by Sarah Gay
She clasped her hands together. “Yes! And this is the perfect dance floor,” she said, tapping her foot on the dark hardwood floor. “The DJ will be here around nine and my photographer, Kara Kelly, has already set up the photo booth. Do you mind if she uses your office to print the photo strips?”
“Sure. Kara Kelly?” he repeated, rubbing his chin. “Sounds familiar.”
“She said something about going to school with y’all. I think she knows Wyatt.” Lily motioned to the fireplace. “Thanks for starting the fire. It heats up your entire house. I could even feel it from the kitchen.”
The fireplace was impressive. It occupied an entire wall, being patterned after a winter ski lodge his grandparents had frequented. Jack’s mind floated to the only blaze he cared about, the one that would light up his chest tomorrow when he finally had Becca in his arms again.
“You good, Lily?” Jack asked. “I should get back to the kitchen and help Rob. Do you know what he’s working on now?”
Lily wrinkled her face in thought. “I think he said something about lobster bites.”
“Great,” said Jack, turning toward his industrial, chrome kitchen.
Lily grabbed him by the arm and said, “Wait, you have to see this.” She held up a wooden sign with calligraphy written on it that said We’re back together and tying the knot. “I made this sign for Harlan and me to announce our engagement. What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect,” said Jack, not understanding why anyone would want to pose with a sign.
“Thanks,” she said, hopping up and down.
For the next hour, Rob consistently popped in and out of the kitchen, giving Jack varied tasks until the specialty foods had been prepared to Rob’s liking. There were some dishes Rob didn’t even trust with his staff. When the gourmet bites had been completed, Jack ventured out of the kitchen, heading toward his bedroom to finish his preparations for tomorrow.
Before Jack got a few feet down the hallway, Rob grabbed him by his shoulder. “Have you seen the photographer?”
“Why?” Jack asked with an amused smile. You hoping for a private portrait session?” he teased.
Rob rubbed his forehead. “I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to remember her. Lily said we went to school together.”
“Wait a minute,” said Jack, punching Rob in his chest. “You like her.” A devious smile crept across his lips. “Should we see if she passes the test?”
“Don’t,” was all Rob said, but his eyes said the rest.
“Why, because you’ve never kissed someone your brothers were interested in? Or should I say every single one. I can verbalize that now without any anger or jealousy, thanks to my therapist.”
“You may not like my tactics,” said Rob gruffly, “but I saved you from more than one snake—like I’ve had your back tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Why do you think I’m not running a river in Costa Rica right now with the boys?”
“You stayed here to spend time with me?” Jack asked with furrowed brows.
Rob slapped Jack on his back. “I’ve kept Shelly off your back tonight, haven’t I?”
“Shelly?” Jack asked, allowing his surprise to show in his face. “What’s Shelly doing here?” He stepped out of the kitchen and scanned the living room, wondering how he’d feel when he saw her again. There was a time when he thought he loved Shelly, that was until he got to know Becca. It couldn’t be any clearer to him now. He finally knew the difference between lust and love and nothing anyone could say or do would ever change that, especially not Shelly.
Rob grunted. “Do you seriously have to ask me why she’s here?”
“I don’t need you to protect me from Shelly. I’m a grown man.”
“Okay, grown man,” Rob scoffed. “Enjoy your evening. I’ll leave you to your own devices while I track down the photographer.” He snapped his fingers. “I need to know her name.”
“Good luck,” Jack said with a laugh. “And you won’t have to worry about me, but I can’t answer for the rest of the boys.”
Rob’s face went ashen. “Don’t say anything to them.” He scanned the room, then snapped his fingers. “Wait, I have an idea. I bet she’s never been asked out like this before,” he said, slipping into the photo booth.
Laughter erupted from a group congregating near the front door. Jack followed the laughter—which fit his mood tonight. He couldn’t quell his excitement, nor did he want to. He would see Becca tomorrow and show her how much he’d thought about her the past few weeks.
