Page 24 of Seal the Deal

She tilts her head slightly. “You’ve always been like that. So focused, so determined to go all the way. And now, here you are.” Her voice is thoughtful, and for a second it feels like we’re both slipping into the past, remembering who we were back then.

I hold her gaze, my voice dipping deliberately lower. “Guess I’m pretty good at focussing on what I want.”

Her lips part just slightly, and a charged beat passes. I track her eyes as they flick to my mouth before she quickly clears her throat and looks away, shifting in her seat slightly.

“And good ol’ Camp America, eh?” She changes the subject with a playful smirk, leaning her arm out on the counter to gesture her finger back and forth between us. The movement draws my attention to the subtle curve of her wrist. It’s such a simple thing, but I have to fight the urge to reach out and trace the line of her fingers with my own. “I have to say, it’s a bit surreal seeing you after all these years.”

“Actually, I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me sooner,Lady Lightning.”

A genuine, warm laugh fills the room. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you remember that nickname.”

I grin, a little sheepish but mostly pleased she remembers. “Hard to forget the girl who kept saving the day all summer.”

Charlotte shakes her head, still laughing. “I’m pretty sure you were the one doing most of the saving. I just kept the kids from tying you up with the jump ropes.”

I chuckle as the memories come back in a rush. The way she looked back then, her eyes full of mischief, not all that different from now. The way she’d lighten up even the toughest days with just a smile. But there’s something more to her now, a maturity that makes her even more captivating.

“Who would’ve thought we’d end up here, of all places?”

“Life has a funny way of working out,” she agrees, her eyes scanning over my face, lingering like she’s seeing right through me. “I always wondered what happened to you after that summer.”

The sincerity in her words strikes me, and I realize how much I wanted to hear her say that. To know I wasn’t the only one who held onto those memories.

“I wondered about you, too,” I murmur.

There’s another beat of silence. I scramble for words, to say anything to stop myself from doing something stupid like telling her how much I regret not kissing her. Or telling her how much I want to kiss her right now.

“Mama, look what I drew!” Meadow’s voice calls out from the living room.

The spell breaks, and Charlotte’s focus shifts entirely to her daughter, her expression softening in a way that has nothing to do with me.

“I should go check on her,” she says, offering me a quick smile as she stands.

A part of me wants to reach out, to pull her back and keep her in this moment with me just a little longer. But Charlotte’s a mom first, and that’s one of the things I respect most about her.

“Yeah, of course,” I say, pushing my own chair back to stand. “I should get going anyway. But thanks for agreeing to help. It means a lot.”

“Thanks for thinking of me,” she replies, her words tugging at something deep inside me.

“Always.” The word slips out before I can stop it. But fuck it, it’s true. And it feels good to say out loud.

I know I should leave, but I can’t quite make myself walk out the door. “Maybe… I could come by and help with the baking?”

Her laugh is playful, the sound curling low in my gut. She raises a brow at me, clearly skeptical. “You bake, Jake?”

It’s flirtatious, and it’s a challenge I'm more than willing to rise to.

“Oh, I can handle a spoon and batter. Worst case, I burn something and you put me on dish duty.” I wink, confident it’ll land how I want.

“Well, maybe I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good,” I say, savoring the hint of pink on her cheeks. “Just text me the ingredients you need.”

As I turn back to the door, Meadow rushes over, holding a unicorn picture. “Look, Jake! I made this for you!”

I crouch, taking the artwork. It’s a colorful swirl of rainbows and sparkles with a very enthusiastic unicorn front and center. “This is awesome, Princess. Gonna put it in my locker for good luck.”

Her wide eyes light up. “Really?”

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