Tanner was putting hot sauce on his taco when he asked, “Do you really have to go back tonight, Jack?”

My eyes drifted to the man sitting next to me. He seemed pissed off at the world when he showed up at my house earlier, but the second Tanner invited him to play catch in the yard, his whole attitude changed.

Whatever was eating away at him seemed to dissolve away as they practiced catching and throwing the baseball around while he gave my son his undivided attention.

Jack took a long pull from his Corona and set it down on the table. He ran his hands through his dark, blond hair, something I’d noticed he’d been doing all day. “Unfortunately, bud, I have to go back.” Tanner’s shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. “But, trust me when I say, I would much rather be here with you and your mom.”

“Really?” Tanner replied, his voice perking up with surprise. His deep, brown eyes lit up with pure delight.

A smile split across Jack’s face as he leaned forward. He rested his hands on the table. I knew that look well. It meant he was up to something.

“Actually, I can’t imagine going another couple weeks without seeing you guys, so I had this crazy idea. I thought if you could fit it in your schedules, you guys could fly up to New York this weekend for a visit.” He shot me a crooked grin and winked.

That sly bastard.

Tanner shot up from his seat and pumped his fist the air. “Yes! We’re going to New York!” he shouted, unaware that I was silently stewing and crossing and uncrossing my legs under the table to keep my temper in check.

I was going to kill him.

“Jack,” I said, in a tone as calm as I could muster, while silently planning my boyfriend’s death. I knew that he didn’t have much experience with kids, but he should have talked to me about this first. “As much as Tanner and I would love to come to New York, I have to plan these things out. I can’t just leave on a whim.”

Jack rested his palms face down on the table and arched an eyebrow. “What exactly do you have to plan?”

“Well,” I started, beginning with my list of reasons why this little trip couldn’t work. “First, there are plane tickets that would need to be bought that I don’t have the money for. Second, I would have to take Friday off work, and they are already short staffed. Third, I’d have to pull Tanner out of school, and he’ll miss french fry Friday. Which is his favorite.”

“Mom, I can eat french fries in New York, right, Jack? And I don’t think I’ll get stupid by missing one day of school.” His smile was evidence that he was all for this trip. Jack snickered while I narrowed my eyes. I watched as Tanner threw a few nacho chips to the birds that were begging for crumbs.

I grew uncomfortable with how close the dirty pigeons were coming to my feet. I picked up the basket and pushed it aside. “That’s enough,” I said, and watched the birds fly away in search of their next meal.

Jack pulled out a white letter size envelope from his back pocket and placed it in front of me.

“What’s this?” I asked, my eyes wide with suspicion.

He pushed the envelope across the table, gesturing for me to open it. “A solution to your first problem.”

I peeled it open, and a printed receipt for a direct flight to JFK fell out in front of me. “Jack?”

“Chloe.” He grinned, sheepishly.

“I can’t accept this.” I looked down and noticed two first class tickets that were printed in mine and Tanner’s name.

“Why not?” he asked, as if it wasn’t such a big deal. I cut my gaze to the side so he wouldn’t see how much I really wanted to accept this gift. I wished more than anything that I could just jet away for the weekend on a whim, but that wasn’t my reality. This was a perfect example of how our two worlds were completely different. I couldn’t pull something like this off at the last minute.

My fingers started to massage my temple. Tanner was waiting for my answer. I really didn’t want to disappoint him, but this was too much. “This is very generous of you, but I can’t let you pay for our plane tickets.”

Jack cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t pay for your plane tickets. They were free. I had a bazillion frequent flier miles and was able to get these two puppies for zero ‘guilt free’ dollars.”

“But who’s going to pay for everything we do and all the meals we will have to eat? I know you live there, but New York is very expensive, and I can’t let you spend that kind of money on us.”

“I’m buying dinner tonight, so I don’t see what the big difference is?”

I wanted to tell him there was a huge difference, but before I got the chance, Tanner butted in. “Yeah, mom. It’s not a big deal. He’s your boyfriend, right? They’re supposed to spend their money on their girlfriends.” He shrugged before taking a sip of his Coke. “At least, that’s what Tyler’s mom tells her boyfriend.”

Jack reached over and grabbed my hand. “See, it’s my job.” He grinned with his blue eyes sparkling. It was good to see him in a better mood rather than the one he showed up with at my doorstep earlier.

I pulled my shoulders back and sat up straight. He was making it hard to say no to him, and I really wanted to go. I did a silent check in my head to see if there was a way to pull it off but couldn’t see a way to make it work. I knew Ree would most likely give me the day off if I asked, but I didn’t want to jam her up, especially on a Friday. Not to mention, it was our busiest day of the week, and I really needed the money.

I looked down at the tablecloth so I wouldn’t see the disappointment in his eyes. “I have to work this weekend, Jack. I’m sorry.”

“I thought you might say that. Check your phone.”

My eyebrows pulled together and then I reached into my purse for my cell phone. I glanced at the screen. There was a text message from Ree.

You have Friday off with pay. YOLO. Enjoy your weekend

My mouth hung open. I didn’t know whether I wanted to kiss him or strangle him. “You called my boss?”

