Page 108 of Kiss the Girl

SIXTEEN

The following weeks were a roller coaster of emotion and Savannah was happy to have so many people around to help her navigate it all.

She worked at the spa a couple of hours a day and then worked with Jackson and his brothers to clean out the rental house and go through Cash’s things. He honestly didn’t have much and when they had moved from Seattle to Laurel Bay, they had done so with a small trailer hitched to the back of her car. It was mostly clothes and personal items that they wanted with them, and even she was surprised by some of the things they found.

Photo albums and mementos from his children’s lives—like scrapbooks—and no one had any idea how he kept them with him for so long, considering his homeless status for several years.

“They were just there one day,” Savannah told them. “I think he kept a storage unit during those years, but once we had a place to live, they were there on the shelves in the living room with ours.”

Once the house was empty, she officially moved in with Jackson. As much as she wanted to say they were being practical since she was already spending most of her time over there, the truth was that everything about their relationship had already been a little unconventional, so moving in together so soon just seemed to fit.

Today was Cash’s memorial or…celebration of life. That’s what everyone was calling it and, she had to admit, it had a much cheerier sound to it. Now, as she checked her reflection in the mirror, she realized how hard today could be. And knowing how much of a hand Cash had in the arrangements meant it was truly going to feel like he was there.

Don’t cry…

Yeah, she was a little tired of all the crying she’d been doing, but Jackson kept reminding her that it was normal and to just let it out.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she found him standing in the kitchen looking so damn handsome. The tone for the day was a little on the casual side and seeing him in a pair of khakis and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up a bit was enough to make her sigh with appreciation.

“Wow, look at you,” he said when he spotted her. Walking over, he looked up and down and smiled. “Beautiful.”

“Stop,” she said, blushing. Although…she felt kind of pretty. Wearing a new dress and new shoes, she had hoped she wasn’t overdressed. “Are you sure this is okay? I have another dress I could wear…”

“Savannah, relax. You look perfect.” He kissed her cheek before stepping away. “Are you ready? I was thinking we’d head over a little early just to see if there’s anything we need to do to help.”

They had been told repeatedly that everything was handled, but if it made him feel better to go, then they should. “Sure. Let’s go.”

The weather was beautiful. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and she knew that her mind was full of memories of Cash and figured Jackson’s was the same. “Did Austin and Mia decide if they were bringing Everly? I know Mia wasn’t so sure she was ready for that yet.”

“I think they’re leaving her home. Mia’s editor, Jillian, is in town with her husband, Dex, and they’re going to babysit. I don’t see what the big deal is, but…that’s just me.”

“The baby’s only two weeks old, Jackson. I know I’d freak out if dozens of people wanted to touch and hold my baby at that age.”

He looked over at her and grinned. “Duly noted.”

“Oh Lord…”

“What? Are you telling me you don’t think about that? And not just in a general sense like you just did, but…for real? Like…with us?”

She was learning more and more about how this man went into everything at full throttle. If it were up to him, they’d be getting married tomorrow. Fortunately, he understood her need to take things a little slower, but sometimes—like right now—his impatience shined through.

“To be honest? I haven’t thought too much about it because our lives have been consumed with other things.” Glancing over at him, she saw him rub his knee. “Everything okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah. PT was a bitch yesterday, but my therapist is thrilled that I’ve got my full range of motion back and my strength is getting better every day. Now that I’ve committed to putting in the work and have a better attitude about it, I’m finally making progress.”

She knew how much it had bothered him—the entire recovery process—but it was good to hear him sounding so positive.

“You’ll be back to your old self in no time.”

“That’s the plan.”

They made small talk as they drove. Jackson loved pointing out places he used to go to and telling stories about them. It was obvious how much Magnolia Sound meant to him and she had to wonder if that was where they were going to move to once his friend Liam was back.

Which was happening soon.

“You see that place over there? The restaurant?”

She nodded.