a place to stay, she’d fallen headfirst for a man she barely knew. Strange how things could change so quickly. “Yeah, I found a place. I did a little more than that, actually.”
“What does ‘a little more’ mean? You bought a house?”
Jackie laughed. “Not exactly. But in that vein.”
Geri gasped. “Wait, I was just kidding! Am I missing something huge?
Jackie rolled her lips inward, relishing the rush of heat and prickles of excitement. Every inch of her body felt alive and right. Was this what falling in love felt like? She wanted to shout Daniel’s name from the rooftops. It was such a quirky, unexpected, unlikely romance. Yet…here they were. Falling for each other.
And Jackie had no doubt that Daniel was falling for her too. They hadn’t just fucked last night. They’d made love. She’d never felt anything like it before. A shiver ran up her spine just from the memory of it.
“Well, I’m in Napa Valley right now for starters,” she began, trailing off as Geri squealed.
“Okay, and?”
“I’ve kinda-sorta started something with one of the guys I house-sit for,” she whispered, as though anyone would overhear or care. “He’s amazing. His name is Daniel. We both love dogs, he’s a banker, he is the absolute hottest and cutest man I’ve ever met, and when he touches me, I fly into outer space.”
Geri gasped. “Well, that’s quite the executive summary.”
Jackie giggled, twirling her dress in front of the mirror. “We’re at this fabulous wedding right now, and I’m about to go to the rehearsal dinner. His friends are rich, but they’re not assholes. I don’t know, Ger. I think I’m going crazy. I think I’m falling in love with him.”
“Awww, honey boo! You know, if you hadn’t mentioned the dogs thing, I would almost think I was talking to an alternate dimension Jackie. Or maybe you were kidnapped and forced to say all these lovey-dovey things. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about a guy this way since we met. Ever.”
Jackie’s cheeks hurt from how hard she was smiling. But she couldn’t stop it. God, it felt good to get lost in this feeling. In a way, she’d been avoiding letting herself get here her entire adult life. Because she was afraid. Because deep down, she didn’t think she deserved it. Foster care had carved “unwanted” all the way down into her bones until it had become almost impossible to believe that she deserved to be loved.
Daniel was showing her that she did deserve it. They both did. And there was something so beautifully poetic about the two gun-shy lovers falling for each other over the wedding week.
“I mean, I’ve never met anyone like him,” Jackie said, unsure where to begin. Was it weird, or just weirdly appropriate, to mention she’d started falling for him based on the notes he left behind long before she’d ever laid eyes on him? Simply the curve of his handwriting had promised something unique and sensual. Like the swoop of his Y’s had anything to do with the way he’d lavished attention on her pussy last night. “Believe me, I didn’t expect this to happen. But it did. And here we are.” She sighed, and more words tumbled out on the heels of her breath. “I’m so fucking happy, Geri.”
Her best friend cooed her approval, topped with a whoop. “God, this is the best news! Even better than Jake’s brother finally getting his smelly ass off my couch!”
The two friends chatted for a little longer until Jackie noticed the time. She needed to get her butt to the dinner. When they hung up, Jackie noticed a new text waiting for her.
From Daniel.
“Can’t wait to see which dress you have picked out for tonight, princess.”
This time, tears pricked at her eyes as her cheeks hurt from smiling.
It was true. She’d never been this fucking happy.
Not until Daniel.
Jackie strutted her way into the restaurant. The rehearsal dinner was a misnomer, Grayson had explained earlier that week. They weren’t even having a rehearsal that day, since the wedding party was relatively small, so it was more of a chance to get all their friends and family together in one place now that everyone had arrived.
The murmur of voices reached her first. Their party had tripled in size from the group she’d gotten used to. There were so many new faces—parents, grandparents, and plenty of well-coiffed peers. Jackie didn’t feel the urge to shrink, though. She had the hang of this whole friends-with-wealth thing.
She ran into