Page 58 of Hard To Leave

Chapter 19

Jack

The criesof the seagulls circling my deck had me leaning my head back with a sigh. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of the city this week. It’s been almost twelve days since I’ve last seen Chloe and Tanner. Technically, it’s been 287 hours and 35 minutes, but who's counting?

Thinking back over the last ninety days had me second-guessing my entire life up until this point. I rested my hands on the railing and stared out into the Atlantic. Life really threw me one hell of a curveball, both professionally and personally.

Saying goodbye to them at the airport was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

My life and my career were in New York, but my heart was here in South Carolina with them. How the hell was I supposed to choose?

Could I really walk away from the company that my father built? Give up his entire life’s work for the first woman I fell in love with? It was a crazy notion, so why was I even thinking about it?

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on my front door. I glanced at my watch and noticed that Chloe was early. Not that I was complaining because I missed the shit out of that woman.

I ran through the house practically racing to the door, anticipating the gorgeous girl on the other side. When I opened the door, there was indeed a gorgeous girl standing on my front step. It just wasn’t “my” girl.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, caught off guard by seeing my best friend, Emily standing in the same spot that should have been Chloe. Emily, Cassie and I went to college together. Three of us were always tight, until they both met their husbands and decided to start their own families.

“Well, that’s not the greeting I was expecting,” Emily replied with her husband Chase pressed up against her back, holding little Mason in his arms.

My eyes slid to Chase and Mason, then back to Emily. “You know I’m always happy to see you guys. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

Emily narrowed her eyes slightly. “Really? Are you sure you weren’t expecting somebody else?”

Busted!

There was a reason this girl was my best friend. She knew me better than anybody else. My mouth stretched into a grin. “Are you just going to stand there and give me shit, or are you going to get your ass over and give me a hug?”

“Hey!” Chase scolded as he covered little Mason’s ears. “Watch your language around my son.”

I angled my head to a perfectly content Mason, sleeping with his cheek resting against his father’s chest. “I hate to break the news to you, pal, but he doesn’t understand English yet.”

Chase shot me that look that said,don’t fuck with me. I ran my hand through my hair. Shit. Emily wasn’t kidding when she said that Chase was a controlling nutjob when it came to his kid. It really wasn’t surprising because the dude could be a little intense.

Emily rushed into my arms and gave me a hug that nearly squeezed the oxygen out of my body. “I have missed you so much.”

I kissed the top of her hair. Her scent was familiar, and her gentle touch made me forget my worries for a brief moment. She wasn’t just my friend; she was my family. I may have been an only child, but Emily was the sister I never had. Cassie and I were close, just not as close as Emily and I.

When she moved to Florida with Chase, it bothered me more than I wanted to admit. Yet seeing how happy she was with her new life made me proud. “I missed you too.”

“What, no love for me?” Chase smirked, breezing past me into the house.

“That depends.” I jerked my head to where Mason was resting on his chest. “Are you going to let me hold him?”

Chase looked at Mason as if he needed a minute to think about it. He took a lot longer than he needed to before he replied. “I will. As soon as the little guy wakes up.”

Emily and I rolled our eyes at the same time. Chase laughed, knowing he was busted. “What? He’s sleeping.”

Emily took my hand and smiled. “It’s so good to see you.”

I walked over to my fridge and looked inside doing an inspection of my inventory. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

The almost-empty fridge was a reminder that I needed to make a grocery run soon. Aside from a door full of various condiments that barely got used and a mixed selection of bottled beer, there was nothing else but a few bottled waters.

Looking at their lack of options, they both replied, “Water’s good.”

I grabbed a couple bottles of water, and we all made our way out onto the back deck.

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