Late in the night they both forgot their agreement to not have sex. They didn’t just have sex; they made love. He couldn’t resist the way her soft body tried to push out of her underwear.

The first time they made love, he decided he’d been distracted by how grand she’d felt—so after an hour of worrying about it, he woke Jenny and tried again.

He got it just right the second time.

Chapter 24 - Ketch

Chapter 24

Ketch

Though he’d been up most of the night, Ketch felt good about what he’d done on the survey. The study was progressing and Professor Clark had a way with words that made the research fascinating to read. The more he read, the more he learned that people are attracted to one another not just by looks but a hundred other things.

Another week, maybe two, and the project would be ready to send in. If he went into teaching or applied for grad school, the part he did on this project would look good on his résumé. Might even help him find a job.

But more and more lately, it was the blueprints on his wall that drew him. He was even starting to dream about building homes. Not the ones like the Randall brothers built—all in a row using only three floor plans—but the kind of unique houses like Primrose Hill. The beauty of a house was not just in its bones but in its originality.

As he reached for his cell to call Tuesday, the phone rang. Without looking at the ID, he answered.

“Kincaid here.”

“Don’t hang up, Ketch!” Crystal’s voice shouted.

He might be able to not pick up when she called, but he couldn’t hang up on her. “What do you need, Crystal? Didn’t you say it all in your letter?”

“We need to talk about a few things. I thought I’d fly down . . .”

“Don’t bother. I’m working and have to study for finals.”

“Ketch, we can’t just toss away all we have.” She had that little hiccup in her voice that she always got when she was about to cry.

He’d heard the sound several times, but he’d never seen a tear.

“I’ll keep the good memories, but your letter put an end to the future we might have had.” He took a breath, trying to calm down. Maybe he could even be kind. Part of him would always love her, but he knew they’d been trying to make something work that had rusted away a long time ago. “I’m over being mad, Crystal. I’ll even wish you well.”

“But, Ketch, we’re engaged. I have the ring.”

“You never wore it, remember? You said it didn’t go with the uniform. Keep it.”

“You can’t just break off, we . . .”