He smiled. “Good. That’s good. You can remodel the hell out of just about any house if the foundation is good.”

I looked across the car in the dying sunlight and studied his face. Inches. He’d been a breath away from kissing me on his kitchen counter. Was it possible to want someone when you had nothing to offer but a ton of baggage and a damaged heart? Was I even allowed to want him in any other way besides a neighbor, or maybe a friend? Did it matter?

Ripping my eyes away, I looked out at the ocean, recognizing that for the first time in years, I wanted a man who wasn’t Will. My heart ripped a little, and I raised my hand to rub the spot beneath my collarbone, partially to ease the ache there and partially to see if I could capture the little bit of light and hope that escaped from that tear. I could push my feelings about Jackson away all I wanted, but it didn’t make them any less real or any less dangerous.

He lived right next door, so it was only a matter of time before I had to decide what the heck I was going to do about it. Avoiding him and shutting down whatever this was before it had the chance to start was the safest choice, and that’s what I needed right now. Safe. That was the logical choice—the only choice.

I’d just have to say no to every invitation he offered and put a lot of distance between us, starting now. How hard could that be? No, I practiced in my head. No, no, no. See? I could do it.

Fin stirred in the backseat, blinking awake with a stretch.

“What do you say we get rebellious and stop for ice cream?” Jackson asked me with a mischievous grin that raised my temperature by at least two degrees.

“Sure!” I answered before Fin even got the chance.

I was so screwed.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Jackson

“I like the pink one,” Finley informed me as we scrolled through backpacks online. “Ooh, and that blue one. And the green one.”

“Well, you only need one, so which one is your favorite?”

She scrunched her forehead, looking up at me and then back to the screen, seriously pondering her decision with an intensity that almost made me laugh.

“Take your time. Kindergarten is a big deal. I get that, and I firmly support whatever choice you make. You don’t even have to pick one tonight. It’s just orientation. We still have months before you start.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “The purple one.”

“You’re sure?”

“That’s the one. I know it.”

“Okay, because I’m buying it right now.” I clicked add to cart.

She nodded. “I’m ready.”