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“Aww, I’m sure you can handle it,” Jack replied, chuckling. “Maybe you need to hire an assistant?”
“You want an application?” I asked, smirking.
Jack laughed loudly and I laid my head back, letting the sound of his voice wash over me. “Depends. Tell me about the benefits?”
His suggestive tone sent a flash of heat over my skin. I smiled, marveling at how he could make me laugh so much, and then moments later, have me blushing like some kind of virginal schoolgirl. No one had ever made me feel that way before. This was all new to me.
I laughed. “Well, for starters, I’d imagine you’d get unlimited kisses, occasional back rubs for a job well done, and on top of all that, I only buy really expensive coffee.”
“Sounds like a sweet gig. I especially like the kissing part, although I’d have to push that boundary a little farther.” I shivered again at his words and the images they stirred inside me. “How about I get back to you in six months and let you know?” His voice was still light and teasing, but my smile faded at the reminder that he was really leaving. Within days, he’d be on an aircraft carrier, out in the big blue sea, to fight with his squad in the Middle East, taking on terrorists and keeping our forces safe.
I still couldn’t get over the timing of everything. The odds that I’d finally meet someone who could even make me consider letting down my guard long enough to get to know them, let alone start to fall for them, was a feat in itself. Then, to have it be Jack, on a vacation a few hours from home, when he was preparing to ship out with his Naval unit for a dangerous deployment overseas.
The whole thing was inexplicable.
“Holly?” Jack’s voice pulled me back to reality. “It’s going to be okay. I promised, remember?”
I nodded; my throat suddenly thick. “Uh-huh.”
It was all I could manage.
“I should get going. But I’ll catch up with you later tonight. Text me when you get back to your place so I’ll know you’re safe. Will you do that?”
“Yeah. I will.”
“Okay, beautiful girl. I’ll talk to you soon. Be safe.”
“I will. Goodbye, Jack.”
I clicked off the call and sucked in a long, slow breath. Doing my best not to give in to the tears pricking at my eyes.
“Welcome home!” Rachel greeted us, her voice loud and celebratory as soon as Hunter and I got inside my condo later that afternoon. Hunter tugged hard enough that I dropped his leash and he bounded over to where Rachel had just jumped off the couch. “Huntey! Oh, how’s my favorite little troublemaker?” She squatted down next to Hunter and laughed as he answered by licking every inch of her face.
I smiled as I watched their reunion. “You’d think it had been years since he saw you,” I commented, rolling my suitcase inside the door and pushing it against the entryway wall.
“I guess in dog years…” Rachel answered, still giggling. She patted his head and stood up again. He tried to jump up, but she nudged him down and he tore off down the hall, sniffing everything like it was his first time in the house. “I’d hug you, but I’m pretty well coated in slime here.”
I held up my hands and laughed. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Truthfully, living with Hunter meant dog hair was a permanent accessory that went with every outfit. I followed as Rachel went into the kitchen to wash her hands at the sink. She tossed her head as she scrubbed. “Your mail is over there.”
I crossed to the opposite counter and gathered the small pile into my hands. I flipped through the stack casually. None of it looked pressing. Mostly the same junk everyone gets. Credit card offers, coupon flyers for local businesses, and a couple of statements that still came to me no matter how many times I’d opted for paperless billing. I sighed and set it all back on the counter.
Rachel flipped the water off and dried her hands on the kitchen towel before turning back around to face me as I leaned against the counter. She smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. “So…?”
My cheeks heated up, and I ducked to hide my face until I could recover. Rachel was my best friend, and I always told her everything—but there was something awkward about telling her about Jack. I knew she’d be happy for me. Likely, over the moon happy. But there was some explaining to do, as well.
“Holly Marie Parker!” Rachel snapped playfully. “You are gonna tell me what happened with you and your Navy man, right now!”
I laughed and tossed my hair back. “Okay, okay. No need for middle names. Geez, when did you turn into my mom?”
“I’ve been waiting here all morning to hear this story! I’ve been out of the loop for long enough,” she protested, still smiling through her whining.
