ALWAYS OUR LOVE
releases in ONE week!
Let’s celebrate with a little teaser, shall we?
~~~***~~~
I wasn’t sure if she was aware of it or not, but Jenna’s fingers had begun stroking the back of my hand. It sent shivers up my spine and reminded other parts of my body that I wasn’t dead yet. I shifted, moving a little closer, so that my face was near hers.
“Do you think maybe you’re ready to move out of maintaining and into real life, Jenna? Are you ready to be brave?”
She swallowed, and I could see the rise and fall of her throat. “I don’t know. Maybe. I want to . . . try. I think.”
“Let us be part of that, the kids and me.” I took a risk and repeated my move from earlier, turning my hand and capturing her fingers. She froze, but she didn’t pull away from me. “We can help you start moving on. Let us into your life. Open that door.” I paused for a breath, as something occurred to me. “It would be good for Becca, too. She’s stuck in her own form of limbo, where she feels like if she can keep everyone safe, life is controllable. I’d like her to realize it’s okay to start being brave again.”
“What does that mean? Letting you into my life. You mean . . . we’d be friends?”
I wanted to laugh at that. Yeah, friends was a start, but it wasn’t where I wanted to end. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for anything else. I hadn’t been looking for anything else. But the idea of possibility, with this woman, kind of intrigued me.
“Sure. Beyond just work friends. I want you to step out of your safety zone, and we’ll help you do it.”
“How far out of my safety zone?” She frowned, suspicious.
“Let’s say coming over for dinner. Hanging out with us. Inviting us to your place. Having a social life and interaction beyond and outside of your family.”
Jenna was thinking about it, I could tell. Uncertainty and eagerness battled behind her eyes. I waited to see which would win.
“Okay.” She nodded. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a shot. It won’t be easy. I’ve been shutting people out for a long time.”
“I know. But this is good, Jenna. For all of us. And we’ll move slow, as slow as you need.”
“All right.” Her fingers curled around my hand, holding tight. “Thank you, Linc. Thank you for listening. Thanks for not making me feel like an idiot.”
I fought the urge to lift her hand to my lips. Baby steps.
“Any time, sugar.”
Above our heads, there was a sudden explosion, and color filled the black sky. I moved a little so that my back was against the side of Jenna’s chair and leaned, looking up. She was close to me, our hands were linked, and although I hadn’t yet dared to take the time to figure out what the hell I was doing here, there was no place else I wanted to be.
~~~***~~~
