Page 66 of Eight Years Gone

His brow rose.

“I don’t know,” she amended, taking another step back.

His jaw clenched next—a sure sign of his frustration. “This is new—you not telling me what you’re thinking.”

She sighed this time. “I’m not sorry we were together, Jagger. Being with you again was…” She wanted to say exactly right, but she stopped herself. Instead, she shrugged. “I initiated the whole thing.”

“You don’t regret it, but when I opened my eyes this morning, you weren’t lying beside me. We used to wake up and talk before we started our day.”

“Yes, we did. But that was then.” She huffed out another breath because nothing was simple anymore. Nothing was the way it used to be.

“I’m not sorry about last night, but for the last eight years, I’ve slept by myself—showered by myself. It took a long time to get used to that. Now you’re here. In my bed. In my shower. I wasn’t expecting dinner at Rafferty’s to turn into this.”

He wiped away a trail of suds heading for her eyes. “Dinner wasn’t about getting you into bed, Grace. I just wanted to spend time with you.”

And now she blinked back tears because she knew that was the absolute truth. “What exactly do we do here, pick up where we left off?”

“Yeah—or as close to it as we can.”

The fear was back. He was asking for too much. “Before you left, we were a day away from moving into our own apartment. We were building a life together. Until three weeks ago, a part of me was still trying to come to terms with the fact that I was never going to see you again.”

“I’m right here.”

She shook her head. “You’re right here right now.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Her heart kicked up several beats because she wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t. “I don’t know if I can do this with you. I’m terrified to give you everything again.”

He stared at her in the tense silence.

She turned away into the water, using the need to rinse her hair as an excuse for a little distance.

Seconds later, his arms came around her waist as he kissed her ear. “I’m not going anywhere, Gracie.”

She faced him again, allowing herself the pleasure and pain of remaining in his embrace. “Preston Valley’s a small place. You’ve traveled the world—done big, exciting things. What if you realize that this isn’t enough? What if you don’t want to stay?”

“The only thing I’ve ever wanted is you. I love you. A lot of years have passed, but that’s never changed.”

“Jagger—”

He settled his forehead against hers. “The only way I’m leaving again is if you ask me to—is if this isn’t working for you. Preston Valley’s always felt like home, but this is your place. It was yours long before it was mine.”

Her hands moved along his arms. “Working with Todd makes you happy?”

He nodded. “It’s good to be back in the dojang.”

“But it’s part-time.”

He shrugged. “I worked nearly every day for eight years. Part-time is just fine for a while—until I figure something else out. It gives me a chance to help you and Aunt Mags, which is something I’ve always liked doing.”

“What about— Can you afford to do that?”

He nodded. “I have plenty of money in the bank.”

She sighed, wanting nothing more than to throw caution to the wind. “I need time.”

“We have plenty of that.”

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