Page 55 of Jumping In

When Mac pushes the door to the loft open, I gasp. Candles are everywhere: on the nightstand, the dresser, the floor. Little tea lights, big bulky three-wick candles, tapers. The whole candle department is in this room.

A smile takes over my face as I step deeper into the loft, noting the pizza and books piled on the bed. The TV mounted on the wall is on, playing the trailer for one of my favorite rom-coms, another Reese Witherspoon classic,Sweet Home Alabama.

“It’s not much, but I thought it’d be nice to just have some time together, alone,” he says, but I’m already nodding and turning to him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kiss him softly. “It’s perfect.”

He leads me to the bed, handing me a napkin and plate with a slice of pizza on it. He also slides a bottle of Dr. Pepper toward me, and I smile. This guy still knows me and all of my favorites—I think I fell just a little bit more in love with him.

Chapter 20

Mac

July 12

My mind races as I replace the oil cap on the car I’m working on, and I startle when I feel arms wrap around my waist from behind.

“Mac?” MJ questions.Shit—I must have missed something she said.

Wiping my hands on my jeans, I turn to face her. “Sorry, baby. What’s up?”

“You’ve been in your head all day. Wanna talk about it?”

Yes. No. I don’t know. Does it even matter if we talk about it?

Since our date night a few nights ago, MJ has been coming to the shop to hang out. I’m usually busy working but just having her nearby has been nice. Any time I take a break, she’s there to talk to.

Mr. Lawrence dismissed me on Monday and told me to take the rest of the week to rest, relax, and make sure everything was squared away, just in case. The “justin case” bit has had my stomach in knots ever since.

My family isn’t ready for “just in case.” Jake’s finally getting his life together in Cedar Bend, and I really don’t want to drag him back here. I called the auto shop where I usually get my parts from to see if they could spare some guys for a while, but they said no. It’s more likely they just want my business, even if it forces the townsfolk here to go far for services.

I look up at the other factor that’s been knotting my stomach up and my heart gallops in my chest all over again. My sweet girl. My best friend. Will she wait for me? Is that even fair to ask of her? It’s sounding more and more like she’ll be staying in Oakridge, even though she still hasn’t talked to her parents. But that might not last forever. What if she changes her mind? What if she decides she’s over being in this podunk town and wants to get away like her brother did?

As if sensing my swirling thoughts, MJ places both hands on my cheeks and pulls my face down to look at her. “Honey, it’s all going to work out. I promise it will.”

I blow out a breath, shaking my head. “What can I do to take your mind off things?” she asks. I smirk down at her, and she giggles, adding, “I mean, we could, but I was thinking of a bigger distraction. Maybe some friend time down by the creek? Tomorrow?”

I nod begrudgingly. “As long as it’s just us. Just the dream team. I don’t need fucking Charlie trying to poke his nose into anything.”

“Of course! I’ll text the group and see what we can do.” She smiles sweetly.

“Thank you, Em.” She rises onto her tiptoes andpresses her lips against mine. It’s soft and sweet just like her, and my heart lurches toward her.

July 13

MJ screams as I chase her through the water, splashing her and trying to grab her waist. Shannon floats on a raft nearby, whining about getting her hair wet. Naturally, MJ heads straight for her, so I have to stop splashing. Smart girl. I love Shannon like a sister, but her fiery energy—matching her red hair—makes me not want to get on her bad side.

I pause to give MJ a break for a few, heading over to Blake and Austin, who are tossing a football back and forth in the water. I raise my hands, catch the ball before tossing it back to Austin. “Thank you, guys, for doing this and for everything. It means a lot.”

Blake shakes his head, saying it’s no big deal. But really, it is a big deal for me. I know I have my parents—and kind of my brother—but these guys are my family too. Their support means the world to me.

“If things don’t go my way—” I start, but Austin cuts me off.

“Nope!” He tosses the football back to me, hitting my palms with a smack. “We’re not doing that. You’re getting community service, and everything is going to be fine. We’re not even putting any other possibility into the universe, dude. Not happening.”

I shake my head at his happy-go-lucky way of thinking, knowing he’s always had the luxury of not worrying about important stuff because his family’s money and influence were there to fall back on.

That thought brings me back to my parents. I know they’d be okay. They have a good savings set aside, and worst-case scenario, they could always sell the shop. I take a deep breath and try to dispel the negative thoughts. I really fucking hope it doesn’t come to that. Small hands gripping my shoulders and legs wrapping around my waist interrupt my thoughts. Even in the water, the scent of strawberries envelops me, and I feel the stress melt away a bit.

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