A Day in the Life of...

Just Thinking About You- Jeb Burton

*requested by Bowlinggirl12*
Jeb told his mom that he didn't want the box that now sat on his kitchen table. He didn't like to dwell on the past and that box held a lot of it. More than what he wanted to deal with. Tabitha had been doing some early spring cleaning when she stumbled across a box of all the things Jeb kept from when he was a teenager. Inside that box was his old yearbooks, school art projects, old photos, his first love. He all but forgotten about his relationship to Dakota Earnhardt, now Camden. It had been such a long time ago. Jeb met Dakota what felt like a lifetime ago. They were inseparable. Growing up at the race track, they created a special bond. It wasn't until they were both 15 when they decided to try a romantic relationship. For the next three years, Dakota was everything to Jeb. By the time they graduated high school, the relationship had ended. Jeb continued racing and Dakota moved cross country for college. Last thing he knew, Dakota had met and got married to Connor Camden, a Navy sailor, on a trip to San Diego with friends. Jeb moved on too, eventually getting married himself. Unfortunately for him, his marriage ended 18 months ago.
"Nope, don't want to go there." Jeb said, looking at the box. It was taunting him, telling him he could never be as happy as he was back then. He knew exactly what awaited him in that box. "Shit, fine."
Jeb crossed his kitchen before opening the flaps of the box. He pulled out his yearbooks that Tabitha insisted on ordering, the old art projects from his senior year. He only took that art class because he needed a half a credit and that was the easiest class. The old photos of him and his high school friends were next. He kept in touch with some, but not all of them. Jeb flipped through the photos before he got to her. Looking back at the photos, Jeb realized that they spent a lot of time at the race track. Dakota had been his biggest cheerleader, cheering for him more than her older brother, Jeffrey. Jeb put the photos down on the table before grabbing his phone. He went to Facebook, something he barely ever on. He searched her name, finding her profile.
"Divorced?" He read on her profile. Jeb decided to call a close source.
"Hello?" Jeffrey's groggy voice greeted him.
"When did your sister get a divorce?"
"Do you know what time it is?"
"I know it's 10:30. When did Dakota get divorced?"
"Less than six months ago. Why are you so interested?"
"I don't know, I just..."
"Call her."
"What?"
"Call her. Ask her out for coffee. If you're really interested in what she's doing."
"You really want me to?"
"I like you more than her ex-husband."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"She lives in Kannapolis now."
"That close?"
"Yeah. I'll send you her number. I'm going back to bed." Jeffrey hung up before his text came through a minute later.
Jeb spent the next couple of days debating on whether or not he should call her. When he finally got the courage to do, Jeb didn't know if she was even going to answer.
"Hello?" Hearing her voice again hit him like a ton of bricks. "Hello?"
"Dakota, it's Jeb. Burton."
"How did you get my number?"
"Your brother. Please don't hang up. I just wanted to know if you wanted to get coffee with me. Just to catch up. What do you say?"
***
"You're seriously not going to that, are you?" Dakota turned to find her 12-year-old daughter standing in the doorway of her bedroom.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Dakota said, turning back to her closet.
"Mom, you are not wearing something that made looks like you're a mom of a 12-year-old."
"Delaney Victoria, I am a mom of a 12-year-old." She plopped down on the bed and watched her mom. "You need to finish getting ready for school." Dakota kept flipping through the hangers in her closet. She didn't know why she was nervous about this. It was just coffee with an old friend. Her first love. "Shit."
"Let me help."
"Laney."
"Mom, please." Delaney came stood next to her mom.
"I don't know why I'm nervous. I haven't seen him in years."
"This is the guy before dad?" Dakota nodded. "So, the guy you should have ended up with."
"Laney."
"I know, I know. If you never met dad, you never would have had me. I love dad, I do, but it didn't work out with dad. Why do you think we're here in Kannapolis and dad is in Bahrain alone?"
"Laney..."
"This could be your second chance."
"How did you get so mature?"
