Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
J ACK
Two days later, I’m pacing around my living room trying to kill time before I leave to go pick up Annie and Bean for our hiking date. I don’t want to arrive at her house too early and risk stressing her out. I do a quick mental check to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. Food, blanket for a picnic, water and water bowl for the dogs are all packed and ready.
Glancing at my watch, I still have five minutes before I can leave. I let my mind wander, and it drifts back to how adorable Annie looked on Monday as she was trying to convince me—and maybe herself—that us hanging out was solely for the benefit of the dogs. I allow myself to think about her for the remaining few minutes and then, as soon as it’s good timing, I grab Gracie’s leash and we bolt out of the door and to the truck.
When I arrive at Annie’s house to pick up her and Bean, she’s gorgeous in running shorts, hiking boots, and a T-shirt. Gracie, of course, goes crazy when she sees her new friend is joining us today .
I help Annie get Bean loaded into the truck and we make the thirty-minute drive to the national park. The conversation comes easy and I’m enjoying getting to know Annie more.
After we arrive, we spend the next two hours hiking through the park, taking the more secluded paths that wind through the woods. We’re rewarded with views of several cascading waterfalls and marvelous rock formations.
This is Annie’s first time here, and she shows no sign of slowing down on the trails. I’m getting pooped, though.
I sigh. “Annie? You getting tired at all?”
She turns to me and smiles. “Nope. I’m good.” She faces forward again and I swear her pace picks up.
“How about hungry?” I try to hide the fact that I’m panting a little.
Annie stops and turns to me, taking in my sweaty self. “Uh, sure. Why don’t we find a place to rest and have lunch?”
Thank God.
I grin. “Sure, if you’re ready.” I don’t waste any time turning back in the direction of the car since I don’t want to risk her changing her mind.
We make it back to the car, get our blanket and cooler, and find a pleasant spot in a mowed field to have our lunch. The dogs greedily lap up their water and then nap in the sun near us while we just enjoy our sandwiches, and the surrounding nature, without the need to fill the silence.
It only takes about twenty minutes of rest, and the pups are back up and at it, chasing each other around the field and wrestling. Annie and I watch for a few minutes and laugh at their antics.
I turn my gaze to her and she doesn’t seem to notice at first, so I just bask in the pleasure of looking at her.
When she swivels her head, her eyes meet mine. A gorgeous smile forms as she looks at me .
“So, if our dogs are going to be hanging around each other more, I need to know what kind of family Gracie comes from. Tell me something about yourself, Jack.”
I chuckle at her trying to keep up the ruse that this is all about the dogs .
“I’m an open book. What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Anything is good. Start basic, tell me—” she pauses “—what made you decide to become a firefighter?”
“That’s an easy one, but not too exciting, I’m afraid.” I continue, “My dad and uncle were both firefighters, and I grew up around it. I never really wanted to be anything else. I know now that I like to help people, and the sense of family you have with your shift crew is amazing, but I don’t think I was mature enough to factor those things into my decision when I initially chose it as a career.”
She’s sitting cross-legged and alternates between looking at me and watching the dogs. She turns that beautiful face toward me again. “Obviously I’ve never seen you fight a fire, but I can tell you’re a great paramedic. They’re lucky to have you.”
My pride beams inside me from just these few sincere words spoken by this woman I’ve only known for a few weeks. I wonder how her comments can mean more to me than any of the awards and commendations I’ve received for my service in the military and fire department over the years.
I want to know everything there is to know about her.
“How about you, have you always wanted to be an ER nurse?”
The look that comes over her face, and the break in our eye contact as she picks at imaginary lint on the blanket, has me wondering if I’ve said something wrong.
“No, I thought for a long time I wanted to be a vet, but I changed my mind when I was seventeen.” She glances up at me with a sad smile and eyes to match.
It makes me want to wrap her in my arms and protect her from whatever’s caused that sadness.
She pauses and clears her throat, then says, “My dad died when he was forty-five from a massive heart attack. I was home sick from school that day and had slept in. I found him in our kitchen when I got up to get some water.”
I can’t stop myself and I pull her closer to me, wrapping her into my side. I’m shocked when she lets me. “Oh, Annie, I’m so sorry.”
She puts her head on my shoulder and that bit of trust means the fucking world to me.
“I didn’t know how to do CPR, but I tried anyway. Even when the paramedics took over, they never got him back. I felt so guilty that I had slept in and thought maybe if I’d found him earlier…” She pauses.
I use the pad of my thumb to wipe away the solitary tear streaming down her cheek.
“The coroner said that he had likely died several hours before I found him so even if I had known CPR, it wouldn’t have saved him.” She’s quiet for a few moments but then clears her throat. “Losing him was the worst thing I’ve ever gone through. He meant the world to me. Eventually, as I dealt with my grief, I decided to become an ER nurse so that maybe, someday, I could help prevent someone else from losing their entire world too soon.”
She seems like she is going to say more, so I wait patiently.
“My sister Kelly was only fourteen when it happened, and my mom, who was never a doting parent anyway, fell into a deep grief and kind of checked out on us. So, I took care of Kelly the best I could and when I graduated high school, I commuted to the public university near our house. Four years later, I graduated with a degree in nursing and started my job in the ER.”
She lets me continue to hold her to my side as she finishes her story and we spend the next fifteen minutes just sitting together, quiet. I’m so grateful that this amazing woman gave me the chance to know her better.
ANNIE
Several weeks later, Jack and I are sitting in a booth in my favorite ma and pop restaurant near my hometown. We still have about an hour and a half until the start of the Ohio Cardinals United National Hockey League game I agreed to come to with Jack tonight.
