Perfect Night (Mason Creek #4) - Terri E. Laine Page 0,31
amusement. “Why would you have turned her down? She’s cute.”
I eyed her for a second, managing not to show my disappointment that she’d asked me that. “No reason. Maybe I’m waiting. I’m a patient man. Mom always told me not to compromise, especially when it comes to someone I want to call wife.”
Her jaw dropped.
I tapped the hood of her car. “Anyway. I need to get back to the station before the sheriff puts an APB out on me. You’re here early.”
“Yeah. I have a lot to do before we open.”
“I’ll let you go.”
She didn’t have to go far. She turned right into the pub’s parking lot which was directly across the street from where I stood. I crossed back over Highland Place where my department-issued SUV was parked.
Emma still had the ring on. Was I being a fool for hoping for something between us?
Chapter 15
Emma
No man should look that good, I thought as I turned into the bar’s parking lot. Stupid me had suggested he date Janet. Had he scowled when I said it or was I imagining it?
I parked and sat there for a moment. Did I really think Aiden would stay single for long with all the thirsty, single women in town? The tall glass of water he was, wouldn’t last long.
Finally, I let go of the steering wheel and went inside. I wanted to get the weekend’s bookkeeping done before Jack arrived in case we needed to talk.
After using my new passcode to enter the building and once again to get into the office, I smiled to myself for all my handiwork. “Thanks, Dad,” I said out loud. I could never be more grateful that he’d raised me to be independent and not depend on anyone when I didn’t have to.
I’d finished up the weekend tally which all tied out to the cash deposit for the bank waiting in the safe. I’d finished a paper I needed to turn in for one of my classes and was in the middle of reviewing the security footage when someone said, “I figured you’d be here early,” scaring the mess out of me.
“Jack!” I flinched, putting my hand to my chest as if that could slow my racing heart. I glanced up to find him standing in the doorway. I hadn’t heard the tinkling bells chimes from my motion detector app to alert me of movement outside the side door to the parking lot. I’d been so engrossed with what I was doing.
“We need to talk,” he said. Not waiting for me to invite him in, he sat in the chair on the other side of the desk facing me. He hadn’t closed the office door. No one else was at the bar but us.
“Yes. I do have time to talk. Thanks for asking,” I said sardonically.
“Emma, I’m not your enemy unless I have to be.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, thanks for that. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.”
He clucked his tongue. “I love this bar as much as your father did. That’s why he asked me to take it over from him when the time came.”
“You act like I wasn’t here longer than you. I spent my days after school in this very office doing homework after my mother died. I don’t even think you were working here back then.”
“Doing homework is a far cry from running the bar. You always had one foot in and one foot out. That’s why your father asked me and not you to run the place after him.” His resentment rolled off him like waves.
“You want things to go back to the way they were before?” I accused.
“Yes.”
“You want to run things while I pop in and out like when Dad was around?”
“Yes.”
“Or preferably you want me to sell you the place and walk away?”
“Yes.” His sneer had grown with each response.
I clasped my hands and leaned on the desk in his direction. “I’m sorry to inform you, I haven’t made a decision as to what I’m going to do.”
He didn’t back down and leaned toward me as if we needed to whisper so we wouldn’t be overhead. “Have you even looked over his will?” When I blanched, he added, “Maybe you have and realized he made provisions for me to take over because he didn’t want your arrogant punk ass boyfriend to get his hands on it.”
Any smart alec remarks I could have made died in my throat. He got to his feet.
“I’m going to do inventory, Boss,” he