Jack's Surrender (Holiday Cove 5)

Noah led the way and got me situated in the office—which was complete with a silver plaque bearing my name on the holder beside the door. Once I was settled in, he left me to my reading and closed the door behind him. My gaze drifted to the water outside my window.

If I had to start over, at least the view was beautiful.

“Of course you can stay the weekend!”

After leaving my new office, I went to my car and called Rachel. I could book another night at my depressing little hotel if needed, but I’d much rather get out of town for an extended weekend and see her instead. So when she informed me she was miraculously plan-free for the weekend, I invited myself over.

“Get your fabulous tush over here. I’ll put some wine on ice and we can order in from your favorite little sushi place.”

“Thanks, Rach.” I ended the call, tossed my phone into the passenger seat, and then scanned around the satellite radio channels until I found a station playing good enough music that would drown out my muddled thoughts.

The long drive down the coast to Newport Beach was almost cleansing. By the time I parked in the small lot outside a row of townhouses, I was actually smiling. Rachel burst out of her front door like she’d been peeking out the front window every few minutes just waiting for me. I tugged my sunglasses off my face and pushed them up into my hair just seconds before she crashed into me.

“I can’t believe you’re here!”

I held her tight and breathed in her familiar scent. Rosewater, sea salt, and sunshine. The eternal beach bunny. God love her. “Thanks for letting me crash.” I bent and looked at Hunter in the backseat. “Well, technically us.”

“Hunty?” Rachel hurried to open the door and let the chocolate Lab out. Hunter went nuts, jumping all over her with his big paws. She didn’t care. She hadn’t seen him in a while and watching them, it was hard to say who was more excited about the reunion.

Rachel, still smiling, turned to me as she scratched Hunter’s ears. “Okay. Do I need to be worried? Why is Hunter with you and not with Princess and Jack?”

“Come on. Let’s eat. I’m starving!”

“Holly…”

I squeezed my eyes closed. “I was hoping we could get into this after I’d had a glass—or three.”

“Holly, what’s happening?”

Hunter went still and sat beside her as if he knew shit was about to get real. I smiled sadly down at him and then bobbed my chin up to meet Rachel’s eyes. “We’re having a little…time out.”

Rachel’s hands flew to her mouth.

“Rach…please.”

“Right, sorry. Wine first.” She dragged me up the stairs and Hunter followed.

When we were settled around the coffee table, each with a generous glass of cabby and a plate of sushi, I launch into the whole story. The real story of what was going on. I hated saying it all out loud but when I was done, I felt lighter, almost like I hadn’t realized how heavy the whole situation was.

“I’m sorry, doll. If I had known…” Rachel’s words trailed off. There wasn’t a practical solution to heartache. She couldn’t make me chicken noodle soup or bring me some magic pill that would take it all away. “Why didn’t you tell me you guys were having trouble?”

“Because it all seemed so ridiculous. We just had this whirlwind trip to Germany and bought a house and we were—are—engaged. This should be the happiest time of our lives.”

“But it’s not.”

I shook my head and tears pricked at the backs of my eyes. I glanced down at my bare ring finger and a tear slipped past my lashes. “No. It’s not.”

Rachel handed me a stack of white napkins that had come with the takeout. “Do you think it’s fixable?”

“I don’t know. It’s been like an endless merry-go-round for a few months now. Things are tense or we’ll have an argument and never quite resolve it. Then we’ll finally have a good night together and…in some cases, really incredible sex—”

Rachel’s eyebrow hiked up her brow. “Really, now?”

I laughed into my wine. “That’s the one area where we aren’t falling apart it seems.”

Rachel gave me a knowing smile. “Well, that’s something.”

I nodded and finished off the contents of my glass. Rachel hurried to pour me a second. “I don’t think he’s happy. So he’s looking at everything else because that’s easier than trying to figure out what’s wrong on the inside. If that makes sense at all.”

“Well, he’s a dude.”

She said this as though it explained everything.

At my silence, she giggled. “I just mean that he’s naturally inclined to be a fixer. Sadly, that instinct doesn’t usually work on itself. They either don’t see any problem or if they do, they don’t have the first clue how to go about making it right. Jack’s a pretty analytical guy, but I doubt he regularly sits down with himself and figures out what’s up his ass.”