Page 36 of Third Time's the Charm

“Please don’t marry someone just to spite me. Get married because you’ve found someone who loves your passion as much as you love theirs. Someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, messing up and making up.”

I blinked. Who was this man? This calm, reasonable, sincere man?

“Please think about it and Merry Christmas, Berlin.” He smiled and nodded, then strolled off, hands in his pockets, whistling.

Whistling.

Jack didn’t whistle. He didn’t have time to whistle.

I watched him leave until he disappeared. Then scrambled out of the unit and found my chair because I was wobbly and definitely in no shape to stand, let alone walk.

Marry someone who loves your passion as much as you love theirs.

Damn Jack. Damn him! He found a way to say the one thing I couldn’t. And I knew he was right.

Chapter 12

I dream of panther screams

Jack

“You suck.” My assistant coach, Riley Andrews, threw a dirty balled up sock at me.

“Why do I suck?” I batted the disgusting, sweat-soaked abomination away.

“Because you’re moping. Who mopes after Christmas?” He had his feet up on his desk and his hands behind his head.

The Pythons just won. I should be pumped. Normally I’d give a good speech and run around for a while. Today I gave an okay speech and came back here to work.

So maybe I was moping.

“Look, Christmas is exhausting okay? All the entertaining and family and food? It’s a lot. Especially with all the kids.”

He stared at me.

And stared.

“What?”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes you are.” He put his feet down and leaned his elbows on the desk. “I’ve known you for twelve years, Jack. I know when you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.” Maybe if I kept saying it, he’d stop repeating it.

“You’re lying.”

I knew it wouldn’t work. “Fine. I’m lying.”

“Why are you lying tome? I was with you when Sebastian Vikander shaved your head when you passed out from drinking. I stayed with you for a week and watched you stare at the wall after Berlin left you.”

My head snapped up. “Say that again.” My mind began to spin.

“About your shaved head or your ex-wife?”

“You stayed with me?”

---