Dating My Best Friend: A Second Chance Romance

by Annie J. Rose

  I blinked. “Oh.”

  “Why don’t you like people thanking you for your service?”

  “Well, because I didn’t join to serve my country. I joined because I didn’t have any other option.”

  “You could’ve taken out student loans to try and make it in college. Or gotten a job washing dishes somewhere.”

  I shrugged. “Guess the military provided a slightly better structure for me. At the time.”

  “So, it had nothing to do with even being slightly brave enough to sign your life away to a governmental institution that can send you into some of the worst places on this earth whenever they see the need? You know, rather than washing dishes at a diner.”

  I leaned back into the couch. “I don’t really know.”

  The entire hour was spent not with me talking at her but talking with her. She was unique. Vocal. Open in her opinions and willing to listen to mine. It felt as if I were speaking with an old friend than a doctor. And I liked it. I found myself talking about all sorts of things. Basic training. The first time I went back to Vegas for leave. My relationship with my aunt. And just as Dr. Raley learned things about me, I learned things about her.

  Like the fact that she and her husband had met when they were both enlisted.

  And the fact that she had a service dog, too.

  And the fact that she still had to utilize ways to deal with her own PTSD flashbacks.

  She was a breath of fresh air. Once the hour drew to a close, I had no issues scheduling my next four sessions with her, and her alone. I felt emotion weighing me down, making it harder to move. But Dr. Raley assured me it was normal.

  “However, if it doesn’t alleviate with a hot toddy and a good night’s sleep, you call this office first thing in the morning. Okay?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in a week, then. And if I get another opening sometime in the afternoon this week, I’ll give you a call. See if you want to come in.”

  I liked that she already knew I’d want that.

  “I appreciate that. Thank you,” I said.

  I walked out to my truck, and Piper jumped in. The first phone call I placed was to Chief, letting him know how the appointment went. He seemed proud enough. A bit relieved, too. And after hanging up the phone with him, I sent a text to Khloe.

  Heading home. The appointment went well. Can’t wait to see you.

  The emotional heaviness sitting against my chest slipped away the second I saw her standing there on my porch, waiting for me as I pulled into the driveway. She smiled brightly as I got out, then rushed toward me as I came around the truck. And as her arms wrapped around my neck, she crashed her lips against me, sending me hurtling toward the hood of my truck as the fury of her kiss seized my heart.

  Chapter 29

  Khloe

  I sighed as I pulled into my driveway. It made my heart so happy to see him in my space. To see his truck parked out in front of the house. To see his shadowed presence walking around behind the curtained windows of my quaint little cottage. But I preferred to spend time at his house. Sure, they both held sad memories. But with him being so close to my parents, it made things more comfortable in an odd sort of way.

  Like, if something went wrong, they were right there as opposed to all the way out here where no one could get to us quickly.

  Like no one could get to John.

  I shook the thought from my head. We weren’t at that point yet. Moving in together, and whatnot. Then again, we were engaged. Wasn’t that what engaged people did? Move in together? Or, at least planned to move in together?

  You don’t even have a ring yet.

  Did I need a ring to be engaged, though?

  That’s kind of how that works.

  “No, that isn’t how it works. You get engaged because you’re in love. Not because of some ring,” I murmured.

  Do I love Jay, though?

  I turned off my car and gazed through the window. I saw Jasper walking around, doing something in the living room. He bent down before he came up. And I watched him fluff something. I squinted my eyes at his movements. It was hard to make out what he was doing. But if I saw things correctly…

  He’s cleaning your damn house.

  I smiled brightly. I unclipped my seat belt and started for my house. With each step I took, I felt my heart fill with delight. I walked through the front door and looked to my left. I saw Jay tossing the folded blanket over the couch. My place smelled of lemon and honey. The floors shined, and the carpets looked freshly vacuumed.

  “What in the world are you doing?” I asked.

  He grinned. “Just helping out a bit. You thirsty?”

  “Are you saying my house is dirty?”

  “No, I’m saying that sometimes people need help.”

  I giggled. “Is that why you came by the library and stole the keys to my house? Because you thought I needed help?”

  “Okay, can’t a man just do something nice for his woman every once in a while?”

  My heart leaped at his words. “His woman?”

  His gaze found mine. “Yes. His woman. My woman.”

  I do love him. “I think I like the sound of that.”

  He winked. “I hope so. Because you kind of agreed to marry me.”

  “Eh, kind of.”

  He chuckled. “Come in here, beautiful.”

  I dropped my things at the door and rushed into the room. I leaped into his arms, and he swung me around as Piper barked up a storm. He set me down on my feet, and she jumped at my legs, wanting nothing more than to get in on the moment.

  “Hey there, cutie pie. Are you helping Jay clean my house?” I asked.

  Piper barked, and it made me smile brightly.

  “I bet you’re a big helper. Yes, you are. Yes, yes, yes, you are.”

  Jay chuckled. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

  I slid my hand down Piper’s back. “Not as adorable as this little girl right here. Yes, hi there. I missed you, too, sweet girl. Mhm. Yes, I did.”

