Page 43 of Love on Deck

“I know you’re awake,” he said quietly.

My eyes shot open. “How?”

“You’re not breathing deeply or steadily. It’s pretty obvious.”

“So much for avoiding you. I could have been watching Fixer Upper this whole time.”

“You found a home renovation channel?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

“No, but I was trying to.” I lifted up on my elbow to see his face over the wall of pillows I’d made. “You like HGTV?”

He shot me a sheepish look. “Love it. But don’t tell anyone. This is privileged information.”

How privileged was he talking? “Like only your friends know?”

“Only my girlfriend. It’s not something I advertise.”

Girlfriend. The word wrapped around me like a weighted blanket. Jack’s eyes were dark, glittering in the dim room. We could close the drapes completely and block out the deck lights outside, but it was also nice being able to see his expression.

I lifted one shoulder in an awkward shrug. “There’s nothing wrong with a man who likes design shows.”

“I love renovations,” he clarified.

“Same point.” I dropped back down to lay flat, staring at the dark ceiling.

He was silent for a minute. “You left.”

“Us grandmas and our early bedtimes. Don’t want to mess with the routine.”

“Did you clean your dentures?”

“And put my hair in curlers.”

“Now that I would love to see.”

The weird thing was, he sounded like he meant it. “You have a thing for old ladies?”

“No.” I could hear him turn on the bed to face me. “I just want to see you with your hair down again. It would have to be in order to roll into curlers, I’m guessing.”

My heart hammered. The room was dark, the sounds from outside muffled by the walls and glass door to the balcony. I could hear Jack breathing, and it wasn’t deep or steady either, so he was clearly as awake as I felt. “My hair is down now,” I said.

Jack sat up. “I didn’t notice since it’s hard to see in here. Will you show me?”

This felt a little like the time Tommy asked me to kiss him in first grade. “What do I get out of it?”

“The joy in your heart of knowing you cheered up a friend.”

“Hmm. Not good enough.”

He looked down at me. “I can see you, you know. My eyes have adjusted now.”

“Then stop looking.” I took one of the pillows from the makeshift wall that ran between us and put it over my face.

Jack leaned over. “Due to the danger of suffocation, I cannot allow you to hide this way.” He tugged at the pillow, but I held fast.

“A gentleman doesn’t take a lady’s pillow.”

“I never pretended to be a gentleman.”

---