Forty and Free: A Sweet Romance Series Bundle - Books 5 - 8

by Blake, Lillianna

  “I have to go.” She drew away and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you.” His hands slid from her back to her hands and squeezed them. “I will see you again soon, right?”

  “Yes, you will.” This time as she walked away she didn’t feel heavy at all. She felt as light as a feather drifting down from the sky.

  Chapter 12

  The drive back to the hotel was one of the hardest that Jack had ever endured. The further away from Michelle he got, the more he regretted not asking her to return with him. He knew that she wouldn’t be able to, which was why he hadn’t asked. But he still wanted her to.

  His mind rehashed the moment she’d kissed him. It had been such a surprise and couldn’t have been more perfect.

  So what was the next step? How could he coax her into feeling more comfortable with him?

  As he parked and walked toward the hotel, his cell phone rang. He glanced down at it to see that it was his son calling.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Dad. Just checking in with you. How are things in Michigan?”

  “Fantastic.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” He smiled as he let himself into his room. “I met a woman.”

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry, it’s probably not something that you want to discuss with dear old Dad.”

  “I don’t mind. I’m just surprised.”

  “Remember that woman I mentioned that I’ve been talking to online?”

  “Yes.”

  “I met her today, and I have to say that I’m very glad I did. She’s amazing.”

  “Oh.” Noah cleared his throat. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  “Interesting?”

  “I don’t know how to react.”

  “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

  “I’m happy if you’re happy. It’s just odd to think of you with anyone other than Mom.”

  Jack stopped in the middle of the room and frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would make you this uncomfortable.”

  “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable. I just wonder if you’re making a good choice.”

  “It’s been many years, Noah.”

  “I know, but—she was—Mom.”

  “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have mentioned this to you.”

  “It’s okay. You know what, forget I said anything. You’re right. You should be happy. I’m sure that she’s a wonderful person. I have to go now, Dad.”

  “We can talk about this—” Jack sensed that no one was on the other end of the line to hear his words. When he checked the screen of his phone he saw that his son had already hung up.

  If anything, he thought he might have some trouble with mutual friends of his and his wife’s. He hadn’t really expected that Noah would be disturbed about his father dating after all this time. Perhaps he, Jack, was in denial—or maybe he was just being overly sensitive to something that his son was actually perfectly fine with.

  He tossed his phone down and pulled his tie off. He didn’t have to be back to work that afternoon unless someone called him in. As he settled on the edge of the bed he sent a text to Michelle.

  Had a great time at lunch. When can we get together again?

  He didn’t expect a fast response, but he got one.

  The kids are going camping with my brother for the weekend starting next Friday.

  He stared at the screen. Did she just invite him to stay at her house for the weekend? The very thought made him certain that she would cancel. He smiled as he thought of a perfect solution. He texted her back and hoped that she might agree to his plan.

  I have a cabin—about equal distance for both of us. It’s not fancy, but has everything we would need. Would you consider spending the weekend with me?

  As he stared at his screen, his heartbeat quickened. Why hadn’t she answered yet? Had he spooked her again?

  After a few minutes he set his phone down and stretched out on the bed. He couldn’t focus so hard on Michelle that he lost track of the rest of his life. After trying to push every thought out of his head that involved her, he gave up. She was inside of him, in ways that he’d never expected her to be. She was there when he closed his eyes.

  He stood up and decided to head back to the office. They hadn’t called, but he needed something to distract himself.

  When he arrived most people had already left for the day. He settled into the office provided to him for while he was there. As he sat down in his chair his mind shifted, not to Michelle, but to his late wife.

  Whenever he would travel for business, Laura would take the time to ensure that he had everything he might need. It was a habit he’d failed to pick up. He’d arrived in Michigan without his toothbrush or any extra pairs of socks. A quick stop at a store had solved the problem, but it was the little things like that that he missed.

  He and Laura had gotten into a relationship that they weren’t ready for because neither of their parents had approved. So they’d done the only thing that their young minds had told them that they should do. They’d rebelled against what their parents wanted. They’d gotten married way too young, and before they knew it, Noah had been on the way.

  That was it, Jack had thought—for the rest of his life.

  Now, he was entering a new season of his life, one he’d never imagined that he’d have.

  When he’d been with Michelle there was no question in his mind that he wanted to be right there with her, but had he pushed her into something that he himself might not be ready for? The thought troubled him.

  He sorted through applicants to take his mind off of it. Every person that applied had a flaw—one that he couldn’t overlook. There was not one perfect candidate as he’d hoped there would be. With the amount of stress that his boss was under, he knew that he needed to come up with someone perfect, not someone who would become another problem.

  He decided to look through the inter-employee applicants that tended to be shuffled to the bottom of the pile. These were employees that had requested a change in position, or a transfer, and most often weren’t manager material.

