ears.
“ You
didn't even lose me,” he joked.
“ You're
not so bad,” she said.
“ I've
got skills too,” he said. “Make sure you tell Becky.”
“ Yes,
you do,” she said. “I'll see you later, Kyle.”
She
walked quickly to the house and disappeared inside. He couldn't help
feeling like he was in high school again.
The
next two days, he worked and hung out on the beach with the kids. He
knew once he went home he wouldn't be able to see them often. With
Ethan finding out Julie was pregnant, he was sure to cut back on his
hours. That would leave Kyle with more work, and he was actually
excited about it. It would give him time to prove to Ethan that he
would be just fine on his own.
He'd
look down the beach and see her playing in the sand or sitting back
reading, and he couldn't help but smile. There were a few moments
that he knew she busted him watching before she'd quickly turn away.
All
of the families got together at Josh and Lisa's the final night for
dinner. They had finally bought a house there, and Lisa was so happy.
She was so proud to be serving them all dinner in their new home away
from home.
Jenny
moved around the table helping the kids get their plates. When she
looked up, her eyes connected with Kyle's, and he thought he saw
sadness in them. He knew he was going to miss seeing her each day,
even if it was from just down the beach. When he smiled, she smiled
back before looking back at the kids she was helping.
The
next morning, Kyle's flight was leaving much earlier than the rest.
Heath and Tara were staying another week, as well as Josh and Lisa.
John, Ethan, and Gavin's families were all flying home together.
Jenny was flying with them. Kyle was up and gone before anyone else
had even gotten out of bed.
He'd
really had a nice vacation and knew it was somewhere he'd want to go
often. The beach was beautiful and there were so many places to run,
walk, picnic, and just enjoy the outdoors. The more he thought about
it, the more he knew how much he was going to miss it. He was on a
plane flying away when he made a decision. As soon as he got home, he
needed to make some calls.
Chapter
16
Jenny
Jenny
knew that Gavin and Becky were flying home with John, Sandy, Ethan,
and Julie. For some reason, she had assumed Kyle would be flying with
them. She was looking forward to seeing him one last time before
getting back to real life. When they walked outside to meet their
cars, he wasn't there. She wanted to ask John without trying to be
obvious. When he told her Kyle had flown out earlier in the morning,
she felt her heart sink. She wouldn't be able to see him after all.
The
flight home seemed so long and gave her time to think about her life.
She knew it was time to get back out on her own and start her life
over. She wanted to find a place of her own so she could have some
time to herself and Gavin and Becky could have their house and
privacy back. They had been so good to her and never once suggested
she should leave, but she knew that after six months, it was time.
She thought that maybe it was time to get out there, make some new
friends, and possibly go on a date or two. The guy buying her a drink
in the bar was creepy, but being around Kyle and spending time with
him was nice. He might not be interested in her in that way, but she
was sure she would find someone to spend a little time with. Jenny
didn't want to get into a serious relationship, but the thought of
making friends and hanging out with someone more her age sounded
good.
Everything
was back to normal as soon as the plane landed. Monday morning was
right around the corner, and Gavin was back in work mode. Jenny spent
the rest of the day in her room preparing for the following morning.
She went over Gavin's schedule to make sure she was ready to jump
back in.
Monday
morning was busy. Everyone seemed to have questions for her about
Gavin's week and when he was available. He definitely was good to his
employees. They never felt