Saving Jenna
Page 15
He approached the counter with his hands behind his back, walking nonchalantly toward her. A smile plastered his face, a shit-eating grin at that.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, keeping an eye on where his hands were. There was something behind his back, but he kept turning the opposite direction each time she tried to catch a glimpse of what it was. “What are you holding back there?”
“I just thought I’d stop in and see how things are going here,” he said, the smile on his face growing bigger by the second. She couldn’t help but notice those dimples of his. The same dimples she’d loved since they were kids growing up.
“They’re going great. Now what’s behind your back?” she asked, quickly maneuvering around the counter in an attempt to steal another glance. Still, she failed. He was too quick for her.
“You’ll see in a minute,” he said, offering her a subtle wink instead of bringing whatever was behind his back to the front so she could see. “What do you say about a date with me?”
She took a step back, acting shocked by his words. “Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yes, a fresh start,” he admitted. “Much like a do-over if you ask me.”
He was good. Almost too good. She couldn’t say no to him—that good.
“So, what do you say?” he asked, pulling daisies from behind his back and handing them over to her. She couldn’t resist the urge to smell them. Daisies had always been her favorite flowers.
“How can I say no?”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes!” she shouted, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Just promise me we’ll take things slow?”
“As slow as you need us to go, we’ll go,” he said, hugging her tight against him as he kissed her cheek. “You just say the word. I don’t want anything messing this up.”
They say time heals all things, and she could only hope it was true as far as her past was concerned. She wanted nothing more than to love Ian and be with him for the rest of her life. Sure, it was just a date, but she was ready for whatever life threw their way.
“I thought you were leaving town in two weeks?” she teased, playfully tapping his chest.
“Yeah, I thought so too,” he said, throwing yet another wink her way. “But then there was you, and this whole knight in shining armor side of things that came up. And saving you was the only thing on my mind no matter how long it would’ve taken, I wasn’t going anywhere without you by my side.”
“Knight in shining armor, huh?”
“Is that the only thing you heard out of everything I just said?” he asked, pulling her close to his side once again as they made their way to the kitchen.
“Maybe…” she teased. “But only because it sounded a bit cheesy.”
“Cheesy? Like my pick-up lines or cheesier than those?”
“Way cheesier,” she said, pulling him through the entryway to the kitchen. “Hey, Cat, how are the dishes going?”
She busted Cat resting against the counter in the back room, talking on her phone, probably to Todd, and the look on her face was priceless.
Jenna waited for Cat to hang up before telling her the big news. “Guess who just asked me on a date?” she said, pointing at Ian with a huge smile on her face.
Cat’s excitement for them was a bit over the top, but then again, there wasn’t much about Cat that wasn’t, so Jenna accepted her for everything she was.
“I was thinking we should go on a double date?” Ian said, keeping his eyes on Cat and laughing along with Jenna as Cat’s cheeks shaded red and she tried to hide. “You know, since ol’ man Todd has found him someone special, I thought it’d be fun to go out on the town. What do you say?”
Cat shook her head. “No, you guys go on without us. You don’t need us old folks holding you back from having fun. We’ll find something to do. Maybe watch a classic or whatever it is that us older people should be doing on dates.” She offered them a wink and shooed them out of the diner. “Go on and get outta here. Take your time and enjoy yourselves.” Before they had a chance to make it out the front door, she called after them, “And don’t be doing nothing I wouldn’t do.”
Epilogue
As far as their date night was concerned, it went perfect. There was nothing Jenna would change about their night out alone with no distractions. G2 curled up in the front seat, taking the whole seat to himself while Ian made a blanket fort in the bed of his truck.
Climbing in, Jenna seated herself next to him. “I’ve always wanted to have a date under the stars in the back of a truck.”
“Well, here you are,” Ian said, pulling her closer to him. She snuggled into his chest, curling up close enough to enjoy the smell of Old Spice cologne and the heat of his body.
“Here we are,” she said, wrapping her arms around him, wanting to keep him there next to her forever in this moment.
