“Maybe we can grab drinks at Ike’s on one of your off nights,” he suggests, changing the subject.
“I’d like that, Jett.”
A ping from his phone has him pulling it out, then bursting into laughter. “Dusty says to hurry up and kiss you so I can come get him, because he’s figured out how to beat the next level of his game,” he reveals, reading me the message.
“Then you better go so he’s not kept waiting,” I reply, smiling up at him.
“Oh, I’ll go, but not before I get my fill of you to last until we see each other again.” Pulling me tighter into his arms, we spend the next ten minutes making out much like teenagers, although I have no personal knowledge or experience of that, much to my chagrin. My high school years were lackluster compared to the young adult romances I’ve binged on during my read-a-thons.
“Bye, Jett,” I murmur against his lips as he pulls back slightly.
“Bye, Sunday.”
I watch as he walks out my door to his truck, then wave goodbye as he honks his horn before pulling out of my driveway, idling in the street until I step through the threshold where I close and lock the door. Only then does he drive away.
Best. Date. Ever.
Chapter Twelve
Jett
The past two weeks have been hectic between practices to get ready for the playoffs, ensuring Dusty does his homework, and spending time with Sunday… but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I grin thinking about last weekend when we went to Ike’s. While it’s a bar, they have some of the best burgers and onion rings around, so we placed an order of those, grabbed our drinks, then found a table to settle into since the waitress would handle serving us our food once it was plated.
We were laughing over something one of the kids had done at practice, when a male voice called out, “Sunday? Is it really you?”
Her gaze slid sideways, and I saw her pale slightly, but her nervousness never showed in her voice. “Hello, Jonas,” she replied.
“Wow, I knew you lived here too, but since I hadn’t run into you, I just figured you were avoiding me.” I held back my snort of amusement, that man was a moron. He watched her like a boy who lost his puppy. I waited for his tongue to lop to the side and drool.
“What’s to avoid?” she asked. “Have you met Jett Blake? He’s the head coach at the high school.”
Begrudgingly, and only because I ended up with the girl that he foolishly let go, I held my hand out and shook his. My woman definitely has manners because I wouldn’t have given the fucker the time of day. But that’s just me.
“Well, I mean, you know,” he stammered, making me smirk.
“No, I really don’t, Jonas. If you’re referring to breaking off our engagement when I was in the hospital, after nearly dying, I hold no ill-will at all.”
“Y-y-you don’t?” He seemed almost shocked at her words while his wife looked appalled as she gave her husband a ‘what the fuck?’ look. Yeah, sweetheart, he’s a real charmer. You might wanna listen to what comes out of my woman’s mouth so you can grasp how shallow your man truly is, and know if you slip off the pedestal, he’ll end up ditching you too.
“Absolutely not. I mean, at first, I was hurt, of course, but I’ve come to realize we weren’t really suited for each other in the long run, and it probably wouldn’t have lasted long enough for us to get married. Congratulations to you two, by the way,” she replied, nodding to his wife.
He seemed to bow up a bit at her words, and I knew I was right when he asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means that I was never going to be good enough for you, Jonas. No one is perfect, and that’s what you were looking for, so the minute I became scarred, I ceased being important to you and lost my standing on your pedestal. And that’s okay, because Jett doesn’t give the first fuck that I’ve got visible reminders of my service to our country. Do you, honey?” she asked, glancing at me.
“Nope. Not at all,” I answered, smirking at the asshole who was now glowering down at my woman. If he kept it up, I was gonna owe Ike some money for the damages I was about to cause.
“I see your language is still that of a sailor and unladylike,” he sneered.
“I represent that wholeheartedly, because I was a sailor, remember? Words are just words, Jonas, and I don’t have time to censor my vocabulary for anyone, least of all you. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re on a date and waiting for our food to arrive.”
I’m now laughing, which has Collins, one of my assistant coaches, looking at me in bewilderment. “You okay, Blake?” he asks.
“Yeah, just remembering something that was funny.”
“So, you and the hot nurse, huh?” he teases. When I glance at him, my brow raised, he puts his hands up in pacification. “It’s not like that, Blake. But with all the extra practices, your boy’s been around, and he’s been singing her praises to everyone who’ll listen. I’m seriously happy for you, man. If anyone deserves a good woman, it’s you. Sunday Cross is one of the best, hands down.”
“She really is,” I reply. “Been thinking about the future,” I confess. “I know it’ll seem too soon to a lot of folks, but we all know about opinions.”
“They’re like assholes, everyone’s got ‘em,” he retorts, chuckling. “Honestly? I was just starting out when you two were in school, and I remember how you both would watch the other whenever you were in the same place at the same time. Y’all’s eyes were like two magnets drawn together. Even though you were dating that witch, which I still don’t quite understand because she was horrible to everyone around her. However, you seemed to have a soft spot for Sunday.”
It’s true; seeing how Sunday interacted with everyone, from the janitors to the lunch ladies, I always wished Stacey had some of those gentle qualities.
“You know how it is when you’re a teenage boy and ruled by your hormones,” I ruefully reply. “But I’ll never regret staying with her because I got Dusty out of it,” I remind him. “And he’s worth all of the hell I went through.”
“He’s definitely a damn good kid,” he remarks, his eyes now on the field where the boys are goofing off as they pick up the equipment.
“Best of all, he adores Sunday.” My admiration of her is profound, and I would shout her praises from the rooftops if it was necessary. But the town seems to adore her like I do, so it’s not needed.
“Kind of important since she’s going to be his mom, don’t you think?” he questions, smirking at me. “Some folks might think you’re moving too fast, others not fast enough. The important thing for you to keep in mind is that it’s not about them, it’s about the two of you. As long as you guys are happy, and Dusty’s okay with it, in the end no one else matters.”
“Good point, Collins. Thanks.”
Sunday: Kinda wishing you were here right now. This big old bed is lonely without you.
Me: Oh really? And you had to bring that up now when it’s too late for me to foist my kid off on my sister?