  When his phone buzzed, it jolted him out of his focused search. He looked down at the screen to see that Michelle had responded to his earlier text.

  That sounds lovely. I don’t know if we’re ready for overnight visits, though?

  He fired off a text in return.

  The cabin has two bedrooms. Here’s a link to some pictures of it.

  He included the link and grimaced. He hadn’t even considered how the invitation would come across. No wonder she’d taken forever to answer.

  A minute later she texted back.

  Then my answer is yes! It looks beautiful!

  Jack smiled and continued to text with her for some time until she had to leave to pick up the boys.

  No matter what the future of their relationship held, he was already looking forward to their time at the cabin.

  Chapter 13

  Michelle’s lips still tingled with the memory of Jack’s kiss when she walked into work the next day. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what it would be like for her to spend the weekend at the cabin with him. Maybe there was something visibly different about her, because people who barely noticed her before stopped to greet her or ask her how she was. She found it a little odd, but then, she’d been a shell of her former self for quite some time.

  At lunch she joined the crew instead of retreating to her car as usual. It was a little awkward at first, but as she relaxed she found that the people that surrounded her were genuinely interested in her. They chatted about kids, work stress, and the latest in entertainment news.

  Two of her co-workers raved about a new movie that they’d seen and how it had changed their views on so many things. Michelle was skeptical that a movie could do so much, but when they mentioned that it had to do with grief and loving again, she couldn’t deny that she was interested. It was clear to her that whatever they’d seen
in the movie was powerful, and there was only one person that she wanted to share that with.

  By the time she arrived at home with the kids in tow she was quite excited by the thought of seeing the movie with Jack. She placed a call to him while she cooked dinner. Ever since their meeting, she’d felt calmer and stronger, as if handling things had become just slightly easier.

  “Michelle, I was just thinking of you and our upcoming trip to the cabin.”

  “Oh?” She smiled. “I’m looking forward to it too.”

  “I just wish it wasn’t so far away. I’ll be honest—I don’t know if I can wait.”

  “Well, that’s why I’m calling.”

  “Really?”

  “Would you like to see a movie with me?” Her heart jumped up in her throat, as if she expected him to say no. “It might be tough to work it into our schedules, but I’m off Tuesday and I thought maybe if you could take a long lunch, we could see it while the kids are in school. Will you still be in Michigan?”

  “Yes. I will. I’ll be there. Let me know what time.”

  “I’ll text it to you. Don’t you want to know what movie we’re seeing?”

  “As long as you’ll be there, I don’t care what movie it is.”

  “Okay.” She laughed. “Have a good night, Jack.”

  “You too.”

  When Tuesday rolled around Michelle was excited to meet up with Jack. She’d bought the tickets, so that he couldn’t insist on paying, and they were to meet at the front of the movie theater. When she arrived and walked up to the doors she was a little startled at the fact that he wasn’t there yet. The movie would be starting in ten minutes. She pulled out her phone and sent him a text.

  I’m here. Where are you?

  A moment later he responded.

  Caught in traffic. I should be there in about five minutes.

  She smiled with relief that he hadn’t decided not to show up. To pass the time she headed inside to buy some snacks.

  Once Jack arrived, there was no time to spare. He kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m sorry I’m so late. It took longer than I thought it would.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was close to your office.”

  He glanced away from her and his cheeks reddened. “I wasn’t exactly at the office.”

  “Where were you?”

  He steered her down the long hall to the theater that was playing the movie.

  “I’ll tell you after the movie. Hurry, it’s starting.” He intertwined his hand with hers and she forgot any concerns that plagued her mind. He was there and that was all that mattered.

  As the movie played she sat close to him, their hands so tight that neither of them bothered with the snacks. About halfway into the story her eyes filled with tears. She knew the movie was about grief, but she had no idea how similar to her own life it would be. A man who’d lost his wife, the woman he’d loved more than anything, was left to raise their daughter without her.

  Michelle was so engrossed in the film that by the time it ended she’d forgotten where she was and who was sitting beside her.

  Jack led her out of the theater.

  “Wait just a second, please, Jack.” She rummaged in her purse for a tissue. “Do you need one?”

  “No thanks.” He shrugged. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so. It was just pretty powerful.” She dabbed at her eyes and clung to his hand. Her mind swarmed with thoughts of her late husband, thoughts of Jack and thoughts of her future with the boys. A part of her wished she’d chosen a movie that was a bit more lighthearted and fun, but she was glad that Jack was the person sitting next to her as she’d watched it. “I’m sure it will win some awards.”

  “Maybe.” He cleared his throat.

  “Before we saw the movie, you were going to tell me where you’d come from. Were you at a business meeting or something? I hope I didn’t pull you away.”

