Page 123 of Eight Years Gone

“I was thinking the same thing about you.” He kissed her. “You’re home early.”

She nodded. “Aunt Maggie told me to go home.”

He frowned. “Is everything okay?”

She nodded again. “Everything’s good.”

He continued to hold her gaze, clearly not convinced.

“It was a super busy day, but everything’s good, Jagger.”

“Okay.”

She snuggled back against him. “It sounds like you were talking to Jason.”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“You can take the job—”

He adamantly shook his head. “No.”

“Jagger—”

He shook his head again. “I’m not having this conversation.”

She sat up so their eyes met. “You’ve been my rock. Just like always. You’ve been everything I’ve needed over the last couple of weeks.”

“Good. You can count on more of the same.”

She studied the stubborn light in his eyes. “Jagger—”

“I love you.”

“I know you do. I love you, too. What’s going on?” Because he was rarely ever this agitated.

“Nothing’s more important than you—than us. I wasn’t there for you like I should have been after Logan. That’s never happening again.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that I let you down—that I made the worst mistake of my life.”

She stroked his tense jaw, holding his gaze, needing him to see that she was okay. She needed him to know she was strong. “I want you to stop punishing yourself for something that can’t be undone.”

He swallowed as he shook his head.

“We can’t go back,” she reminded him.

“I’m well aware.”

Her fingers continued to soothe with gentle slides against his skin. “Losing my dad was awful, but I’m doing much better. Our trip to Wakeview really helped.” She kissed him. “I want you to get back to your work.”

“But I would have to leave tomorrow. I would have to go to California.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Probably two or three days—four at the max.”

“Jagger, I want you to take this job. I have so much catch-up work at the shop… I’ll blink, and you’ll be home again.”

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