Thirty-One

Hudson

I loaded everything for tonight in the back of my car and drove to Jack's. I'd stayed a little later at work to go over a few more items in the books and now I was scrambling to get to him on time. When had Jack gone from a kid that worked for my dad, to the man I wanted to see every morning when I woke up and every night before I went to sleep? I wasn't sure, and I didn't care. All I cared about was showing him how much he meant to me.

He was in the driveway pacing back and forth when I pulled up, but when he saw me, he jogged to the car. "Hey, sorry I'm a little late," I said as soon as he was in the passenger seat. He immediately turned to me and kissed me hard.

"You're here, it's okay," he said. "Now show me where we're going." His excitement was palpable, and I knew he'd figure it out as soon as he saw the direction I turned when we left his place. "Are we going to the lake?"

"Maybe," I said, and grinned at him as he bounced in his seat.

"Really?"

"Yes, but I have a few more surprises so you'll just need to wait and see." I drove the short distance to the lake and chose a spot that had been my favorite when I lived here. It was close to the water but not in the sand, and flat enough that once it was completely dark, we'd be under a blanket of stars. I turned off the main road and slowly drove down the dirt road that led to the lake. The sun had set but the sky was still bright in the west as I pulled to a stop. For a moment the car was silent except for the sound of the motor creaking and popping as it cooled down.

"Well, this is pretty amazing," Jack said, and got out of the car. "I haven't been out here at night since high school." I wanted to cringe at the reminder of how much younger he was, but in the time we'd been together, it mattered less and less to me. We got along great, and I didn't give a fuck how old he was.

I went to the back of the car and took out the two chairs I'd brought and set them up close to the car. Next, I took out two small tables and put those next to the chairs. Then came the ice chest with the food I'd prepared. I set it down before bringing out the telescope I'd had since I was a teenager and found tucked away in a closet.

"Have a seat," I said, and pushed the table closer to him. "I made the one thing I'm really good at, fried chicken. I hope that's okay." I opened the container I'd packed it in and put it on one of the plates I'd set on his table.

"You cooked this yourself? Wow, I didn't know you could cook."

"I can't, well barely. But I can fry chicken. I bought some salads and rolls at the grocery store. Oh, and I brought some beers." He smiled at me as I handed him some of everything and then we sat and ate next to the lake on the edge of the small town I'd grown up in. We talked about anything and everything and when we ran out of things to talk about, both stared up at the stars.

"I forgot how many stars there are when you're out here. It's nothing like this in Sacramento."

"I can't imagine looking up in the sky and not seeing a million stars," Jack said, his food forgotten as he tipped his head toward the sky and took it all in. "It's beautiful."

"I've seen better," I said, and didn't try to hide I was staring at him. He turned to look at me and I leaned over to kiss him. "I think I could possibly love you," I whispered.

"You—" He gripped my hand where I cupped his cheek and was frozen for a moment. "No one's ever said that to me before."

"I love you," I whispered not wanting him to doubt my words. His eyes got a little shiny as I leaned in for a kiss, and nearly toppled my plate. "Are you finished?"

"What? Yes, I'm finished." He helped me cover the plates and put them back in the ice chest.

"I didn't mean to rush you, plus we have all night, but I wanted us to get a chance to look at Saturn through the telescope. It's supposed to be very bright tonight." I set up the telescope and adjusted it until I was happy while Jack watched. "Here, check this out."

He leaned over and gasped when he saw what I'd focused on. "That's amazing," he said and didn't move while he looked. "I can't believe you can see the rings. Where did you get the telescope?"

"I was really into stargazing when I was younger. I haven't done it since I left here." I hadn't thought about it one time either. Probably because like I'd told him, I couldn't see as many stars in Sacramento. But I'd also forgotten about the smell of the country and how you could smell the dirt and the trees, and the humidity in the air from the lake, not just car exhaust.

"I never really believed you'd stay," he said when he looked away from the telescope.

"Neither did I," I admitted. "But the longer I'm here, the more I want to stay. I like that we have the bakery to go to in the morning and how they know our regular order as soon as we walk in. I also like the fact that Mr. Atkins sits out front most days rocking, and I like that we watch movies in the evening. Never in a million years did I imagine I'd meet the man I love in the little town I grew up in, but I did."

"You're really staying? Staying as in not moving back to Sacramento?" Jack asked again.

"Yes, I'm really staying. And I wasn't going to say anything yet, but I've secured a loan to pay Dad. He's giving me a really good deal because he's really just over it. But I was hoping you'd stay and help me fix it up. We could make it our own." I hoped he was willing because I couldn't do it on my own, and I didn't want to.

He was on my lap then, kissing me everywhere he could reach. "I'm so happy. I was so worried you were taking me out to tell me you were leaving."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted to make sure it would all work. I've also put my house on the market and as soon as it sells, I can buy a place here."

"You really are staying," Jack whispered like saying it one more time made it more real.

"I'm really staying." I kissed his nose, making him laugh. "And we're going to close the store for a week, take everything out, and start from scratch." He leaned his forehead against the side of my head and took a deep breath.

"I knew there was a catch, but it would be nice to have a fresh start."

"Do you think Isaac would be willing to help?" Since Jack and Isaac had talked, and after they shared their revenge tour for the town grifter, their friendship was stronger than ever.

"If you pay him," Jack said and laughed. "But I don't want to talk about Isaac right now."

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked as the two of us looked up at the stars.

"You and me, and how much I love you."

Under a sky full of stars I found the love I never thought I would in the last place I ever expected, and nothing could have made this moment more perfect than it was.