Page 72 of Not Just Gal Pals

What on earth was she doing back in Sapphire Springs?

Unfortunately, with the mayor in the middle of her speech, there was no way of finding out. This fundraiser was my responsibility. I couldn’t exactly run out the door with Jenny and demand answers, and conversations as important as this one couldn’t be done in low whispers or furtive text messages.

My heart racing, I grabbed Jenny’s hand, warm and soft, and gently tugged her toward two spare seats. When seated, I didn’t let go of her hand, and neither did she.

That was a good sign. Could she...was it possible she was back for good? My chest expanded at the thought. I shot Jenny a sideways glance. She sensed my eyes on her and turned to me, shooting me a gorgeous smile, and squeezed my hand.

That was even more promising.

We sat in excruciating silence, holding hands while we watched the students’ performances, counting down until Jenny could tell me what the hell had happened in the past twenty-four hours. I couldn’t focus on the performances, too distracted by Jenny’s presence next to me.

As soon as the intermission started, I looked around for somewhere we could talk in private. If we didn’t escape quickly, we’d be waylaid by well-meaning audience members.

“Will you be warm enough if we go outside?”

Jenny nodded, grabbing her coat and beanie, and we marched toward the closest exit.

The cold air hit us as we escaped through the door.

“Wow.” During the afternoon, while I was stressing about the fundraiser and feeling shattered by Jenny’s sudden departure, the world had transformed into a winter wonderland. A thick blanket of white covered the trees next to the auditorium and the school oval, which were lit by flood lights. And here Jenny was, in the flesh, looking as gorgeous as ever, smiling at me.

I wanted to envelop her in my arms and kiss her so badly, but I didn’t dare. First, I had to find out why she was back.

The air burned my lungs as I took in a deep breath. “So, um, what are you doing here?” I managed to ask, wincing at my less-than-smooth question.

“Well, hello to you too.” Jenny smiled, but it quickly wavered. She bit her lip nervously. “So, I’ve decided to stay. In Sapphire Springs.”

Excitement, relief, and worry welled up inside me.

Was she staying for me? What was she going to do? As much as I wanted to be with her, I didn’t want her to give up everything for me or to build her life around me. From personal experience, I knew just how badly that could end. Above all, I wanted Jenny to be happy. But would she really be happy in Sapphire Springs? Or maybe she didn’t want to be with me at all, and something else was going on? Stop hypothesizing and just ask her.

“You...you have? What made you change your mind?”

Jenny tugged her beanie down, her hair escaping in waves from underneath it, perfectly framing her face. Her cheeks and nose were pink, and her eyes were sparkling.

“Yesterday, I didn’t feel like I had any choice but to accept Mahler’s offer, for the reasons I told you. But as soon as I got on the train, I started having doubts, and by the time I’d arrived in LA, I’d come to two realizations. One, I do have a choice. Two, I’m tired of being an influencer, and despite what I previously thought, I do have some other skills. It was actually something you said that made the lightbulb turn on. What have I been doing the entire time I’ve been in Sapphire Springs? Planning events. And I love it. It uses my creativity, my organizational skills, my people skills...and I get to help people celebrate special days and support worthy causes.”

“So, I rang Miriam with a proposition for us to become business partners. She was already run off her feet before she became pregnant, and she’s thrilled to have someone she can share the load with. Once she’s back on board, we’re going to look to expand into other types of events. My social media experience will come in handy for building our brand, but it will only be a small part of what I do.”

“That sounds amazing.” I let out a deep breath. The excitement in Jenny’s voice was clear. Jenny wasn’t moving back for me. She wasn’t making my mistake of planning her whole life around a love interest. She’d found something she was genuinely passionate about and was pursuing it with fervor.

I was thrilled Jenny hadn’t decided to stay for me. But had I played any role at all? I’d been hoping she’d say something to indicate that my presence in Sapphire Springs was another reason she wanted to stay, but she hadn’t even mentioned me. How would I fit into her new life in Sapphire Springs?

I felt like I was back at high school again, asking this question, but I needed clarity. I didn’t want to spend the rest of the fundraiser not knowing how things stood between us.

“So, um, what are you thinking about us? I mean, would you be interested in dating for real? Like an, um, actual relationship?” I winced as the words came out of my mouth. Major awkward-teenager vibes.

Jenny’s eyes widened. “Are you sure you...? Do you want that? What happened to being a bald eagle?”

I stared at Jenny blankly. “What?”

I was clearly missing something.

“You know, you’re a bald eagle flying alone.” She ran her hand over my arm where my tattoo was, sending my body humming.

I chuckled. “Oh. Yes. Well, about that. The thing I didn’t know about bald eagles, but that my brother was very quick to point out to me after I got the tattoo, was that while bald eagles fly alone, they’re monogamous. They stay in their relationships year after year, until one of them dies. So, while I might fly alone, I’d love nothing better than to come home to you, night after night.” I kept my voice light and grinned to hide the terrifying realization that, despite our short time together, I absolutely meant it.

Jenny giggled. “If that’s an invitation to move in, I think we should wait a few more months just to fight the U-Haul stereotype, but I’d love nothing better than to roost with you.” I rolled my eyes at her terrible pun, trying to contain the elation flowing through my veins.