Page 139 of Under Southern Stars
Madison’s relief is visible. “Thanks. You guys are the best. LOVE YOU!” With a final wave, she is gone, the door slamming behind her.
“Troy’s at it again?” Jack asks quietly once we were alone.
“He’s been escalating since that viral video humiliation,” I sigh. “I think he’s trying to reassert control.”
“We won’t let him,” Jack says simply, his hand finding mine again. “Not with Madison.”
The casual “we” warms me from within. That is the difference now—I’m not facing Troy’s toxicity alone anymore. I have a partner, someone who stands beside me not because he has to, but because he chooses to.
“So,” I say, leaning into him. “This date. What exactly did you have planned?”
His arms encircle my waist, pulling me closer. “Well, I was thinking drinks at that new place downtown, maybe that jazz club you mentioned wanting to try…”
“Or,” I suggest, my hands sliding under his shirt, “we could stay in. Make use of this empty house.”
His breath catches as my fingers trace the ridges of muscle beneath his shirt. “Christ, Sophia,” he murmurs, bending to capture my lips in a kiss that quickly deepens from gentle to urgent.
When we break apart, both breathless, he presses his forehead to mine. “I’m meant to be romancing you properly tonight,” he says, his accent thickening as it always does when he is affected. “Flowers, wine, the works.”
I smile against his lips. “Jack McKenzie, haven’t you figured it out yet? All I need is you.”
He lifts me suddenly, earning a surprised laugh as he carries me toward the bedroom. “You do realize this means we’re completely missing our dinner reservation?”
“I’m not hungry,” I say, wrapping my legs around his waist. “Not for food, anyway.”
His laughter vibrates through me as he kicks the bedroom door closed behind us.
Hours later, after whispered laughter and rediscovered rhythms, we lay tangled in the sheets, my head on his chest, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my bare shoulder. The bedside clock read 11:43 PM—Madison will be home in the morning.
“I’ve been thinking,” Jack says, his voice rumbling beneath my ear. “About New Zealand. About us.”
I prop myself up on one elbow to see his face. “What about us?”
“The long-distance thing,” he says, his eyes serious now. “It’s not sustainable forever. Being here with you and Madison, going back for holidays…eventually we’ll need a more permanent solution.”
My heart quickens. “Are you suggesting…?”
“Nothing specific yet,” he clarifies quickly. “Just…thinking about possibilities. What the future might look like.”
“And what does it look like, in your mind?” I ask, curious.
He takes a deep breath. “Sometimes I see us here—me transferring my paramedic certification to stay permanently, building a life in your world. Other times…” He hesitates. “I wonder if you and Madison might consider New Zealand. Not immediately, but someday.”
The thought sends a shiver of both excitement and apprehension through me. “That’s a big change. Madison’s whole life is here. My career…”
“I know,” he says quickly. “It’s just thoughts. Possibilities. We have time to figure it out.”
“We do,” I agree, settling back against him. “And for what it’s worth, I’m not opposed to considering all options. Including New Zealand.”
His arms tighten around me. “Really?”
“Really,” I confirm. “After all, I’ve got connections there now. Helen mentioned the hospital…”
He laughs, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Always planning ahead, Charge Nurse Mitchell.”
“Someone has to,” I tease. “Paramedic McKenzie.”
“Speaking of names,” he says casually, though I can feel the nervous tension in his body. “My offer still stands, you know. About taking yours. If we ever…if that’s something you’d want.”