I want to focus on our conversation and look at his gorgeous face, but I can’t stop myself from turning to the door every time someone opens it, causing the bell to ring.
Jack chuckles. “Are you expecting someone, Annie?”
I look at him, momentarily confused. “What? Huh?”
He nods toward the door and my shoulders sag while I let my chin drop toward my chest, embarrassed.
I look back up at him and realize I owe him an explanation.
“I’m sorry. I’m being rude. It’s just… Don’t think less of me but I didn’t tell my mom I’d be in town. She’d be upset that I’m here and didn’t go to see her. Now I have this irrational fear she’s going to walk in the door and find me out.”
“Well, that makes sense now. I’ve been trying to figure out why you seem jumpy. You’ve seemed to enjoy yourself on all our not-a-dates. I was worrying that either you were stressed to be out with me without the pups, or you were having such a bad time you were hoping someone would walk through the door and rescue you. ”
I start to protest but the twinkle in his eye and his mouth lifting at the corners make me realize he’s teasing me.
Deciding to give it back to him a little, I flutter my eyelashes at him. “I mean, if a knight in shining armor came through the door, I’d probably consider letting him sweep me off my feet… since I don’t work with him and all. He’d probably be less chivalrous than this guy I’m not-a-dating and maybe I’d get more than a few hugs and chaste kisses out of him.” I wink at him.
He smiles, and it sets off fluttering in my lower belly. Then his gaze turns piercing, and the smile disappears, his expression serious.
“I’ve told you before, Annie, I’m a patient man. I can wait for the physical until you’re comfortable with the emotional part of this relationship. Nothing worth having is worth rushing and I can tell you’re worth having.”
Just like that, it’s like my core is suddenly on fire. The man’s restraint is freaking annoying, but also kind of hot. I try to swallow the lump in my throat, and it comes out as an embarrassing gulp that his smirk tells me he clearly notices.
Clearing my throat, I smile at him. “Sh-should we head toward the arena now?”
JACK
After dinner, we get into downtown Columbus and find parking about a ten-minute stroll from the arena. I don’t mind since it’s a beautiful night, and it gives me more time to talk with Annie before we get inside the loud arena. Once we’re out of the car, I grab her hand as we make our way to the rink.
She seems nervous, looking around at the other people walking toward the game and twisting her free hand around the hem of her shirt.
I wonder if I’m making her uncomfortable.
“Annie, does it bother you that I’m holding your hand or are you still afraid you’re going to see your mom? You seem a little on edge.”
She laughs. “I’ve been trying to convince you to do a replay of our first kiss for weeks. Holding hands isn’t making me uncomfortable.”
“Okaaaaay,” I reply hesitantly. I’m not sure what’s bothering her then.
She heaves a dramatic sigh and looks over at me. “It’s stupid, I know, but I’m nervous I’m going to see Jason here. He watches every game on TV unless he comes in person. And he tries to come to as many as he can. I don’t care about him anymore, but I also don’t want to see his stupid face.”
Glad to know that I haven’t done anything to upset her, I smirk at her and answer, “Okay, we’ll have a game plan in case that happens. We need a code word. Maybe… pineapple? Yeah, that’s a good code word.”
“What in the ever-loving heck are you talking about?” She giggles, more relaxed now.
I offer her my best grin. “If you see him, you just say the word pineapple, and then I’ll know that Jason is there. I’ll lay on some serious boyfriend-package moves—complete with physical affection and all. It’ll make him realize what a fool he was to royally fuck things up with you and leave no question that you’re over him.”
“Boyfriend-package moves, huh? And I can only use the word if I see him? I can’t use it for general personal gain?” she asks. She’s smiling as she bumps me with her shoulder, twirling a piece of her hair in her free hand.
I squeeze her hand tighter and laugh at her response. “ Nope. Unless you’ve decided we’re more than friends. In that case, then pineapple is fair game.”
“Ugh,” she answers dramatically. “You and your chivalry.”
ANNIE
Sitting in my seat in the jam-packed arena, I can’t help but get caught up in the buzz of excitement in the air and I bop away to the catchy music pumping through the speakers. Jack must know that the way to my heart is through sugar, because when he returns from getting us drinks, he has a big fluff of blue cotton candy and I squeal like a twelve-year-old when I see it.
The game is fun, even if I don’t understand all the rules. Jack keeps treating me to that sexy laugh whenever I cringe as someone takes a big hit, or a fight breaks out. I’m having so much fun that, before I know it, it’s already intermission between the second and third periods.
We cheer like maniacs when a fan wins one-thousand dollars for scoring from the other end of the ice, and we hoot like teenagers as the kiss cam shows couples throughout the arena and their smooches.
Then, I freeze when I see us up on the kiss cam. I get my bearings and lean over and give Jack a chaste kiss on the cheek. Apparently, that isn’t good enough for hockey fans because the cam stays on us and half the arena is chanting, “More! More!”
Jack leans over, looking so damn delicious, and whispers, “You said Jason is either here or watches every game, right?”
I nod, confused about why he is bringing up Jason right now. I don’t need to wonder long, though, as Jack gets a huge grin on his face that brings out the dimple I find so sexy. He slides his hand into my hair and leans into me .
He lays the absolute best open-mouthed kiss on me that leaves no question in my mind that he wants me, and leaves the hockey fans cheering as loudly as they did when the home team scored.
When he breaks the kiss, I whimper, and he holds eye contact with me for several seconds. I feel like I need to strip naked and go lie on the ice to cool down and unmelt my panties from the inferno that kiss has created in me. Clearly, if Jason is watching the game, it’s left no question that I’m over him.