Lake Magic (38 page)

Her breath came out all at once in a whoosh. Sooner or later, she knew she would have to face him. Last night she’d fled like some sixteen-year-old virgin who’d been felt up for the first time. She owed him an explanation. She only hoped she’d be able to give him one that didn’t reveal too much.

Gravel crunched under her tires as she eased the vehicle into her normal parking spot and set the emergency brake. She gathered her purse and briefcase, then opened the door and slid down the seat.

Jared stood a few feet away from her.

She drew in a breath, and her heart bumped against the inside of her chest. The hangar’s outdoor lights were on, and he looked so good she held on to the door handle for support. Gone was the tuxedo and, instead, he was back in Levi’s, a soft cotton shirt, and his leather jacket stretched wide across his shoulders. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He closed the small distance between them. “Here, let me take that.” He reached out and took the briefcase from her hand. His fingers brushed across her skin, and all her hard work to forget the memory of their kiss vanished in that one touch. “You’re home late.”

“I . . . I got stuck in town.”

He was so close she had to look up to see him.

“Collecting cars?” He gestured behind her to the used black SUV she’d driven home.

She smiled at him tentatively, grateful for his patience. She knew he wanted answers, and yet he was thinking of her first, letting her find her way. “No. It’s Blue Sky’s newest
and only
vehicle. I traded in the Corvette.” Just saying the words made her ache but not as badly as she had imagined. It had been time to let go of the Corvette. It was time to let go of a lot of things from her past.

“You’ve had a busy day.”

“There’s a lot I would like to tell you.” She glanced at the fire, then back at Jared. “Give me a second to change and then meet you at the fire?”

“Sounds good.”

She hurried into the house and up to her room. Quickly, she changed out of her suit and pulled on a white T-shirt, a soft pink zip-up hooded sweatshirt that said BUM across the front, and a pair of matching sweatpants. She slipped her feet into white Nikes.

Then she went back outside. The bright hangar lights were off. It was then that she realized Jared had left them on for her, to make sure she didn’t stumble through the dark when she got home. She felt something warm squeeze her heart. It had been a long time since someone had done something so simple but thoughtful for her.

A full moon, stars, and crackling fire provided the only light she needed. As she walked through the sand, she found the hushed darkness inviting. “Thank you,” she said as she eased down into the chair next to him. There were three other chairs around the fire pit, but she didn’t take the easy way out and sit across from him. She owed him that much at least for her behavior last night.

“For what?”

“For leaving the lights on.”
And for being so patient with me.
The fire crackled and popped, and the yellow and orange glow danced across his face, highlighting his dark hair and drawing her gaze to his eyes.

“Thank you for the call.”

“I’m sorry I sounded so giddy. I just couldn’t believe I landed the account. And when I grabbed for my cell, I punched in the first number that came to my mind.” She looked across at him, and this time, she wished the night wasn’t so dark and the light so dim, because she wanted to be able to read his expression.

“I was your first call?”

“Yes.”

He stared at the logs on the fire. “I’m flattered. More than flattered.” His voice was deep with a husky sincerity she hadn’t heard before. He turned and smiled at her. “I’ve never been anyone’s first before.”

She laughed softly. “I doubt that. But if it’s true, I’ve had enough for the both of us.”

“Care to tell me one?”

She swallowed hard. There were a hundred firsts in her life she could tell him about, but she chose the only one that mattered at this moment. “Last night was the first time I let a guy get to third base and then panicked and ran away.”

“Technically, I only got to second base.”

“Are you sure?”

He turned and faced her. “Yeah, pretty damn.”

She remembered his mouth on her, the heat of his hands as he slipped his fingers under her panties. She was pretty positive that was third base, but she wasn’t about to argue. “Still a first.”

Jared stood and stirred the logs on the fire. Fresh flames jumped and licked the sky. “Not quite the reaction I was expecting.”

“Not the one I expected either.”

He poked at the burning logs once more before sitting back down next to her. “Care to tell me what went wrong?”

A small breeze blew the smoke toward the left of her, away from them. She looked up into the ebony darkness and star-filled sky but then realized that those things made her think even more of Jared. Desire twisted her up inside, and she fought to find a truth. Or at least a partial one. She could never reveal the full reason she’d behaved the way she had last night. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, if that’s what you are thinking.”

“Frankly, I haven’t known what the hell to think.”

“I . . .” She turned in the chair, and the metal bar bit into the backs of her legs. “Steven hasn’t even been gone a year. I guess I’m not ready for anything beyond a working relationship. I hope—”

“You don’t have to say any more.”

“But—”

“I mean it, Jenny.” He looked at her and braced his elbows on his knees. “I get it.”

A silence fell between them. The fire crackled and popped. The waves rolled in against the shore. And for some reason she couldn’t explain, Jared’s abruptness bothered her more than she cared to admit. “What do you think of the Suburban?” she asked, struggling to find safe ground.

“A better business choice than the Corvette. But it must have been difficult to let go of something that had belonged to Steven.”

“Very,” was all she could say. Trading in the car had been nearly impossible. But as hard as it had been, it had been the right choice. A sound business decision, just like Jared had said, and one she should have made months ago. “Here.” She dug in the pocket of her sweatshirt and pulled out the spare set of keys she’d tucked in there before leaving the house. “So you don’t have to keep borrowing Zeke’s truck for all those trips to the lumberyard.”

He palmed the keys, seeming to weigh them in his hand. “You knew about that?”

