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Unable to stop myself, I gesture beyond the stables. “The Colorado River is about a thirty-minute walk in that direction.” She scowls at me and walks toward Jacob.
“Do you think I could spend some time with my son now?” she asks, her voice tight.
“We should sort you somewhere to sleep for the night first. How long are you planning on staying?” Jack asks, and I watch as her eyes flick to me before landing on Jack.
“I think maybe we should discuss that just the two of us.”
“Aria is my girlfriend. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of her. I’ll only tell her later anyway.” Her eyes widen before flashing with anger. I barely register her reaction though, butterflies erupting in my stomach when Jack refers to me as his girlfriend.
“Right, well, I’ve no idea. I didn’t book a return flight. I guess I’ll just go home when you do.” Jack tenses beside me and the butterflies now sit like a heavy stone in the pit of my stomach.
“I’m going to be here for a couple of months at least. Surely you don’t want to stay that long? What about your life back home?”
She shrugs. “I’m between jobs at the moment and I could do with a holiday.” Apprehension builds in my stomach, and I want to drop Jack’s hand and walk away, but I don’t. I know he doesn’t want her here anymore than I do, but I can’t help wondering how her being here is going to change things between me and Jack.
“Where are you going to stay?” He drops my hand and runs it through his hair. I can tell he’s pissed, and I don’t blame him. No one wants her here. “This is my family’s ranch, and if I’m being completely honest, after how you left me and Jacob, I’m not sure how welcome you are.”
Her hand flies to her mouth, and she surprises us both by bursting into tears. “I made a mistake,” she chokes out through her tears. “The biggest mistake of my life. I just want to make it right.”
Jack sighs and walks toward her, Jacob still in his arms. “It’s not going to be easy, Zara. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to prove to everyone, not only me, that you’ve changed.”
“I’ll do it, I promise. I just want that chance.” She reaches out and rests her hand on Jack’s arm. “Please.” Her voice breaks and more tears stream down her cheeks. I only know what Jack’s told me about her, but she genuinely looks upset, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for her. Jack nods, and her whole body almost crumples in relief. Pulling herself together, she wipes her eyes and looks past Jack to me.
“Aria.” She walks toward me. “I’m so sorry I’ve been a bitch. I’m not going to lie, I did come here hoping for a second chance with Jack as well as Jacob, but I can see how happy you two are. I’d really like it if we could be friends?” I catch Jack’s eye over her shoulder, and he pulls a face and shrugs one shoulder. He seems as surprised by her request as I am.
“I’d like to be friends,” I tell her, hoping she can’t tell I’m lying through my teeth. I might have felt a little sorry for her, but I can’t ever imagine being her friend. It crosses my mind that her whole outburst may be a front, that it’s very much a case of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer. I hope I’m wrong for Jacob’s sake. If we’re both going to be in his life, it would be good for him if we could be civil.
“Do you think there might be a room on the ranch I could stay in?” she asks, and I look across at Jack.
“Erm… maybe. We should talk to Claire and Ryan.” I could offer her my room in the ranch house since I spend every night with Jack, but something stops me. Aside from not wanting her in the room next to us, if things don’t go well for me and Jack, for whatever reason, I’d have nowhere to go. Maybe Libby and Mason’s old cabin is a better option. I need to speak to Jack first though, see what he thinks.
“I need to bathe Jacob. Zara, do you want to help?”
“I would love to.”
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll give you a shout.” He turns to me. “Can I have a word, Aria?” I smile and follow him into the house, Zara behind me. Jack goes straight upstairs and into his room and I follow, closing the door behind me. He puts Jacob on the floor with some of his toys and tugs me into the bathroom.
“Are you okay?” he asks as he closes the door, leaving it open a little so we can hear Jacob.
“Yeah, I’m okay. You?” He nods. “Do you think she’s full of shit or genuinely wants to make things right?”
He sighs and pulls me against him. “I really don’t know. I guess we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
“What about her staying in Mason and Libby’s old cabin?”
“I was thinking the same, but I knew you’d talked about wanting to move in there?”
“I want to stay with you while you’re here, if that’s okay. I can move in there… later.” I can’t bring myself to say I’ll move in once he’s gone home. I can’t bring myself to even think about him not being here.
“It’s more than okay. I want you with me all the time, Aria.” His hand cups my face and his mouth drops to mine. My tongue swipes his bottom lip, and he opens up, our tongues dueling together. His hand slides into my hair and his fingers tugs gently as his kiss consumes me. Heat pools in my stomach and an ache forms between my legs. I want nothing more than to feel him inside me, but with Jacob in the other room, I’ll have to wait until later.
“Knock, knock,” a voice calls from the bedroom, and the fire raging inside me is instantly extinguished on hearing Zara. Pulling out of the kiss, Jack rests his forehead on mine.
“I’d better get Jacob bathed.”
“I’ll be in my room.”
“I love you,” he whispers.
