Page 49 of Hard To Leave

I pulled my shoulders back and sat up straight. He was making it hard to say no to him, and I really wanted to go. I did a silent check in my head to see if there was a way to pull it off but couldn’t see a way to make it work. I knew Ree would most likely give me the day off if I asked, but I didn’t want to jam her up, especially on a Friday. Not to mention, it was our busiest day of the week, and I really needed the money.

I looked down at the tablecloth so I wouldn’t see the disappointment in his eyes. “I have to work this weekend, Jack. I’m sorry.”

“I thought you might say that. Check your phone.”

My eyebrows pulled together and then I reached into my purse for my cell phone. I glanced at the screen. There was a text message from Ree.

You have Friday off with pay. YOLO. Enjoy your weekend

My mouth hung open. I didn’t know whether I wanted to kiss him or strangle him. “You called my boss?”

“Not really. I stopped by for a slice of pie before I picked you up and just happened to run into her.”

The waitress took that moment to bring the check. “Here you go. Can I get you anything else?” she asked, sliding the bill across the table. I looked out to the surf, needing a minute to get my shit together.

Jack pulled out his credit card and placed it inside the leather binder. “We’re all set. Thank you.”

When I glanced over at him, his eyes softened. “Please,” he begged in a tone that made it impossible to say no. “I’ve had a shit morning thanks to my mother and…”

“Hey.” Tanner stopped spinning the bottle of hot sauce around on the condiments tray and reprimanded him. “That’s a bad word. You can’t say the S-word or mom will wash your mouth out with soap and make you pick up all the dog poop in the backyard.”

Jack dipped his chin in his shirt and chuckled. “Sorry, pal,” he said, bringing his hand up to his mouth as if he were trying to wipe the grin off his face. “It slipped out.”

They both turned to look at each other, a slow grin pulling at the corners of their mouths.

“That’s okay. You’re a grown-up. You can say it sometimes. You’re just not supposed to say it in front of me.”

“Got it,” Jack said, lifting his head to meet mine.

Saying no at this point would be pointless, especially since he went to so much trouble. He pretty much eliminated every excuse I had not to go. If I said no, I would only end up looking like the bad guy. Tanner would miss a day of school, but he was only in second grade. I’m sure he would be fine, and I could convince his teacher to send him work to do while we were away.

“Please, Mom,” Tanner started to beg. “I’ve always wanted to fly on a airplane.”

Guilt started to settle in my stomach. The only vacations we ever took were when he visited my parents a few hours away or when Carly would reserve a free stay for us at the resort she managed. He was getting older, and all of his friends were taking family trips to Disney World, booking cruises, and spending their school breaks at all-inclusive resorts. Instead, we stayed home and went to the beach, ate out a few times, and spent our afternoons at the park. It wasn’t the same, and for the first time that I could recall, it felt like he was missing out.

My eyes bounced back and forth between my son and the man who was slowly working his way into my heart. If things were going to continue to go in the direction I thought they were, then this would be the next step.

I sighed and stood up to dust off my pants. “Well, seeing that Jack thought of everything, I guess we have no choice but to go.”

Jack threw his head back and laughed. “Your enthusiasm is really quite overwhelming. You really know how to put a dent in my self-esteem.”

“Something tells me your self-esteem will be just fine.” I smirked, just as Tanner ran over, practically tackling me at the waist.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m so excited! This is going to be awesome.”

Jack rose from the table and watched me for a long moment. I was trying really hard not to smile. The man was absolutely perfect.

“Thank you,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy you just made me.”

Love. Was that what I was feeling? I’ve been in love before, but that was a long time ago, and I don’t remember it feeling like this.

The sun was just starting to set when we pulled into my driveway. I wanted to prolong our time together as long as possible. I didn’t want him to leave, but I knew he couldn’t stay. He had barely said two words since we left the restaurant.

“Everything okay?” I asked as he turned off the ignition.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” The way his knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel so hard had me thinking otherwise.

I chanced a glance at the rearview mirror to see if Tanner was paying attention, but he had his nose buried in Jack’s iPad. Jack had downloaded a couple of games for him to play, and he was completely zoned out.

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