The Best Man Plan - Jaci Burton Page 0,85
was grateful her puppy was so well loved and taken care of.
She said her good-byes and went to the door, deciding to wait outside. A storm had passed through earlier in the day, and though they were heading toward July, it had cooled down some. The air felt fresh and clean and it was still cloudy outside, which made her happy since it suited her mood.
Erin took a seat on the porch swing, enjoying the respite from the heat. Winds that had been furious earlier during the storm had died down, so now it was perfect.
She didn’t sit long, though, because she saw Jason’s truck pulling down the long drive toward the house. Just seeing his truck pumped up her heartbeat into a fast rhythm.
Calm down, girl.
It was ridiculous how this man got to her. She walked down the steps as he stopped in front of the house. He got out of the truck, coming around to greet her with a smile, looking ridiculously hot in jeans, boots and a tight brown T-shirt that molded to his sculpted shoulders and biceps.
“Hi, beautiful.”
And still, those words that he’d been saying to her for years, even when she’d been with Owen. She’d always brushed it off as funny. Now she took it to heart, especially when he made eye contact with her, when he smiled at her in that way that always caused her stomach to do that funny flip.
“Hey. Thanks for the picnic invite.”
She climbed into the truck and he closed the door. He’d left the motor running and it was nice and cold inside, helping to cool her down.
Would she ever stop having this chemical reaction around him? Or maybe it was her emotions, the way she felt about him that had added to this meltdown she felt whenever she was around him lately.
Whatever, it was damned disconcerting.
He pulled into the park by the lake and drove to a spot shaded by a thick grouping of tall trees that seemed to be bent over on purpose to provide shade. They got out and he grabbed a bag and a blanket, leading her to a nice grassy spot near the water.
“So you really did mean a picnic,” she said, watching him spread the blanket out.
He looked up, tilting his head. “What did you think I meant?”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d grab a bucket of chicken and we’d hang out at your house.”
He frowned. “That’s not a picnic.”
“I don’t know. If we ate on the floor it would be.”
He reached for her hand and tugged her down on the blanket. “If we ate on the floor, we’d be fighting Puddy for our food.”
She laughed. “You’re probably right.”
“Besides, it’s nice right now. We’re in the shade, not too hot, and we’re by the lake. Perfect night for a picnic.”
She slapped her arm, killing a mosquito. “Except for the bugs.”
He reached into the bag and pulled out mosquito repellant. “Got that covered.”
The man was always prepared. She put on the repellant, mentally cursing the bug bite that would likely drive her crazy for the next week. Damn bloodsuckers.
Jason pulled out turkey wraps, hummus, chips and carrot sticks, as well as a jug of water and a bottle of wine. He uncorked the wine—a Red Moss Vineyards brand, of course—and poured it into plastic wineglasses.
He handed a glass to her.
She took a sip, enjoying the mellow smoothness of the rosé. “You thought of everything.”
“I figured you needed an easy night.”
He had no idea how much. “Thanks for this. It’s really nice.”
The view was incredible, both of the lake and of the gorgeous man next to her. She drank her wine and let her body relax.
“Tell me about your day.”
She looked over at Jason. “Not much to tell. Just routine.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
She inhaled, let it out. “For me? Definitely. How about yours?”
“Nothing eventful.”
“And for you that’s good, too, right?”
“Yeah.” He cracked a smile, and there went those twinges in her belly again.
“Good.”
“Oh, I finished the master bedroom and bathroom.”
“You did? That’s great. Have you moved back in yet?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. I still have to buy new furniture. Wanna come shop with me?”
Her eyes widened. “I’d love to. When?”
“As soon as possible. I’m tired of sleeping in that double bed.”
She ran her fingertip over the rim of her wineglass. “If I recall correctly, we didn’t have a problem in that double bed together.”
His lips curved in that hot smile that never failed to make her toes curl. “It was close