Page 16 of Hard To Leave

Chapter 5

Chloe

The burgers were sizzlingon the grill when I heard my phone ring. I glanced down at the unknown caller.

“Hello?” I snapped, expecting it to be another telemarketer. These obnoxious calls were getting out of hand, and it’s all I could do was block their number after each one.

“Hey, Chloe, it’s Jack.”

My hand tightened over the phone. This definitely wasn’t the call I was expecting. I’d expected another offer for diabetic supplies from Medicaid or a sales pitch for another home warranty protection on my appliances.

“Jack?” I questioned, pretending like I didn’t know who it was. “Jack who?”

He laughed. “Jack, your future husband.”

A goofy grin spread across my face. “Oh, that Jack. How have you been? It’s been a while.”

His deep chuckle vibrated all the way to my chest. “I’ve been thinking about you.”

I looked over to where Tanner was chasing our two-year-old golden retriever Smuckers through our newly-fenced-in yard. “Have you? I wouldn’t know. I gave you my number over a week ago and not a peep.”

I was playing around with him, but of course, he didn’t miss a beat.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed, making me feel guilty for taunting him. I...”

“Jack, it’s fine. You don’t owe me an explanation. I’m just surprised you called, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting it.”

I also wasn’t expecting his charm to wear me down either, yet here I was.

“Ouch! You really think little of me, don’t you?”

“I don’t judge, I swear. This call just came out of the blue.”

“I would have called sooner if I could. I’ve had a lot going on.” I closed my eyes, feeling like an idiot. Of course, he has.

He just buried his father a few weeks ago, you nitwit.

“No explanation needed,” I reassured him, thinking of my own father and how I would feel if something happened to him.

Tanner’s laughter floated throughout the yard. I looked to my son who now had our poor dog cornered against the back, assaulting him with an arsenal of nerf gun darts. Smuckers didn’t seem to mind, as he tried to catch the foam projectiles that came near his mouth.

I covered the receiver with the palm of my hand and spoke loud enough to get his attention. “Tanner! That’s enough. Leave him alone and wash up before dinner.”

Tanner looked up at me through his shaggy brown hair covering his eyes and his laughter instantly faded. I placed my hand on my hip long enough to get his attention. The same brown eyes and mischievous smile stared back at me, reminding me of his father. The resemblance was so strong, sometimes it hurt to look at him.

“His name is Tanner? Cool name,” Jack said, as I watched my boy drop to his knees and ruffle the fur on top of the dog’s head. He loved that furball and judging by the way Smuckers’ tail wagged, the feeling was mutual.

“Yes, and I apologize if I ruptured an eardrum when I scolded him.”

He chuckled. “I promise not to complain as long as you don’t make fun of the hearing aid I’ll need due to the nerve damage you just caused.”

“Does that mean I’m going to see you again?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you missed me.”

“And I would say your confidence is as strong as I remembered,” I teased, feeling a smile come to my lips.

“Why don’t you go out with me when I’m in town next week, so I can refresh your memory about my confidence.”

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