No Matter What

Chapter Four

“Why else would I come?”

“You tell me.”

“I did tell you.”

“You want to know what I think, Misty?” he asked, giving her a long and soulful stare that made her insides turn to mush.

Before she had time to contemplate the inexplicable way he’d aroused her just by saying her name, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. As their lips and tongues came together, a cyclone of emotions swirled inside of her, none of which she could explain. The way he kissed her and the way he held her, she sensed he understood everything about her. Kissing him felt safe yet exciting, and she momentarily allowed herself to sink into his arms. And then the strangest thing happened. Jason’s face flickered behind her closed eyelids. Panicked, her eyes flew open.

“I can’t do this,” she said, already pulling away from him.

“You’re not doing anything you don’t want to.”

“I already have done something,” Misty insisted, though she knew there was no way he could understand.

“I know how you feel about me. It’s the same way I feel about you. I know it, and you know it,” J.D. spoke softly as if afraid of frightening her away.

Misty hesitated. As wrong as she knew it was, she couldn’t deny her attraction to him, nor could she deny she felt more than attraction to him. There was something comforting in the depth of his eyes just as there was in the way he’d kissed her.

J.D. suddenly took a step backward. “I can see you need some time to think. When you’re ready to give in to your feelings, you know where to find me, Misty.”

Misty’s confusion deepened as she watched him turn and walk inside the restaurant without looking back. Several minutes passed before she finally got into her car, closing the door with a heavy thud. The irony of the gesture wasn’t lost on her. One door may have been closed, but another one had just been opened. Now what?

J.D.

Everything happened faster than J.D. had been ready for. Her appearing in his life, her alone in the restaurant tonight, her sudden flight when she spotted him watching her. When he said her name, she hadn’t questioned how he knew that information and he was glad. He wasn’t sure how he would’ve explained it to her. It was instinct that had made him take her in his arms and kiss her. As he’d held her, he’d felt their bodies and souls molding together. He’d known in that moment he was in love with her, but something had gone wrong. Misty pulled away from him. Though she didn’t offer an explanation, she didn’t have to. J.D. knew the reason for her fear as surely as he knew the secrets of his heart.

It had been fifteen years for him but only a few days for her. When she pulled away, he backed off too, determined not to push her away and lose her forever. There was no doubt in his mind Misty would come to him when she was ready. All he had to do was be patient, something he’d become an expert at.

Misty:

While having lunch with Caitlyn a few days later, Misty confided in her that she’d gone to see J.D. Caitlyn listened silently, her jaw dropping lower with each sentence. By the time Misty got the whole story out, Caitlyn’s chin was practically scraping the ground.

“I can’t believe he kissed you.”  

“I know. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“It’s kind of romantic though.”

“Do you think I should go out with him?” 

“Are you kidding?” Caitlyn scoffed. “I mean, he’s definitely romantic and very sexy and a little mysterious. That’s a very volatile list of qualities. You’d be a fool to let him get away.”

Misty hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. That’s why you went to see him and why you’re telling me this now. You know if you don’t see this through he’ll always be a question mark.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’ll never get him out of your system. You’ll never be able to move on because you’ll always be pondering the what-ifs.”

Caitlyn was right, and she knew it. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was Jason. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t think of him, but he’d never been so strong in her mind as he had when she’d kissed J.D., and she couldn’t understand why.

J.D.

In spite of his determination to be patient and let Misty come to him, in spite of the fact that his heart told him she would, J.D. was worried. Several days had passed since she’d come to see him at the restaurant, and he hadn’t seen her since then. As he waited for her to come around, questioning a hundred times whether or not he should’ve kissed her, he grew anxious and even fearful that he’d pushed too hard. While he waited for Misty to make the next move, he tried to avoid talking to his mother. Emily was not going to be put off that easily though, and after a few days of silence she showed up on his doorstep.

“Mom?” J.D. said, surprised to see her. “What are you doing here? I could’ve been at work. You’re lucky you didn’t make the drive for nothing.”

“Are you finished?” Emily asked with an amused smile. “Because if you are, I’d love to come in and have something to drink. This heat’s got me parched.”

“Come in,” J.D. offered as he grinned back at her.

“Love to,” Emily crowed and stepped inside.

She took a seat on the couch and waited for him to bring them two glasses of ice cold lemonade. As she took carefully measured sips, she eyed him thoughtfully and J.D. tried not to squirm. His entire life, his mother had the uncanny ability to read her children’s minds. This was one time he didn’t welcome the intrusion.

“What’s on your mind, Mom?”

“Oh, not much. I was just waiting for you to tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me about the woman who’s got you all tied up in knots.”

Though he’d expected her to figure it out, he was still surprised. It must have shown on his face because Emily laughed her knowing laugh. J.D. was silent for a moment as he debated how much to tell her, but Emily waited.

“I met a woman I really like.”  

“That much is obvious.”

“I like her, and I think she likes me. I want to see her again.”

“What’s the problem then?”

“I haven’t dated in a while,” J.D. said, which wasn’t entirely a lie.

“It’s just like riding a bicycle,” Emily assured him with a silly smile. “You might be a little shaky when you first get back in the saddle, but once you get your sea legs under you, you’ll be back to form in no time.”

“What kind of bike are you riding that has a saddle and works on water?” J.D. teased.

“The kind that doesn’t smart off to his mother,” Emily quipped. “Now, pull yourself together and ask her out, and when you’ve been out with her a few times I expect you to bring her to the house so your father and I can meet her.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“Maybe and maybe you should learn to trust your old mother.”

“You’re not old,” J.D. joked.

“You’re hopeless,” Emily sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Ma, I’ll take your advice.”  

“Good, and don’t ever call me Ma again,” Emily said, and J.D. grinned at her.

For now, his mother dropped the subject. For now, she would let the sleeping dog lie and give him the chance to get on the bike, or back in the saddle, or whatever it was. He just hoped that for now would pass quicker than the past few days had.