“Jack,” said Harlan, giving him a fist bump. “Thanks for the party. Lily’s loving it.”
“Anything for you, Harlan,” Jack said, patting Harlan on his back as they stepped closer to the crowd. “Why is everyone laughing over there?”
“Photo booth,” Lily said, stepping to their side.
It hit him when he noticed guests pointing to dozens of photo strips hanging off the wall, photos like the ones that clink out of a photo booth at the fair. The funny, candid shots the guests had posed for in the photo booth for the past hour and a half had been clipped to string lights, strung against his front wall. So, that’s what the photographer was doing in my office.
“Is everything ready for tomorrow?” Harlan asked Jack as they slowly made their way through the shoulder to shoulder guests.
The DJ started the first song of the night, which made it even more difficult to move through the crowd as people began dancing.
Jack nodded, raising his voice above the music. “I’ve got it all planned out.”
“Is she expecting you? I didn’t think you’d answered her text yet,” said Harlan.
“I haven’t. I’m waiting until tomorrow to surprise her.”
Harlan wrinkled his brow. “You sure she’ll be home? What if she’s at the store, or on a bike ride, or—”
“Harlan,” interrupted Lily, grabbing Harlan by the arm. “I want you to meet my family’s attorney.”
Without warning, Mark stepped out from behind Lily, causing Jack to do a double take.
“Mark,” said Jack with outstretched arms, remembering his promise to Becca. Mark took a step back, but Jack reached out and embraced him anyway. While still hugging Mark, Jack handed his phone to Lily. “Get our photo.”
Lily looked confused but did it anyway. “Here ya go,” she said, handing the phone back to Jack as he released Mark, who simply stood there and blinked. “Y’all have to see the photos of Harlan and me,” she said, pulling Jack’s arm as they weaved through the crowd.
Before Jack had taken two steps, Shelly jumped in front of him. She wore a tight, low cut, sequined dress. “Jack!” she squealed over the lively clamor of the other guests and hugged him. “Surprise!”
“This is a surprise,” he said, stepping out of her hug. “How long are you in town for?”
She placed her hand on his chest. “We can talk about that later. You’ve got to see some of these photos,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him toward the strung photos. She stopped in the center of the doorframe, between the two walls of hung photos. “Let’s wait here until people clear out.”
He said the first thing that popped into his head. “Shelly, I need to get back to the kitchen to take something out of the oven.”
“What?” she asked, grabbing his hand and pressing it to her chest. “Because just seeing you again has heated me hotter than any oven.”
Warning sirens blared in his head. “Look, Shelly,” he began, but she ignored him, pointing above their heads while she reached down and picked something up off the floor.
He glanced up at the mistletoe, hanging directly above his head and sighed out his stupidity. He didn’t want to have this conversation with her, not here like this, but she didn’t leave him any choice. When he tilted his face back down, she kissed him, having risen up onto her toes when he’d glanced up. He jumped back, shaking his head.
She touched her fingertips to her lips. “I’ve missed your kisse
s.”
“Shelly,” he said with a quick shake of his head. “This isn’t going to work.” His jaw clenched. “Ever.” He walked away, irritated that he’d allowed her to trick him. Where was Rob when he needed him?
After tonight, the only woman who would ever kiss him again in this house would be the one woman who owned his heart.
Chapter Twelve
“Happy New Year!” said Becca’s daddy, carrying a breakfast tray into her bedroom.
“Are you sure you want to move out today, Daddy?” she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up in bed. Navi jumped up onto the bed and rubbed against her bare feet.
“It’s time,” he said with a nod. “Your mom has completely moved out.” He patted Becca’s leg. “But I’m thinking about getting a cat.”
Becca laughed. “Navi’s grown on you, huh?” She stared down the covers at Navi, who took that as a sign to lick her toes. “That tickles, Navi, quit,” she said, wiggling her toes, then running her feet along Navi’s back, soliciting a purr.
