Not Mine To Love by CAITLIN MOSS

Author:CAITLIN MOSS
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: KDP
Published: 2022-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Then

W hen Aila turned the corner, her hair piled on her head and her golden retriever trotting next to her, a strong sense of déjà vu rushed through Jackson. He couldn’t believe it.

She looked exactly how he remembered her: hair in a messy bun, no makeup, dressed to play sports or curl up on the couch for a TV binge. A carelessness that made her seem carefree. Time had aged her some, but it was the good kind—lines around her eyes from years of laughter and a dancing wisdom behind her eyes.

“Aila! Aila Smith!” he called after her. She turned around as she pulled out her ear buds. Her forehead crumpled and he could tell she didn’t recognize him at first.

As she drew closer, he noticed the familiarity in her eyes seemed tired.

“It’s Aila Sorenson, but once upon a time I was Aila Smith,” she said with a wide and empty smile.

She uncomfortably shifted on her feet and he wanted to reach out and hold her steady, reminding her it was just him. The same Jackson he used to be. Just a couple decades older. She had to remember them together, right? How could either of them forget?

“Jackson?” A flash of recognition floated across her eyes with a how-could-I-forget-you smile. He saw the flood of memories write excitement all over her face. “Jackson Williams? I can’t believe it!”

He smiled. “I thought that looked like you!” he said. “What are the chances?”

“Pretty slim,” she answered chewing on her lip.

She seemed nervous and unsure, and it made Jackson hesitate. They used to know each other completely, and now not at all. But there was still something familiar about her. Something that reminded him of the friendship they had for so many years.

“Who’s this guy?” he asked, hoping to break the tension as he bent down to tousle her dog’s ears.

“Oh, this is Gus. My trusty sidekick.”

Jackson withheld a laugh.

“He’s a beauty,” he said as he pet Gus, who rewarded him with slobbery kisses. “And friendly.”

“Yeah, he loves new friends.” She laughed and it sounded exactly the same. He instantly was transported to high school, laughing late into the night, eating candy and telling secrets after the rest of the world had fallen asleep. When she reached down to scratch behind Gus’s ears, her fingers accidentally brushed against Jackson’s, and her eyes darted toward his and then away just as quickly. A touch that used to be entirely commonplace but now sent waves of electricity up his arm.

He could tell she was flustered.

“You live around here?” Jackson asked, clearing his throat and changing the subject.

“I do. My husband and I have a house just around the corner.” Aila nodded in the direction behind her. “Do you live here now too?” He looked down at his dirtied up Carhartt pants and rocked back on his heels as she made the connection, waving her hand at the trucks. “Oh! You and Adam then?”

“Yeah,” he said, letting himself smile in a way only she could get him to.

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