Page 7 of The Hand That Holds Me
“How did she do it all?”
“She had a good support network in the Johnson family. They took her in and raised her like their own. They stressed the importance of living a life of service to others and kindness in all matters.” I said, a bit of pride in my voice.
I need to calm down or Jason will see right through me and realize I have fallen for his daughter.
“When can I meet her? Do you think you can make something happen for today?” He excitedly said “I would love to take her out for her birthday and spoil her.” For the first time since I walked in, he was beginning to sound like the old Jason.
“Slow down. I need you to really think this through. How do you think she is going to feel when she opens her apartment door, only to find the father that abandoned her waiting on the other side? If she is anything at all like you, she will slam the door in your face and your chance will be gone. You need to let me make contact with her and gently start the process of you two meeting.”
“Damn it! I hate that you’re right. Ican’tscrew this up! I just can’t.”
“Let me see what I can do and I’ll be in touch in a few days.” I tried to reach across the table to get her picture, only to have Jason snatch it and slide it into his suit pocket.
“I’ll keep this until I can get one of my own of her. Hopefully.” He replied, standing up and extending his hand in gratitude to me.
I tried not to show my discomfort with him keeping her picture, only to realize that I have another one at home.
“Absolutely. I’ll see what I can do to extend the olive branch to Maddie in the next few days and see what I can get worked out. I just need you to be patient.”
“I’ll do my best, but please hurry. I need her in my life, Lucas. You have to make this happen. I need to explain….” He lets his thoughts taper off and I know he is thinking about Sara again. She is constantly on his mind. The mistakes he made with her that time never allowed him to fix. I just pray that we can save his relationship with Maddie.
I’m zipped up my jumpsuit and grabbed the harness off the bench. I looked around to see where Caroline had gone and began to walk out of the locker room, humming to myself.
I tend to hum out loud when I’m nervous, but I’m about to jump out of a plane, so who cares if I hum?
I walked out into the lobby and I see Caroline flirting with one of the jump instructors who had gone over the safety procedures and what to expect when we arrived. She is still in her cute clothes and I look like I’m about to paint a house in this oversized jumpsuit.
“Caroline, sweetie, don’t you want to get ready?” I asked her, trying to get her attention from the cute the instructor, who looks like a Navy Seal with all his defined muscles and golden skin.
“I’m not jumping. I have the next part of your surprise to get ready for.” Without ever taking her eyes off Seal-dude preening himself in front of her.
Caroline is an absolute knockout. Standing just over 5’ 7”, she has golden blonde hair that falls past her shoulders, green eyes the color of emeralds, and a figure I would kill for. Thin and tiny, compared to my curvy and short 5’ 2”.
She tried for years to get me to show off my body more, but I never wanted that kind of attention. I want someone to like me for my personality, intellect and sense of humor, and not for my looks.
“You mean I’m jumping alone?!” I screech. Caroline and Seal-dude both wince, identical looks of amusement on their faces.
It’s then that I feel a hard body press up against my backside blanketing me in warmth, strong arms covered in tattoos wrapping around my stomach, pulling me tightly into him. I can smell the lust coming off him in waves.
Josh.
He pushes his hardness into my backside and slowly kisses the side of my neck, his beard brushing against my heated skin, causing my head to tilt to the side involuntary and eyes to close on reflex.
Damn this man and his ability to get my panties wet.
“I’m going up with you, baby. And when we get back on solid ground, I promise to go down too” he breathes into my ear and kisses the sensitive area under my ear causing my body to have an involuntary shiver.
This man has always known how to push my buttons. He is only a few years older than me, but his experience is so much more than mine. After we broke up, he dated around, all the while, keeping me closer than most girls he was with. I have had more than one girl tell me that I’m the reason they broke up.
I encouraged him to date but some girls can’t handle him having a female best friend. I internally shrug my shoulders.Oh well, screw them and their insecure asses. Yes, we may occasionally sleep together when we aren’t with someone else but since we broke up, it has been about sex only.
“That feels so good, but you know we can’t…” I say to him as I turn in his arms and link my hands behind his neck. Pulling myself up to kiss him on chastely on the lips, I can see pain flash in his eyes before he hides it behind his perfect smile.
“I know,” he smirks down at me as I step away from him. “Can’t fault a guy for trying, can you?”
I wish I could have opened my heart to Josh. He is such a great guy but I am incapable of trusting anyone with my guarded heart. Maybe life would be easier if I could find someone to take home without all the emotional baggage I tend to bring into a relationship.
I just smiled at him as I took his hand and walked toward Caroline, who was still batting her eyelashes at the Navy Seal standing in front of her.
