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“Exactly.” J.J. set her fork down and wiggled anxiously in her seat a little. “So, can I go? Please please please?”
Holden rolled his eyes. “Again with the ‘pleases’. Okay, if you wear your trackerandyou have Amber’s mom text me when you get there. Maybe even have one of your friends send some pictures every now and then.”
Another great argument for a phone, but J.J. knew better than to press her luck. “We will, I promise,” she said, beaming.
“Now.” Holden sat back, his plate empty. “Who’s ready for dessert?”
19
“Are you sure I’m dressed okay?’ Holden asked, looking down at his sweater and pants.
It was Friday night, and he’d just seen J.J. off for her long weekend in the mountains. He wasn’t sure if his nervousness was over that or tonight’s double date with Charity and Nic, but he changed sweaters four times and ended up going back to sweater number one.
“No, that’s perfect,” she said. “You look very handsome.”
“And you look beautiful, as always.”
He blurted that out before he could stop himself. It seemed the right thing to do to compliment her back, and it was exactly what he thought. In fact, she seemed to get more beautiful every day. But he was trying to avoid things getting too romantic between them. Trying and failing miserably.
“Thanks,” she said.
She was studying him, and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the compliments they’d just handed each other. “You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
He laughed. “That transparent, huh?”
It had been buzzing beneath the surface the whole time he was getting ready. He just couldn’t seem to shake this uneasy feeling. It was unfounded, he knew, but there was a disquieted part of his brain that seemed to constantly be at war with the logical side of it. The logical part of him knew J.J. was in good hands.
“Her friend’s mom texted to say they got there okay,” he said. “I can see her at the chalet on her tracker. I know they’re probably settled in for the night. It’s just...” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She stepped forward and reached for his hands, taking them in hers and looking him in the eye. “It’s going to be fine. She has two adults and three other kids looking out for her.” She paused a moment, then said, “She’s going to be fine.”
It made no sense, but those words instantly calmed him. It had nothing to do with her reassurance that J.J. had people looking out for her and everything to do with the look in her eyes, the feel of her hands in his. He wasn’t pacing this big empty house alone, as he normally did when J.J. was off with her friends. He didn’t have to throw himself into work to get his mind off it, either. He had someone to go through this with him.
Suddenly, he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze away from her. All the emotions he’d kept tucked beneath the surface welled up in that one, heart-melting stare.
“Thank you,” he finally managed to say.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “For what?”
“For being here, for setting up this double date to take my mind off things…”
For so much he wasn’t saying. So much he couldn’t say.
“I still say we should’ve made a trip to the mountains for the weekend,” she said with a smile. “Finding two hotel rooms can’t be all that hard.”
“Let’s go,” he said.
He could probably make it happen. One call to his travel agent, and they’d be on their way. But he was afraid they wouldn’t be able to find two rooms close together—or even in the same hotel. And then he’d have to worry about J.J.andFaith.
The chime of the doorbell had both of them splitting apart like a lightning bolt had crashed down between them. The other half of their double date was here.
Holden pulled the door open to Nic’s smiling face, which quickly turned to a frown. “You’re dressy.” He looked over at Charity, standing next to him. “I told you we probably should go somewhere fancier than the pizza place.”
“It’s not like there are any better choices in this town,” Charity said.
“The pizza place is fine with me, but I know of a better place,” Holden said. “If you’re up for it.”
Nic looked at Charity, who said, “We might not be dressed for it.”
