Read Captured Heart (A Garrett's Point Novel) Online
Authors: Savanna Grey
Captured Heart (A Garrett's Point Novel) (20 page)
“I didn’t mean the things I said to you that night, Emma. I was jealous and scared.” He was laying it out there.
She turned to face him and leaned against the bathroom counter. “Jealous of whom and scared of what? You aren’t making any sense, Jack.”
He walked toward her, stepping into the bathroom doorway. Her soft scent enveloped him.
Focus, Denton. Not now.
“Grady always has his hands on you. He’s always watching you. I was fed up with it. Then when everyone saw us in the kitchen, I froze. I know how everyone thinks in this town. Get married. Have kids. Establish a life-long commitment. I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t think I wanted those things, so I lashed out at you. I was running from myself, Emma, not you.”
His words stunned her. “Grady and I have been friends since grade school. He’s like a brother to me. Nothing more on either of our parts. Why would you think otherwise?” Emma questioned him, still trying to process his words.
“Because any man in his right mind would want you for his own, Emma. I did. That’s what scared me. I’ve worked my entire adult life to climb the ladder and earn partner. Loving you would get in the way of that. It didn’t fit into the plan.”
“Loving me?” Her hand came up to her throat, her breathing more pronounced. She was going to hyperventilate. “Jack, what are you talking about? You made it perfectly clear you weren’t looking for anything more serious than a few nights in bed.”
“I was wrong, Em. Don’t you see? I was running from myself. You’d opened my eyes and my heart to a love I wasn’t looking for. I was scared and angry. It turned my world upside down, and I like order in my life. There is nothing orderly with the way I feel about you and Olivia.”
“Jack, have you hit your head? Is this guilt talking? Look, I know you aren’t a bad guy. If it’s forgiveness you are seeking, then fine. I forgive you. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t still hurt. You said awful things to me that night that I didn’t deserve. It took me weeks to let it go, but I have. You need to too. We need to move on with our lives.”
“While I am elated you are willing to forgive me, especially when I probably don’t deserve it, but that’s not all I want, Emma. That’s not why I’m here.” He closed the gap between them, causing her to have to lean back against the countertop and lift her head to look directly at him.
“I’m moving to Garrett’s Point.” He dropped the bombshell and heard her sharp intake of breath.
“What? You’re moving? What about your job at the law firm? Why would you do that? It’s everything you’ve worked for? Why…”
Jack knew only one way to silence her. He pulled her into his arms and devoured her mouth with his. My God, how he had missed her.
He’d caught her off guard. She hadn’t had time to erect her defenses. Her body reacted on instinct molding to his. Jack’s hands found her bare backside and cupped her, holding her close to him. He knew she could feel his hardness pressed up against her.
There was the little moan he loved. It excited him even more, but he knew he needed to resolve the heart before he did the head.
He relinquished her mouth and rested his forehead on hers. “Em, I wasn’t being honest with myself or you. Truthfully, at the time, I didn’t know this is what I wanted until I walked away. I’ve never felt so empty inside without you in my life. I love you and Olivia, and I want us to be a family.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d longed to hear him say those things to her, but thought she never would. Could she trust him not to break her heart again?
“You love me?” she whispered? Her eyes had filled with unshed tears.
“Oh, Em, yes, I do. With all my jaded heart. Will you give me the chance to prove to you that I can be the man you deserve? I promise to show you every day how much I love you, and if I’m acting like a blockhead, you have permission to call your friend, Kathryn. I know firsthand she will knock some sense into me.”
She jumped in his arms, not wanting either of them to suffer any further. They’d been through so much the last two months. It was time to let the joy back in.
“I love you, Jack. I think I’ve been in love with you for years, but didn’t know it either. It almost killed me when you walked out of here. I was hurt, but I still didn’t want you to go, but what about your career? How are you willing to give that up? I don’t want you to resent me later.”
Jack caressed her face and feathered kisses down her cheek. “Emma, I realized that my career is my livelihood, not my life. It had been my life, but it was empty. It wasn’t until you opened my eyes and my heart to show me what true loving and living really was that I saw what I had been missing.”
She still couldn’t believe Jack was here in her bathroom declaring his love for her. Life really did change in a second. One minute she was resigned to living life without Jack. The next she was hopeful for a bright future. Maybe there really could be a happy ever after for them after all.
“I met with Sydney this morning.” Jack informed her. Emma looked at him questioningly. “We still have some details to work out, but you are looking at the next Garrett’s Point town attorney.”
Emma’s eye lit up. He was serious. He’d had a change of heart and was all in. “Oh, Jack, I love you so much I think my heart will burst with it.” she cried as she jumped into his arms yet again.
As Jack held her tightly, her legs wrapped around him, her towel came undone. She grappled to regain it, but Jack let it slide to the floor.
“We have about an hour before the snowman helps the prince and princess find happiness. Let me bring you a little happiness until then.” He grinned mischievously.
As he carried Emma to her bed, he raised a prayer of thanks. He knew he was one lucky man to have Emma and Olivia in his life. He couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring. Good and bad, they would weather it together. Now that he had captured Heart, he wasn’t letting go.
He looked over to the window. He thought he’d heard birds flapping nearby. Nothing, then all thoughts were lost as he focused on showing Emma just how much he loved her.
Jeff and Dana smiled to one other. No one could see them, but they had been watching over Olivia, Emma and Jack since the accident.
“Well, I guess I get your dessert tonight at dinner, honey.” Dana teased her husband. “Looks like I was right about Jack and Emma after all.”
“I have to admit I didn’t think he’d come around, but I’m glad he did. Jack, Emma and our princess deserve to have a life filled with love and joy, even in the bad times. Don’t think they’ll be needing us anymore.” Jeff kissed his wife’s forehead as they disappeared from the window.
About the Author
Savanna Grey is married to the love of her life and is the mother to three daughters and one son. Life is never dull. She fell in love with the written word as a young girl. Her enchantment with the act of falling in love was cemented after reading Pride and Prejudice in the 10th grade.
“I love being able to crawl inside a book as if I am a bystander watching it all unfold live. Now that's a good book! “
Her desire is to share her fictional friends with you so that they become your friends too!
“When you read my books, if you don't end it by saying ‘Best Imaginary Friends EVER!’, then I haven't done what I set out to do.”
To my readers, thank you for your support. I love to hear from you. Please visit me at:
Website:
www.authorsavannagrey.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/authorsavannagrey
Twitter: @AuthorGrey
Email:
[email protected]
Look for Grady’s and Kathryn’s story in Book 2 of the Garrett’s Point series coming June 2014!
Other books by Savanna Grey include Coming Home and Playing For Keeps.
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