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I memorize every little thing about this moment in detail so I can look back on it whenever I want to. I take in the heat from Seth’s strong hands bleeding right through my shirt and decide it’s the most tender yet powerful touch I’ve ever felt. I note the way his jaw is smooth against my skin, and how his breath tickles the wisps of hair that have freed themselves from my messy bun. I commit to memory the way his hair feels between my fingertips, soft and silky.
It's not until we’ve danced through five full songs that the silence is broken, and it’s not me who breaks it. Seth does, and my nerves of this moment disappearing as soon as one of us moves are soothed when he only lifts his head. He doesn’t step away, nor does he move his hands. I’m still anchored firmly to him, for which I’m glad because otherwise my legs would probably have a weak moment and I’d be crumpled up on the deck below our feet.
“Jenna, I like you,” he says in a whisper. One that’s rife with emotions I’ve never heard from him, and goosebumps race across my arms and legs. “I want to see where this goes, but I don’t know…how. I want to kiss you, but I’m not—”
“Ready?” I say, and he nods. I move my hands to frame his face, allowing my thumbs to caress his clean-shaven cheeks, forcing him to hold my gaze. “Seth, you don’t have to be. I’ll be here, and it’s okay to take it slow. There’s no reason to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves in fear of messing up, and instead we can just enjoy the journey.”
A hint of a smile touches his lips. “You stole that last part from a throw pillow on your couch.”
See, those little details like knowing the quotes from my beloved yellow throw pillows is how a man wins over a woman’s heart. Pretty soon he’ll probably know that, as much as I love Farm to Table’s burgers, my favorite is a Big Mac and fries with soft serve ice cream. It was a craving from when I was pregnant with Ella, and I’ve never been able to shake it, even five years later. He’ll learn I cry at sappy movies that always have the same ending, and I sometimes don’t dust when we clean on Saturdays. And for the first time in a while, I’m okay with a man knowing those things about me.
Then a thought pops into my mind. “Seth?”
“Yes?”
“So, um, for the past three years on Ella’s birthday we’ve had Alice and Jack over for chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, and then we go to Cozy & Grounds to get smoothies.” My words come out in one big rush, I take a breath that’s probably about the size a mouse takes, and blaze on. “Would you want to come over and have them with us? And then you can tell Ella about going on the boat, if you want to. I mean, you don’t have to because I know we’re going to take this whole thing slow and I get it if you’re not ready for all that, but—”
“Jenna.” That one, singular word makes me completely stop. He tucks my hair behind my ear, and I can’t even miss the warmth of his hand on my hip because now there’s a tiny trail of sparks down the side of my face. “Take a deep breath.”
I do, but it’s only marginally larger than my last one. Maybe guinea pig instead of mouse?
“I would love to come over for breakfast.” His voice is a low rumble that sends a wave of awareness up my spine. “But for tonight, I need to go.”
I nod. “Yeah.”
Seth leans forward, his hands cupping my jaw, and presses his lips to my forehead. “Slowly,” he murmurs, lips whispering against my skin, “I am going to prove to you that you deserve the love story every one of these songs describes. It might take trial and error and I’ll probably mess up along the way, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you are worth it to me. Now that I have you, I don’t plan to ever let you go.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Seth
It’s official.
My new favorite thing is making chocolate chip pancakes on a Friday morning with Ella on my shoulders, laughter echoing around the kitchen, and Jenna’sBright & Happyplaylist as mood-boosting as the sunshine streaming in the windows. The other night when I pinned her playlist of love songs to my account, I discovered that Jenna has a playlist for nearly every occasion.
Falling in Love
Bright & Happy
In the Feels
Christmastime is Here
Country Sunshine
I enjoy music, of course, but my library is scattered and the only time I really play it though my phone is when I’m working out. Well,andin my truck sometimes. But that information is as classified as the documents in the locked drawer of my desk at the station. I might be opening myself to the idea of the whole love thing again—as Jess calls it when she texts me every two hours to see how things are going withJ-E-N-N-A—but I’m not crazy about anyone knowing I sometimes jam out to Usher in my truck, okay?
But as far as this morning, I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since I got here at seven. I woke up at five, told myself I could not leave until ten to seven, and then proceeded to go for a long walk after a bowl of cereal. I still had an hour to go, so I also changed into my swim trunks and a T-shirt, checked in with a couple of my officers on duty, and made sure the teens were in for tonight. Colin was the only one who didn’t respond, but considering how our last work session ended, I’m not surprised. It’ll be his loss if he doesn’t show up tonight.
“So,” Alice says, sidling up to me at the island, “you’re taking my favorite neighbors out on the water today. Do you have a boating license?”
I consider sending up a flare for Jenna, who is outside with Jack and Eli, but I don’t. I pour another pancake on the griddle and lean my hip against the counter, glancing at the older woman. “I do, but I don’t need it since I’m older than twenty-nine.”
“I see.” Considering Alice might be shorter than Ember, which is saying something, she’s surprisingly intimidating. “And you won’t be drinking and driving, will you?”
“Alliccee.” As if she senses the impending interrogation, Jenna comes through the sliding door and puts her hands on Alice’s shoulders. “Leave the poor guy alone. He’s making your breakfast, so you should probably be nice to him.”
“Honey darlin’, I ate my breakfast when I got up at four this morning. This is my early morning snack.” Alice narrows her dark brown eyes as she peers up at me, reaching out to poke my bicep. “How tall are you? And do you work out every day?”
