The One For Me - January Cove Book 1

by Rachel Hanna

  "I can do that! I swear! Look!" she smiled as big as she could, showing off her almost toothless grin.

  "That's pretty good, but I can barely see your back teeth," he said egging her on.

  "How about this?" she asked with an even bigger grin.

  "Oh, yes! That's it. I know Snickers will come around for that."

  "Yay!" she yelped as she sprang from her seat and jumped up and down. "Mommy, when can we move in?"

  "In a few days, sweetie," Jenna said incredulous.

  "Can I go look for seashells before we eat?" she asked. Jenna nodded as Kaitlyn ran off yelling "woo hoo" all the way.

  "Kyle Parker, you are one amazing man," she said shaking her head.

  "Excuse me?"

  "How on Earth did you manage to take a sad and angry little girl and turn her into your biggest fan in five minutes?"

  "I think she is Snickers' biggest fan, not mine."

  "Still, that was a miraculous thing to watch. Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "For making this easier on my little girl. She has been so devastated, and you just gave her something to look forward to. Oh, please tell me Snickers is real..." Jenna said with a look of terror in her eyes.

  "He's real. I've had a family of dolphins swimming by my house for years now."

  "Thank God," she said laughing. They sat for a quiet moment watching Kaitlyn run through the surf and picking up seashells.

  "Do you paint this?" he asked pointing to the ocean.

  "I haven't painted since I met Nick, actually."

  Kyle looked at her stunned. "What?"

  "I haven't painted in many years, Kyle."

  "Why?"

  "Well, for one, my parents told me it was silly and not a real job. So, I ended up with a business degree I don't use."

  "Still, you could have painted as a hobby."

  "Painting requires inspiration, more than just a pretty scene to look at. For me, painting always had to be something that came from inside of my soul and had to burst out onto a canvas. I haven't felt my soul stirring in such a long time..." she trailed off and held back tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

  "You should paint again. You were an amazing artist, Jenna, and people need to see that. Your parents were so wrong. You should do what you love in life."

  "Sounds good in theory, but a single mother doesn't have the right or ability to do what she loves. She has to do what makes money. I'd do anything for that little girl right there," she said biting on her lower lip.

  "I can see that. Okay, another question. How is your father?"

  "Fading fast," she said as she watched Kaitlin do cartwheels across the sand. "We started noticing his memory slipping when Mom was still alive, but no one wanted to face it. It finally became apparent that he could not longer take care of himself when he came up missing from home. We had to call the police and finally found him sleeping under the pier. He kept burning things in the kitchen, eating his cat's food... It was so sad. Crazy thing is that he has these moments where he remembers things from so long ago, yet he can't remember what he just ate or sometimes what my name is."

  "I'm really sorry, Jenna. I know how much you love him."

  "I do, but he's not in there anymore. My father is gone."

  They sat silently again for a few moments watching Kaitlyn run around.

  "Now my turn to ask a question," she said.

  "Okay, shoot."

  "Did you date after I left?" Kyle froze in place for a moment.

  "Of course I did. I had to move on."

  "Anyone special?" she asked.

  He sat there for a moment as if he was running through possible answers in his mind before speaking. "None as special as you were to me."

  "Oh," she said trying not to smile.

  "You ruined me, Jenna."

  "What?"

  "Ruined me for other women. No one ever compared to you, not even close. And I'm still looking," he said softly.

  "I'm hungry!" Kaitlyn announced as she came running closer. The moment broken, Kyle gave Jenna a half hearted smile as they dug into the fully packed picnic basket and started to eat.

  Chapter 8

  "He said you ruined him?" Rebecca asked with her mouth hanging open.

  "Yep. Shocked me too."

  "Then maybe you have a chance."

  "No, I don't think so," Jenna said wrapping a plate and putting it into one of her many moving boxes.

  "Why?" Rebecca asked as she taped another box closed.

  "For one thing, he told me that there could never be anything else between us."

  "He could just be blowing smoke. Guys don't like for us to think that we have the upper hand," she said smiling.

  "True, but if he ever found out how I contributed to breaking up my own family, he'd think I was a complete idiot. I mean, how desperate would he see me then?"

  Rebecca stopped packing and looked up. "Seriously?"

  "Yes. Seriously."

  "Come on, Jenna. Nick did a lot worse."

  "True, but maybe he wouldn't have if I..."

  "Stop. You know Nick was never going to be faithful." Jenna nodded and looked back down at the plates she was packing.

  "You got any wine?" Rebecca asked.

  "Sure. Above the fridge," Jenna said pointing behind her.

