Page 106 of Courage, Dear Heart

“Want? I’m starving.” His gaze sweeps over me, lingering for a beat too long, and a teasing smile curves his lips.

An image of a cartoon wolf with a lolling tongue and heart eyes pops in my mind. Gosh, I need to watch more adult TV. “Upstairs, Romeo.” I roll my eyes and grin as I lead the way back into the apartment.

Daisy flaps her wings and lets out an ear-piercing screech the moment she sees him, her enthusiasm matched only by Jamie, who bounds across the room and throws himself into Elliott’s arms.

“Hey, buddy!” Elliott drops to his knees to hug him. “How are you? Did you leave me any pancakes?”

Jamie steps back, rubbing his belly with a sly grin.

“That good, huh?” Elliott laughs. “If you like them, I know I’m gonna love them. Be right back, okay?” Elliottruffles Jamie’s hair and meets me in the kitchen. Jamie is already lost to the TV, watching an episode about how helicopters are made.

“Do you want me to warm them up?”

“No, like this is fine.” He grabs a fork as I set the pancakes and peanut butter sauce in front of him.

I pour us both fresh coffees, then sit across from him as he takes his first bite. The groan that escapes his lips is low and shameless, and it hits somewhere deep in my chest.

“These are incredible.” He grins. “Thank God your cupcake skills don’t extend to pancakes.”

Laughing, I ball up a napkin and toss it at him. “Hey!”

He catches my hand mid-motion, lacing our fingers together as his thumb brushes lightly over my palm. The warmth of his touch settles something deep within me, even as the intimacy of the gesture sends a shiver down my spine.

“I wanted to catch you before you got too busy with work.” His voice is quiet, his expression serious now.

“You caught me.” I respond to his touch with a caress of my own as my thumb brushes over his. “I have some time before I need to head down.”

He glances toward Jamie in the living room, then back at me. “I don’t like how we left things yesterday after you came to my office. And I hate that I didn’t call earlier.”

“Why didn’t you?” He could ask me the same question. Relationships are a two-way road.

His sigh is heavy, and for a moment, he looks almost unsure. Vulnerable. “I needed time to think. To figure out how to make this right.”

“And? Did you?”

“I haven’t figured it all out yet.” His hand tightensaround mine. “But I couldn’t go another minute without seeing you.” His eyes meet mine, tired but earnest, and I notice the faint shadows beneath them, the stubble on his jaw. “I haven’t slept, Jillian. Not a wink.”

The raw honesty in his voice makes my chest ache. I squeeze his hand back. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. I need to know we’re in this together.”

“Always,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. He lifts my hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, his lips warm and lingering.

For a moment, we sit in silence, the air between us heavy with everything unspoken. His thumb strokes the back of my hand absently, but the tenderness of the gesture grounds me.

“You should know,” I say, breaking the quiet, “I overheard what your father said yesterday. About the building.”

He freezes, his hand tightening briefly around mine before releasing it. “Jillian?—”

“I assume he meant this building. My store and my home.”

Elliott’s shoulders sag as he meets my gaze. “Yes. He did. I didn’t say anything before because it was not something I wanted to talk about on the phone. It’s part of the reason I wanted to see you this morning—to tell you in person. I’m going to stop him—I promise you. No more secrets, remember?”

“No more secrets.” I smile.

His shoulders relax, and he leans forward, cupping my hand between both of his. “I’m with you, Jillian. Always. And not just with this building. With everything. You. Jamie. All of it.”

The conviction in his voice sends warmth spreading through me, melting the last trace of doubt.

“Good,” I whisper, my voice catching slightly.

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