Chapter 22
Twenty Two
Jamie had been smiling to herself for so long her cheeks actually hurt. She told herself she wasn’t nervous, and she wasn’t, but her body still hummed with an energy she couldn’t sit still against. It wasn’t the jitter of live shots or the churn of chasing a lead. This was lighter. Almost giddy.
Her closet floor looked like a small-scale clothing explosion.
Two different blouses were tossed over the arm of a chair.
A pair of heels she’d tried and immediately rejected sat near her bed like abandoned soldiers.
She finally pulled on a sweater that was soft and flattering without being too much. It made her feel like herself.
As she stood in the bathroom, curling the front sections of her hair, she pressed her mom’s contact on her phone. The screen lit up, and after two rings, the voice she knew better than her own answered.
“Jamie?”
“Hey, Mom.” She set the phone on the counter, hitting speaker so she could work with her hands.
Her mom immediately picked up on her tone. “Well, don’t you sound chipper.”
Jamie grinned at her reflection, brushing a loose wave into place. “Do I?”
“Mm-hm. What’s the occasion?”
Jamie hesitated, then tried for casual. “I’ve got dinner plans.”
Her mom’s hum was half amusement, half curiosity. “Dinner plans. With anyone I know?”
“Mom,” Jamie groaned, though the laugh behind it gave her away.
“I’m just asking. Last I heard, you were working every hour of the day. Now suddenly you’re chipper and off to dinner. That sounds like something worth asking about.”
Jamie twisted another section of hair, biting back the full smile tugging at her. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Which means it’s definitely a big deal,” her mom countered.
“Mom…”
Her mom’s voice softened, and Jamie could almost see her sitting at the kitchen counter back in Colorado, elbows propped, chin resting on her hand. “Honey, I’m glad. It’s been a long time since you sounded like this.”
Jamie paused, the curling iron dangling from her hand. “Like what?”
“Hopeful. Excited. Like you’ve got something to look forward to that isn’t just work.”
Jamie swallowed around the lump forming in her throat. “Well. Maybe I do.”
Her mom didn’t press. She never did when Jamie’s voice caught like that. Instead, she asked, “So tell me about them.”
Jamie set the iron down and leaned her palms against the sink. Her reflection was flushed, her smile impossible to suppress. “Her name’s Erin. She’s with the police department, public information officer. We met at a press conference.”
“Oooh. An officer,” her mom teased, not skipping a beat. She hadn’t the first time Jamie told her she liked women, either.
Jamie rolled her eyes. “PIO. She’s not arresting anybody.”
“Still. Uniform-adjacent. That’s something.”
Jamie laughed, shaking her head. “You sound like Harper. She keeps trying to turn this into a romance novel.”
“And she’s wrong?”
Jamie hesitated. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s dinner. It’s casual.”
Her mom’s voice dipped into that gentle teasing tone Jamie had grown up with. “Do you usually spend this much time picking out sweaters for casual dinners?”
Jamie glanced at the heap of rejected outfits on her bed and groaned. “Okay, fine. Maybe it’s not just dinner.”
“That’s my girl.”
Jamie sat on the edge of the tub, curling her legs beneath her.
“It’s just… it feels different, Mom. I don’t know how else to say it.
With Dylan, it was always heavier. Like every step forward came with a weight strapped to my ankle.
This…” she exhaled slowly. “This feels light. Like I can breathe.”
Her mom stayed quiet a moment. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, honey. Someone who makes you feel like you can breathe.”
Jamie blinked back the sudden sting in her eyes. “Yeah.”
“Does she?”
“She does.” Jamie’s voice was quiet, but steady.
Her mom chuckled softly. “Well, then I’m already a fan.”
Jamie smiled into her lap. “Don’t jinx it.”
“I won’t. But let me just say this, Jamie. You deserve someone who sees you for exactly who you are and doesn’t try to shrink you. You’ve always been too bright to live small.”
Jamie pressed her lips together, breath catching. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Anytime. Now, where are you going? Somewhere nice?”
Jamie laughed. “A restaurant near downtown. Nothing too fancy, but nicer than a diner. Erin actually offered to pick me up, can you believe that?”
“Sounds like she was raised right.”
“Or she’s just old-fashioned,” Jamie said, smirking at her reflection. “Dad would probably love her already.”
Her mom’s laughter came warm and easy through the speaker. “That does sound like your dad. But I think it’s sweet.”
“It is,” Jamie admitted. “But I told her I needed to drive myself. I’m on call tonight. If something breaks, I’ll have to run.”
“Occupational hazard,” her mom sighed. “Just don’t forget to enjoy yourself while you can.”
“I won’t.” Jamie stood again, smoothing her sweater. “Okay, I’ve gotta go if I don’t want to be late.”
“Go have fun, honey. Call me tomorrow and tell me everything.”
“I will. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too.”
Jamie ended the call, her chest buzzing in that way it did after conversations with her parents: comforted and centered but still bubbling with energy.
The drive into the city felt shorter than it had any right to. She caught herself smiling at stoplights, singing softly to the radio. She thought about Erin showing up at her door like some scene out of an old black-and-white movie. It made her laugh out loud in the car, cheeks aching again.
When she pulled into the restaurant lot, she checked the time. Ten minutes early. Perfect. She smoothed her hair in the mirror, took a steadying breath, and stepped out.
But when she pushed through the glass doors, her pulse stumbled.
Erin was already there.
Seated by the window, coat draped over the back of her chair, she looked up at Jamie’s entrance. Their eyes locked, and Erin’s mouth curved into a small, deliberate smile.
Jamie’s lips answered before she even thought about it.
She was early. But Erin had been earlier.
As Jamie walked toward the table, Erin rose smoothly to her feet. That simple gesture sent a rush through Jamie’s chest, a mix of old-world manners and something distinctly Erin.
Without hesitating, Jamie leaned in, sliding an arm around her shoulders and brushing a quick kiss against Erin’s cheek.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” she said, grinning without even trying to hold it back.
Erin’s eyes warmed in a way that made the noise of the restaurant fade to nothing.
And just like that, dinner was officially underway.