A half hour later, as they were finishing their first glasses of wine, she gestured at the space behind the beach. “There’s nothing here.”
“That’s because the main drag is only two blocks away,” he pointed out. “And most people bike down to the water, grabbing food on the way. Or bring their own like we did.”
“You need food trucks here on the weekend,” she said, ignoring him.
“I don’t know if our local restauranteurs will like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone is afraid of competition at first. They’ll get over it. Not everyone wants to eat artisanal toast or six variations on BBQ brisket. But food trucks are Instagram-able.”
“You keep saying that phrase.”
“And I’m not going to stop. This new beach is going to debut with a splash, and people are going to drive hours to get here from the city because they will be promisedoptions. We’re not going to abandon the local food providers, I promise. Ideally, the food trucks will be local, too. We’re going to have some time here, we’ll build this the right way.”
“With your ice cream stand.”
“It’s your ice cream stand. And how is that going, by the way?”
He gestured down the stretch of beach to where the empty lot was—and the sold sticker plastered on the sign. “You aren’t the only person who’s made some real estate acquisitions lately.”
“Hey! That’s great!” She lifted her glass in cheers. “To new adventures.”
It was a decent opening, and he was going to take it. He couldn’t mind his own business as much as he knew he should. “How was your first night in the new house?”
“Great.” Her eyes softened.
God damn it, he was a glutton for punishment. “Did Brent hang out for the rest of the day?”
She gave Evan an appraising look. “Why?”
“No reason.”
“Really?”
He sat up straighter. “It’s none of my business, that’s all I mean.”
“Huh.” She shrugged and added some more wine to her glass. “Okay. Good.”
“Wait, do you think it’s my business?”
“I think it’s complicated and you’re a very confusing man.” She continued to watch him over the rim of her glass.
“I want whatever is best for you.”
“You know what’s funny? Both of you say that, deferring to the other one to deliver it.”
He frowned. “What?”
* * *
Oh,man. She’d gone pretty far off course in her plan to stay cool and aloof and strictly professional. If she re-ran her own words back to herself, Jess was pretty sure she’d just challenged Evan to prove he wanted her, and she wasn’t even sure he did. Except he was wearing that wood and spice cologne again today, and that wassomething.
The man was sending a lot of mixed messages.
But then so was she, probably. It was time to cut through the noise. “I’m a grown-up, Evan. A single woman. There have been times—” When his hand was on her ass and his tongue down her throat, for example— “That I have thought you might be into me. And then there are other times when you’re definitely just a friend. And in between, I’m doing this weird round and round thing with Brent, but I have made it crystal clear to him that he hurt me. I’m not ready to be in a relationship with him again. I might never be. So here I am, a single girl, just looking for a clue—”
He reached out and took her wineglass from her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
