Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Adalyn studied Jaxon from across the table. Somehow he’d managed to sweet-talk Wendy into watching Jaclyn and putting her to bed tonight so they could have some time to themselves. She both anticipated it and dreaded it—because she knew exactly what this would be about.
His words from that morning had weighed on her all day. He’d called her his wife… and she had no idea how she felt about that. She’d tried to push it from her mind, but now it flared up full force. She hadn’t let herself dwell on it over the past couple of weeks.
A tiny tremor of fear ran through her, but it was shadowed by a sense of contentment and excitement. Part of her was flattered; the other was scared to death.
Dinner had been mostly silent, interspersed with small talk revolving primarily around Jaclyn.
He kept most of his experiences from the Army under wraps, and she wondered if it bothered him more than he let on.
She didn’t know exactly what he did or where he’d been, and it felt like one more secret between them.
He cleared his throat, and her stomach hit the floor as she dropped her gaze to her plate. Her hand clenched around the fork she held suspended over her plate as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
“Have you given any more thought to what you want to do?” he asked.
And there it was. She feigned ignorance. “What do you mean?” His expression told her she was doing a poor job, and she let out a sigh. “I don’t know.”
He leaned back in his chair and set his hands on his thighs as he studied her. His voice was soft. “That doesn’t sound promising.”
She placed her napkin on the table. “It’s just… It’s a lot to think about.”
“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”
“It’s not that,” she hedged.
His shoulders dropped a fraction and a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Right.”
She bit her lip, her skin flushing cold as his expressionless gaze landed on hers. He had every right to be angry with her. She wrung her hands together and prepared to bare her soul. “I… I’m scared.”
His brows drew together, twin lines forming in the space above his nose. “Why? What scares you?”
She took a moment to gather the words that needed to be said. “You. You scare me.”
His head jerked back and his eyes flared wide at her admission. “I scare you?”
“Not that way. I’m not afraid you’ll hurt me—not physically.
” She swallowed over the sudden dryness in her throat.
“You’re… different. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met.
You make me…” The words eluded her. She couldn’t begin to describe the way he made her feel.
Thankfully he seemed to understand, because he nodded solemnly.
“Trust me when I say this, Adalyn.” He leaned forward and braced his elbows on the table. “I feel a connection to you that I’ve never experienced with another person. I felt it when we first met, and it’s still there now. All I’m asking for is a chance.”
He reached out and laid his hand on the table, palm up. She eyed it for a long moment before placing her own hand in his. “Can I tell you what I’d like?”
His blue eyes implored her to listen, and she nodded, unable to speak. “I want us to do this.” He gestured between them with his free hand. “I want to date you, learn everything about you, everything I missed.”
He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to speak. “No more living in the past. Neither of us can change what happened. But we can change the future.”
She swallowed hard, tears burning the backs of her eyes at his words. “Is that what you want?”
“I just want you, sweetheart. I want to come home to you and Jaclyn every night.”
“But what if we don’t make it?”
“What if we do?”
She bit her lip, her gaze fixed on their hands still joined on the table. Wasn’t that exactly what she wanted? So why was she so afraid to take that last step?
“Adalyn.” He squeezed her fingers where they rested in his, and she lifted her eyes to his.
“We’re no different than anyone else. The journey was a little unconventional, but there’s nothing that says we can’t make this work.
I like you. I care about you. And I think you care about me, too.
Right?” She nodded solemnly, and he continued.
“If we both work at this, I think we can be happy.”
“I don’t exactly have a great track record,” she admitted. “I mean, look how my last relationship ended.”
“Through no fault of your own,” Jaxon cut in. “That had absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“I should have seen the signs. I should have known.”
Jaxon shook his head. “Why would you? You thought he loved you. And maybe he did—in his own way. But he couldn’t love you the way you deserved. What happened to you sucks, and I wish I could take it back. You understand it had nothing to do with you, right?”
Deep down, she thought she’d known it all along, but for some reason, hearing Jaxon say it aloud solidified it for her. She was still furious with Shawn—but she understood.
She nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything.
She couldn’t help but compare Jaxon to her ex-fiancé.
Shawn had put on a facade, trying to be something he wasn’t.
While she thought he was fond of her, his attraction to her was forced.
He’d never been overly affectionate—not like Jaxon, who touched her and kissed her every chance he got.
He made her feel… wanted. Desired. Loved.
“So… where do we go from here?” she asked.
Jaxon lifted a brow. “Bed?”
She let out a little laugh as she shook her head. She wasn’t sure how he read her so well and knew how to lighten her mood. “Movie first. Then bed.” She grinned, watching his eyes darken with lust.
“Deal.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and tossed several bills on the table. Pushing his chair back, he held out his hand for hers. Looping her purse over her shoulder, she slipped her palm into his, leaning into the solid weight and comforting warmth of his big body.
The restaurant they’d selected was in a large plaza, and there was a cinema located across the street on the opposite corner.
Stepping into the warm night air, they strolled down the sidewalk, dodging other pedestrians and couples outside enjoying the evening.
They crossed over to the movie theater where Jaxon paid for their tickets—against her protests—and led her into the dark theater.
Once settled in their seats, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her temple.
She tipped her chin up, studying his profile in the soft light.
Things with Jaxon felt… different. Was she falling for him?
Her pulse kicked up, her blood thrumming through her body at the possibility.
Maybe he was right. They could take this one day at a time.