"Six months ago." Delaney said with a smile. Dakota watched as her daughter pulled out her favorite floral dress off the hanger. "Here. Put this on. And those wedged sandals. I'll be in the car." Delaney left the bedroom, leaving Dakota alone. She quickly changed before joining Delaney in the car. "Can we stop for iced coffee for me and Claire?" Claire was Delaney's new best friend at her new school. "She got me one the other day."
"Text and ask what she wants." Dakota headed towards Delaney's favorite spot for coffee. Dakota ordered the girls their coffee before heading over to the middle school. It felt just like yesterday that Dakota was dropping Delaney off for pre-school when they lived in Pensacola.
"Bye mom, love you!" Delaney said as she hopped out of the car.
"Love you, too"
"Don't forget about your second chance!" Dakota couldn't help but smile. Dakota headed back home as she still had an hour before she had to meet Jeb for coffee. She kept herself busy, switching the clean clothes to the dryer and starting the dish washer. When it was time to leave, Dakota took a deep breath and left the house. When she got there, Dakota didn't immediately get out. She wondered what the hell she was even doing there. Her and Jeb's relationship ended when she was 18. They both had gone off and made new lives for each other, finding someone else to marry. But, unfortunately for the both of them, their marriages had failed. Dakota knew about Jeb's now ex-wife as Jeffry had told her about her. He had also told her when their divorce was finalized. Dakota took another deep breath before biting the bullet and headed inside. Dakota quickly spotted Jeb sitting by himself, coffee in front of him and phone in hand. He hadn't seen her yet. She walked up to the counter and ordered her drink and a pastry before walking over to him.
"Hi, Jeb." He looked up at her.
"Dakota, hi. Sit, please." Dakota took a seat across from.
"How long have you been here?"
"Not long. Promise." Dakota gave him a smile that he gladly returned. "How have you been?"
"Good, hanging in there. You?"
"Same." Dakota didn't realize how easy it was to fall back into it with Jeb, like the last 14 years apart didn't matter. Dakota felt like she was 17 again. It was different though, Dakota felt. She listened as he talked about racing in the Xfinity Series and his did while he listened to her talk about her on-line boutique she had started and Delaney. "I heard a lot about Delaney over the years from Jeffry."
"He's such a proud uncle."
"Do you like being back here?"
"I definitely missed it. I did love the traveling that came with Connor being in the Navy, but with Laney closing in on being a teen and getting close to high school, she really needed some stability."
"How did Connor take that news?"
"He was the one who suggested it. When we decided to separate, Connor wanted Laney to have a more stable life, so she moved with me here while Connor headed to Bahrain on his own." Dakota looked at the clock on the wall. They had been there almost three hours. "I should probably get going. I'm sure you have a lot of racing stuff to do."
"Uh, yeah." Dakota followed Jeb outside to her car.
"It was great seeing you again."
"You too." Jeb opened her car door for her. "Can I see you again?"
"What?"
"Can I see you again? Dakota, I know it's been a long time since we've seen each other, but there has to be a reason why fate brought us back together."
"You called me. It wasn't fate."
"I wouldn't have called if my mom didn't send me home with a box of my old things from high school. A box that had memories of you and us in it. I call that fate."
"Laney would call this a second chance."
"She isn't wrong." Jeb stepped closer, Dakota full aware of what was going on. "Let's see where this goes."
"It's not going to be same as it was."
"Obviously, we're both in our 30's and not teenagers." He said with a laugh. "So?"
"I guess."
"Great because what I want to do right now isn't going to be nearly as awkward." Jeb leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. Dakota felt the immediate spark before she kissed him back. Jeb's hand slid across he cheek and into her hair as Dakota's hands settled on his hips. They had pulled away just as Dakota's phone went off. It was Delaney.
"That kid."
"What?"
"She wants to know if I kissed you." Jeb grabbed her phone out of her hand. "Jeb!" Jeb planted another kiss on Dakota as he took a phone. He quickly sent it to Delaney before Dakota could her her phone back. "Oh my God." Dakota said as Delaney sent back a series of emojis approving of the photo. "I can't believe you just did that." Jeb just smiled.
"I'll see you again, soon?" He asked. Dakota nodded and Jeb smiled. He gave her another kiss. "I'll see you."  Jeb pulled her in for one more kiss before heading to his truck. Delaney was right. This was her second chance.