“Not really. I stopped by for a slice of pie before I picked you up and just happened to run into her.”

The waitress took that moment to bring the check. “Here you go. Can I get you anything else?” she asked, sliding the bill across the table. I looked out to the surf, needing a minute to get my shit together.

Jack pulled out his credit card and placed it inside the leather binder. “We’re all set. Thank you.”

When I glanced over at him, his eyes softened. “Please,” he begged in a tone that made it impossible to say no. “I’ve had a shit morning thanks to my mother and…”

“Hey.” Tanner stopped spinning the bottle of hot sauce around on the condiments tray and reprimanded him. “That’s a bad word. You can’t say the S-word or mom will wash your mouth out with soap and make you pick up all the dog poop in the backyard.”

Jack dipped his chin in his shirt and chuckled. “Sorry, pal,” he said, bringing his hand up to his mouth as if he were trying to wipe the grin off his face. “It slipped out.”

They both turned to look at each other, a slow grin pulling at the corners of their mouths.

“That’s okay. You’re a grown-up. You can say it sometimes. You’re just not supposed to say it in front of me.”

“Got it,” Jack said, lifting his head to meet mine.

Saying no at this point would be pointless, especially since he went to so much trouble. He pretty much eliminated every excuse I had not to go. If I said no, I would only end up looking like the bad guy. Tanner would miss a day of school, but he was only in second grade. I’m sure he would be fine, and I could convince his teacher to send him work to do while we were away.

“Please, Mom,” Tanner started to beg. “I’ve always wanted to fly on a airplane.”

Guilt started to settle in my stomach. The only vacations we ever took were when he visited my parents a few hours away or when Carly would reserve a free stay for us at the resort she managed. He was getting older, and all of his friends were taking family trips to Disney World, booking cruises, and spending their school breaks at all-inclusive resorts. Instead, we stayed home and went to the beach, ate out a few times, and spent our afternoons at the park. It wasn’t the same, and for the first time that I could recall, it felt like he was missing out.

My eyes bounced back and forth between my son and the man who was slowly working his way into my heart. If things were going to continue to go in the direction I thought they were, then this would be the next step.

I sighed and stood up to dust off my pants. “Well, seeing that Jack thought of everything, I guess we have no choice but to go.”

Jack threw his head back and laughed. “Your enthusiasm is really quite overwhelming. You really know how to put a dent in my self-esteem.”

“Something tells me your self-esteem will be just fine.” I smirked, just as Tanner ran over, practically tackling me at the waist.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m so excited! This is going to be awesome.”

Jack rose from the table and watched me for a long moment. I was trying really hard not to smile. The man was absolutely perfect.

“Thank you,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from my cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy you just made me.”

Love. Was that what I was feeling? I’ve been in love before, but that was a long time ago, and I don’t remember it feeling like this.

The sun was just starting to set when we pulled into my driveway. I wanted to prolong our time together as long as possible. I didn’t want him to leave, but I knew he couldn’t stay. He had barely said two words since we left the restaurant.

“Everything okay?” I asked as he turned off the ignition.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” The way his knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel so hard had me thinking otherwise.

I chanced a glance at the rearview mirror to see if Tanner was paying attention, but he had his nose buried in Jack’s iPad. Jack had downloaded a couple of games for him to play, and he was completely zoned out.

“You’ve just seemed a little off since your visit with your mom. If you want to talk about it, we can go out back while Tanner plays on the swing set.”

He stared forward; his eyes were practically glued to the windshield. He was sitting right next to me, but it felt like he was a million miles away. “My visit with my mom didn’t go very…” His voice became strained as he looked down to his lap. “I’ve just got a lot of shit I’m trying to work out in my head.” He winced and snuck a glance in the backseat. Tanner was still engrossed in his game.

My heart broke for him, and the fixer in me wanted to fix whatever it was that had him so upset. I was curious to know more about his relationship with his mom, but I didn’t want him to talk about it if it was going to add to his pain.

“You don’t have to talk about it. Just know that I’m here if you change your mind.”

His eyes found mine. They still looked sad and heavy, but they also filled with relief. “Thank you.”

He reached for my hand across the car, his thumb slowly grazed across my palm. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to seeing you at the end of the week.”

“It should give you enough time to kick your girlfriend out before I get there.”

His lips lifted into a small smile, but it quickly dropped from his face when he saw the figure approaching his jeep..

My window was already rolled down as my neighbor Phil inched closer. “Hey, Chloe,” he greeted and bounced his eyes from the front to the back of the car.

Phil was a tall, dark, and handsome tattooed bad boy that women ate up whenever he came into the restaurant. As attractive as he was, his physical appearance never sparked anything inside of me. Still, I could understand how our friendship could make Jack uncomfortable. If the situation were reversed, I would feel the same way.

“Phil, you remember Jack, right?”

Phil gave Jack a friendly wave, but his smile seemed forced, which I found odd. “Of course.”

Jack leaned down across my lap, squinting his eyes against the sunlight. “Hey, man. How’s it going?” His chin lifted in greeting. “I was hoping we would run into you because we need to ask you a favor?”

