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A half hour later, after slapping several yards of tape over her front to re She hobbled to the door, and there he stood, the blond, the blue-eyed, the beautiful Jack Holland

He had a bouquet of red tulips in his hand "Hey," he said "You look fantastic"

"Thanks" She took the bouquet, et to the kitchen and put the flowers in a vase and tossed the? O’Rourke’s?"

"Hugo’s just opened for the season I thought alk there It’s nice out Don’t you want to put those in a vase? Your dog ht now

She sighed "Sure" Then, every step a renored parts of her anato the flowers on the way Put the for a minute to touch the smooth, cool petals Nice choice, tulips Less cliché than roses And she’d always liked how they felt

She rubbed a bloorance S She’d al, she gave a little start Jack was leaning in the doorway, hands in his pockets, a half smile on his face

So pulled in her chest

"Ready?" he asked

"You bet" She al pain He was that beautiful

They didn’t hold hands as they walked down the sidewalk, which was a shaet that her thong was trying to eviscerate her Also, her left breast was incredibly itchy She tried to rub it with her upper aro at it with a fork once they sat down

But they were alo, and had shekind, but the kind that nevertheless ot to Hugo’s, however, Jack stopped in the foyer, and a curse slipped froot money"

"No It’suh"

"Oh, my God! It’s you! Honey, look--it’s Jack Holland!"

Lori Baines charged A murmur went up from the diners Lori and Phil Baines were Garrett’s parents They owed Jack their son’s life

"Jack, it’s so, so good to see you!" She hugged Jack tightly, her shoulders shaking with sobs

"We’re buying you dinner," said Phil, his voice husky "Whatever you want, on us Please let us"

"Hey, guys," said Jessica Dunn, orked there one or two nights a week "Table for two?"

As for Jack hi to smile as Lori showed hi," Em murmured "Sorry, Jess"

"No, he looks a little"

"Yeah" Eluten-free here," she said "And you kno I aluten"

"My sister is the same way," Lori said "And, Officer Neal, we never thanked you You onderful that night, too"

"I’ turned out okay For Garrett, Ionce more "That poor Josh"

"Give Garrett our best, okay?" E"

"But anted to buy you two dinner--" Phil began

"That’s so nice of you Another tiht"

He didn’t say anything Once outside, he started walking toward the green Em had to hop-run to keep up, hobbled by her underwear

He stopped at the first bench they ca forith his head in his hands Didn’t look up when E of pain

"You okay?" she asked

"Yep"

She waited After a h his hair and looked at her "Sorry"

"Nothing to be sorry about"

He sighed and sat back, closing his eyes

She wanted to tell him how brave he’d been, tell him about the awe she felt at how he’d put his life on the line for those kidsand hoent back for Josh, even when the odds were so poor

But she also knew he’d heard that a thousand times, if not reatest thing ever," she said gently "They never think about how scary it is, all the what-ifs that go through your head"

He opened his eyes, the intense blue still a shock to her "Have you ever saved anyone?" he asked

"Not yet Not the way you did I’ve pulled over a few drunk drivers But otherwise, no"

"I really hate the hero worship," he said quietly "I’ht It doesn’t get less heroic than that"

"What you did was extraordinary, Jack" She couldn’t help herself

"But it wasn’t Tellif you’d been there Anyone would’ve My teenage niece would’ve Faith would’ve Her dog would’ve"