“What do you say you move into the rental with me?” he asked, kissing the top of her head. “I think it could use a woman’s touch and the owner could too.”
“Another cheesy line, huh?” Jenna laughed, burying her face into his chest, falling more in love than ever before.
“You think that one was cheesy, just wait,” he said, chuckling. “There’s more where it came from.”
How had it been so long since the last time she had seen him, but time had stood still long enough to pick up where they left off? There was something about the saying that sometimes waiting is not a wasting of time, especially if what you are waiting for is worth it. Ian Riley was definitely worth it.
“These stars are sure beautiful,” she said, looking up at the sky. “Do you remember when we were kids and all the times we tried to count them all?”
Chuckling, Ian said, “Yeah, I remember. I was always wanting to give up and distract you with those cheesy one-liners.”
“Some things never change, do they?” Jenna asked, looking into his eyes, watching his lips curl at the edges into that dimpled smile.
“Some things are worth keeping the same, aren’t they?”
Jenna thought about the last two years and the changes that had happened without Ian by her side. Through it all, there were several things she would have changed if she could’ve. The list was long when it came to the two of them. She would have changed how long she had to wait for him to come back to town. And she would have changed who she ended up falling in love with in the meantime.
But, knowing what she knew now, and with John in the hospital awaiting trial for two counts of attempted murder and a slew of other charges, she had no choice but to move on without dwelling or having regrets.
“So, you never answered my question,” he said, interrupting her thoughts as she stared at the brightly lit sky.
“What question was that?”
“Since I’m not leaving town, I’m wondering if you wouldn’t mind moving in with me,” he said, trying his hardest to keep a straight face. “I know of a place just down the road. The owner just got the place fixed up and it looks like the perfect place to live.”
“Is that so?” Jenna said, playing along. “And who might that owner be? I might know him.”
“Well, since you asked, I’m sure you do know him. He’s tall and handsome. He’s got that charm women can’t resist…”
“Ha!”
“What?”
“Is he full of himself?”
“Maybe so, but that don’t stop the women from swooning over him,” he said, keeping his facial expressions serious as she watched him closely. “You know what they say about those women in diners, right?”
“What do they say about us women at the diner?” Jenna asked, laughing over the silliness of this conversation.
“That there’s this one who has the prettiest eyes, and the softest, sweetest heart you’d ever know. They say once you meet her, you can’t help but fall in love,” he whispered in her ear, brushing her hair away from her face as he tucked it behind her ears. “They say this woman will make you fall hard and f
ast, you won’t even know what hit you, and you won’t be able to ever stop loving her.”
“Is that so?” Jenna asked, smiling as he offered her a nod. “I’d like to meet this woman someday.”
“I already have,” he said, reaching up, taking hold of her face, brushing his thumbs over the fallen tears abandoned on her cheeks. “She’s definitely everything they say she is and so much more than that.”
Jenna swallowed hard, fighting back the emotions threatening to escape. “Is that so?”
“Yes, it is. You see, she stole my heart a long time ago and since that first day I met her in kindergarten, I’ve wanted her to be mine for the rest of my life.” He swept his thumb across her bottom lip and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. “I love you, Jen. Always have and always will.”
“And I love you. Always.”
About the Author
Christina Butrum launched her writing career in 2015 with the release of The Fairshore Series.
Writing contemporary fiction, she brings realistic situations with swoon-worthy romance to the pages - allowing her readers to fall in love right along with the characters.
When she isn't busy writing, Christina enjoys spending time with her family. Christina Butrum looks forward to publishing many more books for her readers to enjoy.
Also by Christina Butrum
Fairshore Series
Second Chances
Unexpected Chances
Fair Chances
Kate’s Duet
Kate’s Valentine
Kate’s Forever
Cedar Valley Series
All She Ever Wanted
Everything She Needed
All She Ever Desired - Coming Soon
Standalone:
No Place Like Home: Love in Seattle
Saving Jenna