“See you next week, Em,” I say, my lips brushing against the soft skin of her cheek as I fight every instinct to end this date right.
“My turn next time,” she whispers, turning her head to kiss the corner of my mouth.
I pull back, my hands resting on her waist. All I want to do is pull her in and show herjusthow grateful I am that she’s giving us—me—a chance.
“It’s a date.”
And the drive back to my BnB for the night,andthe whole trip home the next day, there’s nothing and no one that can wipe the smile off my face.Seems to be a thing for me after spending time with Em.
As far as I’m concerned, our next date can’t come soon enough.
Chapter 13
Jude
Em: Is there any chance of you getting here early Friday morning?
Jude: If it means more time with you, sure.
Em: Have you always been such a sweet talker? I always thought you were so polite and respectful.
Jude: I AM a gentleman. Have I not proven that?
Em: Did you want to do more than that, hubby? I’m curious now.
Jude: Let’s just say that I’ve been wanting to give you better goodbyes but I’m trying to be patient.
Em: Oh…Now I’m wanting to know what could be.
I chuckle under my breath but now kissing her properly…thoroughly… is all I can think about.
Jude: You’ll have to wait and see.
Em: I guess I’ll be waiting IMPATIENTLY until then. Just so you know, I’m ready when you are.
Jude: Duly noted, wifey.
It’s been two and a half weeks since our dinner date and I’ve been to Palmer twice more since then. The weekend after the restaurant, we spent the Saturday looking at all the ‘hot spots’ around the town she now calls home. We ended the day with shakes and burgers at an out-of-the-way diner only locals know about.
Last weekend, I turned up on her doorstep on Saturday morning with coffee and breakfast sandwiches from the same diner. The plan was to just hang out at her house since the weather had taken a turn for the worse. I also didn’t want Em to think we had to alwaysdosomething whenever we were together.
That plan went out the window the moment Em told me how she had been planning to paint her kitchen and dining room a deep sage green color before Sully got sick. Cue me grabbing her jacket from the closet, tangling my fingers with hers and leading her out to my truck before asking for directions to the nearest hardware store.
In the end, we had the first coat done by Saturday night, and with the help of a few hired fans that I left to stay on overnight, we were ready to finish the second coat the next day.
I also fixed the broken blind in her front window, cleared a few blocked gutters before the rain really set in, and even made us lunch before cuddling up on the couch to watch the episode of Deadliest Catch we’d been waiting all week for.
Then, as with every other visit to Palmer to see her, I reluctantly left and started the drive back to the mountain.
What stuck with me most the whole drive home was how it felt to have Em in my arms as we hugged goodbye. Every single part of me wanted to stay and never let her go. The way she was holding on tight, her heart beating in sync with mine like it was the most natural thing in the world, made me feel like I was king of the world.
That’s why Iknowwhatever she’s planning for this weekend will be good, whatever we end up doing.
Em: So, Friday?
Jude: I can be there whenever you’d like. Any excuse to spend more time with my wife…
Em: Lucky for you, I want to spend time with my husband too. That’s why I’ve made plans.