From This Moment - By Alison Chaffin Higson Page 0,2

Jake interrupts.

“Some bastard left her practically at the altar, so she’s taking her honeymoon flight on her own.” He sounds angry with this announcement.

Cade appears speechless and just looks at me.

I look at Cade and tell him exactly what I realized during my flight from Ireland to Chicago.

“My ex decided, with no prior warning signs, that getting married at thirty was too young for him. I think maybe he had met someone else, but I didn’t really want to know and to be honest it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Nick doing what he did made me realize that my feelings for him were not what they should have been for the man with whom I was intending to spend the rest of my life. Once I’d calmed down, I realized I was more upset at having to cancel the wedding, than him actually leaving me. I think I was more in love with the idea of having a family again than I was with Nick.”

After a few moments of stunned silence, “You said you were more in love with having a family than him. Don’t you have any family?” Cade asks me.

“No, my parents were killed in a plane crash ten years ago. I went to live with my grandmother, who passed away nearly two years ago now.” I sip my coffee.

Still not believing Cade is Jake’s father, since they look more like brothers. I tentatively ask, “You’re really his father?” He’s certainly older than Jake, but he doesn’t look old enough to be his father.

Jake laughs at my comment, “He certainly is. He’s forty-five and a hell of a lot older than me!”

“Less of the old. Twenty years isn’t that much older,” Cade says, winking at me.

“Well, you sure don’t look forty-five; I actually thought you were brothers.”

Laughing, “So you know I’m twenty-five. How old are you? I’m guessing twenty-one.”

With a smile, “Don’t you know it isn’t polite to ask a lady her age?”

“Never heard that one before,” Jake says, with a cocky grin.

“Well, as you asked so nicely! I guess I’ll tell you that I’m a year younger than you!”

Still grinning, “Just the right age.”

I’m about to ask Jake ‘right age’ for what, when Cade changes the subject.

“Are you planning to stay in Jackson?”

“I’m not sure yet. A friend of Nick’s owns a cabin out there, but there’s no way that I want to spend the next four weeks in debt to a friend of his. Plus, it was supposed to be a wedding present. I’ll find a motel for a couple of nights and then look around for a short term rental.”

“You shouldn’t have any problem finding a room for a few nights as the ski season doesn’t start for another couple of weeks. In fact, a friend of mine and his wife run a bed and breakfast; I could always check with them once we land to see if they have a room available if you like?” Jake offers.

“That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”

I look at Cade while taking another sip of my vanilla latte, “Please tell me a bit about where you live in Jackson.”

“The house is in the Tetons. It has the most amazing views with wildlife that come right up to the porch; I’ve never seen another place like it. When it snows it looks like it jumped right off a postcard.”

“That sounds amazing. I’m hoping to see some of the mountains and lakes around Jackson, not to mention the wild life.”

Fiddling with my cup of coffee, I struggle to take my mind off the thoughts that come to mind with the mention of Cade and wild in the same sentence. I turn back to Jake, “You mentioned you have a sister. Is she your only sibling?”

“No, I have two sisters who are both married to great guys. My sister Beth is married to Mack. They have a boy Nathan, he’s two now and they’ve just had a baby girl a few weeks ago. Little Edith. They’re in the process of renovating to make more room at the moment. My other sister happens to be my twin. Older by five minutes, which she never let me forget when we were growing up. Anna is married to Justin and they have six year old twins Gabe and Gabby. They both have houses built on the family land so they’re pretty close by.”

“What about you, do you have your own house as well?”

“Almost. I’m in the middle of building my own house