“Yeah, he’s worked out his flaws over the years. Of course, I think age has a lot to do with it too.”
“Yeah, I think we’ve both come a long way,” I admit and try to push down the unsettling feeling in my stomach of what exactly the long way for me is.
“It’s amazing how you two just seemed to pick right up where you left off. On better terms, of course.”
“Yeah, I agree. It’s been a whirlwind.”
“Well, I am rooting for you guys. Something about you just makes him weak. The way he looks at you, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“Aw, really?”
She nods. “ Oh, yeah. When I saw it again after all this time, I got chills. Like you two were teenagers again.”
“Aww.” I smile. While I feel the connection between him and me too, I’m still trying to ease into this dating thing. There’s still stuff I need to tell him about, and I’m still walking around with my guard up a bit. Nervous to open up and be vulnerable. I just don’t want to dull our sparkle.
The oven timer goes off, cutting the conversation off there. Maureen heads to the kitchen just as I hear a truck pull up. Looking out the window, I see it’s Jesse and Cody.
“Smells like Christmas threw up in here,” Cody calls, coming through the doorway.
“Just the way I like it.” I hear Jesse laugh and round the corner to see me up on the chair. A smile tugs at his mouth, and I get down to greet him.
His arms wrap around me in one smooth motion, pullingme in close. “Hi,” he says with a low, playful voice and presses his lips to mine.
Feeling my cheeks get warm, I smile up at him. “Hi,” I murmur, leaning in to kiss him again.
“Aww, look at you two. Puppy love,” Cody interrupts, standing in the doorway, shoving a cookie in his mouth.
“Jealous?” Jesse teases and lets go of me.
“Please,” Cody mumbles with a mouthful and shakes his head. “Hard pass.” His tone is nonchalant, but it makes me pause for a second. From what I remember, Cody was never one to shy away from having a girlfriend. Starting at the ripe age of fifteen, he was always with a girl.
As he walks away, I turn to Jesse, ready to ask what that was all about. But the question dies on my tongue when I see the way he’s looking at me. Not at my face, my lower body. Specifically caught up on my Christmas-themed leggings. The playful grin spreading across his face tells me he likes what he sees. I can’t help but laugh as I nudge him to stop.
Chapter 12
Jesse
It’s been a hectic week. Work’s been nonstop with it being the final week of the season. I only managed to see Ella once, a quick visit on my way back from the airport. But with the season officially wrapped up, we’re both looking forward to having more time together.
Ella, on the other hand, has a schedule that’s all over the place. Trying to keep up with it is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Night shift one day, day shift the next, a short break, then back on nights. It’s chaotic, kind of like Mason’s work. I don’t know how they do it, but somehow they do.
“When’s the last time you did this?” I ask Ella as I watch her paint camouflage over her face in my bathroom mirror.
“With you.” She laughs.
“Yeah?”
She nods. I don’t know why that surprises me. Maybe none of her exes deer hunted, or maybe they did and she didn’t go. Ella’s pretty laid back, though, like me. Always down for doing whatever because she just wants to be with me. Even ifit involves sitting in a blind for three hours, she doesn’t mind. Something I always admired about her.
We loved each other ten years ago and I know now that’s never stopped. Although we have yet to say it, it seems to be an unspoken thing that lingers between us. Tonight, however, that changes. No more holding back. I’m going to tell her exactly how I feel. When she says it back, it’ll be everything.
Once I get the blind set up, we get settled inside. I forget how much I hated this blind. It’s a pain to set up and the zippers are too loud. I’d rather hunt out of a tree stand but Ella isn’t one for heights and I wanted her to be comfortable.
“So who’s shooting?” She leans in and whispers.
I look to see her trying not laugh. “That would be me.” I pat her leg.
“Rude.”
