just make me calm, clear and focused. Like it’s OK to forgive myself, to move on, because I have to if I want to be with you.” He laughs. A little embarrassed, a little uncomfortable. “Does that make sense?”
I brush at the tears on my cheek. “No. But it is wonderful.”
He folds me into his arms. “We’re a crazy pair, Yolanda. Do you know that?”
I laugh. “Yep, that is something I do know.”
“But I love you. I’m crazy in love with you, Linda. Try not to forget that.”
“I love you too.”
He stares at the ocean and sighs. “Shit, we’ve got to go.” He stands up, brushes the sand from his legs and then offers me his hand.
I stare up at him. “Why?”
He checks his watch. “We need to get back to the hotel, change, and pick up Chrissie at the LA Equestrian Center by three.”
“Why does Water want you to pick up Chrissie from the LA Equestrian Center?” I crinkle my nose. “Is he into horses? It doesn’t fit my picture of him.”
“Walter has graciously permitted me to attend my daughter’s riding lesson today.”
My brows lift. “Since when does Chrissie ride?”
Jack’s expression grows sardonically amused and a little aggravated. “Oh, the riding thing. It’s new. Apparently, my educational guidance is lacking. Walter is making sure Chrissie gets a healthy dose of all the rich girl vices. Riding lessons. Tennis. Sailing and golf.”
I grimace. “Sporty guy.”
“That’s one way of thinking of him. Not my word, but one way.” He sighs heavily as he shakes his head. He stares at me for a few moments and the smile returns to his eyes. “I could lay with you here forever, let the world pass us by, and that would be just fine with me.”
I tuck myself close into his side as he loops his arm around my shoulder. I stare up at him and make a face. “No, you wouldn’t be fine. Eventually you’d want to surf.”
Jack laughs. “I need the ocean. It’s calming too. Like my Linda.”
“If I’m so calming how come we fucked like rabbits every time we’re together.”
A low chuckle escapes Jack, more in a normal flow. I smile. Good. Some of the worry is losing its hold on him.
“Because you don’t calm me frequently enough. And we don’t fuck, Linda. We make love. Don’t call it fucking.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
I sit in the center of the bed watching Jack dress. He’s been quiet since we returned to the room, which is more than fine with me. My emotions are bouncing through me, and my thoughts unmerciful and relentless since Jack told me what Walter is up to.
So much of the last few months suddenly makes sense. No wonder Jack has been so volatile lately. Jack has no greater vulnerable spot than Chrissie, and Walter is trying to take his daughter from him. An impending, ugly court battle. It just isn’t right. Jack is a loving father.
I stare out the window. Why does there always have to be so much shit just waiting around every corner to remind me that there can never be anything more with Jack than what we have now. New day. New shitty reality check.
Jack stops at the foot of the bed and holds his arms wide. “How do I look? Presentable?”
I shift my gaze to him and smile. Foolish man. Chrissie’s nine years old. She won’t care what you’re wearing. She will only care that you are there... I fight the sudden rising emotion as that thought makes me think of my own father, and I let my eyes drink in the sight of him. He looks gorgeous in anything, even that outfit: a pair of worn jeans, sockless with loafers, a slightly wrinkled pale green button-down cotton shirt, and a LA Lakers cap.
“The cap is a nice touch.”
A wicked grin claims his lips. “It’s the last sports bet you lost. The last bet I have to collect. I plan to exhaust all my bets this trip.”
I struggle to maintain a light of mood air. “Aha. Is that a warning or is that a promise?”
He plants his hands on the bedspread and leans in, kissing me. “Definitely a promise.”
When he
I brush at the tears on my cheek. “No. But it is wonderful.”
He folds me into his arms. “We’re a crazy pair, Yolanda. Do you know that?”
I laugh. “Yep, that is something I do know.”
“But I love you. I’m crazy in love with you, Linda. Try not to forget that.”
“I love you too.”
He stares at the ocean and sighs. “Shit, we’ve got to go.” He stands up, brushes the sand from his legs and then offers me his hand.
I stare up at him. “Why?”
He checks his watch. “We need to get back to the hotel, change, and pick up Chrissie at the LA Equestrian Center by three.”
“Why does Water want you to pick up Chrissie from the LA Equestrian Center?” I crinkle my nose. “Is he into horses? It doesn’t fit my picture of him.”
“Walter has graciously permitted me to attend my daughter’s riding lesson today.”
My brows lift. “Since when does Chrissie ride?”
Jack’s expression grows sardonically amused and a little aggravated. “Oh, the riding thing. It’s new. Apparently, my educational guidance is lacking. Walter is making sure Chrissie gets a healthy dose of all the rich girl vices. Riding lessons. Tennis. Sailing and golf.”
I grimace. “Sporty guy.”
“That’s one way of thinking of him. Not my word, but one way.” He sighs heavily as he shakes his head. He stares at me for a few moments and the smile returns to his eyes. “I could lay with you here forever, let the world pass us by, and that would be just fine with me.”
I tuck myself close into his side as he loops his arm around my shoulder. I stare up at him and make a face. “No, you wouldn’t be fine. Eventually you’d want to surf.”
Jack laughs. “I need the ocean. It’s calming too. Like my Linda.”
“If I’m so calming how come we fucked like rabbits every time we’re together.”
A low chuckle escapes Jack, more in a normal flow. I smile. Good. Some of the worry is losing its hold on him.
“Because you don’t calm me frequently enough. And we don’t fuck, Linda. We make love. Don’t call it fucking.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
I sit in the center of the bed watching Jack dress. He’s been quiet since we returned to the room, which is more than fine with me. My emotions are bouncing through me, and my thoughts unmerciful and relentless since Jack told me what Walter is up to.
So much of the last few months suddenly makes sense. No wonder Jack has been so volatile lately. Jack has no greater vulnerable spot than Chrissie, and Walter is trying to take his daughter from him. An impending, ugly court battle. It just isn’t right. Jack is a loving father.
I stare out the window. Why does there always have to be so much shit just waiting around every corner to remind me that there can never be anything more with Jack than what we have now. New day. New shitty reality check.
Jack stops at the foot of the bed and holds his arms wide. “How do I look? Presentable?”
I shift my gaze to him and smile. Foolish man. Chrissie’s nine years old. She won’t care what you’re wearing. She will only care that you are there... I fight the sudden rising emotion as that thought makes me think of my own father, and I let my eyes drink in the sight of him. He looks gorgeous in anything, even that outfit: a pair of worn jeans, sockless with loafers, a slightly wrinkled pale green button-down cotton shirt, and a LA Lakers cap.
“The cap is a nice touch.”
A wicked grin claims his lips. “It’s the last sports bet you lost. The last bet I have to collect. I plan to exhaust all my bets this trip.”
I struggle to maintain a light of mood air. “Aha. Is that a warning or is that a promise?”
He plants his hands on the bedspread and leans in, kissing me. “Definitely a promise.”
When he
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