The Ex Factor - Erin McCarthy Page 0,53

from anyone, let alone a whole crowd of curious onlookers.

“I love you.”

Jolene reared back so fast she almost fell off her chair. What the hell? He had never told her that. Ever. Not once. Not even when she had felt it so hard and true and pure from staring into his eyes that she would have bet money on it. But he’d never said it. Not even when she had ached to just reach out and pull the words from him, so she could let herself go. Let herself fall totally and completely in love with him. But he hadn’t. So she hadn’t.

They never got there.

But now, sitting in the damn Blue Bird, in full view of Nashville, he dropped an L bomb on her?

“What are you talking about?” she managed to whisper, her heart racing erratically. She went to take a sip of her beer, but her hand was shaking so she abandoned the attempt. The beer wasn’t what she wanted anyway. She wanted a shot of whiskey and an explanation.

“I love you. I always have, but I just never said it, which makes me a fool.” He skimmed a thumb over her lip and looked her straight in the eye. “But it’s true. I love you.”

She started to say something, she wasn’t sure what, but the band started playing and drowned her out. Thank you, baby Jesus in the cradle. She fell back against her chair, accidentally kicking Dolly. She reached down to pet the dog, needing to collect her thoughts, unable to look at him. Now he loved her? Seriously?

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” He had lean in extremely close to be heard over the music.

Oh, she had a thing or two to say.

“You’re about a day late and a dollar short,” she murmured back, suddenly sad and hopeful all at once. She didn’t want to tip her hand, but Lord, she wanted to see if they could be something better for each other a second time. “What am I supposed to say to that now, when we’re broken up?”

“How about you say we’re not broken up. How about we give it another go.”

She just stared at him, heart racing. This was crazy. Insane. But she hadn’t gotten over him because she wasn’t over him. She wanted more. She couldn’t read his expression. He was earnest, but otherwise, his eyes were hooded, his body close to hers, but tense. “Are you sure? Is that what you really want?”

He gave her a slow nod. Reaching out, he briefly touched her hair, his eyes sweeping over her face, his intense expression relaxing into a soft smile. “It’s what I really want. I love you, JoJo. Damn, I do. I just love you and I promise to be a better man this time around.”

Dang it. She felt like jumping up and whooping in triumph. Kissing him, and laughing and crying. But what a goddamn idiot he was for springing this on her right then, right there. He was so goddamn stupid and sexy and sweet and damn it, she loved him. She loved him hard.

All she could do was nod, a rapid up and down indication of her consent.

This wasn’t a good career move. If they had crashed and burned the first time, what would happen the second go round? Nuclear meltdown.

But right now, it wasn’t about her career. It was about her being a woman.

Who hadn’t stopped loving this man.

“I love you too,” she whispered. “Now get me out of here.”

Chance didn’t hesitate. “My place or yours?” he asked. “I’m not hauling ass back to that cabin tonight.”

“Yours. It’s closer and my sister isn’t there.”

He made a face. “I forgot about Elle. My place it is then.”

“Are we really doing this?” she asked.

“We’re doing it all, darlin’. Everything.”

Well, then. It was an offer she would be a fool to resist.

Mama didn’t raise a fool.

She stood up.

Twelve

Sometimes Chance didn’t even understand himself and this was one of those moments. Why would he pick here, now, to tell Jolene he was in love with her? But he was impulsive, always had been. He had looked at her and he had felt it with such certainty, there was no holding back the words. They just fell out of his mouth.

Her reaction had been about the best he could hope for. She was clearly shocked, and maybe a little bewildered, but she also looked happy. She looked like she loved him in return.

As they stood up and he tugged on Dolly’s leash