As we drove to the beach, I traced the tips of my fingers up Jett’s wrist and along the inside of his arm. I moved to the outer part of his bicep next, tracing back down in a slow trickle, hoping it would soothe the upset in his heart over his parents. When I was younger, I hated thinking about my parents splitting up. I realized it was probably no easier at our age.
“You know,” I said, looking over the glistening water as we headed toward the parking area. The sun was starting to set, and the sight was stunning. An array of red, gold, and every shade in between stretched all the way to the water, where it reflected over the waves. “I used to think that I might be able to keep my parents together somehow. I turned ten about a month before my dad left. My mom was pregnant with Missy at the time.”
A knot of pain seeped into my chest at the recollection. Knowing that Jett was possibly facing a similar thing made the wounds feel fresh. “I remember thinking that I must be a real disappointment or something, because it was like, as soon as he found out they were having another girl—not a boy—he took off.” I released a dark chuckle under my breath. “It was literally the day after the ultrasound.” I shrugged and cupped both of my hands around his once more. “It’s probably for the best. What good would it have done for him to stick around longer just because he was excited about finally getting a boy? It wouldn’t have changed him.”
The pain of that truth was like a dozen darts to the chest. I hadn’t even admitted it to myself before that moment. But I was suddenly very sick of giving my dad excuses. Giving into everywhat-ifscenario I could imagine.
Jett squeezed my hand. “You’re probably right,” he said softly. “It’s really odd, but with my mom, she isn’t going wild or anything. She’s just…I don’t know. I looked it up, and read that a lot of people, before they hit some milestone age, get a little…off. She’s about to turn forty later this year, and I wonder if she regrets getting married so young. She had me when she was twenty-one.”
I chuckled. “My mom was nineteen when I came along.”
Jett grinned. “Both were young. Like I said, my folks haven’t given us a lot of details. Originally, she went to Georgia to help my grandma get through a couple of back-to-back surgeries. She needed help getting around and stuff. That was back when school started.”
Jett squinted as he slowed the truck and pulled into the parking area. He turned the key to shut off the engine, moved the sack of groceries onto the floor, and scooted closer to me in the small space.
“After the surgeries were through, my mom just kind of stayed out there. She came back for my birthday last month, but instead of settling back in, she gathered a fewmoreof her things. Sweaters, jackets, winter-type clothes. That’s when they told us she was staying out there for more than my grandma. My dad says she needs space and time to work through a few things. She basically says the same thing.”
I sighed, wishing I could give him some sort of assurance. The truth was, I had nothing. Except… “You guys will be fine either way,” I said. “I mean, it’s awful, and I really hope they don’t split up, but I’ve realized that people are pretty resilient.”
“Youdefinitely are.” Jett swept a strand of my hair behind my ear and let his fingers trace along the side of my neck.
The sensation caused goosebumps to ripple over my arms. My heart kicked up a beat.
“You’ve been through a lot, Harper. You really have. And you’ve always seemed so…I don’t know, cheerful.” He laughed. “Is that a dumb word?”
I shook my head and grinned, suddenly fighting back an onslaught of emotion. “No. I like that word. And I’m glad. Ihavebeen a pretty happy kid, all things considered. My mom’s amazing. She never wanted us to feel like we were missing anything, you know? In fact, her parents moved out here after he left. They come over a lot, which has really helped. They’re awesome.”
I stared into Jett’s heavenly brown eyes, my heart swelling as I detected emotion there as well. “I want Missy to have the best life ever,” I said in a whisper. “My mom too. She deserves it.”
Jett ran his thumb along my cheek, his gaze still locked on me. “You deserve that too.” He moved in then, brushed his lips gently to mine, and kissed me in the most tender, beautiful way. It felt like more than an outward connection of his mouth on mine; it was like our souls were entwined. Soothing and encouraging one another in a moment more intimate than anything I’d known.
He kissed me again, long and slow, as the tone shifted into something more sensual. I tilted my head, ran my hand up the back of his neck, and deepened the kiss with a sigh.So good.Even better than I remembered. I keyed in to every sensation: the movement of his masterful lips, strong and persuasive one moment, gentle and caressing the next. And when he ever so softly grazed my tongue with his, hints of hot cinnamon candy made things all the sweeter.
I wasn’t sure how much time ticked on as we kissed in Jett’s truck. All I knew was that the moment bonded us to one another in a way that I couldn’t explain. Jett wasn’t like a lot of other guys out there, looking for cheap thrills with random girls, all to use them one day and dump them the next. I secretly thrilled in how very different he was from TJ. Jett was driven and determined. He wanted to find someone he could share a future with. Have a family with. He wanted what I wanted, and I never realized how attractive that quality was.
But the very best part was that nobody was in sight. It wasourtime—mine and Jett’s alone—which told me everything I needed to know: Jett really was interested in me, the way I was in him.
With that welcome truth flowing through me, I tuned into the wonder of Jett’s lips on mine—the chemistry ofourkiss—determined to never let go of him.
A series of taps echoed throughout the cab suddenly, ripping me from my musings in one startling blink.
Jett pulled back with a groan and glared at the window behind me. “Great,” he mumbled under his breath. “They’re here.”
They. They. Please saytheydidn’t mean TJ and Tasha. Panic trampled over the peace of the moment, reminding me that perhaps this wasn’t as real as I hoped it might be.
Heart thudding out its frantic beat, I glanced over my shoulder to see Connor, Levi, and Jett’s twin sisters huddled up to the window.
“Excuse me,” Connor said while cupping a fist over his mouth. It made it sound like he was speaking through a megaphone. “We’re going to need you to release the girl and step out of your vehicle with your hands up.”
Ava gave Connor a playful slap. “You’re such a dork.”
Thankfully, the group moved to the back of the truck to help unload the ATV’s, allowing me and Jett a chance to climb out of the truck without an audience. I was grateful for that. After helping me down, Jett snatched his jacket off the seat.
He lifted a brow. “You want?”
I grinned. “Yes, thank you.” I slid my arms into place as he held it up for me and offered to carry the groceries so he could help with the ATV’s. And soon I was huddled beside Ava and Ivy, watching as the guys placed boards as ramps to lower the 4-wheelers.
“This is going to be a blast,” Ava cheered with a grin.
