Page 110 of Partner Pursuit

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A loud banging on her sliding glass bedroom door sounded. She stuck her head out of the bathroom door and saw a largesnow-coveredfigure at the door. She gasped, startled, until she also saw asnow-covereddog—Biscuit.

She ran to the door. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to open it, given the snow, but she managed to—to be greeted by cold rush of air. A large snowman with his dog entered her bedroom.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”she asked.

“No, I’m not okay. I was wrong. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I was some caveman boyfriend who asked you to choose between your career and me. My mom said maybe you shouldn’t even take me back, but I hope you do. Imissyou.”

His face was so dear to her. She couldn’t help reaching out to touch his face and brush off some of the snow. He caught her hand and held it against his cool cheek.

“I miss you too,”shesaid.

“So much,” he added. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to come over, so with the snow, I thought I should do the neighborly thing and, you know, check onyou.”

“Your boy scouttraining?”

“You could say that.” He seemed to want to say more, but hesitated. “Plus, I saw a bright blue lure hanging from your balcony. That gavemehope.”

“How’d you get here if you boarded up the fence?” She felt like she was dreaming. Biscuit was jumping up on her and trying to lick her. The smell of wet furry dog seemed quite real. And her heart was racing again—a sure sign she was in the proximity of Jake. Plus, he was dripping on her floor, and the small puddle on the welcome mat seemed quitetangible.

He took a step closer. “I justun-boardedit.” He took a deep breath. “But I didn’t think I’d be thissnow-coveredwhen I was pleading my case.” He unzipped his jacket. “I should’ve supported your career instead of behaving like an asshole and breaking up with you when you couldn’t go to Costa Rica. I’m really sorry. Can you forgive me?” He looked at her, seeming nervous.

“Yes.” She didn’t pause to think. She didn’t need to. She drank in his face as a warmth at odds with the cold air from outside filled her. “Yes! I hate that I had to cancel—especially when you didn’t want to date a lawyer for precisely that reason. I’mso sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. We can always go some other time, whenever you’re free. And you can cancel it, but I won’t throw our relationship away again. And I’m hoping you want to go sledding today. I bought two sleds while walking Biscuit. You do have snow pants, don’tyou?”

“Ido…”

“It’s a snow day! And I want to spend it with you.” He slid off his backpack. More snow fell into the puddle pooling on the floor. He kept talking. “But let me take off my snow pants before I get any more of your house wet.” He took off his snow pants and left them drying by the door. He was dressed in his jeans and a long underwear top that outlined his muscular chest and stomach. “Sorry about Biscuit, but he wanted to see you. He’s missed you too. He keeps bringing your slippers to me.”

She hugged him. “You’ve kept myslippers?”

“I couldn’t throw them out.” He raised an eyebrow. “Not when Biscuit was so attachedtothem.”

“Biscuit has good taste.”

“He does. I should trust his vetting more than myown.”

She petted Biscuit. “I’ll change into my snow pants.” She looked into her closet. They were deep inside her closet, but luckily still there. She was so happy Jakewasback.

He said, “There are a bunch of good hills I want totry.”

“Are you sure they’re for thethirty-and-overcrowd?”

“They’re for the kids at heart, no ageismallowed.”

Her snow pants still fit—always a good sign when she hadn’t worn them for a year at least. But then she had lost weight after thebreak-upwith Jake. They wouldn’t have been her first choice, though, for an outfit to wear when getting back with him. She adjusted the suspenders and zipped upthe front.

He was next to her. Their gazes met and that electric charge reignited betweenthem.

“Jake,” she asked, “are you sure? Because I’m still a lawyer, and I will have to work sometimes, and there will be cancellations. Are you sure you want that?” She looked up at him, as she leaned against the closetdoor.

“I just want to be with you. I’ll take what time you have. I’m sorry that I broke us up. I regretted that, but I didn’t know how to repair it. I knew I needed to deal with my feelings about my dad. I talked to my dad about it, and that made me feel better. I talked with my mom about how life with my dad was always worth it, even when he had to work. I just had to ask you to take me back and try to convince you that I’ve learned my lesson and won’t do that again. And I understand—I mean, what if one of my major marketing projects had gonebelly-upand I had to try to fix it immediately? It’s the type of careers that we have, and I wouldn’t want it another way, because we’re both passionate about our work.” He reached out to holdherhand.

“Oh,Jake.”

“I miss the way you make me laugh. I miss the way you surprise me—in silly ways or brilliant ways. I love the way your face lights up when you laugh. I love you, Audrey.” His voice took on a new urgency. “Are you willing to try again?”

“Yes. I love yousomuch.”