Jessica had dropped him a pin like he’d asked before he left East Lansing, but sometime during his drive, she’d texted again with a change in plans. Jack had to stop for gas anyway, so he pulled into the nearest station, something called Holiday, which he’d never heard of before.
While his truck refueled, Jack read Jessica’s messages.
Instead of responding via text, Jack called her.
“Hey!” she shouted when she answered, the cacophony on her end of the line so loud Jack had to pull his phone away from his ear. A moment later, the sound cutoff. “Sorry about that.”
“According to my phone, The Mast is about five minutes from where I’m at.”
Jessica gasped. “You’re actually coming here.”
“I actually am. Why didn’t you believe me?”
She was quiet for a moment, then said, “It was too much to hope for.”
“Sunshine…”
“We can have this conversation when you get here. Drive safe, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” he said, smiling. “See you soon.”
“And Jack?” Jessica said before he could hang up.
“Yeah?”
“I’m really excited to see you.”
His grin grew. “Me, too, sunshine.”
Once he ended the call, the telltalethunksignaling a full gas tank echoed through his truck. A moment later, with the fuel nozzle hung and the gas cap firmly back in place, Jack hit the road again.
Exactly five minutes later, he pulled into a parking lot connected to The Mast, the front entrance of which was shaped to mimic the bow of a ship, a mast rising out of it with a neon sign blinking the bar’s name.
Jack had never been to Traverse City, but already he was getting the vibe that it took being a coastal town very seriously.
Almost as if she’d been watching for him, the moment he slid out from behind the wheel of his truck, Jessica pushed through the door and onto the sidewalk. For a moment, they remained rooted in place, simply staring at each other.
Jack didn’t know who moved first, only that one moment he’d been beside his truck, and the next he was scooping Jessica into his arms.
He inhaled deeply, the scent of her washing over him like an ocean wave, instantly transporting him back to Mexican beaches, too many shots of tequila, and endless days in the sun with her. They were a far cry from that paradise now, but having her back in his arms was exactly his idea of nirvana.
Jessica pulled away first, though her hands remained glued to his biceps. “You’re here,” she breathed, her words fogging in the air between them.
“I told you I would be,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you were serious! That’s a three hour drive.”
“Three hours is nothing when you’re at the other end,” he said.
And he meant it. There was something to be said for not having to hide his feelings anymore, and now that both of them were free to give this thing between them another chance at last, he wanted to remind her exactly what it was he felt for her.
“Jack…”
“Look,” he said, gripping her hands in his. “We’ve waited almost four years for this. Please don’t pull away from me.”
“I’m not,” she said. “But I just got out of a relationship. One I’d been in nearly the entire time we’ve been apart. How would it look if I just jumped into something new with you?”
“I think it would be perfectly acceptable considering Silas already did that exact thing…withmyex.”
