Page 29 of Only You

“A few months,” Jack and Kayla answered together. They’d rehearsed this too.

“I didn’t say anything earlier because it was still new,” Jack explained.

Kayla smiled and nodded.

“So, is this okay with your boss?” John asked, ever the practical one.

“Yes. We’re rarely in the office together. We’re usually on the road, visiting customers,” Jack replied. At least, that was the truth.

“We meet for lunch a lot, which is nice,” Kayla said. Another truth.

Jack noticed she’d put a few veggies on her plate, but hadn’t eaten anything yet. Normally, she would have dug into the appetizers with gusto, especially since they hadn’t eaten much for dinner. She hadn’t wanted to be bloated when his parents arrived.

“Tell us more about yourself, Kayla,” Eileen prompted. “Jack didn’t say much other than you met at work.”

“Oh. Well, let’s see … I grew up in Troy, and my parents still live in the same house. It’s only a few miles away from here. I have an older brother, Collin, who’s married and has a baby on the way. He and his wife, Liz, live in Grand Rapids, on the west side of the state.”

She’s rambling again, thought Jack.

John smiled. “We’ve been to Grand Rapids many times. We lived in Michigan up until a few years ago.”

“Right. Jack told me,” Kayla said.

“Have some more food,” Jack implored his parents. Maybe if they ate more, they wouldn’t ask so many questions.

“Thanks, but I’m not that hungry,” Eileen said.

“We ate dinner before we got on the plane,” John explained.

“So, what do you two have planned while you’re here?” Kayla asked. She shifted in her chair, and her leg brushed against Jack’s. Before, if this had happened, he would have moved and given her more space. Tonight, he stayed put like a real boyfriend would.

As Eileen listed off things on their agenda, Jack decided to practice showing Kayla affection. He slowly lifted his arm and swung it around Kayla’s shoulder, pulling her a little closer. The next thing he knew, Jack was twirling a strand of hair that curled gently over her shoulder. Kayla shifted again, but he couldn’t tell if she was uncomfortable or wanted to get closer to him. All he knew was the place where their legs touched was on fire.

“Mm-hm,” Kayla said, following along with Eileen.

“Of course, we have to visit my sister and brother-in-law while we’re here,” Eileen was saying.

“He’s not my favorite,” John chimed in.

Kayla chuckled, and the vibration traveled up Jack’s leg. His hand had a mind of its own as he gently massaged her shoulder. God, this felt good. Her body was warm and soft next to his, and the scent of her coconut body wash was intoxicating.

Suddenly, Kayla’s hand slipped under the table and landed on his thigh. She gave it a squeeze as she turned toward him. “What about you, honey? How do you feel about your uncle Ray?”

Jack stuttered. “Um … well …”

Eileen chuckled. “He hasn’t paid attention to a word I’ve said.”

“Sorry, Mom. I’m a little distracted.”

Eileen and John smiled knowingly, and looked pleased that Jack was distracted by his beautiful girlfriend.

Kayla’s hand drifted further up Jack’s thigh, and he tried not to squirm. “What about you, Dad? What will you do while Mom is running around visiting relatives?”

“I’m meeting up with some guys I used to work with. We’ll go out for a beer and watch some football.”

Jack zoned out again as Kayla began tracing a figure eight on his leg. Is she teasing me on purpose? To his chagrin, he was getting aroused. Two can play this game. Jack slowly moved his hand to the nape of Kayla’s neck and softly caressed it.

“My dad is a football fanatic,” Kayla said, without missing a beat.