Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“I miss you, okay?” I couldn’t help but get defensive. “We’re all alone in the middle of nowhere, literally, and we have to be more careful here than at home. It just takes a toll, that’s all.”
I’d feel better once we got back home, on so many levels.
“This isn’t a dig, in case you’re worried,” I had to add. That was the last thing I wanted him to think. I had patience in spades, and he’d made so much progress already. We’d delivered our first Haley-approved hint and all. We were on our way. I was very comfortable with our pace, which I told Jake now too.
He was still recovering from the shit with his useless parents.
“I’ve never once felt pressured by you, Roe,” he murmured. “I miss you too, though. Especially when we go to bed at night.”
I nodded with a dip of my chin. “It’ll get better. We have one week left.”
The corner of his lips turned up a bit. “What if we dropped another hint?”
I raised my brows. “Now?”
“Yeah.” He closed the distance between us and raised his hand, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. “Is this a hint?”
He drew a grin from me. The man always knew how to defrost me.
“Hints are supposed to be subtle.”
He hummed and stepped even closer to me. The humor faded from his eyes, and he ghosted his thumb over my bottom lip.
“I’m sick of subtle.”
Shit. I mean, fuck. If he wasn’t ready, he shouldn’t be—
“I don’t wanna hide anymore, Roe. I’ve done that enough in my life.” He rested his forehead to mine, and my mouth went dry. My heart started beating faster. “When we land at LAX next week, I wanna be able to walk out of there and hold your hand.”
I swallowed hard, all the longing washing over me. “Me too.”
“Good,” he whispered. Then he kissed me, and all future hints were canceled. We were out. “Think about what you wanna eat when we get out of here. I’m taking you to dinner.”
I smiled into the kiss and hugged his middle.
He cupped my cheeks and deepened the kiss.
“I don’t care,” I managed to say. Because I really fucking didn’t. All that mattered was us. “You choose. You can get me a hot dog at a damn country concert for all I care.”
He chuckled and nipped at my lip. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”
Well…
Jake decided to go all out on the cheesiness. He started humming a song from the country show that’d been cut short for our San Diego adventure, and he grasped one of my hands in his. His low, whiskey-like yet gentle voice flooded my senses. And the lyrics. It was the one song I’d really liked. About being a riser, a get-up-off-the-ground-don’t-run-and-hider, a fighter… A survivor.
“Kiss me again, you corny fuck.”
He smiled and obliged.
And we slow danced while the wind howled outside.
Haley Denver
I folded one leg over the other and shook my head in amusement. I scrolled and I scrolled; I would never reach the bottom, would I? Instagram, Facebook, our YouTube comments… Hell, articles were already being pushed out. I had eight tabs up on my computer, and that was only the beginning.
“Do you need anything else from me, Haley?”
I looked over my shoulder and spotted Mai in the doorway. “Oh no, you head on home, hon. See you tomorrow.”
Then it was just me in the office, which suited me fine. I wasn’t meeting up with Nikki and the kids until after they’d had dinner.
I took a sip of my tea and went back to Twitter to check out another hashtag on my list. The people who used it were Jake and Roe’s most female-focused demographic.
The tweets were pouring in.
#StreamingAboutJayroe I AM NOT WELL. I won’t be until we have a fandom. Make it happen.
Can we talk about this?!?! We called this four freaking years ago! #StreamingAboutJayroe
AND THEN THEY DANCED. #StreamingAboutJayroe THE SLOW DANCE, Y’ALL. I DIE.
Find someone who looks at you the way Jake and Roe look at each other. #StreamingAboutJayroe
Jayroe is happening. #StreamingAboutJayroe
Sorry, boss, I can’t come in to work tomorrow, I will be busy watching two guys in a remote cabin in Alaska. #StreamingAboutJayroe
I’m just #StreamingAboutJayroe. That’s the tweet.
EPILOGUE
2020
We got married!
July 14, 2020
Monroe Samuel Finlay & Jacob Casper Denver
…tied the knot on this fantastic day up in Big Sur. Please enjoy this masterfully edited video of our ceremony, attended by Haley Denver, Seth Diaz, Russell and Nikki Astor, and our children. At the end, you’ll find an invitation to one hell of a wedding reception that doesn’t have a date or venue yet. Stay tuned for the end of the pandemic!
Much love,
Roe and Jake
“Pleeeease! You see how I’m begging, Mom?” Colin peered imploringly into the laptop screen. “Cas! Come beg with me! We might crack them!”
I chuckled and stayed in the patio doorway.