“Because Jack isn’t there.” Lexi stifled a sob as the emotion welled up inside her. She wanted Jack. She needed him. She couldn’t even envision her future without him. The only problem was that she wanted a guarantee, too. She wanted to know that this time, she wouldn’t get hurt. That this time, everything would work out. It would be forever. “Oh, God, Bianca. I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”
“You aren’t, honey. Don’t say that about yourself. You have had a very hard road to travel. Anyone would be reluctant to trust after the things that you’ve been through. But at some point, you’re going to have to get up on that horse and try again.”
“But when?” Lexi asked. “How do I know when the time is right?”
“You know what? If I were you, I’d stop focusing on the when and start thinking about the who. Jack is the right guy for you, isn’t he?”
“I think so,” she answered.
“Then forget the timing. You need to go to him before you lose him forever.”
“Okay,” Lexi said, feeling neither encouraged nor optimistic. “I need to at least try, right? I need to make sure he knows how I feel.”
“You can do it, Lex. I’m sure it feels scary, but I promise you that not doing it will feel worse. You don’t want to live with the consequences of that.”
“You’re right. Thank you. I love you.”
“See?” Bianca declared. “It’s not so hard to say. I love you, too.”
Lexi cracked a smile. “I need to go, okay?”
“Yes. Go.”
Lexi hung up and immediately called Jack, but she got his voice mail. “Jack. It’s Lexi. I’m hoping we can talk. Please call me back.” She ended the call and said virtually the same thing in a text, but after ten minutes, she still didn’t have a response. Her other option was to call Angie. She didn’t relish the idea. Angie and Jack were incredibly close, and she could only imagine what Jack might have said to his sister after last night. But at this point, it seemed like a better choice to risk whatever Angie might say to her than to endure another minute of Jack thinking she didn’t care.
“Lexi, hi,” Angie said when she answered her phone.
“I need to speak to Jack, and I can’t reach him on his phone and he’s not replying to my texts.”
“He’s out on Appaloosa Island. You know how spotty the reception is out there. I texted him an hour ago and I still haven’t heard back. If you want, I can tell him to call you when he checks in.”
“Why is he out there? The construction is done.” It occurred to Lexi that Angie was being remarkably kind to her, not treating her at all like the woman who’d stomped on her brother’s heart.
“They’re going through the punch list and some final inspections. Plus, honestly, I think he just likes it out there. He could’ve easily sent Rich to finish up.”
“He does love the house.” Lexi’s memories of her time on Appaloosa with Jack flooded her mind. She had never felt so free as she had when they were there. Jack had opened up her whole world, which was remarkable, since they came from such dissimilar backgrounds. Logic said that Lexi was the one who came from money and sophistication, that it was her place to show him the finer things. But she knew now that it wasn’t the nice things she craved. It was everything that was real. How could she have been so dumb as to have not seen that all along?
“Do you think he’ll be on the site? It’s massive. I could be looking forever.”
“You’re planning on going out there? Is everything okay?”
“You don’t know that he and I broke up, do you?”
Angie audibly gasped. “I don’t! He hasn’t said a thing about it. But he was in an incredibly bad mood this morning. I figured he was just grumpy because the Soiree on the Bay project was done. He gets like that after a big job.”
“Unfortunately, it’s all my fault. I have to go talk to him. I need to explain myself before he never speaks to me again.”
“Let me call Rich, and I’ll find out exactly where he is. I can text it to you?”
“Sounds great. I’ll leave right now.”
“I’m wondering if you’ll make it in time, though. He could be on his way back by the time you drive down there and take the ferry over.”
“Oh, I’m not driving. I’m flying.” Lexi hung up and realized that Jack was going to have to listen to her apology while she was wearing what was easily her least-cute dress and no makeup. There was no time to change into something sexier or heels, the things that gave her confidence and made her feel feminine.Jack makes me feel like a woman.She didn’t need the trappings or clothes. She just needed Jack.
She raced to the bank, calling her dad’s secretary on the way to make sure the helicopter was available. It was, and Lexi didn’t even bother to stop to speak to her father, instead heading straight up to the roof and the helipad. To her great surprise, her dad was waiting for her.
“You’re going to see Jack, aren’t you?” Winston asked sternly.