“So, when are you meeting up with Jack?” he asked, stepping to her new wood shutters.
“Don’t worry about the blinds,” she said, stopping him. Now that she had new neighbors, she didn’t open her shutters first thing in the morning.
“And Jack?” her daddy asked, sitting down at the end of her bed.
“Not sure,” Becca said with a shrug, hoping to hide her anxiety about Jack not texting her back. “I need to head into my shop this morning. I’ll see him later tonight.” She hoped that would appease her father, preventing him from hounding her about Jack all day.
“Taste the eggs,” he said with a broad smile.
She took a bite of the salt, sprinkled with scrambled eggs. “Mm. Thanks, Daddy,” she said with a swallow to fight back her gag reflex. “I think I’ll jump in the shower, then finish my breakfast. Thanks,” she said, standing and kissing his scruffy cheek. “I’ve got the best daddy.”
Two hours later, she sat at her desk in her shop, staring off into space as Grace dusted the shelves. Becca woke from her daydream when a painted box of Guatemalan worry dolls tumbled off the shelf. “I should be doing that,” Becca said, jumping up and stepping to Grace’s side.
“Becca,” Grace said, twisting her lips, “don’t take this the wrong way, but you came back from Christmas vacation more pensive than you left. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. My head is just a little foggy today. Maybe I’m coming down with something.”
Grace’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no, you should not be here,” Grace said, waggling her finger at her.
“I’m fine, really,” said Becca.
“I’m thinking of my own safety here. What happens if you get us all sick? Ronny and I can handle the shop today. You go home and get some rest.”
“Okay,” said Becca, not having the mental energy to battle Grace.
She stepped outside to dark clouds, which got even darker when her mother walked up. “Are you okay, Becca? I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”
Becca rubbed her temples. “I’m surprised to see you mom. How are you?”
Her mother stood more erect, visually filling her lungs with air. “It’s a new year and I’ve made resolutions.”
“That’s nice,” said Becca. She couldn’t seem to shake the picture in her head of her mom hanging off that creep’s arm at Rob’s restaurant. “I need a quiet moment in the park. Do you want to join me?”
Her mother didn’t answer, she simply walked at her side as they crossed the street and sat on a bench in the square with a view of Becca and Jack’s tree. Becca touched her lips, regretting not having contacted him sooner.
Her mother sighed, crossing her hands in her lap. “I saw the photo of Jack kissing that girl. Are you okay?”
Well, that explains it. “What photo?” Becca asked, fighting back her tears.
“You haven’t seen it?” her mom asked, pulling out her phone, tapping it, and handing it over to Becca. “Mark texted me a link to a photographer’s page and asked if you would mind if he started coming around again.”
Becca’s shoulders slumped as she studied the photo. She would’ve curled up on the bench in the fetal position if her mother hadn’t been there. The photo was of Jack and a woman kissing with a sign that read, We’re back together and tying the knot.
“Yep, that explains it,” Becca said, her heart plummeting to the ground.
“Explains what?” asked her mother.
“Nothing,” Becca said with a sigh.
“Does this mean you’ll go out with Mark?”
Becca shot her mother an incredulous look. “No. I’m not going out with Mark. I’m not attracted to him. He’s not my type.”
“Well,” her mother said with a huff, dusting off her pants as if she were dusting off Becca’s comments. “That would have been nice to know before I’d given him hope.”
“Mom, I’m going to be blunt here. I’ve tried to stay out of your issues with Daddy. It just tears me to pieces to see him hurting like this. And you need to stop meddling in my love life.” Her nonexistent love life because she wouldn’t date. Ever again.
Her mother gripped her purse as if she was about to storm off. “Alright.”
Becca closed her eyes for a minute and regrouped. She opened her eyes and continued. “Daddy has finally accepted that it’s over, but he still thinks you and me should foster our relationship.” She paused. “Should we?”
Her mother opened her mouth, then closed it, staring down at her folded hands in her lap.
