Inseparable

“Are you all right?” he asked. “Are you having a good time?”

"Are you kidding me? I'm at a dinner show with freaking aerial components. Of course, I'm having a good time. I just can’t wait for the show to start."

He grinned at me. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. I wanted to make tonight special.”

I nodded. “So far, so good. But just so you know, it’s not like I expect this kind of thing, Drew. I don’t need a bunch of fancy things from you. Just hanging out with you makes me happy, too. I’ve been having a really good time with you, on all of our dates. This has all been really good.”

“It’s been good for me, too,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed myself very much. You’ve been something of a surprise to me, Jess. Nothing like what I expected.”

I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, so I said nothing at all. Just because I was silent, though, didn't mean my head wasn't spinning. It most definitely was. He wasn't what I had been expecting, either, not by a longshot.

Nothing about him was predictable. He was nothing like most of the other pilots I’d met. In a very short amount of time, he had made me far happier than I ever would have expected, and that was all fantastic. There was just one thing I couldn't get over, and it was making me beyond nervous. The two of us had been spending enough time together that I believed things were probably headed somewhere, even if I wasn't sure where. The issue was Emma.

The more time I spent with Drew, the more it bothered me that I was dating a man my daughter had never met. I made a point of not bringing men in and out of her life when they didn't mean anything, but I wasn't sure that Drew fell into that category anymore. If things kept going the way they were, the two of them were going to have to meet. I liked Drew far more than I had thought I would, but that was just the first step. Now, I needed to know that he could get along with my daughter. If that didn't pan out, there was no point in the two of us spending any more time with each other.

“What is it, Jess? You look upset.”

“No, not upset. Just thinking.”

“All right, I’ll bite. What are you thinking about?”

"The Fourth of July!" I blurted out, wanting to shut myself up, but unable to stop once I begun. "That's what I'm thinking about. I know it's still several weeks away, but I was wondering if you have plans."

“No, not that I’m aware of. How come?”

“It’s just that I have this little ritual, or rather me and my family do. Emma and Sophie and me. The Fourth of July is one of Emma’s favorite holidays. Every year, we do this evening picnic thing.”

“That sounds nice. You must have a very patriotic daughter.”

I laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess so. I think she just likes the fireworks. Anyway, we do it every year, and I was wondering if you might want to come along this time. It's totally cool if you don't want to, just so you know. I get that hanging out with a ten-year-old might not be your idea of a good time. I was just thinking that it might be a good time for the two of you to meet. Which also doesn't have to happen. If I'm being too pushy or something, please just tell me. I don't know. I'm not really sure why I brought it up, to be honest. I kind of wish I hadn't. And now I’m rambling."

“Jess,” Drew said.

“Yeah?”

“Calm down,” he said, grinning.

“Just so you know, most women don’t love being told to calm down. I’ll let it slide, though, seeing as I’m acting like a basket case.”

“You are a little,” he said. “But I get it. And I’d love to come with you. It sounds like fun.”

“You would? I mean that’s great, but I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would want to come.”

“I’m a bit surprised myself, but then again, I already told you that you’re not what I expected. I get why you want me and Emma to meet, though. I would want the same thing if I had a kid.”

I searched his face as he gave me his answer, surprised and a little bit touched to see that he really did look like he'd been caught off guard. I had a pretty good idea that hanging out with kids wasn't high on his list of priorities. I felt another surge of wa

rmth over the fact that he was willing to make an exception for me.

I would have told him so, but that was the moment that the lights began to dim, signaling that the performance was about to begin. I settled for scooting my chair closer to his and putting my hand on his thigh, feeling his raw muscle pulsing beneath my fingers.

As the stage lights began to flare and the first performer took the stage, I became clearly, terrifyingly aware of one simple fact. It had been five years since I'd been anything approaching this happy, and it was all because of a man who was still a mystery to me.

Chapter 12: Drew

“So, what did you think?” I asked. “Now that we’re out of the theater and none of the performers can hear you, what did you honestly think?”

"Are you kidding me?” Jess asked. “It was amazing. Easily the most impressive thing I've ever seen. Those aerialists? They were unreal! Like seriously, how can they move that way? If I tried anything like that, I’d break my neck. I wish I were even half that good at anything."