But he had never beenmean.At least, not on purpose.
The time he’d spent with Jillian back then had really meant something to him. All those whispered jokes in the headset, and trailing behind her as she checked off every item on the list to prep for the play, those times had been like a haze of peace and pleasure for him.
He was sure there had been a hum of electricity between them whenever they were close. And he was pretty sure she felt it too. A handful of times, he’d seen something special in her eyes, that spark of recognition like her soul was tryingto touch his.
I was an idiot,he reminded himself.I didn’t even think about how to tell her I liked her.
But there was one thing he’d gotten right back then. Jillian was really special. And all the things he’d liked about her then, he liked even more now. The depth of her concern and care was even better suited to motherhood and nursing than to schoolwork and activities. And the drive that had her careening around the hallways back then was more centered now, focused on the people she loved.
It was only the sadness he caught in her eyes once in a while that made him miss the past. She kept it well-hidden, but Jillian was mourning a life that was gone, and the man who had once been part of her dreams.
Deserving or not, that man had held her heart at one time. And Tripp would have to battle the impact he’d made and the scars he’d left if he wanted to bring Jillian back to the present moment and help her open her heart to love again.
He wished he could battle the man in real life. A simple drive to the city to confront him would give Tripp a whole lot of satisfaction, but he knew he wouldn’t win Jillian’s trust by punching her ex in the nose. It would only reinforce her thinking that he was still an impulsive troublemaker.
So, Tripp would have to practice patience by showing up for her and her family as many times as it took for her to know he was worth trusting.
He reached the front of the school, where they had agreed to meet, and settled in to watch for them.
But he didn’t have long to wait. Just a minute or twolater, Jillian’s car pulled up to a lucky spot close to the school, and the girls spilled out onto the sidewalk, all pink cheeks and sparkling eyes.
He admired the way Mari grabbed Posey’s hand and made her wait for their mother. Posey had spotted some other kids, but she cooperated right away with her sister in a way that reminded Tripp of his brother Tag’s kids, Olivia and Chance, back when they were smaller.
A moment later, Jillian appeared on the sidewalk too, her green eyes searching the crowd in front of the school.
“Hey,” Tripp called to the three of them, giving a wave as he strode across the school lawn to meet them.
“I hope you didn’t wait long,” Jillian said, a tiny furrow in her brow.
“We’re both early,” he reassured her right away. “I just got here myself.”
She smiled, looking at peace again.
“So, what do you want to do first?” Tripp asked the girls.
“What is there?” Posey asked.
“Well, I know there are tons of treats and snacks,” Tripp said. “And there are games and activities on the playground and in the meadow.”
“Games?” Mari asked, looking interested.
“Yes,” Tripp told her. “I’m not sure which ones, but we can check them out and see. And there’s a Ferris wheel this year, just a little one. They’re setting it up in the parking lot.”
“Wow,” Jillian said. “That’s impressive.”
“I guess the festival went well last year,” Tripp said. “So theyupped the ante.”
“Let’s do the Ferris wheel,” Posey yelled.
Tripp looked to Mari, who nodded, and they all set off.
Tripp couldn’t help but notice some of the looks he got from friends and neighbors as they walked. Most of them seemed pretty happy to see him with Jillian and her girls, which was nice.
Of course a few people, like Thora Wexford, only narrowed their eyes suspiciously as he passed. But then Thora was one of a string of women he’d dated casually over the years. And admittedly, he’d broken things off with her for no real reason pretty much as soon as it felt like she was getting serious about him. She probably thought he had a lot of nerve trying to date a woman with kids.
And with anyone but Jillian, she’d be right.
He wished he could just tell everyone that this was different. But it probably wouldn’t change anything. That’s exactly what the old Tripp would have said at the beginning of any relationship. He’d never started dating anyone with the intention of hurting them or stringing them along. But his good intentions always just fizzled out somewhere along the way when he thought about spending his life with them. He might not have known he was carrying a torch for Jillian for all those years, but it was pretty clear to him now, that had been exactly the case.
