Chapter Eleven
SWIPE RIGHT FOR TROUBLE
Kate
Istare at my reflection in the rearview mirror and question all my life choices.
What am I doing?
I run my hands down the front of my sweater for the third time, smoothing out wrinkles that don’t exist, and check my phone again. Ten minutes. I’m supposed to leave in ten minutes.
I could cancel.
I should cancel.
Why the hell did I think this was a good idea?
I grab my phone, already halfway through typing a polite excuse when Margot’s name lights up the screen. Of course.
“Not now,” I mutter, but I answer anyway.
“You’re not bailing, are you?” she says without preamble.
“I’m not... not bailing.”
“Kate.”
“I’m serious, Margot. This was stupid. I haven’t been on a date in decades. What if I say something ridiculous? What if he’s awful? What if—”
“What if you just went and had coffee?”
I let out a slow breath, my heart pounding. “I don’t even know this guy.”
“That’s the point. You’re supposed to get to know him.”
“Margot—”
“No. No, ma’am. You are not talking yourself out of this. One date. That’s all. One cup of coffee, and you get to say you tried.”
I press a hand to my chest, trying to slow my racing thoughts. “I don’t want Cole to see me like this.”
“You’ve had a successful career. You raised a great son. You’ve done everything right. It’s your turn. Time to have some fun.”
I close my eyes, breathing through it. “You call this fun?”
“Go,” she says, softer now. “You can do this.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Okay.”
“Good. Text me when you’re done. And if he’s terrible, I’ll buy you dinner and wine.”
“Deal.” I flip closed the mirror on my car’s
visor and start the car before I can change my mind.
The drive is a blur, my thoughts stuck in a loop of what-ifs, but somehow I make it to the café without turning around. It’s cute—small and warm, with the smell of fresh bread and something sweet baking in the back.
I pause just inside the door, scanning the room.
And then I see him.
Jack.
Oh dear God.
He’s standing near the counter, taller than I would have figured from his photos, broad shoulders filling out a dark jacket, salt-and-pepper hair slightly tousled. There’s something about the way he holds himself—solid, sure—that makes my stomach twist in a way I haven’t felt in years.
He has what Margot would call Big Dick Energy.
I blush just thinking it.
He turns, and our eyes meet.
There’s a beat of silence, and then he smiles—just a little, just enough to make my breath catch.
Okay.
I can do this.
I think.
He walks toward me, each step measured, confident, like he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be. Like this isn’t weird or nerve-wracking or completely out of left field.
“Kate?” he says, stopping just close enough.
I nod, my voice temporarily missing. “Hi.”
Get it together.
He offers a hand, and I take it—his grip is firm, warm, and just rough enough to remind me he’s not one of those guys who spends all day behind a desk.
He looks younger than his age—43, according to his profile.
Then again, whenever I look in the mirror, I’m still a little surprised I don’t look as old as I sometimes feel.
Aches in my back, my knees aren’t great these days.
.. I sleep like crap. Sometimes I’m surprised I don’t look worse.
I don’t get carded as much as I used to, but still.
Maybe there’s a chance Jack’s thinking the same thing about me. Let’s hope.
“I’m glad you came,” he says.
“Me too,” I manage, though it’s half a lie. I’m glad now, maybe, but fifteen minutes ago I was considering faking an illness to get out of this.
He gestures toward a corner table. “You want to sit?”
“Yes, please.” I almost trip over my own feet getting there. Smooth, Kate. Very smooth.
We settle in, and the waitress appears like magic. I’m grateful for the distraction.
“I’ll just have a coffee,” I say quickly, not trusting myself with anything more complicated.
“Black,” Jack adds, like it’s obvious.
Of course, he drinks his coffee black.
She leaves, and then it’s just us, sitting there, the weight of first impressions pressing down.
He’s even more attractive up close. There’s a quiet intensity about him, one that doesn’t need to fill silence with noise.
His jaw is defined with the faintest hint of stubble along it, and when his eyes meet mine—steady, warm—I feel a flicker of heat low in my stomach.
I wasn’t expecting that. I wasn’t expecting any of this.
“So,” I start, my hands fidgeting with the edge of a napkin, “this is... nice.”
Nice? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?!
Jack’s mouth twitches, like he’s holding back a smile. “It is.”
Silence stretches, but not in a bad way. More like he’s waiting to see if I’ll settle.
Spoiler: I won’t.
“So,” I try again, “how long have you been... doing what you do? Search and Rescue?”
“Fifteen years,” he says, leaning back, arms resting on the table like he’s carved from calm. “Started right after the Army.”
I nod, impressed despite myself. “That’s... intense.”
“Sometimes.”
I’d googled it last night—believe me, compared to teaching tenth-grade English, it’s very intense.
The coffee arrives, and I take a sip, grateful for something to do.
“And you?” he asks, voice low and steady. “Teaching?”
“Almost twenty years.” I pause. “God, that sounds ancient when I say it out loud.”
He chuckles, and something in me loosens just a little.
“What made you want to teach?” he asks.
I shrug. “I always liked books. Stories. Thought maybe I could help kids figure themselves out through them. Turns out, mostly I help them figure out how to plagiarize less creatively.”
