I slipped on my robe and went searching the house for Jax. Had he left without saying anything? Before I could wonder any more, I heard a loud buzzing sound coming from outside. When I reached my front door, my heart almost leaped out of my chest as I saw thousands of bubbles being blown in my direction. Dozens of bubble machines were sitting in my front yard, and right in the midst of it all, Jax stood with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants, wearing a big smile on his face.
“What is this?” I laughed, shaking my head back and forth.
“You can’t be sad when blowing bubbles,” he told me, walking my way. He took my hands into his and squeezed them. “And I wanted you to feel a kiss from your daughter this morning. I wanted you to remember that, no matter what, she’s still here.”
Tears formed in my eyes. “You’re everything I wanted and everything I never knew I could have.”
“I’m yours,” he promised. “I think I always have been.” He took a step back, held his hand out toward me, and bowed slightly. “Now, will you do me the honor of dancing with me in the bubbles?” he asked.
I laughed, took his hand, and we danced.
31
Kennedy
“What are you doing here?” I gasped as Yoana came walking up toward my front porch. Jax and Connor were working on the landscaping and I was knee-deep in writing a scene in my novel when I noticed my sister skipping my way.
I shot to my feet and hurried over to her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“You guys weren’t supposed to be home until next month,” I said, confused as ever.
“Yes, well, I had a little birdy in town tell me you might be in need of some family. Nathan is back at home, resting, so I figured I’d stop by to see you so we can talk,” Yoana said as she glanced over at Jax, who was trying his best to act as if he was hard at work. “And you must be Jax.” She smiled as she walked over to him. “It’s nice to see you again after all these years, and thank you for that call.” She pulled him into a hug, and I was still confused as ever.
“You called her? How?” I asked, baffled.
He shrugged. “I grabbed your phone the other night while you were sleeping and reached out to her. I figured you could use some familiar faces around.”
My heart was his.
“Thank you, Jax,” I said, and he gave me his half-grin, which warmed me up inside. I went on to hug Yoana again.
She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and nudged me in the side with her hip. “Now, how about a cup of Mama’s favorite coffee so we can catch up a little?”
“Aren’t you jetlagged? You don’t have to hang out with me if you’re exhausted.”
“I’d rather be exhausted with you than sleeping. Now, come on. I need you to catch me up on everything, especially the hottie that little Jax turned out to be.”
I shook my head. “I thought you were concerned about me dating him.”
“After that phone call? No way. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. So, come on—caffeinate me.”
We headed inside, and my chest felt as if it were going to explode with excitement from having my sister back with me. I needed her more than I even knew. We sat down in the dining room, talking about everything under the sun. She told me all about her travels, and I could see that whenever she mentioned Nathan, she had even more love for him than when they’d left. It amazed me how love could keep growing after so many years.
“And this Jax guy, Kennedy,” she said, shaking her head as she held her cup of coffee. “He’s the real deal, isn’t he?”
“I think so. He just makes me feel better. He makes me feel happy on days that would normally be sad.”
“Good,” she said, nodding her head. “That’s what you deserve. I’m not going to lie; I was really nervous when you told me about his past. I didn’t want you to get hurt, but the way he showed up for you when you were at your lowest, the way he championed you…that’s what I always wanted for you. I wanted you to have a real love, the kind that holds you up instead of letting you fall. Penn wasn’t that man for you, but Jax…the way he looks at you…” She pretended to swoon, making me laugh.
“You saw him stare at me for all of two seconds, and that was all it took?”
“Yes,” she said somberly. “You know why?”
“Why is that?”
“Because he stared at you the way Daddy looked at Mama—like you were the world and he was lucky to even be near your orbit.”