14. Getting By

14

GETTING BY

" H i, Jack," Andi said when she saw him calling. She'd just finished cleaning up her dinner.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Jack said. "Did you cook a turkey?"

"I did," she said. "The same meal I made for us last year."

A small turkey breast, mashed potatoesandcorn. Rather than make a pie, she made pumpkin bread for herself. She'd freeze half of it, maybe. With the chocolate chips in it and how moist and sweet it was, she could put it away herself with the nostalgic way she was feeling.

"I could go for that right now," he said. "I bought dinner. A small local place was selling them. It was easy and on my way home. Not like what you made last year but better than me popping something into the microwave."

"You should learn to cook, Jack."

"I'm not around enough," Jack said. "I get by."

She knew the truth about getting by. It felt like that was what her life had turned into.

"We know you won't starve," she said.

"Never that," Jack said. "Though I miss your pumpkin pie this year. Did you make one?"

"No," she said. "I couldn't eat the whole thing. I made pumpkin chocolate chip bread. I think I like it better."

"Don't tease me like that," Jack said. "Don't suppose you can ship me some?"

"Bythe timeit left this island and got to you, it wouldn't be any good. Sorry."

"True. How else have you been? We haven't talked much. I almost flew in to surprise you, but you'd said you were working a lot and booked up tomorrow."

They texted a few times a week. Not about much but more likecheck-ins.

"I've been fine," she said. "Good. Busy. Trying to catch up on the appointments I had to reschedule. I lost one client, but I know that happens."

"How did you lose her?" Jack asked.

"She made an appointment with someone else at the salon. She couldn't wait for me to come back and I understand. Or she didn't want to wait. That is her choice. I don't have any ill feelings about it."

It's not like her coworker didn't ask her first if she'd be upset. She wasn't going to say anything negative about it because in the future that could happen again and she could be on the receiving end of a new client.

Everyone knew how it worked.

"You never have any ill feelings toward much," Jack said.

"I'm not so sure about that," she said.

She had a lot of ill feelings about how her life turned out. The path she'd chosen and the stupid mistakes she'd made.

Looking back, she wondered if she'd never met Leo if she'd be here on Amore Island.

Yeah, she wouldn't be. There might have been no reason for it. She would have fought Jack more on the life change. She hoped she would have won, but who knows?

It's not like she could go back in time and change a thing.

"Are you struggling with being alone today?" Jack asked. "I worried it'd be hard. Last year was the first of the holidays alone, but you had me."

"I'm okay," she said. No reason to lie and say she was fine. Okay was the best she could do.

"It's hard," Jack said. "I know that. I should have flown in."

"No," she said. "That's silly. It's too long for a day and you know it. Another time. Maybe when the weather is nicer in the spring. I'm keeping busy."

"Doing what on a day off when you're alone?" Jack asked. "It's not like you could go out and do anything."

"I went to the beach. It's pretty nice out for the end of November. And no worries about me tripping and falling anywhere. Unless it's into the water and it didn't happen."

She'd been surprised how many people were out on the beach. She'd brought a chair and sat in the sun with a book for two hours while she listened to nature.

Jarrett was going to his parents' house today. She couldn't remember the last time she had a big family dinner or holiday.

For most of herlifeit was only her and her father. They went out to eat a lot on Thanksgiving until she got older and offered to cook for her father.

The same meal she'd made for Jack last year and for herself today.

"Nice to know you can move around without me worrying too much."

"Nothing to worry about," she said. She wasn't going to bring up anything about Jarrett just yet. A few dates meant nothing and Jack would get all bent out of shape on top of it.

She wasn't sure if he felt threatened by Jarrett finding out her past or looking into it more or if Jack just didn't trust her at all with anyone.

No reason to put it to the test either.

"I'm always going to worry," Jack said. "I can't help it. I think it's a good thing I never had a kid of my own."

She laughed. "You can't keep a woman long enough. Maybe you should try harder."

"I'm too set in my ways at this point. Most women see I'm in my early forties and still single and they want to know why. There has to be something wrong with me, right?"

"There is a lot wrong with you," she said, "and a ton right. But not all women like that a man isn't around. I know that. I lived that with my father."

"Our jobs make it hard to have a relationship," Jack said. "You know that. You have to find the right person and it's not easy. Marshals are on the road more and have crazier hours than other law enforcement too. I heard it enough from Sarah and I'm glad she left before it gotany moreserious."

"I heard it from my mother and father. I get it."