“How could I not?” She made a sweeping gesture around the place. “I’ve never properly thanked you for all the work you’ve done here. The place hasn’t looked so good since . . .” She laughed. “Well since I don’t know when.” She crossed her ankles. “You want to hear the best part?”

He tucked the keys in the front pocket of his Levi’s. “Definitely.”

“With the amount I owed on the Corvette and the price of the Suburban, it was a straight trade. No car payment. God, that feels good.”

“As good as the account you landed?”

“Hell no.” She laughed again, and so did he.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“You mean you’re not sick of hearing about it? After I practically screamed the details in your ear?”

Jared made a joke of putting his finger in his ear and vibrating it back and forth, like he’d gone partially deaf.

“The details were a little fuzzy. But the high-pitched screams came through loud and clear.”

“Sorry.”

“I’m not. Now tell me.”

And she did. She told him everything. About how nervous she was, how long she had to wait, and about how she almost blew it. “You’re a huge part of the reason for today’s success,” she said after a slight pause. “I kept thinking about things you’ve said to me. How it’s all about the bottom line and to think like a businessperson.”

“This success is yours, not mine. You should be incredibly proud of yourself.”

“Thank you.” But even as she said it, she knew. He
was
a part of this success. A vital part. For years, Steven had been her soft place to fall, but what she hadn’t seen until now was that sometimes all that softness made you so content, you didn’t feel the need to get up. She wasn’t blaming Steven. Not at all. He was everything she’d wanted him to be, but Jared was . . . different. He was strong and solid, and she had no doubt he would catch her, but he’d also prop her right back up on her feet and force her to walk alongside him. “Do you want to hear what I have planned for tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

“A meeting with International Trust and Loan. Besides several other places in the world, they have banking head-quarters based in Seattle and Canada.”

“Planning to steal all the competitor’s clients?”

“Absolutely,” she said, repeating him.

He smiled and threaded his fingers across his stomach. “Good for you.”

She fidgeted in her seat and looked back up into the inky dark sky. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

She wanted to ask him if he had thought about last night as much as she had. But instead, she said, “Any advice for my meeting tomorrow?”

He grew still. “You want my opinion?”

“Yes.”

He seemed genuinely flattered by her request. “During negotiations, first offer the no fuel surcharge. If they don’t bite, then start with a ten percent discount and negotiate from there.”

“So, in other words, don’t jump out of the gate at twenty percent?”

“Not if you can help it.”

She nodded, knowing he was right. She shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jacket. “If International Trust and Loan comes on board, too, I know my bank will give me the loan to repay you. You’ll be able to get back to your squadron in no time.” No matter how hard she braced herself, the words still cut.

He hesitated. “I’m no longer in the military. I resigned my commission.”

Her gaze swiveled to his as shock hit her. “When?” “Before I got here.”

She tried to take it all in. “You’re no longer a fighter pilot.”

“No.”

“Why?”
And why did you wait until now to tell me?

He kicked at a burning log. “Because everything comes to an end.”

It was a cop-out answer, and they both knew it. But she didn’t ask him any more questions. She couldn’t. Only one thought kept whirling through her mind: he was done with flying jets. What did that mean for her? For them?

Did it mean nothing, or did it mean everything? When Jared steered the conversation back around to the business, Jenny let him. There was so much she wanted to say, to ask him, but she knew tonight wasn’t the night. Her emotions were a tangled mess, and she needed time to sort through them. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

As they sat by the campfire talking, she not only lost track of time, but she lost herself in a discussion about the business. Jared was a master at drawing out her ideas. He listened to everything she had to say with the same attentiveness and intensity he had last night. And just like last night, she found it intoxicating. Their discussion turned lively, a mutual sharing of ideas and thoughts. He complimented her on the redesigned website. He suggested they update the website to reflect North American Timber’s scheduled charters. He went on to explain that since Blue Sky would only be flying two or three executives up at one time, and the plane had room for more passengers, they’d be able to increase their profits without expending additional capital. She wanted to highlight several vacation packages; he thought one would be good. They settled on two to start with: one in British Columbia and one in the San Juans. She also thought they should offer weekend and holiday scenic tours, especially during the whale migration. He agreed. She became immersed in listening to him, and if the look in his eyes was any indication, he was just as absorbed by her thoughts.

Back and forth their discussion went, until Jenny could barely keep her eyes open. Exhausted, she headed to her room, certain she’d fall asleep almost instantly. But one thought kept going through her mind.

I’m no longer in the military. I resigned my commission
.

She stared down at the diamond ring she still wore. Moonlight glinted off the round cut diamond. For over six years, she’d worn this ring, pledged her whole life to one man. But Steven was gone, and nothing she could ever do would bring him back. Tears blurred her vision as she twisted the ring around her finger.

Slowly, she removed the ring and placed it in her jewelry box.

Jared stared at the fire that was nothing more than a pile of coals. Deep admiration filled him. Against the odds Jenny had found her first big success. And from their discussion, he knew it was only the beginning. He was pretty damn positive she’d land tomorrow’s account, too. And every one she went after. Not only did she have strong marketing plans and solid strategies for enticing customers away from Blue Sky’s competition but she also had something more. She had a gift when it came to dealing with people. A genuineness that made people want to do business with her. And that couldn’t be taught or found or learned. With the new accounts and the innovative ideas they’d discussed and would implement, she soon would be able to repay him. And wasn’t that exactly what he wanted? But he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to stay her partner.