Page 66 of The Jilted Lovers Club
“You’re a good man,” I breathe.
He snorts. “So good the mother of my child bailed and never looked back.”
“She was an idiot,” I say gently.
He laughs and shakes his head.
“She wasn’t. She was overwhelmed. I know it wasn’t about me, but it feels that way sometimes.”
“Just like it feels like I’m totally unlovable because my fiancé left barren old me to have a baby with my cousin.”
“God, you make it sound so Jerry Springer.”
I laugh at this. “What would this episode be called?”
He thinks for a moment, then kisses the tip of my nose. “The Jilted Lovers Club.” He gives a mock salute. “I’m proud to be a card-carrying member.”
I curl into him, kissing him again. “I’ll join your club.”
“Darlin’, you’re the co-president. Our exes have no idea what they’re missing.”
I look at him, the playful spark between us turning into something quiet and electric. My heart aches—not in a bad way, but in that warm, terrifying, I-could-fall-for-you kind of way.
I don’t want to think about the flight back to New York, or the expiration date stamped across this moment.
I just want this.
“I think it’s time for bed,” I murmur, my gaze locked on his, “and I don’t want to sleep alone.”
Just a Massage
Jordy
Time passes faster than I want it to. Ashton no longer sleeps on the couch, but next to me in his bed every night. We don’t talk about the limited time we have left—pretending we have forever feels easier than facing what’s coming. We stop eating at Bob and Bec’s house for dinner, just so we can have our own time together. If they’re hurt by this, they don’t mention it, and Becstill kisses me goodbye every morning when I drop Lottie off before heading to the shop.
The work at Timeless is just about done. Construction was completed last week, and all of the fixtures are in place. I’ve spent the past few days incorporating the finishing touches, but I’m in no rush. I’m afraid that if I move too fast, the job will be done, and I’ll have to leave early. So I spend most of my days arranging and re-arranging, taking photos and videos for Alexander’s approval and social media, and wishing I could stop time.
That my life here could be just as timeless.
But, this is not my home, and Ashton is not my boyfriend. My life is in New York, and I’ll be back there in just a few days. His life is obviously here, and that isn’t going to change.
Eventually, I have to call the job done though. I place the final item, then step back to check out my handiwork. The shop looks exquisite. A mix of modern and vintage, with the chandeliers, the minimalist displays, and the pieces and plants I purchased from surrounding shops. There is still one spot left for Bernie’s armoire, which I haven’t completely lost hope for, but still can’t find it in me to ask Alexander … or Bernie. Other than that, I’m done. Timeless has become a place I’d be proud to shop at, and one I hope the people in town will love too.
Ashton is setting up Lottie in the highchair when I walk in the door, chicken Alfredo simmering in the cast iron pan on the stove. I inhale, smiling.
“Man, that’s what I like. Coming home to a home-cooked meal.” For just a second, I forget about the time limit. In the moment, it feels almost like forever, like eating together as a family is just something we do every single night.
“Is the shop done?” he asks, moving to me and kissing me on the cheek.
Just like that, our limited time hits me square in the face, obliterating any good feelings I had. But I hide my troubled mind as I nod.
“It is. Just finished before I came home. All I have left to do is be there for the deliveries on Saturday morning when they hold the Grand Opening.”
It’s to be an exclusive event for the stakeholders and some out-of-town guests. I’d asked Alexander early on if he was opening it to the public, and the way he laughed let me know that the answer wasno.
“I can’t believe we’re already here,” Ashton says, setting a plate in front of me at the counter, then one for himself. Lottie has a small bowl of chicken and pasta, which she happily paws with her hands.
“Me either. Time passed quickly.”