She also had it with Jarrett right now.

Then she had to remind herself she was just as guilty. He was home a few nights early enough and she was the one working until eight.

If they were going to try for more than a few dates here and there or make this into more than a casual thing, they'd have to figure that out.

She got the impression he was willing and she knew she was.

"And we don't need to talk about it now either," Jack said. "If everything is good with you then I'll let you relax. You said you had a lot of appointments tomorrow and Saturday."

"I do," she said. "Or a few appointments, but they are long ones."

Which she found at times was better. More money for bigger services and less moving around and cleaning up or breaks in between.

"I'm lucky I've got time to go into the barber shop and wait for a cut, so I'd take a hard pass at a salon."

"You'd be uncomfortable in my place," she said, laughing.

"I'm sure."

Jack wasn't one for small talk though he did it with her enough. Only because he knew her.

"Have a good weekend," she said. "I'm sure we'll be in touch."

They hung up after that and she cut herself another small slice of her pumpkin bread and then made a cup of tea and brought them to the living room.

She wasn't one for watching parades and they were done at this point.

There was a football gameonthat started an hour ago that she could watch. She didn't even know who was playing and it's not like she was into it all that much. She only watched it with her father at times.

She picked the remote up and started to look for a movie to watch and when she noticed all the Christmas ones that were now playing she stopped her search. No way she was considering that.

An hour later, she was starting her second episode of some older medical series she decided to give a try when there was a knock at her door.

She frowned and got up to look out the window and noticed Jarrett's SUV in her driveway, found the smile filling her faceandmoved quickly to the front door.

"Hi," she said. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"I know," he said. "I was on my way home and thought I'd stop."

"You mean you drove by to check on the house and saw the light?"

"That too," he said, grinning. "Does that bother you? I don't want you to think it's creepy by any means."

"No," she said. She wouldn't say that she found some comfort in it. That he was looking out for her.

It seemed she had a lot of men in her life that did that. Guess she was lucky in a way.

Though it might be the first time she thought her circumstances were lucky.

"Good," he said. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No," she said. "Come in. I was just watching some new medical drama. The first episode wasn't horrible so I thought I'd give the second a try. How was your day with your family?"

"It was nice," he said. "I'm stuffed like I normally am. I'm glad I worked out this morning."

Her eyes roamed over his body. He was wearing jeans and a green cotton shirt with the sleeves pushed up some. His brown eyes had some humor in them as he'd made that statement though there was no smile on his lips.

"I should have worked out, but I went to the beach this morning and sat in the sun with a book for a few hours and listened to the water and the birds."

"Sounds like a nice relaxing day. Sorry that you were alone. I started to wonder if maybe you were feeling a bit sad about that."

Andi was touched he cared enough to stop and find out. "I was. I've been alone for Thanksgiving before. Times my father was out of town or working, but it didn't feel like it in a familiar hometown. Last year I cooked for Jack. This year...it was just me and I cooked what I did for my father in the past."

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug that she wasn't expecting. "I was going to see if you wanted to go to myparents'today but knew that would put some pressure on you or us. It'd raise a lot of questions too."

She was glad he hadn't asked. She wasn't ready for that.

"It worked out fine this way," she said. Her arms were around his body and holding him tight still.

She looked up at him and his head dropped down, his mouth landing on hers.

This kiss was as comforting as his hug.

It was more sensual with the way his lips were pressing against hers and moving around some, then nudging her mouth open and his tongue slowly slipping in.

Not fast and urgent, but more of abuild-up. Man, was she buildingup .

They stood by her front door kissing like that for a few minutes. Not a teenage make-out session, but adults getting ready to burn for each other.

Only he stepped back from that and said, "I should go."

She wanted to stomp her foot and grind her teeth but didn't. It wasn't the time yet and she wasn't sure she was ready to pull him into her bedroom as much as she wanted to.

"I'm glad you stopped over."

"Me too," he said. "And you're working tomorrow."

"I hope to be done by five," she said. "Two appointments starting at nine. They are kind of back to back, but I'll be done with the second one by five."

"I'm off," he said. "How about dinner?"

"Dinner sounds good," she said. "I'll text you when I'm done and you can come over."

"I'll be here," he said, giving her one more kiss. "Lock up behind me."

Andi shut the door after him, turned the lock, watched him pull away out the windowandsat back on the couch for her lonely night of watching TV.

Yet she had one hell of a smile on her face and was feeling more energized than she had in weeks.