Sleep pulled at my eyelids as Jack and I lay in my bed the next morning, a tangle of arms and legs. I rested my head on his bare chest, my fingertips tracing over the smattering of hair on his chest. A smile touched my lips. Lifting my head, I looked at him.            “Hey you,” he murmured, his hair thoroug

 “Dinner is canceled,” Jack said later, putting his arm around my waist and nuzzling my neck.  We ended up back at Jack’s place, where I let him show me his appreciation. For two hours. Stretching, I turned my head toward him. I felt very appreciated.“Let’s just stay here. All night. All the nights in existence,” he continued, his voice muffled as he bu

             Cat didn’t go. We went instead.            Jack enforced her dinner first, then dessert rule. He made conversation over appetizers, charmed me over wine, and force-fed me lasagna till I couldn’t move.

             My “bring it on” bravado did not last long.            Over poison-free pot roast, Bonnie regaled us with tales of Wes’s latest victories at the vet clinic. While we slathered butter on our rolls, she went on about her darling son’s contributions to the community. Once the red velvet cake was serv

 I walked into work the next morning heavy with relief. Work would distract me, keep me from obsessing about last night’s fight, stop me from returning one of Jack’s calls from last night, from driving back to June Lake.Of course, work would also eat my soul, but sometimes you had to take the good with the bad.