Page 69 of The Sweet Spot
I chuckle as I chew, holding up a finger.Just a minute.“It’s delicious,” I finally say. “How’s yours?”
Our meal is relaxing. I keep catching Chris watching me, to the point I start to feel self-conscious. “Why are you staring at me?”
He laughs it off. “I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Maybe it’s because I like looking at you.” He holds his hand out, and I give him mine. “And maybe it’s because I still can’t believe this is real.”
“I know what you mean. It does seem unreal sometimes.”
“When you want something so badly, for so long, and all of a sudden you have it, well, sometimes it feels too good to be true. I keep expecting to wake up and find it’s all just a dream.”
I squeeze his hand. “It’s not a dream, Chris.”
He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small square box. “Now, this isn’t what you think it is,” he says, clearly cautioning me.
I grin. “And what would that be?”
He offers me the box. “This is something practical. Open it and see.”
I take the small box from him and pry the lid open. Inside is a gold chain with a silver pendant attached. “What is it?”
He takes the chain out of the box and opens the silver pendant, revealing a small button. It’s clearly not a jewel or any type of decorative ornament. It’s something else. Something practical.
“This is a panic button,” he says. “If you push this button, it sends an alert to my phone, letting me know you’re in trouble. It’s got GPS, so it will give me your exact location. I’d be able to track you.”
I’m a bit stunned. I mean, I wasn’t expecting jewelry or anything like that. It’s way too soon. But this—this means he’s worried about my safety.
“Look,” he says. “Braggart is still out there, a free man. And a restraining order can do only so much. If he refuses to honor it—well, I’d feel a lot better if you wore this. Please, Jennie, for my peace of mind, will you wear it?”
I nod, suddenly all choked up. I’m touched that he took the effort to get me something like this. It’s even more meaningful than a ring. He wants to keep me safe.
Chris leans close, holding out the chain. I meet him halfway so he can slip the chain around my neck. “If you don’t want anyone to see it, you can slip it beneath your top. Just please, promise me you won’t go anywhere without it.”
A knot forms in my throat. “I promise.”
He wipes an errant tear from my cheek. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s okay,” I say as I glance down at the pendant, which rests between my breasts. The truth is, this feels a lot more personal than something as simple as a ring. This is about mysafety.
This also tells me he doesn’t have much faith in the restraining order, and that scares me.
Chapter 25 – Chris
“Mornin’, boss!” Ricky says when I walk into the station the following Monday morning.
“Morning, Ricky.” I pick up the mail in my inbox. It’s my first full day back to work after dislocating my shoulder.
“There are donuts in the break room,” Darlene says, pointing across the room. “Jace brought them in fresh from Estes Park this morning.”
“What was Jace doing in Estes Park?” He lives in Bryce.
Darlene grins. “He’s got a new girlfriend. Looks like they had a sleepover last night.”
“Speaking of sleepovers,” Ricky says, “I happened to drive by Jennie’s house early this morning on my way to work, and I spotted your loaner parked in her driveway. Is there something you want to tell us?”
I bite back a grin. “Nope.”