What was the worst that would happen? People divorced every day, even after years of marriage with someone they’d once loved.
Her heart felt a little lighter as she settled in and rested her head on Jaxon’s shoulder.
She felt his head turn, and she smiled as she imagined the surprised look on his face.
It was the first time she’d initiated anything—and it felt good.
Warm lips brushed the crown of her head, and she tipped her face up to him.
One hand cupped her jaw, and intense blue eyes studied her for a long moment.
As if sensing the change between them, he lowered his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.
The moment was broken as the theater went dark and the previews started rolling. A silly smile on her face, she focused on the screen. She was so wrapped up in the movie—and the man next to her—that the buzzing of her phone half an hour later barely registered.
Jaxon tipped his head. “Do you want to check that?”
The vibrations stopped then immediately started again. Opening her bag, she peeked at her phone, then returned her gaze to Jaxon. “It’s just Evelyn. I’ll call her back later.”
Setting her bag to the side, she focused once more on the movie, only to be interrupted by buzzing once more. A text popped up on her screen.
Evelyn: Why aren’t you answering your phone?
She held the phone down to control the bright glare of light from the screen as she typed out her response.
Me: I’m in the middle of a movie
Before she could ask what she needed, three little dots popped up and another message came through.
Evelyn: Need you to come over
Jaxon watched over her shoulder as she typed. “Do you want to go?”
“I’m not sure.” Anxiety raced through her, and her fingers flew over the screen.
Me: Is everything ok?
Her next message came only seconds later, brief and chilling.
Evelyn: Hurry
Her hand fluttered to her throat, the pressure on her chest suddenly making it hard to breathe. She imagined the worst, that Evelyn was hurt or something bad had happened.
“I—I need to go check on her,” she whispered.
Without a word, Jaxon grabbed her hand, and they crept out of the theater.
Once in the car, she pressed one hand to her stomach as the lights of the freeway flew by and bled into the distance.
She wasn’t sure why, but she had a bad feeling.
Sure, her mother had a tendency to be overly dramatic, but her messages tonight were abrupt, holding a sense of urgency she didn’t know how to interpret.
Jaxon reached over and placed a hand on her thigh. “It’s okay, babe. I’m sure everything is just fine.”
She nodded and forced a smile, though doubt reigned.
Following her directions, Jaxon pulled up in front of her mother’s house seventeen minutes later.
She was out of the truck before the engine cut off, halfway up the stone walkway to the large brick home.
Without bothering to knock, she turned the handle, thankful it was unlocked, and shoved the front door open.
“Evelyn?” she paused. “Mother!”
“No need to yell, I’m coming.”
The tap of heels across the parquet floor reached her ears and Adalyn breathed out a sigh of relief.
As her racing heart began to calm, she became aware of several things at once.
The first was Jaxon’s heat at her back. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he shifted her slightly to the side and closed the front door.
The second thing she noticed was the luggage. Two suitcases and an oversized tote bag stood just inside the entryway, and her brows drew together.
Evelyn rounded the corner, her handbag draped over her forearm, looking like she was ready to stride into a party.
It was ten o’clock at night. What was going on?
Before Adalyn could speak, Evelyn waved to the suitcases by her feet. “All right, I’m ready.”
Shock rooted Adalyn to the floor. “For what?”
“I need to catch the red-eye to LA.”
“Did something happen?” Did they even know anyone in Los Angeles?
She lifted an eyebrow and looked down her nose at her as if she was an idiot. “I’m going on a trip, and I need you to take me to the airport.”
Disbelief temporarily rendered Adalyn speechless. For several seconds, she floundered before finally managing to choke out words. “A trip?”
Her mother stared at her but didn’t speak. A low boil began in her stomach and curled upward. “You called me out of a movie because you decided to take a last-minute trip to the city?”
Evelyn lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t want to leave the Mercedes at the airport. Besides, the suitcases won’t fit in—”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” The words ripped from Adalyn’s throat as she threw her arms wide.
“Language!” her mother admonished. “It isn’t ladylike.”
“Neither is treating your only child like a slave,” she shot back. “For years I’ve been nothing but a pawn for you to use. I’m your daughter, not your assistant.”
“Really,” Evelyn huffed, propping one hand on her hip. “It’s the least you can do.”
“Really? Because you loaned me money that I should have gotten from the bank in the first place?” Adalyn seethed. “I’m done playing your games. And after Monday, I won’t owe you a single thing.”
“What does that mean?” A faint trace of alarm entered her mother’s eyes.
“It means I’m paying off every red cent that I borrowed so I don’t have to deal with your ridiculous, selfish antics ever again.” She pointed a finger at her. “And you can forget seeing Jaclyn again until you get yourself together. We don’t need your toxic attitude in our lives.”
“But…” Her mother looked lost, and for a moment, Adalyn almost felt bad. Then Evelyn ruined it. “How am I going to get to the airport?”
“You know what, mother?” Adalyn snapped. “You can walk all the damn way to LA for all I care.”
Turning on her heel, she threw open the door and stomped down the sidewalk. She refused to look at Jaxon, but she felt him just a step behind the whole way. Before she could reach for the handle, Jaxon held the door, and she hopped up inside the cab.
Her body shook with anger from the top of her head all the way down to her toes, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She was afraid if she let go, she would lose her mind. How could one person be so selfish?
Wordlessly, Jaxon climbed into the driver’s seat and started the truck. She stared out the windshield until they turned onto the main road. Then she burst into tears.