Page 57 of The Senator's Secret

“I like you too,” he replies, gifting her with his megawatt smile again.

“Jesus,” she says. “That should be registered with the state. How do you keep your panties dry?”

“I don’t.” I shrug, making Jake laugh.

“To be fair, I just rip them off anyway, so the point is moot,” he admits.

“And I am officially jealous,” she sighs. “Feed me pizza and wine so I can drown my sorrows.”

“Something tells me you are perfectly fine just the way you are, Julia Fairchild,” Jakes appraises.

“Right you are, Senator.” She winks. “So, I hear you went to Open Arms today after conning the cat lady into taking on a dog.”

The dog in question looks up at Jules lovingly when she pinches off a bite of sausage for him.

“It’s amazing,” he says after taking a bite of his own pizza. “What made you decide to help veterans?” He looks at me.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I ask him. “Everyone needs a hand sometimes. Just because they are some of the bravest people in the world doesn’t mean they don’t need or deserve a helping hand every now and then like anybody else. So to answer your question though, it started with the Purple Paws dogs from the shelter and went from there. The more I learned, the more I wanted to do to help. No one should feel so low that they want to take their own life.”

“Thank you,” he says when he clears his throat. “It means a lot to me.”

“I can see that,” I reply softly.

“I had a friend in Bud/s and he just couldn’t take it,” he explains. “No one knew he was suffering until he wasn’t anymore.”

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him.

“It was a long time ago.”

“So what made you choose the Naval Academy?” Jules asks, doing her best to change the subject.

“It pissed off my dad.” He laughs.

“Oh dear,” I mumble.

“My dad always wanted me to go to an Ivy League school, so I could be the best politician ever. But I really wanted to be a SEAL. So when I was granted a football contract to the Naval Academy, I took it knowing full well I would have a military contract to serve when I was done playing ball.”

“That’s impressive, Senator,” Jules says, and I couldn’t agree more.

He shoots her a self-deprecating smile. “I’m not that noble,” he says. “I got what I wanted out of it and the added bonus to make my dad mad. But I still had to come home when my contract was up and join the family business. I’m just lucky Rick came too.”

“Speaking of Rick,” I segue. “Have you heard from him?”

“He’ll be all right. He just needed to lick his wounds,” Jake says cryptically as he eyes Jules. He is obviously not wanting to divulge too much in case tonight really isn’t off the record. “There’s a history there between him and Cara.”

“I got that. Why didn’t you tell me when she got here yesterday?”

“I had never met her before,” he explains. “And you didn’t tell me her last name was Donovan. How was I supposed to know?”

“That’s true.”

“Well, I think it’s time for me to go,” Jules says.

Jake and I show her to the door before we clean up the den and then climb the stairs. We undress each other before climbing into bed, where he once again, make loves to me until I fall apart in his arms before I fall asleep feeling safe and cared for, even if not loved. Things with Jake feel good and real, even if they’re not real at all.

Sarge falls asleep on his brand-new dog bed by the window and has happy doggie dreams.

And we did all of this not knowing the end was near. Again, I’m so fucking stupid.