Chapter 14
Jo was avoiding him.
It wasn’t just a feeling either. Jack texted her, and the short, one-syllable responses reinforced what he already suspected. When he realized what she was doing, he’d decided against asking her out, which was why he was having Friday night dinner with his family.
He couldn’t really fault her. That kiss had shaken his world and made him question what he wanted in life. He knew he still wanted a family, but did that mean in Wishing Well or somewhere else? Especially if that somewhere else meant he was with Jo.
Moving though? She lived in New York. How would he handle living in a place like that? She was talking about being busy traveling the next year. What did that mean if they decided to make a go of a relationship? Even if he went with her, changed his life completely, if they never got to see each other, it’d never work.
Then there was him. What if she wanted high school Jack? The one with big dreams and zero limitations. Would she wake up one day and realize that she’d settled when there was a sea of highly successful choices in New York? What if she decided he wasn’t enough? What then?
“You’ve definitely got something on your mind.” Ethan handed him a glass of tea as he sat down in the rocker on the front porch of their parents’ home. “Everything okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, talk. Maybe you can figure it out.” His brother smiled.
Jack sat quietly for a moment. “I… I like Jo, but it would never work. She doesn’t live here. I definitely don’t want to move to New York, and even if I did move there, the odds of things working would be slim. She travels a lot, and that just doesn’t work when you’re in a relationship.”
It was just not his speed. Plus, he loved his life in Wishing Well. He loved the small town where everyone knew each other. They helped each other. Wishing Well was his home and where he belonged. He just wished Jo felt the same way.
He loved the folklore surrounding the well, even if he didn’t exactly believe it himself. It was fun playing like he did. To him, it wasn’t much different than the tooth fairy or Santa or the Easter bunny. He loved the festival each year. He loved his family and friends.
Wishing Well was his home and where he belonged.
“Serenity travels a lot.”
“Yeah, but you get to go with her. Jo writes for a wedding magazine, and I’d have my own job. It’s not like staying at a location for months on end, like you and Serenity.” He set the glass of tea down and sank lower in the chair. “I don’t even know why I’m thinking so hard about this. I just met her.”
Ethan leaned his head back against the rocker. “Love isn’t logical, big brother. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d meet an actress, fall in love, and get married, I would have told you that you were out of your mind.”
“Your situation is different.”
“Not really. At least Jo went to our high school. I had no idea who Serenity was, and while she didn’t outright lie to me, she did by omission. I didn’t know who she was until the paparazzi figured out where they were filming the movie.”
Jack cleared his throat. “And we talked about this. Yeah, she wasn’t completely on the up and up, but she had a good reason. How many guys only wanted to date her because she was a star? She liked you and wanted you to like her for her, not her status.”
His brother nodded. “I know, but at the time, it didn’t make it hurt any less or give me solid grounds to continue in a relationship with her. She’d led me to believe one thing while being something else.”
“I know, and I hear you. Jo has been completely honest from the beginning. She isn’t moving back to Wishing Well.” He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. “I like—no love—my life here. I have my business that I’ve worked hard to build. As much as she doesn’t want to move here, I don’t want to move there.”
“Convince her to move here.”
“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?”
“Don’t just think about it. Come up with a plan. Show her it’d be worth coming home.”
His brother made it sound so simple when it was anything but. Jack had toyed with all sorts of ideas that might show her it was worth sticking around Wishing Well… sticking around for him.
“I—” Jack stopped short as Jo appeared at the bottom of the steps. “Hey…” The word came out just above a whisper. He was both shocked to see her and pleasantly surprised. Suddenly, he was jittery, like he’d downed an entire case of energy drinks.
After not seeing her for almost a week, it took effort not to fly down the steps, sweep her into his arms, and kiss her. She looked great, too. A sleeveless floral dress with a sleeveless jean vest over it with tennis shoes made her look every bit the small-town girl.
Her lips quirked up. “Hey. You think we could talk?”
Ethan moved to stand, and Jack stopped him.
“Take a walk?” Jack asked as he jumped to his feet.