My head swerved against the back of my seat.

“Oh yeah?” Phil narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s that?”

“Chloe needs someone to watch the dog this coming weekend. I was wondering if you were available?”

“You going to go visit your folks again?” he asked hopefully.

Tanner took that moment to jump out of the back seat. The kid was so excited he could barely contain his enthusiasm. He ran as fast as he could, practically beaming up at the tall giant who was standing in our driveway. “Nope, we’re going to New York City to visit Jack.”

Phil crossed his tattooed arms, across his massive chest. The man looked like he could lift a car without breaking a sweat. I could see his tight muscles bulging under his gray Harley Davidson T-shirt. “New York, huh?” The sarcasm dripped heavily from his voice, which I found odd. I was too excited about my upcoming trip to care.

I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car. Jack followed me around to the passenger side. In a perfectly practiced caveman-style move, he folded his arm around my shoulders. “I’d really appreciate it if you could help us out.”

Phil ran his calloused thumb across his bottom lip. “Yeah, sure. No problem.” His gaze moved from Jack’s hand resting on my shoulder up to my face. “Chloe. I told you before, I’m always here for whatever you need.”

I hoped I was reading the situation wrong, but I detected that he was more jealous than concerned. Phil has been very good to Tanner and me, but I’ve always been careful not to give him the wrong idea. In fact, it hasn’t been until Jack appeared in the picture that I started to notice him acting differently.

Jack took that moment to lean in and brush my hair off the back of my neck. The obvious display of possession should have irritated me, yet for some reason, it was taking everything in me not to melt against his touch. “See, babe, I told you we were all set.”

I looked at my neighbor who seemed uncomfortable. “Thank you, Phil.”

He cleared his throat and forced his tight lips into a smile. “No problem. Also, I bought a new light fixture for your back deck. I remember the other one went out, so I picked up a brand new one when I was at the store.” My gaze dropped to the Home Depot bag he was clutching in his hands.

Jack’s fingers tensed along my shoulder before asking, “I appreciate that, man. How much do I owe you?” He reached in his back pocket to take out his wallet.

Phil held out his hands to stop him. “Chloe and I have an arrangement. I fix things for her; she cooks for me. No money is allowed,” he said with a cheeky-ass grin.

Damn, it was getting hot outside.

The muscle in Jack’s jaw ticked—hard. It looked ready to pop out of his skin. “I appreciate you looking after my girlfriend while I’m not around. But, I’m here, so I can install the light. Thanks for the offer, but it’s not necessary,” he said flatly and shoved a couple folded-up twenty-dollar bills in my neighbor’s palm.

Phil clearly wasn’t happy, but thankfully he handed the bag to Jack and stuffed the money in his jeans pocket and walked away.

Once we were in the house, Jack slammed the door; the loud bang caused me to jump. Smuckers came running over, wagging his tail for a greeting. “Tanner,” Jack called out, “can you let the dog out, please?”

Once he was out of view, I spun around. “What the hell was that?”

Jack set the Home Depot bag on the floor. “That was me letting him know you are no longer available.”

“Excuse me?”

“Have you noticed the way he looks at you? Or the fact that he is always stopping by to fucking fix things all the damn time? He probably breaks shit on purpose just to visit you.”

I stood in the middle of my living room and stared at him. He looked so frustrated.

My feet ate up the distance between us. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You have nothing to be jealous about.”

He blew out a deep breath and pulled me into a hug. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.” He placed his strong hands on either side of my face. “Promise me that going forward, if something needs fixing, you’ll wait until I can deal with it.” I started to say something, but he silenced me with a kiss. “I know there will be times where you won’t be able to wait. In that case, I will understand, seeing he’s right next store.” His lips brushed the tip of my nose. “But I want to be the one you ask first. Okay?”

I closed my eyes, letting his scent linger over me. I hated Sundays because that meant that I had to say goodbye to him. And the goodbyes were getting harder and harder. “You really want to waste your visits fixing stuff around my house?” I kissed along his jaw, then trailed my tongue up to his earlobe. “When we could be spending it doing other things.”

Jack let out a frustrated groan. “Yes, I want to be the one you call. Even if it’s something that can’t wait. I still want to know. Okay?” He leaned forward and gripped the back of my neck. “And spending time with you, no matter how much time that is, is never a waste.”

Tiny little explosions rippled across my chest. I clung to his arms, partially for balance and because I was afraid to let go.

I reached up and brushed my fingers across his jaw. “I really don’t want you to leave,” I practically whined which only made him laugh. I smacked his chest. “You’re not supposed to laugh at me.”

His eyes flashed with humor as he smiled down at me. We both turned our heads when we heard Tanner’s footsteps getting closer.

“Hey, bud.” Jack bent down, resting his hands on his thighs. “Would you like to help me replace this light out back before I go?”

Usually, Tanner hated doing chores, but I guess helping Jack fix the light fixture was interesting enough. I think he secretly liked doing man things around the house. A part of me was grateful that my son was bonding with a man that I was slowly falling in love with. The other part was worried because I didn’t want to think about Brogan, and feeling like conflict was brewing.