Page 120 of That First Moment

“Damn. I wish I could kiss you right now,” I admitted—the words pretty much falling from my lips.

“Wednesday. Now . . .youtell me aboutyourday. How did it go?”

“No, I want to keep talking about this contract . . .”

Her lips formed a smile. “I need to do two paintings and a third for February. If he sells them then he’ll order more, but for now . . . two paintings.”

“Just don’t give them mine.”

“Oh, hell no. That one is yours and yours alone. Like my song.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I sang it today.” I expected her to scrunch her nose and fight back, but instead, she blushed. “They loved it. It’s still just as special as you.”

Licking her lips she looked off to the side, her blonde hair falling in her face, covering her blush. If I were there I would reach up and put it behind her ear, only to kiss her again. I wanted to kiss her every second of every day, but this damn screen.

“Tell me about it,” she finally whispered, looking back up at the screen.

“We don’t know yet, but we’ll find out soon. We recorded the four songs and two covers . . .”

“Let me guess . . .”

“Only one Thomas Rhett.” I chuckled, holding up a finger. “I plan on giving the CD to Madeline once we’re done with it.”

“She’ll love that.”

“But now we wait. Carson and Liam are pretty positive their audience will love it. But . . .”

“We wait.”

“We wait,” I parroted.

“A gallery contract and a record label. Look. At. Us.”

“I love you, Jamie,” I spilled, not meaning to say it out loud to her like this yet. On the phone this morning was one thing, but over FaceTime, I instantly regretted saying it. Wishing I could pull my words in like a fishing line. It was something that needed to be said in person - my lips close to hers.

Her lips formed a tight smile, and her eyes . . . I swear they sparkled.

“I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to kiss you.”

Chapter Forty-Four

-Jamie-

Ding, ding, ding.

You’d think being away from that annoying doorbell for three weeks would have made it less annoying. If anything, it made it worse. I loved being back in the office, but the catch up was real. Drew had taken over for me while I was away, so not only had the front desk gotten behind on a few tasks, but the second I walked in the door, Madeline gave me a huge hug and told me I could never leave again. We ate lunch in her office, and I filled her in on my gallery contract, which Dr. Brenner overheard and then promptly asked for a painting for the office. Once I was caught up from the morning madness and my brain was more focused, I thought I would be able to breathe in and out.

Butthat damn doorbell.

I rushed into Dr. Brenner’s operatory, thinking that’s where the dinging came from, but Claudia looked up at me through her glasses and shook her head.

“Whatcha need, Octopus?” Dr. Brenner looked up at me, his light attached to his loupes blinding me for a moment.

“You didn’t ring the bell?”

“Nope. Kelli, maybe?” he sighed, going back to the patient in his chair.

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