by Annie Rains
“Thank you, Jack.” She looked away shyly.
It was hard to stay mad at her. He didn’t blame her for her assumption. That was the downside to telling people about his struggle with alcohol. If he’d never told her, she wouldn’t have thought anything about him pouring wine into a glass. But then he would’ve had to make an excuse not to drink the wine himself. The old DD excuse could only work so long.
“To you,” he said, lifting his glass and waiting for her to tap hers against it.
She did, and then she added. “To you as well.”
Jack gave her a questioning eyebrow lift. “Me?”
“You’re equally amazing. You stepped up for your sister and took your nephew in this summer. You helped me. You’re like a small town superhero.”
He grinned. “Except I can’t fly. Superheroes should fly.”
She tapped her glass to his, and they both took a sip of their drinks to complete the toast.
Jack set his glass down and took Emma’s from her hand to put it safely on the counter. Then he pulled her close, looping his arms around her waist. “Correction. Maybe I can’t fly like Superman, but I feel like I’m flying when I’m with you.”
She tilted her head. “Aww.”
Jack contained his grin. “Not trying to get mushy on you. Just trying to tell you how I feel.”
“And how is that?” she asked.
“Flying and falling at the same time.” He watched her pupils grow large. “Or the falling feels like flying. I guess I’m trying to tell you that I’m falling for you, Emma. I’ve been falling for a long time, and I don’t ever want to hit bottom.”
She blinked up at him, her lips slightly parted. Judging by her expression, he’d done a miserable job of telling her he was falling in love with her. Maybe she hadn’t even gotten the message.
“And I’m going to win your dad’s trust. He’ll be there tomorrow, and I’m going to be his running partner.”
Emma went wide-eyed. “You told me you don’t run.”
“Correction. I don’t like to run but I can.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Emma argued. “I’m not even sure how that would prove anything to my dad.”
“We’re men, Emma. This is how we prove ourselves.”
She leaned into him some more. “Well, you don’t need to prove yourself to me. I already know how wonderful you are.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, driving him crazy with just this simple touch. He’d never liked wine, but he loved the bittersweet taste on her tongue.
“I’ve changed my mind about going to see the music. No one will miss us if we stay here,” he said.
“Great minds think alike,” she said in a soft voice. Then she kissed him again, and this time their hands explored each other’s bodies. They kissed and touched all the way to her bedroom, closing the door and barring one nosy dog.
Jack was once again flying and falling, hard and fast, slow and easy. Three little words hung on his lips. But his timing with Emma had always been off, and if he was going to tell her he loved her, he wanted the timing to be perfect.
* * *
Somewhere around eleven p.m., Jack woke in Emma’s bed. Emma stirred beside him. He really didn’t want to leave, but tomorrow was only a few hours away, and he had responsibilities at home.
He kissed her forehead and then her mouth. “Sorry to wake you, but I should head home just in case Amanda or Sam need me. I plan to get to the event early and make sure everything is in order for your big day.”
She smiled sleepily. “Thank you. You’re amazing.”
“No, that’s you. See you tomorrow, Em.” He stared at her face for a moment, wanting to say more. Then he peeled himself away and headed out, locking her door behind him.
When he got back to his place, he let himself inside and headed straight to bed. He didn’t sleep a wink though. He loved Emma. He was sure of it. And he wanted to tell her, but not until he was sure she felt the same way. And not until he’d smoothed over his relationship with her father.
A knock on his bedroom door startled him. “Uncle Jack?”
Jack lifted his head to see Sam peek his face into the doorway. He gave a cursory glance at the clock on his nightstand. “It’s late, buddy. You need something?”
Sam headed into the room. “Yeah, kind of. I know you just got home so I didn’t think I’d wake you.”
“You didn’t.” Jack sat up in bed.
Sam sat on the edge of the bed, his body slumped. “It’s just, well, Mom was acting weird tonight. Like really happy and chatty.”
“Okay. That’s good, right?” Jack asked.
Sam shrugged. “It felt forced. Like she was trying to prove to me that she was okay, and I still don’t think she is.”
“Well, you don’t become all better overnight, bud. It takes time. And yeah, she might be trying a little harder than normal to prove herself to you but can you blame her?”
Sam looked up. “What do you mean?”
“She’s your mom, and she had to leave you for the last month. I’m sure she feels guilty about that.”
“She doesn’t need to feel bad,” Sam said.
“No, she doesn’t. But that’s just the way moms are. They try to carry everything on their shoulders so you don’t have to.” Which reminded Jack he needed to call his mom and thank her. It had been a while since he’d called her just because.
Sam fidgeted with his hands in his lap. “I know it’s a lot to ask, Uncle Jack, but I don’t want to go back home. Like you said, it’s a lot for a mom to do it all on her own, and it’s a lot for a son to watch his mom try to do it all. This summer has been great. I mean, you made me work and all, but I had a good time and I made some friends.”
“I’m glad,” Jack said.
“So can we stay?” Sam asked, looking up. “Me and Mom. With you?”
Jack furrowed his brow. “You’re staying tonight and maybe tomorrow night after the event. How long are you talking?”