  “Come here, you.”

  Jay gripped my chin and pulled me upright, turning all of my attention to him. And when he did, his lips captured mine, and I draped my arms around his neck. I felt him groan down the back of my throat as I pressed against him, ready to bring a close to the very short week the library had this week.

  “Mmm, well, hello there,” I said, giggling.

  “You ready for the long weekend?” Jay asked.

  I nuzzled his nose. “I’m always ready for something like that. Do you have a long weekend?”

  He nodded. “That, I do.”

  “Sounds exciting.”

  “It is.”

  “Sounds like I get to see a lot of you on this long weekend.”

  His hands fell to my hips. “It’s supposed to snow, you know.”

  “Mmm, first snow of the season.”

  “And my house has a fireplace.”

  “That, it does.”

  “And a television.”

  I smiled. “A mounted television.”

  “With hot apple cider and warm, fluffy blankets.”

  I grinned. “And a very nice man to keep me company, I hear.”

  He winked. “Maybe not too nice, though.”

  I captured his lips softly. “Sounds like we’re headed back to your place, then.”

  “Mmm, especially since your place is such a mess.”

  My jaw fell open. “What?”

  He threw his head back, laughing. “Well, it is.”

  I swatted his chest, giggling. “You’re disgraceful. Just disrespectful. A heartbreaker.”

  I pulled away from him and walked into the kitchen, ready to crack open a bottle of wine. His laughter followed me into the room, but all I did was shoo him away.

  “I will never break your heart again. Not if I have anything to do with it. Do you hear me, Khlo?”

  His voice snapped me out of my playful mood, and I found his gaz
e. So stern. So stoic. So serious. I cupped his cheeks and brought him in for one last kiss. One that lingered. One that sizzled. One that caused my nipples to pucker against my bra.

  “I hear you,” I whispered against his skin.

  “You’re everything I’ve ever needed in my life,” he murmured.

  His lips fell to my neck as Piper barked in the other room.

  “You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” he groaned.

  His teeth nipped at my pulse point, causing me to gasp.

  “Jay,” I whispered.

  “And I’ll do anything—anything in my power—to make sure you’re always happy,” he breathed.

  His hands gripped my ass, and he pulled me away from the refrigerator. He picked me up, carrying me back into the living room. We tumbled to the couch. With one snap of his fingers and a whistle of his lips, Piper retreated, giving us some much-needed privacy as he sank my body against the cushions of the couch.

  “I love you, Khlo. And however long it takes for us to get married, or start telling people about us, or even to start processing it ourselves, I’m willing to wait. Because you’re worth it. You always were. And you always will be.”

  Tears crested my eyes. “Jasper.”

  “Yes.”

  His forehead fell against mine as tears trickled down the sides of my face.

  “Maybe we don’t need to wait,” I whispered.

  He kissed my lips softly. “What do you mean, beautiful?”

  I sniffled. “I mean, maybe we should start telling people.”

  “Even before we’ve gone ring shopping?”

  I shrugged. “Why not?”

  I found his gaze and watched his brow furrow tightly.

  “Jasper, getting engaged isn’t about a ring. It’s about love. And happiness. And—and cohesion. I love you. I love you so much, and—and telling people about us doesn’t scare me. The engagement. Us being together. None of it scares me.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded. “Really. So, whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.”

  A soft growl fell from his lips before he sank against me. His kiss filled me with joy, and his hands filled me with fire. Our clothes came off in a flurry. Our bodies connected as one. And as we marked our place on the couch in my living room, I chanted those words effortlessly. As if my throat had broken some imaginary seal.

  “I love you. I love you. Jay, yes. Please. I love you so much.”

  “Fucking hell, Khlo. I love you. You’re perfect for me. So fucking—shit!”

  We made love until we dripped in sweat. Until the couch smelled of nothing but us. Then, he collapsed on top of me, and I pulled a blanket over us. He panted into the crook of my neck. I felt our intermingled juices dripping from between my legs, further wetting the couch underneath my body. I stroked my fingertips up and down his back, feeling him jump as his lips mindlessly kissed the skin of my shoulder.

  Then, he lifted his head.

  “Who do you want to tell first?” he asked.

  I paused. “I’m not going to lie, Quinn will be pissed if she’s not the first.”

  He grinned before he reached down, laying his body weight on top of me. I giggled and held tightly to him as his arm sifted around. He kept reaching. Moving. Sliding. Inching closer to the edge. And when I felt both of our bodies tilting over the edge, I locked my legs around his waist.

  “Jay!” I exclaimed.

  We rolled off the couch and tumbled onto the floor in a fit of laughter. My body slid off to the side, covered haphazardly in the blanket. I looked up and saw Jay dicking around with his phone, pressing button after button before cradling me close.

  “Smile for the camera,” he said.

  “Don’t get my boobs in there, geez,” I said breathlessly.

  He chuckled. “This is going to Kent and Quinn. Trust me, no boobs for them.”

  I snuggled closer. “All right. I’m ready. You ready?”

  “Three. Two. One.”