He laughs, deep and genuine. “You don’t strike me as someone who lets things slide.”
“Not much.”
There’s a pause, and I realize I’m not nearly as nervous now. I’m not sure when that happened. His eyes are on me, but not in that way some men do—measuring, waiting. He’s just... here. Present.
I set my cup down, fingers brushing the rim. “This is easier than I expected.”
Jack raises an eyebrow. “You expected hard?”
I shrug, smiling despite myself. “I didn’t expect smooth.”
“Good.” He leans in slightly, just enough to make my pulse jump. “Because I’m not here to make things complicated.”
“Just coffee,” I say, half-teasing.
“Just coffee.”
But something about the way he says it tells me this isn’t just anything.
And I’m okay with that.
Even if it terrifies me.
Because so far? Jack is really cute, normal, and nice.
Go, me!
Jack leans in a little. “So, you mentioned you had a son? Grown now?”
For a second, I almost panic. Is he stalking me? How did he know that? Then I remember I’d mentioned I had a son during our online chat. I breathe again.
“Too grown,” I say, smiling. “I keep waiting for him to need me again, but so far, he’s managing just fine.”
Jack smiles too. “That’s how you know you did your job right.”
“Do you have kids?”
Jack shakes his head. “Nope. Never had the chance. Thought I would, once.”
He’s quiet for a beat, and I’m not sure what to make of that. Regret, maybe?
We’ve all got a few.
Jack leans back in his chair. “You’re not as nervous as I thought you’d be.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “Oh, I’m nervous. I’m just good at faking it.”
He grins, easy. “That so?”
I nod, still playing with the napkin. “Alright, your turn. When you’re not diving into rivers or chasing down lost hikers, what do you actually enjoy?”
His mouth twitches as if the question caught him off guard in a good way. “I don’t have a ton of free time, but... I like fixing things. Building stuff. It’s... quiet.”
“Let me guess,” I tease, “power tools relax you?”
Jack chuckles. “Only when they cooperate.”
“That’s a dangerous answer. Next thing you know, I’ll be asking you to fix my leaky sink.”
“I’d be happy to anytime,” he says, and it feels less like flirting and more like a promise.
He takes a sip of his coffee, studying me over the rim. “Hiking, camping, anything outdoors—how do you feel about that stuff?”
I groan, exaggerated. “I feel like bugs should stay outside, and I should stay inside.”
That laugh again—low and warm—washes over me.
“Fair enough,” he says. “We’ll stick to indoor activities then.”
My eyes widen, and I realize exactly how that sounded. “That’s not what I meant,” I stammer.
Jack doesn’t miss a beat; he just lifts an eyebrow like he’s daring me to backpedal. “Didn’t say it was.”
I flush, shaking my head. “You’re trouble.”
“Only if you want me to be.”
Just wait until he finds out how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. Oh, God… do I even remember how? Questionable.
I grin to myself when I realize Margot would probably be more than happy to remind me. In graphic detail.
I don’t know how long we sit there, trading questions and laughing over answers more than I expected. It’s easy—so much easier than I thought it would be. The kind of conversation that flows without effort, no awkward silences or forced small talk. Just... nice.
I glance at my phone, surprised. “Wow. We’ve been here over an hour.”
Jack looks up, a little surprised too. “Didn’t feel like it.”
“No, it didn’t.”
He catches the waitress’s eye, signaling for the check. When it comes, he slides a few bills onto the tray before I can even think about arguing.
“I could’ve paid,” I say, half-hearted.
“You can get the next one,” he replies, standing.
The next one. Like it’s already decided.
I like the idea of it more than I expected to.
I grab my purse, suddenly aware of how stupid I was earlier.
The nerves, the panic, the little bottle of pepper spray I tucked inside my purse like I was about to meet a serial killer instead of.
.. this. A man who made me laugh, who listened more than he talked, who didn’t once make me feel like I had to be anything other than myself.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Jack says, already a step ahead.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
It’s not a question. Not a courtesy. Just a simple truth.
I guess there are still gentlemen in this world.
Outside, the air is warmer, a soft breeze stirring the early afternoon. We walk side by side, the easy silence stretching between us, and for once, it doesn’t feel like something I need to fill.
When we reach my car, I turn to face him, keys in hand, not sure what to say now that the date’s over.
“This was... really nice,” I admit, my voice softer than I expected.
Jack nods, that same calm, steady look in his eyes. “Yeah. It was.”
There’s a pause, and then, “Can we do it again sometime?”
I don’t hesitate. “I’d like that.”
He steps closer, just enough that I can feel the warmth of him, and wraps his arms around me in a hug that’s nothing like I expected. Strong, solid, protective. A hug that says you don’t have to be tough right now. And for a second, I melt into it, just breathing him in.
“Have a good day, Kate,” he says, low in my ear.
“Thank you for the coffee.”
He waits until I’m in the car, door shut, before he steps back. I watch him in the rearview as I pull away, my heart a little lighter, my nerves completely forgotten.
One date.
And maybe, just maybe... it wasn’t so foolish after all.