“Longer than that,” Sam said. “She probably can’t afford to find a place for us here. She can barely afford the house we’re at in Whispering Pines. But this is a big house, and we wouldn’t cause too much trouble. You wouldn’t even know we were here,” Sam pleaded.
Jack wasn’t sure how to answer. Amanda hadn’t been open to staying for the rest of the summer, much less long-term. “Buddy, I don’t mind you staying, of course, but I doubt your mom wants to give up everything and move back here. She couldn’t wait to leave when she was your age.”
Sam suddenly looked defeated. “Family is supposed to help each other. It’s just me and my mom in Whispering Pines, and she’s acting like everything is perfect, but it’s not. She needs you and Grandma, and I need to be a kid. At least for another year.”
Jack laid a hand on Sam’s back. “It’s late, and I can’t make any promises tonight. But I’ll see what I can do. Okay?”
Sam hesitated, his eyes still pleading as he looked at Jack. Sam feared Amanda returning to her old ways. And apparently, Sam had seen what was going on around him. Jack remembered watching his own father spiral on a similar path. A kid had to grow up fast around that.
“Better get to bed,” Jack advised. “I’ll need your help with the event tomorrow. You’re handing out water bottles to the walkers and runners.”
“What will you be doing?” Sam asked.
“I’m running.” He was going to match Emma’s father step for step, each one with something to prove. Maybe he and Amanda would always feel like they had something to prove after where they’d come from. You couldn’t change your past, he knew that. But he could do his best to make sure the future was better. For himself, and for Amanda and Sam.
* * *
Emma awoke with a start, her heart thumping in her chest. She felt disoriented for a split second, knowing that she needed to hustle but grasping at the reason why.
The event. Today.
She glanced back at the clock on her nightstand and leaped out of
bed, startling Barnaby with her commotion. She should’ve awoken half an hour ago. Had she slept through her alarm? She needed to dress and get over to Evergreen Park before everyone else.
Jack.
Emma looked at the empty side of her bed. One of these nights, Jack would stay until morning. Maybe this one.
Focus, Emma. The event.
She changed into a pair of running shorts and one of the T-shirts that the rest of the registered walkers and runners would get once they arrived. Then she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. She slowed down when she grabbed the bandana off her dresser, carrying it back to the long mirror.
The bandana was her mother’s. Her mom had worn it when she was going through chemotherapy so long ago and was losing her hair. It was colorful and vibrant, just like Jenny St. James herself.
Emma tied the bandana over her ponytail. This bandana didn’t represent sickness. It represented strength. “I love you, Mom,” Emma said out loud. Then she turned and started quickly buzzing around again, jogging out of the house ten minutes later to drive to the park.
Excitement and nerves bubbled through her. In a couple hours, it would all be over and then she could relax, but until then, she needed to hustle.
Emma stopped at the café on the way to the park. Nina was already opening and working the counter.
Nina smiled as Emma headed in. “Dressed for success. You look great. Love the do.”
“Thanks. I need a coffee,” Emma said, walking around the counter to prepare herself one. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay this morning.”
“I’m fine. Enjoy your big day and don’t worry about me. The part-time help has been called in, remember? I’ll have a second body working the counter in about an hour.”
Emma nodded. “Good.” She poured some cream into her coffee and took a sip. “Mmm. I need this so much.”
“Jack’s already been in here,” Nina commented.
Emma snapped to attention. “Really?”
Nina laughed. “You are so obvious, you know that?”
Emma shook her head. “So we like each other.”
“Like or love?” Nina asked.
Emma held up a hand. “I’m in a hurry, remember?” She lifted her coffee. “I’ll drink this on the way. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck. Don’t break a leg out there,” Nina called, making Emma laugh as she headed outside and back to her car. A short drive later, she pulled into the parking lot for Evergreen Park and cut the engine. The sun was just creeping over the mountain skyline, promising a beautiful day.
There were other cars in the parking lot, and she spotted Jack’s truck on the far side. Emma assumed the other cars belonged to people manning the tables for the Woman’s Wellness Fair. She recognized one as Dr. Rivers’s vehicle.
Emma froze as her nerves began to fray, these unrelated to the event. Her genetic testing results were in, and all the what-ifs circled around in Emma’s mind. She pushed them away and kept walking.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Jack said, walking toward her.
She stopped briefly and inspected him before he dipped to kiss her. “What are you wearing?”
Jack looked down. “I’m running today, remember?”
Her mouth fell open. “I thought you were joking about running with my dad.”
“No. I’m running for women’s wellness, of course. And for you.”
“And he’ll approve of you based on your athletic skills?” she asked on a laugh.
“Something like that. This is my running attire.” Jack gestured down at his sweatpants and T-shirt.
“It’s the beginning of August. You’ll burn up in that, Jack.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Well, let’s trade that shirt of yours for one of the event shirts. I have the boxes in my trunk. Will you help me carry them to the registration table?”
“Sure.”
They dropped the boxes under the registration table, and Emma pulled out the registration forms for last-minute walkers and runners. She’d already met her goal for this event. It was already a success in her mind but the more the merrier.
