Jace, who was standing there, dimples popping, merely nodded to her. Looking at my tiny Enraged Bacon like she was a sweet cherub instead of hell on wheels.
I’d never seen anyone champion my children as much as he just did. During our applause, he caught my gaze and put his hand over his heart.Look at what they did,he seemed to say. I suddenly felt hot and tight, my own heart pounding in my chest. Jace had turned the light on for my entire family, not just me.
Nervous anticipation filled my gut and lodged in my throat. Did we do the same for him?
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
POLLY
“I don't fit in your world."
"Neither do I," he said, his expression tender yet resolute. "So let's make our own. We've done it before.”
Tracey Garvis-Graves,On the Island
After the magic show was cleaned up, the after-dinner dishes were done, and the kids were in bed, Jace grabbed my hand and tilted his head toward the patio.
“Come sit with me.”
So that’s what I did. With the night sky providing our backdrop, Jace and I sat at the outside patio table side by side, holding hands, listening to the nighttime soundtrack of katydids and crickets, and of course, an occasional giant ZAP from our bug zappers.
“You’re quiet tonight,” Jace whispered.
I whipped my head toward him. I’d been lost in thought. Wondering how many nights I’d get with Jace like this. Even though I was the one to put the qualifier on us, wanting to go slow and keep things private, I still felt this insecurity. This fear of getting hurt.
“Am I?”
I knew I was. I was trying to think back to Leah’s words today and bolster my confidence, but it wasn’t working.
Jace picked up one of my hands and brought the back of it to his mouth for a soft kiss.
“Everything alright, darlin’?”
I had to hold back a shiver. His dimpled grin, his husky drawl, his kindness and his patience . . . Jesus take the wheel, the keys, and the whole damn car, I was tempted to pinch myself because how on earth could a man like this be real?
I pulled my hand to my lap, huffing an exasperated breath. “I’m having a hard time believing you’re real. How’d you get to be this romantic?”
Jace brought his beer to his lips, taking a pull, his throat working as he swallowed. “It’s a skill.”
I pointed to him. “That! Stop doing that! Your sexy unicorn ways are breaking my brain, and I have things to say!”
“Did you just call me a sexy unicorn?” Jace’s face crinkled adorably in confusion.
I focused on the ground, not wanting to be distracted. Leah was right. I had to fight for what I wanted.
And I wanted Jace.
“At the magic show tonight, I saw a side to Max I hadn’t seen for a long time. When he was young, he was curious and silly, loving to giggle. And then after the divorce, I was trying so hard to keep everything together, that I failed at being his mom. You helped me see that. You helped bring that silly part of Max back.”
Taking a deep breath, I turned my watery gaze on Jace.
“And Ryla is no longer a feral badger that I fear bringing into public. I’m still saving up bail money, don’t get me wrong,” I added as Jace laughed. “My point is, thank you. For everything.”
A frown took over Jace’s easygoing expression. “Why does this sound like you’re saying goodbye?”
“You’ve done so much for us, for me.” I looked down in my lap, a ball of nerves in my chest making it tight. “It wouldn’t be fair to make you stay here, if you didn’t want to. To hold you back. You have a gift, Jace. And a dream. It wouldn’t be right to keep you from that.”
Jace took a long pull from his beer, then set it on the table. Picking up his chair, he turned it toward me fully, then reached out and grabbed my chair, turning it so I was facing him as well. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, the intensity in his hazel eyes holding mine.