“Should we, Mom? That needs to be a decision that you make. A commitment.”
She raised her eyes to Becca’s. “Yes. I want that.”
“So do I,” said Becca, standing up, wanting to trust her mom but not sure how. “I’ll come by your studio tomorrow.”
“Where are you going?” her mother asked as if they were still mid-conversation, but Becca had said everything today that she needed to. There was more to be discussed, but that would come with time. Lots and lots of time.
“I’m taking the long way home. I need to clear my head,” Becca said, walking in the opposite direction of home.
Twenty minutes later, the sky crackled, reminding Becca that she should wind back home sooner than later. She turned up a residential street with a beautiful park that held a playground, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. “How did I not know about this park?” she asked herself, heading toward a baseball game in full swing.
Walking through the parking lot, she passed a dark blue Tesla. She stopped, took a few steps back, and stared at the car. Her heart warmed as memories of that miraculous fall day three years ago played out in her mind. After all this time, she still hadn’t found her benefactor cowboy to thank him for helping her dreams come to fruition.
The city hall employee was the only person who knew her cowboy’s name. Becca wiggled her torso, feeling the first flitter of happiness today. This could be the city employee’s car, or another city employee that knew the city employee who’d processed Becca’s business license.
Becca stepped to the car and peered in through the driver’s window in search of clues about the owner. On the passenger seat rested a hat, a brown leather cowboy hat with buffalo nickels fastened to its band. Overcome with emotion, she brought her hands to her face, covered her mouth and nose, and squealed with delight.
“He’s here!” she shouted, scouring the parking lot with her eyes, but there wasn’t a single soul in her line of vision. Considering that section of the parking lot only fed the baseball field, her cowboy had to be watching the game. Not knowing how she’d pick him out in the crowd, she advanced toward the baseball game, hopeful, with a feeling in her heart that something good would happen today.
The metal bleachers echoed as Becca pounded up the stairs in search of her cowboy. Families clustered together to stay warm, making it difficult to see faces. She laughed at herself, realizing she had no idea what her cowboy even looked like. She’d cre
ated a picture in her head of an attractive, bronzed cowboy who resembled someone out of an old Western movie. He could be any one of these men, for all she knew.
“Hey, Catwoman!” came a young boy’s voice from her left.
Becca turned and smiled. “Mr. Ghost?” she asked, trying to remember his name.
“Yeah,” the boy said with a laugh.
“Do you want to sit with us?” he asked, motioning to himself and his dad.
Becca had always been a sucker for kids. “Sure, but just for a minute. I need to go talk to someone,” she said, feeling like she needed to go wait by the Tesla.
“Dad, this is Jack’s girlfriend.”
She opened her mouth to correct him but decided it would be too difficult and painful to explain.
“Dan,” his dad said, standing and shaking Becca’s hand, waiting for her to sit before he sat back down.
“I’m Becca.” The boy’s name came to her mind. “How’ve you been, Grant?”
“Good,” Grant said, placing his hands under his legs and rocking back and forth. “You missed Jack’s home run.”
“Jack’s playing?” she asked, her head snapping up to watch the game.
Grant laughed. “Aren’t you here to watch him play?”
“Ah, yeah,” she stuttered out as her body prickled with a flash of heat. “Tell me what’s happened so far. I’ve never seen him play before.”
Dan whistled. “You’ve never seen Jack play baseball?” he asked as if she said she’d never tasted brisket.
She scrunched her nose. “Nope. Is he any good?”
Dan and Grant exchanged a look. “He never told you?” Dan asked her with a furrowed brow.
“Told me what?” she petitioned, excited to talk about Jack as if he were her boyfriend but, at the same time, feeling guilty for allowing them to think he was.
Dan pointed to the baseball diamond. “He played in college. Got recruited to go pro.” He shook his head and stared down as he tapped the metal bleacher with his feet. “During the last game of the season, he injured his shoulder. Never went pro.”
“Ouch,” Becca said, rubbing her shoulder.
