Page 96 of Close to Heaven

“Ohmigod. Now what?”

Smoky had been sniffing the kitchen floor, searching for crumbs, but he stopped and popped his head up like he was listening intently.

“What do you think, buddy? Should I tell her I love her?”

Suddenly the floor creaked in the living room, and Smoky bolted out of the kitchen.

“Dammit, Cody. You have to stop sneaking up on me!” Jax pushed his chair back from the table and stalked out of the kitchen. However, when he rounded the corner into the living room, it wasn’t Cody’s face he saw.

“You love me?”

Avery. He must not have closed the front door all the way when he’d come home. No wonder Smoky had been listening so hard. He’d heard Avery come in before Jax had.

“Jax?”

He scratched the back of his head, taking a moment to get his bearings. He’d just admitted to himself that he loved her, but he hadn’t been ready to tell her yet, especially not like this. They hadn’t even gone on a proper date yet!

Avery moved toward him slowly, like she was approaching a wild animal. “Jax, is it true? Did I hear you say—?”

He nodded. “Yes. I love you.” The next thing he knew, she’d jumped up and wrapped her arms and legs around him, assuming he’d catch her, which, of course, he did.

“Ohmigod! You love me!” she said and plastered him with kisses.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, but he was also aware that the door was still partially open. He wouldn’t be surprised if Cody came barreling in and spoiled this moment. He carried her over to the door, kicked it shut, and locked it for good measure.

Avery leaned back and smiled at him. “You love me,” she repeated softly.

“I do.”

“I’m so glad.”

They weren’t the three words he’d been hoping to hear, but he had just sprung this on her. Maybe she needed some time to get used to the idea too. “I’m glad you’re glad.”

She disentangled herself and slid down his body until her feet touched the floor. “This makes it so much easier for me to say what I have to say.”

Uh-oh. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. “Maybe we should sit down.”

They sat on the couch, and she reached for his hand.

He suddenly felt nervous, but he tried not to show it.

She cleared her throat. “I don’t want our first date to be at Clingman’s Dome.”

That wasn’t at all what he’d expected her to say. “Okay?”

“I want to go to a restaurant and not worry about people seeing us together. I also want to park my car in your driveway, overnight even, and not worry who sees. I want to greet you with a kiss when we go into work in the morning and hold your hand when we leave there at night. I want to invite Cody and Dakota to have dinner with us and not have to hide my feelings for you. I want to introduce you to my dad and Carolyn, and when I do, I want to call you my boyfriend, not my boss or my friend’s brother. I want to keep a spare set of pajamas here and not borrow Dakota’s. And I want you to do the same at my place.”

“But I don’t wear pajamas.”

“Jax!”

He cupped her cheek and gazed into her pretty eyes. “Yes to all of it.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

She sounded more amused than upset, but if she needed more words, he’d give her more.

“I’ll take you wherever you want to go on our first date. You can park your car in my driveway any time, and I’ll do the same at your place. I will gladly kiss you good morning and good night and at various points in between. We should probably tell Dakota before we invite her and Cody over for dinner so Cody doesn’t spill the news before we do. I’d love to meet your dad and Carolyn, and you’re welcome to introduce me as your boyfriend, because I plan on calling you my girlfriend from now on. As for pajamas, you can keep as many pair here as you want or none, because, no matter what you wear or don’t wear, I think you’re amazing and I love you. Did I cover everything?”

She was laughing and smiling, and the next thing he knew, she had pushed him down on the couch and stretched out on top of him. He held her hair back from her face and waited, thinking she might have more to say.

“I love you too, Jax.”

And those were the sweetest words he’d ever heard.