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Live a little. Ask him over for dinner. Something simple. You can make that four step goulash. It will be informal. It’s just dinner. He’s alone, you’re alone, just a simple invite. You promised yourself, Rose.
Jack cleared his throat just as an eighteen-wheeler made a slow climb to the circular drive in front of the center.
“Well,” Jack said as he stole a glance at the intrusive truck before he turned back to me, “that’s my cue.”
And I’d just missed mine.
Still standing in front of him, gathering my courage, I went to speak as he lifted his hands to his sunglasses, sliding them off slowly so our eyes met before turning them to place them on me with the same slow precision. “These look better on you. How about you hold on to them for me.”
Stunned at the personal gesture and relieved at the renewed ability of sight, I drank him in one last time. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
He nodded and tucked his full bottom lip under his teeth then scraped it slowly before he released it.
“You’ll find my phone number on an extra set of golf cart keys in the break room,” I added, throwing my shoulders back, a move I often did when I was nervous and had no need to be. Except the minute I did it, my chest bounced slightly and he noticed.
“Sounds good,” he said as the driver of the truck jumped out of the cab and walked toward us.
You are running out of time.
“Thanks for the loan,” I said as I pointed to the glasses like an idiot. His full smile was my reply as I dismissed myself then made my way back to the cart on shaky legs.
Jack
Loyalty is a bitch I would love to screw.
And as I watched Rose walk away, it’s what kept my feet planted and my lips off the pulse point that had jumped in her neck while she stood in front of me. Hair on fire, with help from the sun, her green eyes scoured me and made my chest raw. Her eyes weren’t so innocent in their assessment of me, either. Not once had she taken them away from my scar, but I didn’t hide it or shy away from it like I did years ago. I’d outgrown it. It had been a long damn time since I felt that strong of a pull for any woman. The minute I had her in my lap a few days ago, I’d wanted to close the gap, to taste and savor. Women were no easy feat for me, never had been. Looking at Rose made me want to forget that and dive in head first with no idea of how deep the water was. I’d ignored that urge and attraction enough times in my life to know I could handle it now.
But even as I thought that, I was reminded of why I was on Texas soil, sweating my ass off in the heat instead of being deeply lost in the Himalayas, a trip I’d planned six months ago.
I hid my grin as I took the clipboard from the truck driver, unable to keep from looking in the direction she left. Rose was in a league of her own. She was ambitious, determined, absolutely beautiful…and Seth’s daughter.
I would be in and out in a matter of days. My suitcase was packed. I would still make my trip, even if the most beautiful thing about Texas had nothing to do with the landscape.
Rose
There are stupid things humans do and things that are the kind of stupid that we convince ourselves we can’t possibly do. For instance, my inability to put myself out of my misery for fear of imbalance and upsetting the stupid rules I’d laid down for myself when it came to mourn
ing Grant. It was at least a hundred degrees outside, and I refused to jump into the pond. It was one of the Band-Aids I hadn’t ripped off yet. I’d never been in there without Grant. And like many things that I’d decided were our things, that was one of them. I fell in love with him on a day just like today.
“I’m not giving up,” he said, cutting his eyes at me as I remained in the water. “I might be a little ticked off with myself right now, bearing my soul to you like this, saying all these things I never thought I would say to a woman and making a damn fool of myself, but I’m not giving up.”
“I don’t know what to say, Grant.”
“Stay with me, here, today. That’s enough.”
I looked up at our live oak tree that was now encased by the deck and glanced at the initials he’d carved in it.
“Not today,” I said to myself. “Today is about Rose.” I sat back and rubbed more SPF 50 all over as the sun made mincemeat out of me. Twenty minutes later, mind racing with thoughts I didn’t want to deal with, I turned on my outdoor sound system and walked over to the running waterfall. The reservoir was far too small to take a dip in, but I pushed my hands through the running stream and splashed the chemical filled water all over my body.
“You’re being ridiculous!” I said as I eyed the pond like a cartoon animal would a juicy steak. Larry, Curly, and Moe, my pet ducks, floated across the beckoning oasis in mocking as I splashed around the recycled water, desperately trying to cool off. Even the running water had no chance in this type of sun. It was lukewarm at best. I walked out to the edge of the water and dipped a toe in.
“Rose, maybe you’ve convinced yourself you are incapable of love right now, or even worse, not worthy of it. Don’t let one dickhead cheat you out of what every single person on earth deserves.”
“And what’s that?” I whispered, completely leveled by his kiss.
“Love, baby, love. It’s your time to be loved, and I’m the one who’s going to do it.”
When I moved in, I’d promised myself when I would ask the family over, have barbecues, and teach little Grant and Annabelle how to fish. I swore I wouldn’t use the house as a museum or a shrine to the life I was supposed to live with the man who helped me dream it up. But those invitations to my family had yet to be sent. Grant and Anna’s fishing poles remained in the packaging untouched because I had failed to treat the house I lived in as anything other than the boneyard of dreams it was.
