Page 52 of Hard To Leave

Chapter 17

Jack

I stoodat the bottom of the escalator next to baggage claim anxiously waiting for Chloe and Tanner. I’ve never been more nervous or excited to see a woman in my life. I’ve squeezed the hell out of the stress ball that I’ve carried around the past couple of days just to keep myself from growing crazy. As their arrival time got closer, the reality of their visit started to sink in.

I cursed under my breath and ran a shaking hand down my face. The idea of having them both here on my home turf made me think more about what life would be like with the three of us together. I worked myself to the bone all week in order to free up time to spend with them.

I scrubbed down my apartment last night, went to the corner market and stocked up on Tanner’s favorite cereal and snacks, made sure I had Chloe’s favorite bottle of wine and squeezed in a last-minute haircut with my barber. I was running out of things to do, which meant I had nothing else to do but think.

I wiped my sweaty palms down my pant leg and checked the status of their flight on my Delta app. I upgraded them to first class and purchased a TSA precheck membership so they wouldn’t have to wait in long lines going through security. Whatever I could do to make things easier on them, I did.

My phone chirped in my pocket. There was a message from Chloe:

Just landed. I can’t wait to see your face. :)

Just seeing her name and knowing I was actually going to be with her in a matter of minutes sent that warm, familiar feeling passing through me. At first, I thought it was just infatuation and just a passing phase, but my desire and my feelings were stronger than ever.

After almost twenty minutes of pacing the crowded airport, her beautiful face finally came into view. I swallowed, trying to eliminate the lump in my throat. She and Tanner were coming down the escalator with a rolling carry-on beside them. Her eyes locked on mine as the airport bustled around us.

My legs ate up the distance between us. Chloe leaned forward with a grin. “Hi.”

My hands grabbed her hips, effectively pulling her against me. “Welcome to New York.” I pressed a kiss to her mouth. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” She smiled up at me while I looked down at her. She looked gorgeous in a simple green jacket and black leggings. Her tight, white tank top gave nothing away and everything at the same time.

Tanner laughed like a typical seven-year-old. “You guys are so gross.”

“Hey bud, how was your flight?” I asked, stepping away from his mother so I could playfully ruffle his shaggy brown hair.

He looked around, his eyes wide with excitement. There was a guy in a business suit typing on his phone and not paying attention to where he was walking. He accidentally bumped into Tanner, and I instinctively grabbed his arm, so he didn’t get knocked to the ground.

If I had to guess, it was probably the first time he had seen so many different people in one place at the same time. The fluorescent lights were bright, and the hum of the crowd was loud with, clicking heels, and overhead pages for passengers late to board their flights. He looked so damn curious at the chaos around him, like he was observing life on another planet.

“Riding in the jet was awesome!” he said, shoving his hands inside his front pockets. “I got to drink soda, eat junk food, and watch a movie in those big, comfy seats in the front.”

I laughed. “Sounds like fun. You ready to see where I live?”

His eyes lit up like I had just told him we were going to Disney World. “Heck yeah.”

I grabbed Chloe’s hand and walked them both over to baggage claim. Once we grabbed everything, we headed out to the parking lot and loaded up my car. As we made the drive to my apartment, I kept glancing in the review mirror. Tanner was sitting in the back seat with his mouth hanging open while his eyes bounced from buildings and bridges to the crosswalks filled with hundreds of people making their way through the concrete jungle. He was used to quiet towns with beaches and green lawns. Imagining the city through a seven-year-old’s eyes for the first time was pretty damn cool.

After what seemed like forever, we finally made it to my building in Greenwich Village. My apartment wasn’t huge, but it was close to work and considered prime New York real estate. I set the bags down by the front door and gave them both a tour of my home.

I bought this place from an architect; it was a little different than your typical modern apartment. It had dark wood floors, not the cheap laminate that most places had these days. The previous owner had added large wooden beams throughout the open floor plan, which gave it a more authentic look that resembled the period in which it was originally built. There was a huge brick fireplace in the corner, right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The kitchen was lined with black cabinets and a charcoal gray backsplash.

“This is gorgeous.” Chloe beamed while running her hand over the back of the cream-colored leather couch.

Tanner looked up to me. “This isn’t very big.”

“Tanner!” Chloe scolded.

A laugh bubbled out of my chest. I wondered what he would think if he saw what atypicalapartment in the city looked like. This little pad cost me a mint and real estate was my specialty. This was pretty much the Taj Mahal of village apartments. “It’s okay, Chloe. He’s right.” I winked and turned my attention to Tanner. “Most apartments in Manhattan are quite small. There are too many people and too many buildings, which means there isn’t a lot of extra space.”

Tanner put his hands on his hips and looked around. “It’s cool. I like it.”

“Thank you. I’m really glad you’re both here.” I picked up their luggage. “Let me show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

They followed me into my bedroom. I was on the top floor, so I had a great view of the downtown skyline. “This is my room. You guys can sleep in here.”

I walked over to the side of the bed and put their luggage down. Chloe stepped into the middle of the room and turned to me. “Where will you sleep?”

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