Page 83 of This Thing Between Us

Jack pushed aside the candle in the middle of the table and laced our fingers together, his big hands encompassing mine. The music lowered and my vision homed in on him, as if in a tunnel. Nothing outside of us existed.

“I missed you so much that it physically hurt me,” I said, swallowing the pain I felt of those years spent separated. “But I don’t regret it.”

Jack’s hands clenched, squeezing mine tightly. “All those missed years, Sprinkles.”

We had both deserved to follow our dreams. In some twisted way, our misunderstanding allowed us to do just that.

I gave a heartbroken smile. “I know. But you needed to do what you needed to do and so did I. That might not have happened had we not gone our separate ways. I might have been tempted to move closer to you. Might have changed my career. It would have been too easy to do. And as sad as I am about those missed years, I’m still glad I left and made a life for myself. Built a life of my own, a business from the ground up.”

Jack’s brow creased in thought. “I get what you are saying, but we still could have found a way.”

I held up my hands in surrender. “We have to find a way to reconcile it to move forward.” I was saying it as much for his benefit as my own.

Jack leveled me with his stare. “And how, Ms. Rose, do you plan to move forward?” He leaned in and his lips coaxed mine apart.

“Get a room!” someone shouted from across the restaurant. We broke apart immediately and had the good sense to feel sheepish.

For the first time in a long time, I felt right in my own skin. Like I was exactly where I needed to be. Something inexplicable settled over me in my surety that things were going to be okay.

We ordered more wine and dessert, and it wasn’t until our waiter casually put down the bill in front of us and cleared his throat that we realized we were the only patrons left in the room.

Jack quickly paid the bill, and I threw down a generous tip just to make it up to everyone who stayed late because of us.

“Are we like,togethernow?” I asked, wanting to clarify.

He pierced me with those eyes of his. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“Just checking,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips.

Together, Jack and I held hands, laughing the entire way out of the restaurant.

The next morning, I dressed for my busy day. Now that Jack and I were set on the vineyard for the gala, everything else still needed to fall into place.

The catering, the music and most importantly, the transportation.

I sat at the kitchen island the next morning, polishing off a bowl of cereal when Jack came downstairs.

My body immediately reacted to his presence, as if sensing him nearby. In full uniform, Jack was a sight to behold. His muscles were visible underneath his form fitting blues, and his slicked back hair gave him a fresh, youthful vibe. Much different than the sexy mussed hair and stubble look he boasted yesterday. But sexy all the same.

We spent the rest of last night in his bed, not having sex, but making out like teenagers. I may have even giggled once or twice, wanting to pinch myself for being in Jack’s bed making out with him. My teenage self would be so jealous.

My brain and my body still had some catching up to do. I desperately tried to just be in the moment with him.

As he came up behind me, he gave me a gentle kiss. “Good morning, Sprinkles.”

I hid my face behind my coffee mug. “Good morning to you too.”

He rounded the counter to grab some for himself, but there was only a little left in the pot.

I winced. “Sorry, about that.”

He strode over, lifted my mug from my hands and drank deeply. “You owe me coffee.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, do I now?”

He took another sip. “Absolutely.” He gestured to the binder in front of me. “What time are you heading out?”

I shrugged. “Soonish? I need to start making the rounds to local businesses to see if they want to sponsor the evening’s transportation to and from the venue. And then I need to follow up with Katie about the house.”

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