The Reunion: Claire's Rebuilding Contract (Starting Over Series) (5 page)

“Look, I am sorry, Jack. I just didn’t know what to think!”

“How is that possible? We spent the better part of a week together, Claire.”

“Because I spent eleven years with my husband and turns out, I wasn’t such a good judge of character. I have a daughter that I have to protect. I figured I had time to research more and see what the deal was with you. I didn’t know you would find my phone…” she said looking down at her hands.

Jack sat there for a moment without saying anything. Then, he turned and looked at her. This woman. This beautiful dark haired beauty. Why was she so addicting to him?

“I guess I can understand that. You’ve only known me a week. You couldn’t risk your life and your daughter’s life thinking I might be a killer.”

“The crazy thing is that I knew you couldn’t do that. I feel your heart, Jack. You are one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met,” she whispered looking up at him.

He slid his hand through her hair and behind her head, pulling her lips to his. She scooted closer as she threw one of her legs between his. In a rush of passion she had never felt before, she slid her hands under his t-shirt and caressed the softness of his rock solid back muscles. His tongue plunged into her mouth as their mouths danced with each other.

“Claire…” he moaned her name. She pulled back and looked at him. “We’ve got to stop before I can’t stop.”

“Why do we have to stop?” she asked continuing to kiss his neck.

“Because we are in Ellie’s driveway and your daughter is looking out the window,” he whispered. Claire turned to see her daughter looking out the front window. Thankfully, she knew that she probably couldn’t see much in the darkness.

“Oh, my gosh…” Claire said with a giggle. “I feel like a teenager getting caught kissing a boy…”

Jack laughed as he used his thumb to trace up and down on her cheek.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she said as she covered his hand with hers.

“Would you like to try dating me?”

“You mean like exclusively dating you?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Let me think…” she said putting her index finger on her mouth and looking up with a sly smile. “I suppose that could be arranged.”

“Really?” he seemed surprised.

“Why are you so shocked?” she asked.

“I am always shocked when I have such good fortune,” he said leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips.

“Happy three month anniversary,” Jack said as he popped around the corner of Claire’s kitchen.

“You scared me to death… again!” she said with a giggle as she put her hand on her heart.

“Sorry… again,” he said holding out the bouquet of roses he had behind his back. “I can’t help it if you have more adrenaline than other people.”

The last three months had been like a whirlwind for Claire. Dating Jack had restored her faith in humanity. Everything she thought she knew about love was just an illusion before she met Jack. He was one of the most selfless people she’d ever met.

He had helped almost all of her neighbors get their homes back together while also working with the other men in the neighborhood to rebuild houses. He donated his time for free. After that was over, he was using part of his off time to work with Habitat for Humanity in other parts of the area. Claire was so impressed by him.

They had started their dating very slowly being sure to include Aven when they could. They had taken a trip to Atlanta so that she could see the Georgia Aquarium and have a real Varsity hamburger. Sleeping in separate rooms, they were determined not to rush the physical part of their relationship so they could enjoy learning about each other.

Claire had appreciated that Jack respected her enough to wait for her to be ready. She knew he was ready as he was often leaving her house in favor of a cold shower. Having that effect on a man boosted her own ego a bit, but she was ready to get more serious with him herself.

“Where’s my Aven?” Jack asked as he looked around the house. He adored Aven, and she loved him too. They often rode bikes to the park or baked cookies together on Sundays. He was like a big kid himself.

“Ellie took her into town. They are having a craft fair there all weekend,” Claire said as she put her new flowers into a vase and set them in the middle of the breakfast table. “They won’t be home until late tonight since Ellie is also taking her to visit her grandkids.”

“Oh… I see… So what you are saying is that we have the house all to ourselves for a few hours?” he said as he pulled her close and kissed down her neck.

“Well, yes, but I was going to scrub the toilets…” she said with a snicker.

“Hmm… Well, as sexy as that sounds, I don’t think I am game for that…” he said as he reached down and picked her up over his shoulder, leaving her hanging upside down.

“Jack!” she screamed as she smacked him on the back over and over.

He tossed her onto the overstuffed beige sofa and fell on top of her, tickling her. She screamed and giggled until she was out of breath, and then she grabbed his neck and kissed him passionately.

“Are you trying to distract me?” he whispered.

“Maybe…” she said against his lips.

“Claire?” he said looking down at her.

“Yes?”

“You know that I love you, right?” It was the first time he had said it. Inside, she had known it, but she was aching to hear the words.

