palm.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.Had she been more awake than I realized?

She opened and closed her hand, tightening it into a fist and then opening it several times. “Was I laying against my hand?”

“Uh, maybe? I wasn’t really paying attention. Why?” Lies. All of it lies.

She frowned.

I silently prayed she didn’t directly ask if I had touched her face. Right now I was dealing with a lie of omission. I couldn’t lie to her if she asked me a direct question. I didn’t have it in me anymore.

“When I woke up. There was a slight pressure on my cheek. It was comforting.” She shrugged. “Whatever, I don’t know why I’m making such a big deal out of it.”

I sighed, relieved to not have been caught.

“Do you think Reina’s doing okay?” Jess twisted her hands together.

“I’m sure Lexi is taking excellent care of her,” I said, trying to keep my tone gentle. I knew this was hard for her.

Jess frowned. “I still think I should have taken her with us last night.”

It was only due to Lexi’s promise to snuggle with Reina all night that Jess agreed to leave the cat behind. “Jess, she would have gotten hurt with everything that happened.”

Jess’s face paled. “Oh, God. If anything had happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.”

“Exactly. She’s safer where she is. And if we have to leave this place or if we’re not home and have to leave suddenly, we’d have to make the hard decision to leave her behind or go back to get her and risk all our lives.”

Jess’s gaze narrowed and her lips pursed as she processed the reality of the situation.

“I know you’d want to go back and get her.”

She nodded. “Reina’s helpless. She trusts I’ll care for her. It took me forever to earn that trust.”

“How so?” I’d never asked Jess how she’d gotten the small Toyger kitten.

An incredibly beautiful smile lit her face. “She’s not as young as you think.”

I stayed silent. I’d assumed Jess had recently bought her as a pure-bred kitten from a breeder.

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