“But I’m also here for rehab,” Janelle admitted, watching as the waitress disappeared behind the door leading into the kitchen.
Jack’s look was stern. “What happened?”
“I was shot,” she confessed. “It was a first for me. I was laid up in the hospital in Germany for a short while and transferred back to Alabama. It was a deep graze.”
“Where?” he asked.
She held his gaze, laying a hand over her breast.
“Aw, Baby. Are you going to be alright?”
She bit her lip, turning away. “It looks awful.”
Jack laid down his beer, seeming suddenly angry. “Is that why you didn’t get in touch with me after it happened? Don’t you know that what we have doesn’t have a damn thing to do with appearances? It’s about our connection, Janelle, from the moment we met.”
Janelle felt like she was going to cry, and Jack must have noticed, because he moved his chair, sitting closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I promise, there’s not a single thing that will ever make me feel any different about you. And I’ve got news for you, you’re coming home with me tonight. No more of this avoidance of a relationship. It’s been a relationship from the start, and you know it.”
She bit her lip, as tears filled her eyes. “There are things that you don’t know about me.”
He shrugged. “So what? There are some pretty awful things you don’t know about me either, regarding my childhood. We’ll talk it out.”
“I kind of figured you had a secret,” she murmured.
“I’ve always known you’ve had one too.” He heaved a sigh. “Something to do with your family?”
“Yes,” she answered, looking into his eyes. “It’s the same for yours?”
“It is,” he said. “But let’s save it for tomorrow. Tonight’s just for us.”
She gave him a teary smile. “Alright.”
* * *
A few hours later, Janelle was following Jack’s truck as he led her through town and turned into an alley leading into a parking lot, located behind Northwest Property Management.
They’d talked about anything and everything while Jack was eating. He seemed pretty happy to learn that she would be staying in Crystal Rock for at least three months and possibly longer.
She’d never laughed so hard in her life when she’d seen the video of Nick dressed as Santa, stalking Emma while she was hanging around with her ex-boyfriend, Matt, whom Janelle had met the last time she’d visited Crystal Rock.
When she stepped out from the truck, Jack was there reaching for her hand and escorting her to the door that apparently led to his apartment upstairs.
“I’m impressed,” Janelle said, as they entered the apartment. “I love the fireplace especially.”
“Me too,” Jack admitted. “It’s gas, so I’ve had it running nearly every day. It puts out a lot of heat. Take a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
He flipped on the fireplace before moving to a bluetooth speaker and switching it on too. Soon, soft rock music was echoing through the room.
She was worried. It had been a long time since she’d had sex, and she was terribly nervous.
Of course, none of the men had been Jack, and then there was the damage to her breast, which still made her feel a heck of a lot less confident.
“What kind of drinks have you got to offer?”
“How about a wine cooler? It seems to me I remember that you ladies were drinking them that night in Bali when you weren’t trying those crazy tropical drinks.”
“That would be perfect,” she answered, smiling rather timidly.
He reached into the fridge and brought out a wine cooler for her and a beer for him. Laying them down momentarily, he slipped out of his suit jacket, wrapping it over the back of the kitchen stool before picking up the drinks and resting them on the coffee table.
“I’m nervous about this too, Janelle,” he said softly, seating himself beside her on the couch. “It’s been like, uh – forever for me.”
She blinked. “Really?”
“Really,” he answered firmly. “Most of the women I meet seem to come on to me, and I’ve never really gotten into that. I like to be the one who asks.”
“That’s because you’re so good looking, Jack,” she answered. “A lot of women don’t take the time to look below the surface.”
“Men, too,” he said, snorting. “It’s never been about outward appearances with me when I’ve met a woman. Probably because of something terrible that happened to me in the past.” He sighed. “But like I said earlier, we can talk about that tomorrow.”
“Alright,” she answered softly, finishing her wine cooler.
Jack looked her over with obvious appreciation. “You look lovely tonight, by the way.”
“Thank you. You look lovely too, wearing that suit. I suppose it was part of the reason I got jealous, you dressing up for her.”
Jack barked out a laugh, before suddenly getting serious and reaching for her hand.
She heaved a sigh, letting him embrace it warmly while staring into his eyes.
They stood, and Jack walked her through the apartment and silently, he led her through a wide door into a massive master suite.
Through the corner of her eye, Janelle could see it was beautifully decorated, and somewhere in the back of her mind she recognized that the same sultry rock music playing in the living room was echoing through the bedroom as well.
She’d had her share of short-term relationships, but this was probably the most romantic moment she’d ever experienced. Something magical was happening between the two of them, and Janelle knew she would always remember this night.
Jack let her head drop, pushed shut the door, and pulled her into his arms before cupping her face and pressing his lips against hers.
His kiss was everything she remembered and so