  Rebecca poured two glasses into red plastic cups. "I couldn't find any wine glasses," she said laughing as she handed the cup to Jenna.

  "Already packed up," Jenna said. "You know, the crazy thing was how fantastic he was with Kaitlyn. She seems to adore him already, and that scares me."

  "Why?"

  "Because she's already lost her father, and now she's going to be getting closer to Kyle since we'll be living there. He's already made it clear that he doesn't want me in that way anymore. What if Kaitlyn gets attached and then he bails on her too?"

  "First of all, he does want you in that way, but he sounds terrified after the way you hurt him. Secondly, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to bail on anyone. And third..."

  "How many points are there?" Jenna asked chuckling.

  "This one is the most important. Third, if you want to get him back, you'll have to make a plan. A good one."

  "What makes you think I want him back?" Jenna asked trying not to smile and give herself away.

  "Oh, please. A stranger walking down Seabreeze Avenue could spot your lovesick face from a mile away!" Rebecca said throwing a balled up piece of newspaper across the room and hitting Jenna squarely on top of the head.

  "Ouch!" she said, overacting at the light piece of paper hitting her head. "Okay, what kind of plan do you suggest?"

  "One that makes him realize he is in danger of losing you all over again. Then he will either poop or get off the pot," she said nodding her head. Jenna had always hated that nasty sounding old Southern phrase, but it seemed to fit the occasion.

  "First of all, gross. Second of all, how can I do that?"

  "Duh, Jenna. Do I have to spell everything out for you?"

  "Apparently."

  "You have to find a good looking man who wants to wine and dine you a bit, and then you have to do your best to make Kyle jealous."

  "That sounds very middle schoolish, Becca."

  "Which explains why I had more boyfriends than you could shake a stick at in middle school," Rebecca said grinning.

  "Have you been reading some kind of Southern phrase dictionary?"

  "I'll ignore that snide comment because I know you are lovesick and not thinking clearly," she said balling up another piece of newspaper. "Now, are you agreeing with my plan or do I need to execute another attack?"

  Jenna sat for a moment and finally nodded. "Fine. I agree. But where do we find a man to wine and dine me that I won't hurt in the end?"

  "I know just the man!" Rebecca said rubbing her hands together as she let out a ghoulish laugh. Jenna knew she was now in over her head.

  ***

  Kyle sat at his desk going over pa
perwork and looking out at the ocean. He'd been trying to go over numbers for two of his rehab homes for the last two hours, but all he could think about this morning was Jenna. Her smile. Her smell. Her voice. What kind of crazy plan had he come up with? Moving her and her adorable daughter into his house for a few months? Was he insane?

  He already had their rooms ready and was just waiting for Jenna to finish packing. He'd stopped short of asking if she needed his help packing because he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. What was the wrong idea anyway?

  Just as he was getting lost in thought again, his phone rang.

  "Kyle Parker," he said gruffly into his phone.

  "Good morning to you too

  ," Jenna said, her voice soft and sweet and everything he wanted to hear every morning for the rest of his life. Crap! Where did that come from?

  "Oh, hey. Good morning, I mean," he said, stumbling over his words like a buffoon.

  "I just wanted to tell you that my friend, Rebecca, came over last night and helped me get most of our stuff packed. I thought since Kaitlyn was at school all day, maybe I could bring a few boxes by? My car isn't very big, and I can't afford to hire a real mover."

  "Sure. Actually, why don't you let me come over and fill up my Jeep too?"

  "Kyle, I know you're busy. I don't want to interfere..."

  "You could never interfere, Jenna. I'd be happy to."

  "Oh. Okay then. I'll be waiting," she said softly as she hung up. Good Lord, what was he doing to himself?

  Kyle drove to Jenna's house with an unusual smile on his face. As much as he wanted to wipe it off, he couldn't help himself. Being near her again was making him feel whole. At the same time, he knew he couldn't let it go far. She was too dangerous to have in his life as more than a friend.

  He pulled into her driveway as she opened the front door. She was loading a large box into the trunk of her small compact car. He jogged over to her and took one side of it.

  "You should've waited for me. This is way too heavy," he said as he helped her slide it into the tight trunk space.

  "I had it just fine, Kyle," she said trying not to smile. "Besides, a single mom has to learn to do things on her own. No one there to help."

  "I'm here to help," he said softly as they walked toward the front door.

  "I appreciate you saying that, but are you really?"

  "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, unnerved at her sudden independent streak.

  "It means that I know you're trying to help us, and I am more grateful than you will ever know, but I'm the mother. I'm alone in raising my daughter. I'm responsible for her needs, her college fund, her first car. So, as I see it, I need to start taking charge of our future."

