not, but I can bake cookies.”
During her classes, she’d discovered she found cooking so-so but enjoyed baking. She’d mastered basic skills but had thrown herself into spending more time at her sculpting class.
“They’re good,” he repeated, reaching for another.
She slapped at his hand. “Didn’t your mother make you wait until after dinner before having dessert?”
His gaze lifted to hers and, grinning, he shook his head. “My mom would have been the first to encourage me to have the good stuff first because life is short.”
Taylor’s brow rose. Wow. “Sounds fun.”
And very unlike her older parents who hadn’t planned to have children, hadn’t wanted them, but had been stuck with her all the same.
“But not very nutritious,” Jack added wryly.
“There is that.”
* * *
Jack spread a blanket on the ground a good distance back from the stage. He and Taylor could have made their way closer, but closer to the stage meant more crowded. No way could they have seen from their sitting positions.
Taylor’s arms were wrapped around her knees and she was watching the band as if they were the most fascinating group she’d ever seen. Her head bobbed ever so slightly to the beat.
“Our little jam session may fail to impress you now that you’ve seen this.”
She glanced toward him. “Not likely. You were good.”
“Glad you thought so.”
Still looking his way, she asked, “Did you ever want to play music professionally?”
He chuckled. “Probably the same as every other kid who played an instrument dreams of being a rock star. But if you mean was I ever in a band then, yeah, a few over the years.”
“What happened?”
“I wasn’t that good, and I fell in love with medicine.”
Her expression became thoughtful. “A musician or a physician. Interesting choices.”
“Maybe if I’d been better at the music there wouldn’t have been a choice.” He shrugged. “Once I was exposed to medicine, there wasn’t a choice. I knew that’s what I was supposed to do.”
Not once had he ever regretted that decision. Sometimes life threw things at you to point you in the right direction. In his case, life had hit him over the head—heart—to steer him down the right path.
“I’m glad you get to play from time to time and have both in your life.”
Ready to shove the past back as far away as it would go, he took a drink. “I enjoy life.”
A true statement. He’d dealt with what had happened years ago to Courtney and had spent years making atonement. It was all he could do.
“Not many people can say that,” Taylor mused, her voice sounding almost wistful.
He turned toward her. “Can you?”
She took a long time answering, but finally nodded. “I am enjoying life very much. Thank you.”
The emotion in her voice, almost surprise, at her answer did funny things to Jack’s chest.
He reached over, took her hand into his and gave a reassuring squeeze. “I’m glad you’re enjoying life, Taylor.”
He was also glad that rather than pull her hand away, she laced her fingers with his and shot a grateful smile toward him. As if maybe she’d meant right now, this very moment, was what had made her say she was enjoying life.
That he played a role in her happiness.
A humbling thought.
There was something fragile about Taylor. Something that brought out a protectiveness that left him feeling a bit lost.
In the past, if he’d felt an attraction to a woman and that attraction was reciprocated, he’d acted without hesitation. Lord knew, he was no saint. Far, far from it.
Taylor felt an attraction to him. He was sure of it. Although there was a hesitation on her face at times, she hadn’t really tried to hide her interest. But there was a vulnerability in her eyes that had him second-guessing himself. He didn’t do vulnerable in his personal relationships and sure didn’t want to feel protective of someone he was destined to walk away from.
Still, what he wanted to do was lean over and kiss Taylor.
They wouldn’t be the only couple at the concert making out. Kissing would be tame compared to some of the amorous sessions that happened around the festival.
But most of those making-out sessions were just chemistry playing out between young, healthy couples.
Just?
What was it he thought was between Taylor and him should he kiss her, if not just chemistry?
He didn’t do relationships that weren’t just physical chemistry. Not ever.
Well, once, but never again.
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