“Now I do…” she said. “And you know I love you too, right?” she said with a smile.

“Now I do.”

“Jack?”

“Yes, my love?” he said with a silly grin on his face.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” she asked.

“Wait for what?” he asked, hoping she was talking about what he thought she was talking about.

“How much longer do we have to wait before I can show you just how much I love you?”

“Well, you can show me that anytime you want to,” he said smiling as he softly kissed her on the lips. She slowly stood up and took his hand, pulling him off the sofa and toward the hallway.

“I’d like to show you right now,” she said as she took him into her bedroom.

***

It was a beautiful Fall afternoon. The leaves had just started to turn all shades of yellow, gold and orange. The sky was a brilliant blue, and clouds had vanished from its beautiful palette.

Claire could just hear the faint sounds of people milling about outside of the building. She could see some men playing golf just off in the distance, but mainly she had a view of the beautiful lake that made up much of Jack’s property.

“You look stunning, my girl,” Ellie said as she walked into the changing room. “You make a beautiful bride.” Ellie was like a mother to Claire, and she often appreciated her maternal instincts.

“Thank you,” Claire said trying not to start crying. She had waited a lifetime for a man like Jack. As they dated the last year, he only got better. The romance only got stronger. Her love for him only increased with each passing day.

“Mommy!” Aven said as she walked into the room. Having turned ten years old, she was wise beyond her years. She had told Claire that she wanted Jack to be her Daddy after they had been dating about six months. She adored him, and he thought she hung the moon. An outsider would have never known that Jack wasn’t her biological father. It made Claire ache for the kind of childhood she never had.

“Hi, baby! Are you ready to be the best flower girl ever?” Claire asked smiling down at her.

“Yes. I cannot wait for our wedding!” she said. “Our” wedding. That is really what it was. Joining Claire and Aven with Jack to create a new family.

“Claire? It’s time,” Natalie said as she poked her head in the door. She had directed many weddings as a side job, and Claire had asked her to handle the logistics of her small ceremony.

Dragging her short ivory train behind her, Claire made her way down the hall. As she heard the wedding march begin, she walked through the double doors and down the red carpeted pathway toward a waiting Jack. He was standing just beside the lake, near where they’d had their first picnic.

The irony of walking the red carpet was not lost on Claire. She had gone to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune so many years ago. She had hoped to find a treasure there. She had hoped it would be life changing. It had been life changing in so many ways. She now had Aven. She now had Jack. She wondered if she had never walked that red carpet so many years ago, would she have found her way back to herself?

As she reached the end of the red carpet, she stepped toward Jack. He reached out his masculine hands and took hers. His eyes were misty, and she was on the verge of tears. She had never known that true love felt this good. This safe.

The minister began speaking, but she could only stare at the man who would be her future husband. In his eyes, she saw stability, adoration and protection. In his arms, she had felt safer and more loved than she had ever been. Being with him had represented the end of her sad childhood and her train wreck of a marriage. In this moment, standing beside the lake, her life began again.

***

Two years after her nursing school reunion, Claire’s hand was poised to open the door to her meeting with Ashley, Shelby and Emma. She wondered what had become of them. Many times over the last twenty-four months, she had wanted to pick up the phone to ask for advice or send an email and check on their progress.

She could hardly believe the whirlwind her life had been in the last two years, and she could not wait to share her story with her three old friends.

THE END

Afterword
 

Thank you so much for buying and reading THE REUNION: CLAIRE'S REBUILDING CONTRACT novella!  This story is the third in "The Starting Over Series." Since word of mouth is so critical to readers and authors alike, I would really appreciate it if you'd pop back to Amazon and leave a review of this story. It will only take a minute or two, but you opinion is priceless.

REVIEW THE REUNION: CLAIRE'S REBUILDING CONTRACT
 

Other Books In This Series:

Book #1: Emma -
http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-Vacation-Starting-ebook/dp/B009SRIGX4

Book #2: Ashley -
http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-Mountain-Starting-ebook/dp/B009WX20PE

About the Author

According to her family Angelina Rose was a sweet child … maybe a little shy. She often spent a lot of time making up stories rather than running around and playing outside with her brother and sister. She won several writing competitions and used the prizes to help her single mother pay the bills.

Like Emma, Claire, Shelby and Ashley, Angelina Rose is a Nurse. At a recent reunion of her graduating class she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced … so Angelina thought "what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?" Then this first story in the series was born!

Angelina lives in the mountains with her husband, her two poodles and two bombay cats.

Contact Information