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CHAPTER 12
Jo
Jo stirred on the crisp cotton sheets, still fuzzy from her afternoon nap. The past week had been a whirlwind, her days consumed with helping Jack fix up the house. By the time she reached her room each night, she was too exhausted to think, much less plan anything.
Yesterday, they'd finally finished the deck, the last rays of sunset casting long shadows as they hammered in the final nail. Jack had insisted they take the day off, a welcome relief for her tired body. Her day was spent in her pajamas, doing as little physical work as possible, and sometime during the early afternoon, she’d snuggled up on her bed with a book and unknowingly fallen asleep.
The rhythmic rumble of a familiar-sounding truck outside snagged her attention. Jack. Rolling out of bed, she hurried to the window, smiling as she saw him get out of his pickup. He'd traded his usual T-shirt for a crisp blue button-down, the color mirroring his summer sky eyes and making him look impossibly handsome.
He looked up and smiled, motioning for her to open the window. She did as he asked, leaning over with her arms on the sill. “What are you doing here?”
“Get changed. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
He tipped his head toward the truck. “Come on, hurry up. As the saying goes, we’re burning daylight.”
She narrowed her eyes, and a list of theories about what he might be up to tumbled around in her mind. Whatever it was, it meant spending time with him, which meant she was game for whatever it was, especially since he seemed in a good mood.
He hadn’t exactly been in a bad one the last few days, but he’d been quieter, more reserved. She was pretty sure he’d tried to hide it, too, and failed miserably. There was the temptation to ask, but she didn’t get the feeling she should.
“I’ll be right there.” She went to shut her window.
“Bring your camera.” He quickly added.
The request made her pause. “Why?”
“Just trust me.”
“Okay.” Nodding, she shut the window and hurriedly put together an outfit. Of course, she would never have the fashion sense to impress a man like him, but shorts and a T-shirt were pretty universal, so she couldn’t mess that up too bad as long as they matched.
Once dressed, she snatched her camera bag, gave her grandma a quick kiss and a goodbye, and joined Jack outside. He opened the passenger door and helped her inside.
It was just warm enough that breeze was needed, so he’d left the windows half-cracked, fresh air filling the cab along with a hint of his spicy, delicious cologne that made her want to bury her face in his chest.
As soon as they were on the road, she turned in her seat and faced him. “Where are we going?”
“Do you not know the definition of a surprise?”
She huffed. “I know what it means, but…”
“Then wait.” He glanced at her, his eyes dancing with all sorts of mischief.
If there was one thing she liked about him, it was that. The way his face would glow when he was excited about something. The way his eyes would beckon her to dive into them. His smile. His whole countenance would give her goose bumps.
“Fine.” She pondered things to discuss for a second. “So, did you have a good night off?”
“I did. Slept like a baby and didn’t wake up until nine this morning.”
“Oh, nine, huh? The day was practically over.” She laughed.
“How about you?”
“I woke up around the same time, worked on the article a little, and then read a book until I fell asleep. I was just waking up from a nap when you arrived.”
He looked at her. “I thought the plan was to take the day off.. to take it easy.”
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “I did take it easy. Writing is fun, so it wasn’t work.” She’d done enough that she’d even sent Delia some of it along with some photos.