  He clicked a picture, and it appeared in the text message. Then, I reached up and typed one word. The only word necessary for the picture before my eyes found Jay again.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Ready when you are.”

  Then, I sent the message. The picture message to both my best friend and my sister. The picture message with only one word that told it all.

  ENGAGED!!!

  Epilogue

  Khloe - Two Months Later

  I smiled at my engagement ring as the bright winter sunlight captured the radiance of the diamond. In its reflection, a world of glass blanketed with snow, shining for all to see, and reminding me of just how special this time of the year was for us.

  For all of us.

  “Merry Christmas, beautiful.”

  I looked up and saw my handsome fiancée handing me a mug of steaming hot apple cider.

  “Merry Christmas, Mr. Perfect,” I said.

  Jay chuckled. “You know damn good and well I’m not perfect.”

  I shrugged. “You’re perfect for me. So, that’s all that matters.”

  He nodded at my ring. “You like it?”

  “I love it, Jay. It’s… it’s completely perfect.”

  “Like me?”

  “Like us.”

  He wrapped his arm around me as we stood on his back porch. The only footprints in the freshly fallen snow were Piper’s feet as she trudged through the white wilderness. Jay held me tightly against his body as we sipped our cider, enjoying the morning, the beauty of our own White Christmas, the wonderful feeling of having family bursting at the seams in a place that used to hold so much sadness.

  That still held sadness sometimes.

  “Do you think it’ll get easier? You know, with everyone we’ve lost?” I asked.

  Jay kissed the top of my head. “I think it gets easier to accept. But I don’t think it ever gets easier, in general.”

  “Does it bother you?”

  “Does what bother me?”

  “That I still have love for John?”

  “Khlo, look at me.”

  I lifted my gaze to his and sought comfort in his kind eyes.

  “I could never be bothered about something like that,” he said.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “You lost your husband, Khlo. Someone you loved to something no one saw coming. Deaths like that, we never get over. I know that better than anyone.”

  I nodded slowly. “I suppose you’re right.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Together, we’ll get through our grief. We’ll cope in healthy ways. And we’ll be here to support one another. No matter what.”

  “Promise?”

  “That’s a vow I’m willing to take in front of God and everyone else in…”

  I sighed. “Don’t do it.”

  He chuckled. “Four months, seventeen days, and nine hours.”

  I groaned. “You did it.”

  “Not that I’m counting or anything.”

  I shook my head as his lips kissed me once more. I leaned against him, watching as Piper jumped around in the natural snow piles that rose above the planes. It felt right, being in Jay’s house. Waking up with him every morning. Nestling close to him every night. Sure, we both had our demons, our grief that we carried with us, memories that would always make us cry. But understanding that about one another somehow deepened the connection we had.

  Somehow, it made us stronger.

  “You know Ollie’s going to be upset that he wasn’t here to see you give me this ring, right?” I asked.

  Jay snickered. “His fault for not coming in last night like he should’ve.”

  “Oh, cut him some slack. You know he’s been running around like a crazy person lately.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Right. You blow off a man’s leg, and suddenly, he has to be fitted with every kind of prosthetic on the planet.”

  “I really hope that’s your dry wit kicking in.”

  “Ollie?” Jay asked.

 
; “Well, it’s about time I met the man behind the voice,” I said as I turned around.

  Quinn came around the side of the house. “Can someone help me with his shit? He’s packed as if he’s staying for two months.”

  Jay chuckled. “Nice to know some things never change.”

  “Come here, asshole,” Ollie said.

  I smiled as they hugged. A big, long, back-clapping hug. I wanted to give the two of them some time for themselves. Though, I was anxious to hear about the man Jay talked about so much. I stepped away from them and followed Quinn, my ring still catching my eye every once in a while.

  “It’s a beautiful ring,” she said.

  I smiled. “It’s perfect.”

  “Come on. Everyone grab a bag,” Dad said.

  I listened to him heave as Mom’s body dangled halfway out of the trunk of the car.

  “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding,” I murmured.

  “Yeah, Kent lucked out with this one. Running to get us more coffee. I mean, come on. He knew this was happening. He knew what he was leaving us with,” Quinn said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on. Stop being so dramatic, and let’s get the man’s stuff inside.”

  With every bag we dropped by the staircase, it made me wonder how well Ollie would navigate up and down the steps, what with his shiny new silver leg and everything. From what Jay told me, the injury was old. Ollie had been without his leg for going on three years now, but the prosthetic was new. And with the research I had done in my spare time, it sometimes took the wearer of a new prosthetic six weeks to adjust to it.

  “Ollie! Are you sure you don’t want us to set you up in the living room or something?” I called out.

  “You talk like I can’t get up and down some steps!” the man bellowed.

  Before he ran his new leg straight into the corner of the kitchen chair.

  “So, was that yes or a no?” I asked.

  “Khloe,” Dad hissed.

  “What? He almost killed himself on a chair. He might take himself out completely falling over the railing,” I said.

  Ollie pointed at me. “I like this girl. She’s got spunk.”

  I smiled. “I need spunk to deal with him.”