Jack and Isla

SIX

As he pulled up outside the lodge, Jack had to look twice at who he thought he saw. As he got out and they spotted him. They both came running over and he was immediately bombarded by Freddie's excitement. He shook hands and tousled the kids' hair, Freddie giggling the whole time. Bradley, also seemed pleased to see him and shook hands followed by a fist bump like they were old friends and like he wasn't just some truck driver who picked them up. Their welcome strangely warmed him, like he was meant to be here all along. 

As greetings were shared, Jack was elated and suddenly the realisation that they were here hit him. If they were he then she...

-x-

Freddie stepped to the side and that split second he saw her. Stood on the porch, looking down at him. Time slowed as he took all of her in. Her long brown wavy hair drifting in the fresh spring air. Her eyes squinted in the morning sun reflecting over the lake. She had jeans and a cardigan wrapped around her, held shut by a not so bruised hand. She didn't have the weighted down look she had before, but like she had a new sense of freedom. She looked like she belonged here. This is how she is meant to look. Beautiful. Beautiful and happy.

She stood on the porch frozen and Jack realised that he was grinning broadly at her, like a little boy who realised he was partnered up with his crush in science lesson. He shook himself out of it as he became acutely aware that his heart was beating loudly. He stepped up to the bottom step of the porch, not taking his eyes of her as she met his gaze two steps higher.

"Hiya..." Her breath escaped her lips, her gaze unwavering.

"Hi." He cleared his throat.

"Well you seem to know my nephew. You know Isla Jack?" William's voice interrupted them.

"Yes...NO...Sort of..." Jack stammered, tearing his eyes away from her.

"Jack helped us when we had car trouble on the road up here." Isla interjected quickly.

"Well, it was almost like you were meant to meet then." William looked between the both of them dubiously, the silence becoming awkward, as their blushes matched each others at Williams comment.

Somehow, Nate felt this awkwardness too and spoke up, "Well Jack, now you're here, let's make you useful, if it's ok with you Isla, I'll walk through again with Jack now he has shown his face."

"Yes," She turned quickly away from Jack as he and Nate made up the steps to the porch. "I'll put some tea on."

Jack stepped in behind her, her scent drifting behind as she disappeared in the kitchen. Her scent that had lingered in his cab for days after she left, the smell of honeysuckle and lemon. The scent he was afraid to open his window and lose, but now had his stomach doing summersaults in excitement.

-x-

Nate took Jack around the house and only when they were at the far side of the kitchen, did Nate stop and look at Jack. He knew he had not paid any attention to anything he said as they had gone around the house.

"So once we have fixed the footings and the porch..." Jack daydreamed out the window while Nate was talking and he looked at Jack exasperatingly, "...we can continue and install the giant jacuzzi in the bathroom and then get a helipad on the roof."

Jack nodded, "hmm, yeah, yeah, all sounds good."

Nate burst out laughing, "Jack, Jack," he lightly thumped him on the back. " You wanna tell me what has got you so distracted or do I have to guess, or though it might not be that hard to guess."

"Eh! What I am listening!"

"You just agreed to a jacuzzi and a helipad."

"Oh, right. Did I?" Jack's brow burrowed and he ran his hand through his hair to the back of his neck.