“This town is really friggin’ small, man. How much private work can there be?”
“You’d be surprised.” He lifts his beer and sniffs. “In fact, I got a text a while back that struck a little too close to home.”
“How’s that?”
“Wanted me to poke around on you.”
“The fuck…” I sit forward in the chair, the hair on the back of my neck rising. “For what?”
“Wanted to know if you were fucking his fiancée.”
“Are you kidding m—” My words come to a screaming halt. “Lane Kelsie tried to hire you?”
He dips his chin. “Yup. I don’t advertise my name everywhere, just the service. He must’ve found me on Craigslist or something. He was a little surprised—and pissed—when I responded with He’s not, but he should be.”
That motherfucker.
“Don’t let her get away again, man.” He shakes his head, that distant look settling into his eyes once more as he finishes his beer and sets the empty bottle on the table between our chairs. “And I plan to continue using your printer and shit, so don’t be surprised if you catch me in the office from time to time.”
“Oh, really?” I laugh, even though his comment about Hayden is still processing. “You could have asked me. I might’ve even given you a key.”
“I asked Greta. And I had a key made for myself, too, so we’re good.”
“You have a fucking key?” This guy, I swear.
He gets to his feet and nods. “Yup. Know the security code, too.”
Jesus Christ. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Because, not only am I older, I’m smarter, too.” He winks and starts toward the steps.
“Don’t forget your beer, asshole.”
“Nah, I brought it for you. Figured you needed it.”
Okay, so maybe he’s not an asshole. “How’d you figure?”
“No car in your driveway last night,” he calls over his shoulder.
What the… “I thought you were just giving me shit about that?”
He turns as he gets to his truck, a wide smirk on his face. “Guess you’ll never know.”
What a prick. I don’t know what I’d do without him.
And he’s right about Hayden. I don’t want to lose her, either. But I stand by what I said last night. I want her to know without a single hesitation that I am it for her. No toothbrush in my bathroom or panties in my drawer. I want all of her.
I need her to be sure on her own, but there’s nothing that says I can’t get ready for when she comes around to my way of thinking, now is there?
HAYDEN
“I could kiss you right now.”
From across the powder blue booth in Tulah’s Diner, Amelia wrinkles her nose. “Please don’t. You’ve kissed my brother and probably had other parts of his body in that mouth.”
“Oh, my God.” I cover my face with my hands to hide my bark of laughter and the heat in my cheeks. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”
“Me, too, because that visual…” She shivers and makes a gagging face. “No thanks.”
I giggle again and slide my glass to the edge of the table as the waitress comes over with a pitcher of fresh lemonade. I thank her and turn back to Amelia. “So, you think your mom will go for this? I mean, it’s a little shady.”
“My mother has been on cloud nine since you came back to town. In fact, if she knew that Jesse was being a schmuck right now, she’d be all up in his business about it.”
“He’s not really being a schmuck,” I sigh, stirring the straw through the drink. “He has a point.”
She surveys me for a moment, eyes dancing back and forth between mine. “If he walked through the door right now and dropped to one knee, what would you say?”
“I’d tackle him before he even got the question out.”
She laughs. “Okay, then.”
“I love him, Amelia. He’s the best person I have ever known.”
“He is pretty awesome,” she agrees. “As far as brothers go. But don’t you dare tell him I said that.”
“You talking about me?” Out of nowhere, Jinx appears, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans with a Cheshire cat smirk on his face.
“Stay back, Satan,” Amelia snarks, making a cross with her fingers. “I did not summon you.”
He chuckles, and probably to piss her off, slides into my side of the booth. “I know you’re not talking about Jesse, because there’s nothing awesome about that ass face.”
Amelia snorts and I punch him in the thigh. “That’s my man you’re talking about.”