Soon. It’s a small word containing only four letters. It may be a tiny one but it’s huge in meaning. It’s a promise of more to come. That it won’t be too long until we see each other again. The only crappy part of the word is you never know when soon is.

My idea of soon could be completely different from his. As much as I’m excited for the next stage of our crazy relationship, we could be on two different pages. Can I even call it a relationship? I mean we agreed to keep things quiet and that we both wanted to see each other again, but nothing has been defined.

For all I know, he could want to date other people. However, he did say he loved me. Well, he thinks he loves me. So I guess that means he really likes me, maybe a lot. What the hell am I doing? I need to stop overanalyzing every single detail. It will make me insane.

What’s the definition of insanity? Oh, right - the act of the doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. I close my fists in tight to distract my fluttering thoughts. I’m getting way ahead of myself. The problem is I can’t erase our past. It’s always right there in my mind. As much as I try to forget it’s still too fresh and raw.

Squeezing my fists even harder, I let my mind return to the pressing room. How I watched him hold that girl in his arms and touched her. Shit. I’m making my stomach queasy. I shake my head to snap out of it. The harsh reality is that Jack was…is...a player.

Every romance novel I’ve read seems to have the same scenario. Bad guy turns good guy when the right girl comes along. The wild alpha male is finally tamed by the sassy and seductive girl who can match him in wit, charm and bullshit. Jack and I have been a long drawn out tale that finally needs to get an ending. I can only hope it’s a happy ever after.

The right thing to do in this situation is to communicate with him. Get it all out in the open. I wish I wasn’t such a wimp about it. For as incredible as this feels, it could end just as quickly. So I’m choosing to keep my thoughts inside for now. I’m afraid of his answers.

I need to have courage in him and us. He told me he wants things to be different, and I have to trust in him. Believe in him. Otherwise, we won’t go anywhere.

My body moves to the window and the changing sky. I can see Ben’s old red pickup truck in the distance making its way toward the house. He took Sam out for a ride to see the winery. I can see them both smiling. Sam is here and there’s much to do. It’s time to help write their ending.

Why is it that I’m so much better at solving everyone else’s relationship issues but my life is a complete mess? It’s so much easier dealing with other people’s reality than my own. I see Ben help Sam out of the truck and you can see there’s a connection there. I read people pretty well and they so did something. This could be easier than I thought. I should really stop staring but I can’t help it. It’s like a story coming to life.

My eyes shift to the pressing room loft and my heart melts a bit more. Thinking of Jack sitting in there alone and waiting for our soon. Perhaps our story is finally coming to life, too. It’s moving along and the pages are being printed. We need to decide our ending together, but first we need to write a few more chapters.

My heart beats faster in anticipation of what’s next. Soon. I need to make soon happen. Picking up my phone, I decide to take a chance. My thumbs move fast and I hit send before I lose my nerve.

Soon is now. Meet me in the fermenting room. Xo

I watch the little dots flash at me, indicating his incoming message. Two simple words light up my screen.

Fuck yes.

Laughing out loud, I rush out my door and down the back stairs. I need to get out without being seen. Looking at the time on my phone, we have about twenty minutes before dinner. So much can be accomplished in that time. My face feels flushed as I dash across the yard to the barn.

The fermenting room is quiet and private. It’s the perfect spot for a hot and heavy make-out session. I need to feel him pressed against me to ease my anxieties. If I can touch him, I know I will feel better. Have some hope and faith in us.

The lighting is dim but I make him out down in the back. His shadowy figure has been recognizable to me since we were kids. Plus, I’ve always felt his presence. Maybe our connection is stronger than I thought.

He takes a few steps toward me and my body begins to pulse. I can barely make out his smile in the faint light but I know it’s there. The closer we get to each other, the more my body pulses. The current of electricity is powerful. Our hands reach out to touch and we engulf each other in a hug that can only be described as intense.

All worries and fears are gone in this embrace. Feeling him pressed against me is all I need. I let out a loud sigh of relief and let my body melt into him. Jack grips me tight as he whispers in my ear, “What’s that big sigh for, babe? What’s on your mind?”

Settling my head into his shoulder, I breathe in before speaking. “The next chapter of our story, Jack. I can’t wait to see what we put down on paper together.”

The warmth from his body increases my heat as our bodies slowly move to the wall. My ass hits the cool metal of the conveyer belt and the combination of hot and cold turns me on. Jack lifts my ass up on the belt and wraps my legs around him.

He hasn’t even kissed me yet, but I already feel desire burning through me. His face is aligned with mine as our eyes match each other’s stare. His nose lightly brushes mine before our lips barely make contact, teasing me. He pulls his head back away from me before licking his lips. “Let’s make our mark, baby.”