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“Ashley would have a fit.”
“She doesn’t approve of me?”
“She doesn’t approve of me getting romantically involved with anyone. But to be fair, this is the first time I ever wanted to be romantically involved with anyone . . . since Ted.”
His hand pressed against her spine, drawing her closer. “She’d really have a hard time if she knew all the things I intend to do to you very soon.”
A shiver coursed through her. His voice had a rasp that made her feel tingly. “Will we get alone time in Arusha?”
“Yes.”
She felt warm and off-balance. Her hand went to his chest. “This might not be the time, but I thought you should know, I’m not seeing anyone else. Or kissing anyone else.”
“Nor I,” he answered.
“And as long as I’m kissing you, I won’t kiss anyone else.” Her pulse sped up a little, realizing this was dangerous, and revealing, territory. She hadn’t planned on saying anything, but the words were tumbling out of their own volition.
“As long as I’m kissing you, I can promise you, there will be no one else,” he answered gravely.
She held his gaze, and his golden-brown eyes seemed to be able to see all the way through her, boring right to her very heart, and it was both wonderful and terrifying. She really cared for him, cared deeply, and for the first time in forever, she wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, fairy tales came true.
Was she too old to have a happy ending of her own?
“I think we have something special,” he said, his hand slowly sliding up her back, stirring nerve endings all the way. “I’m certainly not going to do anything to mess that up.”
Her breath caught, and she managed a tremulous smile. Things had certainly gotten very serious, very quickly, but maybe it was good they were having this conversation now, before they left Saturday for Arusha. They’d be in very close quarters for the next two weeks and the last thing either of them needed were hurtful misunderstandings.
“So we’re exclusive,” she said carefully, trying to ignore the wild hammering of her heart.
He kissed the curve of her cheek, close to her ear. “Yes, I think that’s exactly what it means.”
* * *
While everyone was visiting, Elizabeth set up a dessert bar on the sideboard featuring four kinds of pies, two kinds of cheesecake, and a coffee bar with lots of accoutrements.
Jack hung back with Oliver while Elizabeth’s twins and the women went ahead. Paige sat down at the empty dining table with Andi and Margot, and after taking slices of berry pie, Jack and Oliver headed back outside where it was cooler and quieter.
Being raised in Australia, Jack didn’t have an affinity with Thanksgiving, but today had been special. It had been rather humbling seeing Oliver and Paige, his two favorite people, at the same table. “You haven’t had a chance to talk to Paige very much, have you?” he asked his son.
“No, but I’m sure I will. If not today, then another time.” Oliver’s dark blue eyes glimmered with warmth and humor. “I think she’s going to be around awhile.”
“What are you? A fortune-teller?”
“When it comes to you, Dad, yes. You like her.” Oliver paused, considered Jack. “I’ve never seen you like this with anyone.”
Jack felt like a schoolboy. It wasn’t comfortable. “Like what?”
“Don’t be obtuse.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Now you sound like your grandad.”
Oliver smiled patiently. “I like her, too. Probably not as much as you do—”
“—Which is probably a good thing.”
His blue eyes glinted, his smile infectious. “Agreed. But seriously, the way you are with her, it’s different. It’s like you’ve met your person. Finally. I’m happy, Dad.” Oliver’s voice dropped, gentled. “Really happy.”
Jack shifted restlessly. He’d stood practically in this same spot with Paige an hour ago. Time passed too quickly when he was with her. It was maddening but exhilarating. “I do like her,” he admitted. “And she is different. But she’s not interested in anything long-term or permanent. She had a bad first marriage and I think it’s done a number on her. So, I’m just enjoying the now, and I think that’s okay.”
“Have you told her how you feel?”
Jack shook his head. “No.” But that wasn’t the only thing he hadn’t told her. He hadn’t said anything to Paige yet about Camille being in Arusha for the conference. He didn’t want to worry her, nor was he planning on getting the two women together. Camille would be staying at one of the new hotels next to the big convention center. Paige would be off with the students on their end-of-program safari. It was always a highlight of the trip for his Princeton students and he’d worked it out so that the Orange students could do the same thing.
Should he drop Camille into a conversation with Paige? Give her a heads-up that Camille would be at his conference?
Imagining that conversation filled him with dread. He didn’t know why Camille made Paige feel insecure, but Paige didn’t need to feel that way. Camille meant nothing to him. She was part of his past. She also wasn’t staying where the students were staying. She’d be on the other side of town. Maybe it was better if he didn’t bring her up. Why upset Paige? She was just starting to feel safe with him.
“I don’t know what I have to offer her,” Jack said. “I travel all the time. I’m a workaholic. Even if we wanted to be together, I don’t know how that would work.” Jack fell silent, seeing the objections and obstacles stack up. There were so many things in the way.
“You’re here for another semester, it’s not as if you have to have all the answers now.”
“For someone who avoids commitment, you’re awfully good at giving relationship advice.”
“I think she’s wonderful, and you deserve someone wonderful. That’s all.”
Jack raised his eyebrows, but then, Oliver had been trying to marry him off for years now. Oliver hated the idea of his dad growing old on his own. “I think you said the same thing about Camille.”
“I never did. I said I wanted you happy, and you could get married, and I’d be okay with it, but this is different. We both know it’s different.”
Jack did feel differently about Paige, but he hadn’t realized it was so obvious. “What gave me away?”
“Besides you smiling all the time? The way you hold her, the way you look at her. You look at her as if she’s something wonderful.”
Because she was.
