he eased back into the sofa cushions and returned his attention to Danny. “I’ll come back on my next home stand. If you’ll put together a list of things you need fixed, I’ll tackle what I can.”
“You’re not our handyman,” Jasmine insisted.
He winked at her. “But I am a handy man.”
“Quit trying to turn away offers of help,” May told her sister. “This is my place. I’ll decide when I want a hot guy to come over and fix things that need fixing.”
“Preach, honey,” Danny said, holding up a hand.
May reached over and high-fived him, her gaze never leaving Jasmine’s face. Jasmine heaved a resigned sigh.
To keep the peace, Will shifted the conversation to topics other than home improvement. After he and Jasmine finished their drinks, she rose and carried her glass and his empty bottle to the kitchen.
“I forgot my purse upstairs,” she said. “I’ll head up and get it and then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Sounds good.”
May also got to her feet. “I’ll come up and make sure you didn’t forget anything else.”
“You’re such a big sister,” Jasmine said as they started up the stairs.
Will watched her legs until they disappeared.
“They’re pretty incredible, right?”
He looked at Danny. “Huh?”
“Jazzy’s legs.”
“Oh. Hell, yeah. Never seen any sexier.”
She returned a couple minutes later, May in tow. May and Danny sent them off with hugs and waves. Before Will could open the car door for Jasmine, the driver did so.
“This is a nice ride,” she said as she slid into the leather backseat. “What kind of car is this?”
“A Tesla, ma’am,” the driver replied before closing the door.
She met Will’s gaze as he sat beside her. “This is a nice touch.”
“Glad you like it. I thought we’d enjoy ourselves a little more at the event if we didn’t have to think about the drive home afterward.”
“Planning on getting drunk?”
“Nah. Those days are behind me. Can you imagine being hungover with a five-year-old and Gump running around?”
Jasmine shook in a mock shudder. “I see your point. Even without the usual screaming that kids do, I’m sure it would suck.”
Something must have shown on his face. She briefly closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Will. That was insensitive.”
“It’s fine.” He knew she hadn’t meant it in any kind of derogatory way. “Actually, Katie made another one of those giggle sounds earlier.”
Jasmine’s delighted smile grabbed his heart in a fist.
“What made her laugh this time?” she asked.
It took him a moment to draw a full breath. He swallowed hard to push through the tightness in his chest so he could respond.
“Gump farted.”
She blinked as though she wasn’t sure how to respond. Then she let out a loud laugh.
“That is just precious,” she said with a shake of her head. “It makes me so happy to hear it. She’s made so much progress, Will.”
Knowing that a large part of that progress was owed to her intensified the feeling in his chest.
“But a dog fart?” she said. “Really?”
He grinned. “Yeah. He was sitting on the hardwood floor. It really resonated.”
She reached out to grasp his arm as a fresh bout of laughter overtook her. It was the second time that evening she’d deliberately touched him. It hadn’t occurred to him before then that she never had before.
Thinking of how he’d been reacting to her so far, he held out hope that there would be plenty more touching between them before the evening’s end.
Chapter Sixteen
Jasmine hadn’t been sure how a gymnasium could be transitioned into a glamorous event space, but someone had definitely pulled it off. The Michael Sanderson Center for Boys and Girls looked like the poshest Hollywood gala. She’d only seen events like this on TV and in magazines.
Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Plush carpet covered the floor. Rich draperies hung along the walls. Velvety curved sofas and an abundance of Chiavari chairs complemented the many clear acrylic tables guests were meant to use to hold their drinks and appetizer plates. Servers in black suits and bow ties circled with trays covered in sweet and savory canapes. A four-piece jazz band played on a grand stage.
And celebrities abounded.
Jasmine met so many she would never remember them all. There were athletes, of course. Mostly locals from the city’s MLB, NFL, NBA, MLS, and new NHL expansion teams. But she also met newscasters, actors, musicians, artists, politicians, social media influencers…it was mind-boggling.
She was having so much fun. She sipped wine from her glass and made her way around the room with Will, who seemed to delight in introducing her to