“Then I'll wait.” Jack held her gaze. “As long as it takes for you to believe me.”
Rachel searched his face for a long moment. Then she leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow, her hand coming up to rest against his chest. Jack wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, and the kiss deepened, both of them relearning the taste and feel of each other.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Jack rested his forehead against hers. “I've missed you,” he said. “Every day.”
“I missed you too.” Rachel's fingers curled into his shirt. “So much.”
They stayed like that as the light faded from the sky and the first stars appeared overhead. Eventually, Rachel pulled back and looked around at the darkening beach.
“We should probably head back,” she said, though she made no move to stand.
“Probably.” Jack made no move either.
Rachel laughed and pushed against his chest. “Come on. I’ll help you pack up.”
They gathered everything together, working side by side the way they always had. Jack loaded the truck while Rachel brushed sand off her jeans and slipped her shoes back on.
The drive back to her house was quiet and comfortable. Jack reached over and took her hand, and Rachel squeezed back. They drove all the way home with fingers laced together on the seat between them.
When Jack pulled into her driveway and cut the engine, Rachel turned to him. “Do you want to come in?”
Every part of Jack wanted to say yes. But he also knew this needed to be done right. “I want to,” he said honestly. “But I think I should go home tonight.”
Rachel's expression flickered with something that might have been disappointment, but she nodded. “Okay.”
Jack reached over and cupped her face, drawing her close enough to kiss her softly. “This isn't me pulling away. This is me wanting to do this right.”
“I know.” Rachel smiled against his lips. “That's why I'm not arguing.”
Jack kissed her again, deeper this time. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing hard. “I'll call you tomorrow.”
“You'd better.”
He walked her to her door and kissed her one more time on the landing outside her door. Then he forced himself to walk back to his SUV. Climbing behind the wheel, he looked up, seeing Rachel standing at her window, watching him with a smile on her face.
Jack drove home with that image burned into his mind. Rachel smiling… happy… willing to give them another chance.
He planned to make damn sure he was worthy of that smile.
22
Rachel spotted Carson just before lunch, standing by his locker near her classroom with his backpack half-open. She'd waited for a moment when he was alone. When the hallway cleared slightly, she walked over.
“Hey, Carson,” she said, keeping her voice casual. “Got a minute?”
He looked up, surprised. “Uh, yeah, Ms. Ayers. What's up?”
Rachel glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Carson's expression shifted, something wary moving across his features. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, nothing like that.” Rachel gestured toward her empty classroom across the hall. “Just want to check in with you.”
He followed her into the classroom, and Rachel left the door open behind them. She leaned against her desk, keeping her posture relaxed and non-threatening. He stood near the door, his backpack slung over one shoulder, his body language screaming that he wanted to bolt.
Rachel took a breath. “I was concerned by what you may have written on the assignment last week. Where you’re carrying the weight of what a friend told you about seeing something they think is bad. I don't want you… or any student to feel alone.” She’d compared the writing to some of the essays her class of ninth graders had written, but knew she was taking a chance.
Carson's face went carefully blank. “I don't know what you mean, Ms. Ayers.”