“I missed you when I woke up this morning,” she told Jack, once she’d gotten her table all set up.
“I know. I missed you too.”
“Is Amanda coming today?” Emma asked.
“She is. I’m hoping she’ll visit all the tables too. She needs to take care of herself. For her own sake and Sam’s.” He looked down at his feet for a moment, and Emma could tell he was worried about his sister. “I need to go. Granger and Luke are headed over to volunteer this morning. Mitch and Alex are working the event in their professional duties as police officers.”
Emma smiled. “Well, their respective significant others, Kaitlyn and Halona, will be here running with me. Josie and Brenna too.”
“We have some pretty supportive friends, huh?” Jack asked.
“The best.” Emma went up on her tiptoes and gave Jack another lingering kiss. “Okay, no more kissing until tonight. We need to focus.”
“Hard to focus on anything else when you’re around,” Jack said.
“Good luck with my dad. Even though I still don’t understand how running along with him will help.”
Jack shrugged and kissed her again. “See you later. I love you.” He turned and jogged away, leaving Emma standing at her registration booth, speechless. Had she just heard him say what she thought she did?
* * *
Jack was already sweating bullets, and he hadn’t even started running yet. He hadn’t meant to tell Emma he loved her. The words had just slipped out as natural as breathing—and now he was finding it hard to take in a full breath.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Granger said, stepping up to him. “You okay, man?”
Jack nodded. He wasn’t about to tell the guys he’d just told Emma he loved her for the first time and then turned and ran. He hadn’t even looked at her after the words had come out. He’d just left, processing what had just happened as he jogged away. What an idiot.
“Jack?” Granger said again. “You sure? You need water or something?”
“Nah. I’m good. You two are patrolling the event on bikes,” he told Granger and Luke, “and making sure that no one overheats or needs medical attention.”
Luke turned to Jack. “The Sweetwater Springs Fire Department is on standby to help in case of any emergencies.” Luke had been promoted to fire chief earlier this year and was doing a fantastic job from what Jack had heard.
“Thanks,” Jack said, trying not to think about his last words to Emma. He’d wanted to do something special to tell her, not just blurt it out.
“And you’re running?” Luke asked with a clear look of concern lining his brow.
“Yeah.”
“You don’t run regularly,” Luke pointed out. “You sure you’re up for it?”
“I’m in great shape. I go rock climbing and paddling all the time. I walk around this park all day, every day.”
“So walk today,” Luke suggested.
Jack shook his head. Emma’s dad was jogging, and Jack intended to be his running partner. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Well, we’ll just make sure to check on you a little more often,” Granger said. “To make sure you don’t pass out on the trail and eat those famous last words.”
“I love your confidence in me,” Jack said sarcastically. “There are walkies in the office for you two to communicate with each other on the trails.”
“Roger that,” Luke said.
Jack left the guys and headed toward the water table that Sam was manning. The fire department had donated and set up the bottles.
“Hey,” Sam said.
“Hey. Thanks for working this event today. It means a lot.”
Sam nodded. “No problem. Mom’s here, you know. In case you want to talk to her or something.”
Jack chuckled. “Yeah, okay. Probably not until later.
I’m running. Water me when I pass by?”
Sam smiled. “Sure thing, Uncle Jack. So…you are going to talk to Mom though?”
Jack nodded. “I will.” Sometime between winning over Edward St. James and telling Emma that he loved her in the right way. Assuming he hadn’t scared her off and she hadn’t decided to run this morning and keep on running even after the event was over.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jack saw Edward St. James in the crowd that was collecting at the starting lineup and headed in that direction.
“Good morning,” he said as he drew closer.
Edward gave him a cursory glance and nodded. “Morning, Jack. I was wondering if you’d be here.”
“I’m here every day, even on my days off, it seems.” He rubbed his hands together. “I wouldn’t miss running in this event that Emma has pulled together. She’s worked hard these past weeks. It’s a lot to pull off in such a short amount of time.”
“And I hear you pulled some strings to help make that happen. Thank you.”
“It was nothing. The Women’s Wellness Fair seemed like a perfect fit for what Emma wanted to do, and Emma’s event is raising money for their cause. Win-win.”
“So it seems.” Edward kept his gaze forward. “I jog every day. This run will be nothing for me. Do you jog, Jack?”
Jack hesitated. “I have before. I’ve been a bit busy lately with work and…” His words trailed off.
“And with my daughter.”
Jack’s palms were sweating. He cleared his throat. “Emma and I haven’t really talked about formal titles or anything.” No, he’d just jumped the gun by saying he loved her instead. “But I think a lot of your daughter. I always have.”
Edward gave him a wary look. “You weren’t thinking too much when you showed up to my house drunk.”
Jack sighed. “Are you ever going to forgive me for that?”
Edward didn’t even blink before answering. “If you were a father of a young woman, would you forgive the stupid kid who could’ve gotten her killed?”
Jack cleared his throat but didn’t answer.
“No, I didn’t think so,” Edward said.
What was Jack supposed to say? It was all true.
