Return To Snowy Creek (5 page)

Still waiting…
His mother texted again. Grant had forgotten about
her text.

I’ll call you
tonight.
Grant responded. He figured he’d
surprise her tonight when he showed up at the house. She wouldn’t
be expecting him and his mother always loved surprises.

“Sir, you’re going to have to shut off your
phone,” the flight attendant said. “Sorry, but it’s
regulation.”

“Of course,” Grant pressed down on the top
button of his phone and waited for it to power down. He leaned his
head against the headrest. He couldn’t wait to see Jackie.

***

The next day, Jackie had planned on getting
a lot of work accomplished at her client’s house. She slid her
earpieces into her ears and turned up the volume on the music
player on her phone. She’d allowed herself to cry a couple of times
since she’d learned that Grant was in love with someone else. Her
heart was truly broken.

The students had stayed at the school for a
school-wide test and Jackie was alone inside the quiet house. The
silence was almost too much. She’d dive into her work, finish the
house, and forget about Grant once-and-for-all. Jackie grabbed the
paintbrush and started to work.

***

Grant turned his car into the driveway of
Jackie’s client’s house and put the car in park. He’d been
surprised at how much colder it was than just two weeks ago. When
he arrived the night before, his mother had been so surprised. It
might have been the first time she didn’t have something ready to
eat.

Grant stepped out of the car and felt the
cold blast him as he walked up to the door. He knocked a couple of
times but she didn’t answer. Jackie’s truck was the only vehicle
parked in the driveway, so he figured she had to be inside.

Grant pushed the door open and went inside
the house. He could hear footsteps in the distance and walked into
one of the backrooms. He found Jackie painting the walls. “Jackie,
I don’t want you to say anything. I just want you to hear me out,”
Grant said. Jackie kept her back to him and appreciated that she
respected his wishes. “I know it seems crazy and we barely know
each other, but I am falling in love with you. I ached for you
while I was gone. I’ve never felt the kind of loneliness that I
felt without you. I can’t live without you.”

Jackie continued to roll the paint on the
walls and remained silent. Why would she ignore what he said? Why
didn’t she respond?

Grant walked closer and touched her elbow.
Jackie jumped and swung around, hitting Grant in the face with the
paint roller, knocking him down. “I am so sorry!” Jackie yelled.
“What are you doing here?” She bent down and grabbed a rag off the
floor and started to wipe his face.

“Didn’t you hear anything I said?”

Jackie pulled the earpieces out of her ears.
“What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Grant laughed and laid his head back on the
floor. “I said I love you. I love that you always end up in a paint
catastrophe. I love that you don’t even know who movie stars are. I
love that you are the easiest person to get along with and I ache
for you when you’re not around. I’m back home to stay.”

Jackie leaned down and kissed Grant. “I
thought you were with that Jennifer woman. I saw your picture on
the cover of that tabloid.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you can’t
believe most of what the tabloids print?” Grant asked, laughing. He
leaned up on his elbows and kissed Jackie again.

“I love you, too,” Jackie grinned. “I am so
glad—”

“Hold on… my phone buzzed again.” Grant
lifted the phone out of his pocket. His mother’s name came up on
the screen.

Well, did you kiss her
yet? Did you tell her you love her?
Grant
lifted the phone and showed his mother’s text to Jackie. The two
laughed.

Grant tapped his fingers
against his phone.
Yep. I did. And yep,
she knows.
He set the phone down on the
floor and wrapped his arms around Jackie.

Well, when am I getting
grandchildren?
His mother added.

Grant lifted the phone again and showed it
to Jackie. They smiled at each other, set the phone and on the
floor, and laughed.

“She’ll be tweeting it soon. Brace
yourself,” Grant said.

“As long as I’m with you, I can handle
anything,” Jackie said.

Other Books By Julie
Pollitt

A Land To
Call Her Own

Finding
Kate