Page 39 of You Wish
“Okay, maybe it was. But man, it felt good.”
“Because you get to loft it over me?”
He met her gaze, steady and unflinching. “Because it led to this moment. Which is the high of my day.”
He could see her visibly swallow. “What was the low point?”
“That it took a bet for us to get here.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “My high was watching the ad come together. It is exactly what I imagined. So thank you for that.”
He tugged on the ball on top of her knitted hat. “My pleasure.”
They sat in comfortable silence, sharing a meal. The landscape, the twinkle lights flickering in the town below, and the stars sparkling in the sky above all made the air between them intimate as hell.
She licked her fingers and laid back on the bed of the truck, her hands resting on her belly. “So good. But I’m stuffed.”
“I hope you left room for cocoa.” He pulled out two mugs and a thermos.
“There is always room for cocoa.”
Handing her a cup, he poured his own and then tapped his rim against hers. “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings.” She took a sip and moaned like she was having a goddamned orgasm. Her eyes opened and locked on his. “Cinnamon. I love cinnamon.”
“I remember.” His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he wondered if she’d let him lick that cinnamon off her lips.
Looking a little like a deer in the headlights, she wore an uncertain smile, and for some reason that simple reaction made his heart roll over and show its soft underbelly. He sucked in abreath of cold air, clearing his head. They were here for a reason and sadly, kissing wasn’t one of them.
“Why did you ghost me, Georgia? What did I do that was so bad that I deserved that? One minute I was holding you naked in my arms, and the next you were gone.”
“I got a call from my mom that Connor was taken to the hospital.”
Empathy rose to his throat, choking him. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have gone with you.”
“I did, but you were prepping for the race that day. Plus, a trip to the hospital was a weekly occurrence in my house. I knew I could handle it.” Her eyes went glassy. “But I couldn’t. He passed on the ride to the hospital. They got his heart beating twice. The third time my mom said not to continue life-saving procedures. Can you believe that? She just gave up on him.”
“I am so sorry.” He pulled her into his chest.
“I never got to say goodbye. Or tell him how much I loved him.”
“He knew. Trust me, he knew. Every day you showed that kid how much he was loved and cherished.” She pulled back and he tilted her face to meet his gaze. “How are you and your mom?”
“We haven’t spoken since that day.”
Jesus, he’d had no clue as to what had happened the day she’d disappeared out of his life for good.
“You should have come to the track. I would have been there for you in a heartbeat. Held you while your heart shattered.”
“I know.”
He was so damn confused, it was like his heart and his head had stopped speaking the same language. “Then why didn’t you come?”
“I did.” She wiped angrily at her tears and took a big emotional step back. “I went to the track to find you, but I found you and your sister talking.”
Jake racked his mind to remember what they’d talked about and couldn’t recall a single word. In fact, all he remembered about that day was that Georgia hadn’t shown like she’d promised. What could he have said for a heartbroken Georgia to walk away and deal with the grief on her own?
“You don’t even remember.” Her voice cracked with what sounded like a decade of emotions.
