(Complete) New Year's Day is a time for resolutions. Jack Harris, still mourning the tragic death of his wife, vows to start living again. Maddie Evans dumps her boyfriend and vows no more meaningless sex.
Jack moves to The Point to live in his pa...
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Summer was racing to an end. They were more than halfway through August. It was hot and sticky and even on The Point, the ocean breeze didn't give enough relief. The low tide scent was stronger and often the day started foggy from all the moisture in the air.
They were invited to a party at Ed and Marie's house because Drew was visiting.
Rory was full of questions. "So I finally get to see inside the house with the glass windows?" "So Maddie, he was your first boyfriend?" "Why did you break up?"
Maddie could barely keep up. Since Rory had her first boyfriend, it intrigued her. "Dad, who was your first girlfriend?"
"A girl in college. I never dated in high school."
"Because you were in love with me." Maddie teased him.
Laughing, he said, "That and the fact that BC High is an all boys' school."
"No girls? Why didn't I know that?" Rory asked.
"Don't know." Jack laughed.
Rory hadn't decided anything, and it was hard to tell if she was even thinking about her biological father. Maddie was excited to go to the party with Jack. Drew would already know about them, but it excited her to be Jack's girl.
She already felt like his wife without benefits, as she buckled Emma into her stroller. She loved the role of mother to Emma. She wished she didn't go home alone each night, but living together would never be an option.
She felt like a family as they walked across The Point. When they entered the yard, Nick and Sophie greeted them with Abbie running behind them which meant Peter was right behind her.
"Hey guys, come on." He grabbed his three-year-old daughter.
Once on the patio, Drew came over. He went right to Maddie and hugged her. Then he turned to Jack. "So you finally stole my girl. I always knew you wanted to. Man, I can't believe you moved here."
"Had to. This is where Mads lives." He looped his arm around her waist.
Maddie smiled at him. They met Drew's wife, Jenna and his son, Ronan. He introduced Maddie as his first girlfriend.
Megan came over. "Don't be jealous. He dumped her for California and never looked back."
Maddie remembered when he left. They had agreed to break up, but she never expected he wouldn't be home for years. The next time he saw him was when Megan graduated high school by then she had a new boyfriend. They'd seen each other through the years, but they weren't meant to be together.
Jack was never far and often had his arm around her. It was as if he wanted everyone to know they belonged together.
Her mother said, "Oh is that our daughter. She's never home. I forgot what she looks like."
