Page 35 of Coming Home

“We drove into Portland. She makes a run each Monday to stock up on bakery supplies. We ate lunch at a restaurant she used to work at.” He paused to drink the rest of the water. “Then we came back to the Cove. Unpacked. Some farmer named Jimmy dropped off dairy supplies.”

“Boring,” Willow proclaimed. “Get to the good stuff.”

He gave her an innocent look. “Do I seem like someone who would kiss and tell?”

“You’re my only brother. She’s my good friend. I need a status report.”

“We also had dinner and watched Casablanca together. Before dinner and after the movie? I would say there was a whole lot of kissing going on.”

She grinned at him. “Now, that’s more like it. I don’t need details. I can tell by that silly grin on your face that you’ve connected.”

Jackson grew serious. “It’s more than that, Willow. I... I really like her. She’s different from any woman I’ve ever spent time with.”

“She is unique,” Willow agreed. “Ainsley is smart. Dedicated to her bakery. Always fiddling with new creations. She volunteers her time to different organizations. She’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I think you would be good for each other.”

“I think I love her,” he blurted out, embarrassed at his outburst.

But his sister only smiled. She put down her mug and came to him, wrapping her arms around him.

“It hits hard, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“Like a sledgehammer,” he admitted. “I’ve never been in love, Willow. I’m not bragging, but I’m a good-looking guy. I’ve always had my pick of women at any age, wherever I was. But I never gave my heart away. It’s not as if I were guarding it. I was always open to the idea of love. Someday. Well, someday has arrived.”

“When are you going to tell her?”

“Not now. I’m afraid she’d freak out if I told her. We’ve only known each other for a few days.”

“But she’s always known you,” Willow pointed out.

“That worries me. That she thinks I’m the guy from fifteen years ago. I’m not.”

“No, but he’s still a part of you. Yes, Ainsley knew of that teenager, but she’ll also come to know the man you’ve become.” She cupped his cheek. “For some of us, it happens fast. Once I kissed Dylan after I came back from Europe, I knew I would never look at another man again. Tenley and Carter were the same way. I know people dis the whole insta-love thing, but I believe we’re all mature adults who know our minds—and our hearts. If yours is telling you Ainsley is The One, then you need to be honest with her and tell her so. If it scares her, you back off some.

“But if she’s feeling the same way? Don’t waste time, Jackson.”

He nodded slowly. “It’s a lot to think about.”

Dylan came into the kitchen wearing sweats, and Shadow went to greet his master. “Hey, Jackson. Ready for a run, Bear?” He came to his wife and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her soundly.

Jackson instinctively knew he wanted that for himself and Ainsley. That enduring love. That connection. That ability to be comfortable—even around others—as he expressed his feelings for her.

“Let’s stretch,” Willow said. To her brother, she said, “See you later.”

He went upstairs and showered and shaved, wanting to be ready when Ainsley arrived. Once he finished dressing, he headed outside and to the garage to get his bicycle. When he had first learned that Ainsley enjoyed biking, he had asked Willow if his old bike might still be around. If it hadn’t been, he wasn’t worried. The Cove was a coastal town, and you could rent everything from bikes to paddleboats nearby.

Willow told him that Boo had kept both their bikes. Once she and Dylan married, her new husband had taken the two bicycles in to a shop and had new tires put on both since all four were flat after so much time. Jackson had told her Dylan was welcome to keep the bike, but he wanted to borrow it for his outing with Ainsley. Since she enjoyed biking, he would seek her advice on what to buy for their future bike rides.

He retrieved it from the garage and walked it to the front porch, leaning it against the steps before he went to sit in the porch swing to wait for Ainsley.

He felt good about his conversation with his sister just now. Willow, though not quite as deliberate as Dylan, was always thoughtful in her actions and words. If she encouraged him to express his feelings to Ainsley, then that is what he would do. Today. He hoped the words wouldn’t burst from him the moment he saw her, though.

Jackson didn’t have long to wait. Ainsley texted him she was on her way, and he knew it was a short ride from the center of town to Boo’s.

Minutes later, she appeared, riding down the driveway and stopping just short of the porch. His throat swelled with emotion just seeing her, and he hurried down the steps and went to her. She stood with both legs on either side of the bike’s frame, and he took her face into his hands, giving her a sweet kiss.

Breaking it, he said, “Good morning.”

She glowed as she answered him. “What a nice way to start my day. I checked the weather and believe it or not, no rain in sight today. It’s the perfect day to spend outdoors.”

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