20 Cora #2
“You know, my dad gave me my first camera.” She pulled up a mental image of her first Canon.
It was fairly basic as far as cameras went.
It did little more than point and shoot.
But to her it was the fanciest camera in the whole world.
“I was, like, eight or nine and totally enamored. My dad sat out here with me for hours that summer while I played with the light and angles. Lots of summers, actually.”
“Sounds like a special memory.”
She nodded. Funny how she hadn’t thought about that memory in a long time.
“Has nature photography always been a passion?”
“Absolutely. Most of my photographer heroes are wildlife photographers.”
“Why don’t you go into that?”
She shrugged. “As much as I like the end result, I don’t love spending all day laying on my belly in the dirt. It’s a lot
of waiting and hoping and spending hours in uncomfortable places.”
He chuckled. “I could see that being a problem.”
“Plus the money’s better in commercial photography. Sooo...”
“Fair enough.” He handed her camera back to her. “And you can still do this for fun.”
“Exactly.”
“Still, your pictures are exceptional. You should consider doing a show. The world deserves to see your work.”
Heat pooled in her cheeks, and she quickly looked down at her lens, pretending to check it for any stray grains of sand in
order to keep him from seeing her reaction.
The truth was he had just given her the biggest compliment she could receive. More than being pretty or funny or smart, Cora
wanted her photography to be admired. And Jax did that. Everything, from the way he looked at the pictures to the tone in
his voice, said not only did he get it, but he also genuinely liked it.
Maybe he even genuinely liked her.
It had been a while since she had felt seen and heard and validated the way she was when she was with Jax. That, combined
with the way he looked at her, made what was left of her walls tumble down.
“Do you want to get breakfast?” she asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of the town’s restaurants.
At the very same time he asked his own question. “Are you busy Saturday night?”
He chuckled at the coincidence. “I wish I could get breakfast, but I have to be in the office this morning. There’s a big
meeting.”
“Right. Of course.” It was a completely legitimate reason, but she couldn’t help the drag of disappointment that tugged at
her. “I keep forgetting that not everyone here is on vacation.”
“Speaking of work, my company is hosting their annual charity gala Saturday night. It’s this black-tie thing to raise money
for local charities.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“Apparently the town whose official dress code includes flip-flops likes to go all out on occasion. It’s a thing.” He gave
a shrug, as if he didn’t get it. “I’d love for you to come with me. As my date.”
“As your date, huh?” She’d been on plenty of dates with him, but this invitation felt different. It seemed bigger.
“To be completely transparent, most of my family will be there along with everyone I work with, most of our vendors and half
the town. And I’m sorry to say they all struggle with getting in the middle of your business. I can’t wait for them to meet
you, but if you’re not ready to meet them, I totally get it.”
“I think I can hold my own.”
His eyes sparkled. “Of that I have no doubt.”
She considered the invitation. “The challenge will be finding a dress for your fancy occasion in two days. It’s not like I
packed formalwear for the trip to the beach.”
“The way I hear it, nothing you packed has made the trip to the beach.”
“Good point.”
“So, is that a yes?”
She pretended to consider it for a second, even though who was she kidding? Of course she was going.
“Sure, I suppose I could squeeze it in.”
“Great.” He leaned into her, and the ever-present sizzle that was always between them seemed to intensify. “I’ll pick you
up at seven.”
“Just because you spend your free time cheering up kids in the hospital doesn’t earn you the right to drive me places. I’ll meet you there.”
His authentic smile widened. “Of course. I would expect nothing less.”
“Unless you want me to pick you up. I’ll even open your door, if you want.”
He chuckled. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
She wasn’t expecting what happened next.
He kissed her.
Or maybe she kissed him. The specifics were a little fuzzy.
The bottom line was that they kissed.
It was almost like a reflex. Like, of course they would. Like the magnetic draw between them wouldn’t allow for them not to
kiss. It was hard to imagine it hadn’t happened before now.
But there was also a part of the kiss that sent fireworks exploding in Cora’s brain and down her body. His soft lips pressed
against hers with a sort of gentle passion. Everything about it felt magical. His lips. His touch. The way he felt sitting
next to her.
Excitement sparked through her in a way she’d never felt before. It was almost as if this was where she was meant to be, and
this was what she was meant to be doing.
She really should have brushed her teeth before she left the house.
It was a quick kiss, but it was powerful, and it left her feeling off-balance.
“See ya Saturday,” he whispered as he backed away. He lingered there for a second, his twinkling gaze locked on hers, before
he pushed himself up. With one last long look, he turned and jogged off in the direction of his condo.
Well, it was official. He liked her, too.