He’d been lethargic and heavy-hearted seconds ago. Just seeing her made him happy.
“Sure.”
He jogged down the steps, reached the ground, and shoved his hand in his pockets. “Uh, so, how have you been?”
She toyed with her fingers as they walked. “I’ve been okay. I opened up the rest of the house and started cleaning and painting it. Did you get that plumbing thing fixed?”
“Yeah, finished it yesterday.”
They walked a little longer, awkward silence filling the space between them. The comfortable, easy relationship they’d previously had felt strained and weird now.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stop by the house today,” he said.
She glanced at him. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you. I haven’t exactly been all that welcoming.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I kind of got the impression that you were avoiding me.”
Pulling him to a stop, she caught his gaze. “I was, and I’m sorry I did that. That kiss…”
“Was amazing.”
“The best kiss I’ve ever had. It made things so confusing.” She sagged a little. “Jack, I think you are incredible, I have thought that since high school. Crush, remember?” She softly laughed.
He joined her, laughing. A piece of information that he’d never forget. “I remember.”
“You are sweet and kind and wonderful and… I like you. I like you a whole lot. I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt you. And that’s what I’m afraid of doing, hurting you. I can’t move back here, Jack, and once I leave, I’ll be traveling extensively for the next nine months. Even if…” She stopped short. “I don’t have time for a relationship, and?—”
Even if… He couldn’t stop himself from wondering how she’d really wanted to finish that sentence. “Back up a sentence, even if what?”
Rolling her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve spent years at the magazine, and I know that Delia will give me a shot soon. I’m paying my dues like every other peon out there.”
Jack tilted his head. “Did you say she keeps dangling that carrot and ripping it away? How can you trust her?”
“Because…” she raked her hand through her hair. “Because I just do. I know her, and I know how things work.”
“Right.” He replayed his conversation with Ethan. He was wrong. It didn’t matter what Jack did, Jo was leaving. The only thing he’d get for trying was a broken heart, which, based on how he was currently feeling, wasn’t far off.
Another thought occurred to him. He liked her, they’d kissed, and he thought things were mutual between them, but what if they weren’t? What if what she was really doing was letting him down easy? He wasn’t the town hero anymore. He was just a dude with a mostly okay hip. Sure, she’d said his worth wasn’t dependent on his football career, but he thought his ex felt the same way before she dumped him.
Forcing himself to agree, he replied, “It’s okay. I’ve been doing some thinking, too. I like you a lot, too, but I’m just not ready for a commitment right now.” He lied. “Ethan getting married messed with my head. I do want a family, just not right now.”
It was quick, but sadness flashed across her features. He had to imagine it because she was the one telling him she didn’t want a relationship. Why would she say that and get upset when he basically told her the same thing?
“That’s… that’s great then. We’re on the same page.” She smiled, but it felt flat, lifeless. Forced.
“We are. That kiss was great, but I don’t think we should do that again. It blurs boundaries that I think need to be crystal clear.”
Man, the whole thing was a lie, and the more he lied, the more he realized he wanted so much more, and not just with anyone, with her. But what else could he say? Beg her to stay? That wouldn’t be fair to her. Even if she decided to stay, how long would it be before she resented him for it? He didn’t want that.
“Right. I agree.” She took a step back and stretched out her hand. “Shake on it?”
He shook her hand, forcing himself to ignore the zaps of electricity pinging around his chest. “Deal.”
Their hands remained joined almost a little too long before she pulled her hand away. “Deal.”
Jack tipped his head in the direction of her house. “Walk you home?” He forced himself to sound okay when he felt like his heart was breaking.
As miserable as this felt, he could only imagine how much worse it would be had things continued unchecked. He hated that it’d ended just as quickly as it started, but maybe that was for the best.
Once Charlie’s house was finished, Jo was gone, and things had settled down, Jack would make a serious effort to find love. Someone who would return his love and want to stay with him in Wishing Well.
Another lie he’d need to repeat a thousand times before he believed it if he ever did.