  "What brought this on?"

  "Nothing brought it on. I've just realized that I can't sit here stewing about what could have been in my life. I have to start making some major changes."

  "Like what?" he asked, unsure of if he wanted the answer.

  "Well, for one, I can't be alone forever."

  Kyle cocked his head at her in confusion.

  "Let me just come right out and ask this, Kyle."

  "Okay..."

  "If we move in, are you going to be okay seeing me start dating again?" The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Here he was thinking he was rushing in to save the day, and she was thinking about finding dates? Had he been completely wrong about her?

  Realizing she was waiting for an answer, he shrugged his shoulders as if not to care. "Of course. I date, so why shouldn't you?" he said turning to pick up a box in the hopes that she didn't see his face. He didn't date, at least not currently. He'd only been out with a handful of women in the many years since Jenna left him.

  "Oh. I didn't realize..."

  "You think I've lived as a monk since you left me, Jenna?" he asked staring at her for a moment.

  "Of course not. Good, I'm glad we got that settled between us then," she said as she picked up another box and headed for the door.

  ***

  Jenna drove her car behind Kyle's Jeep cursing herself over and over again. What had she been thinking? The next time she saw Rebecca, she was going to smack her. No, strangle her. No, shoot her. Maybe she'd do all three for giving her that advice. Now she was further from ever getting Kyle back than ever. Why had she made that stupid remark about dating? She didn't want to date anyone!

  "Hello?"

  "Rebecca? I am going to kill you!" Jenna snapped as her friend answered the phone.

  "Mom?" Rebecca said.

  "Very funny. I took your stupid advice and told Kyle wanted to start dating, and it backfired. Big time."

  "How?"

  "He said that was fine because he was already dating other people anyway."

  "That's great!"

  "How?" Jenna asked. "How is that great?"

  "Because you took him off guard. Kept him on his toes. Now he knows that you intend to move forward, so he's trying to save face."

  "Or he really is dating someone and trying to warn me."

  "Please. If he was dating someone, he would have never agreed to move you into his house." Jenna thought for a moment and realized her friend was more than likely right.

  "So, you're saying that he just told me that because I shocked him?"

  "Yep. Which means our plan is already working." Jenna had to smile at that.

  "Alright, I'll hold off on killing you for a little while longer then," Jenna said laughing. "Oh, gotta go. We're pulling into his driveway now."

  ***

  Kyle and Jenna both got out of their cars at the same time, and Jenna walked toward him awaiting further instructions on what they were doing next.

  "Before we unload, I'd like to show you around if you don't mind," he said pointing back at the house. "I wanted to show you your rooms so you can tell me if there is anything else you guys will need."

  "Sure. I can't wait to see it. I've always loved this part of the beach," she said smiling. Of course she loved it because it was Emerald Cove.

  Kyle walked up to the front door and unlocked it as he waved Jenna to go through in front of him. If there was one thing his mother had taught him and his brothers, it was how to be a Southern gentleman. And that meant always opening the door for a female. Before she could walk too far, a big chocolate lab came running toward her. He jumped up and kissed her right on the cheek.

  Jenna laughed. “Sorry. This is my dog. His name is Cat,” Kyle said smiling.

  “You named your dog Cat?”

  “I’ve always been a bit strange. You know that,” he said pulling the dog down and telling him to sit. Jenna laughed and nodded as she walked further into the house.

  "Oh, Kyle, this is beautiful!" she said as she walked into the living room. With its hardwood floors and soaring ceilings, she was amazed at how clean and modern it was. The walls were a sand color and there was a wall of windows looking out over the ocean.

  She walked around as Kyle stood by silently watching her move across the room. He'd almost forgotten how she walked, with the grace of a ballet dancer but the enthusiasm of a child. She stopped and looked out the windows and put her hand over her mouth. Spinning around, she stared at Kyle and he knew in an instant that she remembered.

  "Kyle, is this the place?"

  "What place?" he asked, still trying to brush it off.

  "You know what place. Right out there, by that big rock..." she said pointing to the beach. Without waiting for an answer, she slipped off her shoes and walked through the French doors that led to a large white deck. She ran down the stairs and onto the beach with Kyle following her quietly.

  Jenna made her way to a large rock that was being washed away over time, however slightly, by the crashing waves. She ran her hand along it as if she was looking for something, and when her fingers ran along the sharp edges facing the ocean, she found what she was looking for.

  Kyle loves Jenna - Always & Forever

  She traced the outlines of the letters slowly as
her eyes welled with tears that she fought not to shed.

  "Kyle," she said just loud enough where he could hear her over the sound of the waves.