And that was when reality came crashing back.
Rachel lifted her head to look at Jack, and in his eyes, she saw the same knowledge that was settling like lead in her stomach.
Jack's expression crumpled. Sadness filled his eyes, confirming what she already knew. “I fly back tomorrow.”
“I know.” Rachel sat up. “You need to be with your family before you go.”
It was the truth, and they both understood it. Carrie would need all her kids close as they processed George's death. Jack's flight left early in the morning, which meant this was all the time they had.
This was all they'd ever have. Stolen moments between deployments and duty. Brief encounters that left them both aching for more. It was everything, yet it wasn’t enough. Not really.
“I'll always care for you,” Rachel said as they dressed, both moving slowly, reluctant to break the spell.
Pain moved over Jack’s face as he paused, his shirt half-buttoned. “I wasn’t using you, Rach.”
“I know,” she rushed to say. “What we just shared was just a reaction to the grief today. Or maybe even a walk down memory lane for old times’ sake.” A heavy sigh left her lungs as she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. “But no more, Jack. It just hurts too much to watch you leave.”
Now it was his turn to sigh heavily as he nodded, his gaze pinned on her. “I don't know when I'll get out of the Navy,” Jack admitted, his voice rough. “I don't know when I can give you what you deserve. A real relationship. A future. Home.”
Rachel nodded. She'd known that was his first duty. And she understood. Respected it, even. But understanding didn't make it hurt less.
“I know,” she said softly. “And I'm not asking you to choose. I would never ask that. But Jack, I’m living my life my way and for me. I’m not waiting for you to come home or putting my heart on hold for someday that might never come.”
They stood at her door, fully dressed now, the intimacy of moments ago already feeling like a dream. Jack reached out and cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away tears she hadn't realized were falling.
“I love you,” he said. “That's never going to change.”
“I love you too.” Rachel's voice broke. “But love isn't always enough, is it?”
Jack slowly shook his head, then bent to kiss her tenderly. A goodbye kiss that tasted of salt and sorrow. “Goodbye, Rachel.”
“Goodbye, Jack.”
She watched him walk down the stairs, then drive away, his taillights disappearing into the night.
And as she closed the door and leaned against it, Rachel knew with absolute certainty that she needed to build a life that didn't revolve around the unpredictable Jack Hudson.
Even if her heart would always belong to the boy who'd saved her all those years ago on the first day of school.
10
Present Day
After years based out of San Diego, the East Coast looked greener than Jack remembered. The water was a different shade of blue than the Pacific.
He was in Norfolk and almost finished with his Navy out-processing, which took a few weeks of paperwork, medical checks, and final debriefs. He’d told Rachel he was out-processing but hadn’t given her any details. He wanted to wait until he was ready to move to the Eastern Shore. He hadn't wanted to make a big deal of it. His parents knew, of course, since he’d be living with them for a while.
Since George died, the apartment over their garage sat empty. His parents offered him the garage apartment when he knew he was coming back to the Shore, and Jack agreed it was the perfect place for him to live for now. His mom had been thrilled, though she'd tried to hide her excitement. Jack suspected she was already planning family dinners and ways to keep him close.
As he sat at the small desk in the temporary room he had on base, his mind drifted back to his years in the Navy. Good years. Good memories. Good friends.
But he’d missed the Chesapeake Bay. Many of the people he’d known in high school had been anxious to get away from rural life, and he had too. He’d kept up with a few on social media, just enough to find out where they were and what they were doing. Most had graduated from college and headed all over the country to work.
But it was the personal information from former high school friends that always made him stop and look. Some were married and had families. They posted pictures with their spouses and kids. Those pictures always made him think of what he wanted and hoped he could have.
In the Navy, Jack had served as a Surface Warfare Officer, specifically working as a ship's security officer. The role had been perfect for him, combining leadership with law enforcement responsibilities. He'd managed security protocols, conducted investigations, coordinated with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on serious incidents, and led the ship's security team through multiple deployments.
The challenging and rewarding work had also given him skills that translated well to civilian law enforcement, which was why, over the past six months, he'd been working with his dad to secure a position as a detective for the North Heron Sheriff's Department. He passed his exam, and the job had been offered and accepted.
