Page 58 of Second Chance Vacation

Jackson and Wesley went to grab coffee this morning, so they're not home. They seem to be making sure to do things together while we’re here. I realize that Savannah and I have been spending most of this trip separate while in the same room. I understand she intended this as a couples trip, but I really wish we got more time together while here.

“We should do something tonight…together,” I say.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I don't know. We've gone out to dinner a lot, but Jackson and I went to this restaurant the other night. It's a little bit different from what you’d have chosen…” I look up at her as she rolls her eyes, “—but later into the night, they offered dancing. I figured that could be fun for the four of us to do together.”

Savannah lights up at the mention of my idea. She never says no to a double date, especially if it involves dancing.

When we were in college together, we went out dancing almost every weekend. Not in the way that you would go to a frat party, but we often frequented this club that hosted salsa nights near campus, and we would dance together as partners.

It's those random activities like that that I really miss from when we were younger. While I stayed in Atlanta, mostly for Savannah, starting our adult lives really left us more distanced than when we were in college. We used to spend every day together, shopping, dancing, just overall being young.

I hope we can get back there again.

“But we don't have a reservation,” Savannah says.

I chuckle. “It’s not that kind of place, Savannah.”

I expect her to look at me with horror as she's so meticulously chosen everywhere we've gone since we arrived, and we've visited the most luxurious places with little time for hole-in-the-wall establishments.

She doesn’t.

“Sounds great, Gen! I can't wait.”

I feel arms tighten around me from behind. I know in an instant that it's Jackson.

His strong arms squeeze me tight as I look up at him, a grin plastered across his face.

“What are you up to?” I ask with a sense of suspicion in my voice.

“Oh, nothing,” he responds quickly, looking over to Wesley, who looks just as conspiratorial.

Jackson grabs my Kindle from my hands, setting it on the chair next to me.

He pulls a gasp from my lungs as he scoops me up into his arms and darts toward the pool. I barely have time to react as my body hits the cold water, his grip not loosening no matter how much I flail.

I really should have seen this coming.

They say old habits die hard, and Jackson is a prime example of that. I’m reminded of the boy I once knew, so carefree, so full of life. It's then that I'm reminded that he's still that boy underneath it all. He may have a beard, and he may have muscles, thank God for that, but underneath it all, Jackson is still the same boy that picked me up and held me tight when I fell off my bicycle when I was younger.

Compassionate.

Incredible.

Overall perfect.

I smack his chest as we pull above water, his laugh completely uninhibited. My clothes are sticking to my skin, causing a slight shiver. I ignore it, pushing a large wave of water toward him as I exit the pool, ringing water from my hair.

“I wasn’t going to be showering before we go out tonight, you jerk!” I laugh, pulling the water from my shirt.

“Where are we going?” he asks, curiosity painted across his face.

“I was thinking we could all go to that place we went the other night, Chez Jean-Claude?”

Jackson nods, and he almost seems disappointed.

“Is that okay?” I ask in a hushed tone, trying not to draw attention.

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