Nobody was like Jett, and never would be.
The afternoon and evening had been perfect. I glanced at my two favorite guys as Jett said goodnight to Griffin. God, watching their connection brought tears to my eyes—good ones, of course. They’d always been like this, except for the small blip when Jett wasn’t sure of himself. He had a way to go, but their bond shone bright again.
Jett kissed the top of Griffin’s head, and the tenderness of the whole scene had emotions bubbling over like a popped top on a champagne bottle.
I loved the attention he gave my son and found myself craving it just like Griffin did. We’d planned to go out the following weekend, and I couldn’t wait. Our first date. I felt both extremely nervous, which seemed silly when I had spent so much time with Jett, and also so excited that I could almost burst.
When Jett made his way toward me, Griffin called out, “Night Mommy. Night Daddy.”
Having already gone through our nighttime routine, both Jett and I replied in unison, saying goodnight. It all felt so homey and surreal. Griffin was still so young when Jett left for the military, so he hadn’t gotten these moments with him, but I’d dreamed about it a million times.
Pulling the door closed halfway so I could hear Griffin if he needed me, Jett and I made our way toward the front room. He stopped, and I almost ran into his back. The expression on his face when he turned to look at me had my insides twisting. Was he going to change his mind about our date? About trying with each other?
“I need to talk to you about next weekend,” he said solemnly.
All those giddy feelings I was having about us slowly seeped out of my body as we stared at each other, and my joy deflated like a balloon sucked dry of its helium. Getting my hopes up had been stupid. Today’s news and now this; my body sagged, and Jett lightly gripped my hips with a frown on his face.
“Hey, I’m sorry we have to postpone?—”
“Wait, what?” I grabbed his upper arms, needing to steady myself and touch him too. “You’re not canceling? Like changed your mind about doing it at all?”
Jett released an audible breath, sending a poof of air brushing across my face. “I haven’t changed my mind.” He pulled me close, leaving just an inch between us, and my body tingled.
“You haven’t?” He’d just said that, but my brain wasn’t computing properly being so close to him.
“Not a chance. It’s just that Dusty called me today, and she’s struggling.” His mouth tightened, but he continued. “I offered for her to come here to get away, to meet you and everyone else. I just didn’t realize that she would call right back with plans.”
I was relieved and speechless. Jett was such an amazing man.
His brow pinched in worry. “I couldn’t tell her no. She sounded so?—”
Releasing his arm, I laid my fingers over his lips to stop him. “Of course, you couldn’t. I’m not upset. I think it’s a great idea that she's coming.”
The same relief I was feeling flashed across his face, and he visibly relaxed. “How did I get so lucky to have found you?”
“I think that’s the question I should be asking you.”
He was shaking his head. “Nope. It was definitely me that hit the jackpot the day you came into my life.”
A mushy feeling had me almost melting into a puddle ofgoo, but then desire slammed into me as Jett closed the last of the distance between us and brushed his lips across mine.
The kiss was soft and sweet, but no less earth-shattering than the frantic one we shared a few weeks ago. I’d been waiting for it to happen again, but I’d only been graced with kisses to my cheek or forehead.
I hadn’t forgotten what was coming and what we were up against with Chaz, but Jett had made a shitty day a whole lot better. He was at least really good at taking my mind off things.
Kissing Jett—scratch that—kissing my husband was magical.
Chapter Twenty
JETT
My nerves were getting the best of me.
The next week had gone by very quickly, and before I knew it, I was standing inside the airport waiting for Dusty to arrive.
I stood rigid, my jaw clenched, and hands balled into fists at my side. All week I couldn’t stop wondering how I would feel when I saw my friend after the time that had passed. When I’d last seen her, she was still in the hospital, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
A part of me worried that being around her would make the memories and nightmares worse, causing me to slide backward, losing the tiny bit of progress I’d made. I felt awful thinking that way. Dusty needed a friend. She was alive; that’s what mattered.