  He licked his lips and glanced off to the side. “I’m thirsty. I’m going to grab a drink from the water fountain. I’ll meet you out front, okay?”

  “Sure.” She stared at him for a moment. Maybe she was still in a daze from the movie but it seemed to her that he was avoiding her question.

  She stepped out of the theater and looked up at the wide-open sky. It was cold enough to snow, but none was in the forecast just yet. Then again, in Michigan it could snow at any time.

  Chapter 14

  Jack wiped the water off his chin and then grimaced. Would Michelle figure out that he’d lied about where he’d come from?

  He didn’t care how far he had to drive to go to a movie with her, but he didn’t want her to think that he was desperate or that he’d lied to her. He’d just taken the day off work to spend it with her. It had been so long since he’d done anything so impulsive. Michelle inspired that in him—a playfulness that he’d forgotten about over the years.

  Even when he’d been with his wife and they were raising their son together, he felt that he’d had to be a certain way. With Michelle, he was comfortable just being who he was. He didn’t have to present an image. At least, not so far.

  He was thrilled that she’d been the one to suggest the movie. He’d worried that after their kiss she might feel guilty or regret it in some way. But that didn’t seem to be the case. He hoped that in time she would become even more comfortable with him.

  When he stepped outside into the cold air, he shoved his hands in his pockets. He caught sight of her at the edge of the sidewalk. The light wind tousled her hair, the cool temperature reddened her cheeks. For an instant he allowed himself to think about how lucky he was. Then he walked toward her.

  “Cold?” He rubbed his hands along her shoulders.

  She shivered. “A little, but I’m used to it.” She turned toward him and smiled. “Wasn’t that movie just amazing? I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  “I have to be honest. I didn’t really like it.”

  “What?” Michelle stared at him with wide eyes. “How could you not like it?”

  He frowned and glanced away. “It just wasn’t realistic.”

  “What do you mean?” She paused in front of him.

  When he looked up, she was looking straight into his eyes.

  “I mean, if he was so in love with her, if she was the only person on the face of the earth that he could ever be with, then why did he even attempt to love again?”

  Michelle blinked and shook her head. “Isn’t that the point? That he thought his heart only belonged to her, but in the end he realized that he could love again.”

  “I guess it is, but that’s not very realistic.”

  “What isn’t? I don’t understand.”

  “That kind of love in the first place. That unending, intense love. That only happens to teenagers and Hollywood starlets. It doesn’t happen to average people.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t love your wife?” Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him.

  He looked back at her and recognized the apprehension in her expression. He’d wandered into a land mine, but he’d realized it too late.

  “Of course I loved her. I loved Laura when we met, when we married, when she had my son, and when she died. I loved her because she was a good person and because she’d been such a big part of my life.”

  “That just sounds so impersonal.” Michelle scrunched up her nose. “Wasn’t there passion between you?”

  He swallowed hard and folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable talking about this.”

  “I’ve told you so much about my grief over my husband, about how much I loved him, about how my body ached for him…” Her voice wavered and she closed her eyes. “Did you think I was being unrealistic?”

  “No, I didn’t think that.” He caught her elbows with his hands and waited until she opened her eyes again. “Please, don’t misunderstand me. I know that you loved your husband. I know that part of you always will. But you didn’t die with h
im, did you?”

  “No.”

  “The way Hollywood portrays love—it’s like this irresistible thing that takes control of you, like you’re possessed. It broke my heart when my wife passed away, but I knew that my life would continue on. Just like hers would have if it had been me that had passed away. Do you see what I mean?”

  “Maybe.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

  He sighed and rubbed her forearms.

  “If I’m honest about it, I think we were more friends at that point than anything else. I hesitate to say that, because I know how it sounds, especially to you, but it’s the truth. I loved her, I wept with her and for her, but our romance never really had a chance to be a romance.” He curled his hands around Laura’s and met her eyes. “Does that make me a horrible person?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” She squeezed his hands. “It’s okay to be honest. If you weren’t in love, you weren’t in love. You still stayed with her and cared for her until the very end. You did what you promised you’d do.”

  “So did you. And now, here we are.” He drew a slow breath, then exhaled.

  “That’s why it’s easier for you.” She drew back from him some, not just physically, but with her eyes, with her attention. “I did have that kind of love. I did love my husband like that. That’s why it’s so hard for me to believe—to even imagine—that I could be lucky enough to have something like that twice in a lifetime.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” He gazed into her eyes and took her hand again, pulling her back to him. “I’m here Michelle, as I am—it’s all I can offer. I don’t know if I’m broken or if I’m healed. I don’t know if I can be what you need me to be, but I do know that I’d like that chance with you.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in that?” She smiled a little.