Starting Over by Jenna Allen

Starting Over by Jenna Allen

Jess and Scott haven’t had a conversation that didn’t end in a fight in months. Making up is fun, but the clock is ticking on their marriage. Is a cross-country move the cause of their problems, or the solution?

excerpt ::

The hum of the engines echoed in my ear. I never could sleep for long on planes. Maybe if I kept my eyes closed they wouldn’t be too puffy. I snuggled deeper into the pillow, only then noticing where my body had turned.

I peeked up at Scott’s sleeping face, his dark lashes fanning against his cheek. We hadn’t slept this close since before I found out he sold the apartment. Up until then I hadn’t been happy about the thought of moving, but I’d open to the possibility. Then the phone call came and the rug had literally been pulled out from under me. We were going, and to drive the point home, he’d sold ours.

It had been an amazing offer, and if we’d already agreed to the move, I would have been happy about it. As the days passed and moving became imminent it seemed silly to still be angry. I knew everything I held inside I wouldn’t be able to get over, so I let it out.

It was a New York problem. If Portland was to be a fresh start, I needed to leave it there, with the stack of delivery menus and perfect bagels.

I snuggled deeper into Scott, my head on his shoulder, lifting one of my legs across his. And then I realized just where my hand was. On the fly of his slacks. If there hadn’t been a blanket covering us, I might have been mortified. Instead, I was simply embarrassed and moved my hand back to my own leg.

“Now don’t do that,” Scott whispered against my hair, his warm fingers wrapping around my wrist and pulling my hand back to him. “I need to be reminded there are parts of me you like.”