Pat pulled me into a hug again. Longer this time. He thanked me for visiting with him and promised to see me next month.
Hope and fear mixed together in my heart.
Also a month felt really far away.
FORTY-THREE
Patrick
It was the last day of my two week notice. As far as jobs go, I’d never been more relieved to say goodbye. I’d been in contact with Danny over the past few weeks, and he was as excited as I was to have me rejoin him in the garage.
He’d said, “It’ll be just like having ol’ Kev back in there with me.”
I’d smiled, eyes moist. I knew those were shoes I’d never be able to fill, but the sentiment moved me anyway. Danny didn’t let me relish long. He’d launched right into the obscenely long list of projects he had going. An engine rebuild, four vehicles needing a tune-up, a mysterious brake issue on a Ranger, and more. And of course, the Pontiac.
I was relieved business was good, and thankful I’d be able to step in and help him. He definitely wasn’t as nimble as he used to be. In my absence, Danny had taken incredible care of my inheritance. Getting the chance to make his life a little easier felt like a good way to pay him back.
Danny was tinkering around post retirement, but I needed an actual income. The prospect of stepping into Daddy’s garage and turning it back into what it used to be thrilled me. Danny was ready to step to the side and let me take the lead.
I slipped into my work boots one last time. Later I’d move my stuff out of the apartment and back to Pleasant Gap. DSS was coming to perform the home study in early February, so there was a lot of work to be done. Wanted to get the place spic and span.
* * *
“Okay, I think that does it.” Jules stuck the last of my groceries into the fridge. Her hair was in a tight knot on her head, and she wore yoga pants and a ginormous grey sweater that swallowed her. She shut the veggie drawer and stood, hands coming to her hips all business-like. “What next?”
I glanced around the room, trying to think through the basic list. The cleaning company I’d hired did an outstanding job clearing the dust and grime, leaving my job of moving in pretty simple.
“I think we got it.”
“That was easy.”
“Really was.”
“I hate to say it, but if we are finished I should probably head back.”
I checked my watch. 9:38 p.m. She had a forty-five minute drive home, and the weather was supposed to sour into the night. Some freezing rain and gusty winds.
“I know.” It was dark when we arrived, so I didn’t have the chance to show her around the property. Maybe next time. I pulled her into a hug, hating the looming distance.
She leaned her head onto my shoulder. “You going to be okay here by yourself? Lots of memories to forge through.”
I thought about the time Danny dropped me off. I’d come a long way since then. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. Gonna miss you like crazy though, baby.”
She huffed. Squeezed me tighter. “Same.” She lifted her face to look into mine. “We can’t forget. This is for Sunny. She’s going to have an awesome place to live with her dad. We’re going to be fine.”
Jules had never stopped using thewepronouns. I didn’t call attention to it, because I was afraid she would stop. Hearing her string us together like a package did my heart so much good.
Did she want to be here with me, too?
I’d given so much thought into how and when I’d tell her I loved her. No time felt perfect enough. I wanted to take her breath away when I said it. There had been opportunities, but I didn’t take them. The reasons I didn’t capitalize varied, but at the end of the day, it was fear holding me back. I was afraid she didn’t feel the same.
But looking into her stormy blue eyes, I knew I couldn’t let her get away without telling her how I felt. I wouldn’t be seeing her everyday like before, and she needed to know how serious I was.My chest clenched, and my stomach tightened.
Now or never, Moore.
I lifted her chin to hold her gaze steady. “Jules,” I whispered, “I need to tell you something.”
She didn’t look away.
