She used to have so many ideas. Love stories and meet-cutes and funny little conversation starters…they’d all crowded her head, and she’d turned them into stories.Goodstories.
What happened? Was she out of ideas? Would she never finish a book again?
The bad didn’t end there though. She’d dropped and broken one of Mrs. Gerald’s gorgeous teacups. She’d received half a dozen not-so-nice texts from her mother about the cost of mailing the things Aspen didn’t want sent anyway. And the second she’d gotten home and taken off her shoes, she’d stubbed her toe. And, holy Hannah, did it hurt.
Now, all she wanted to do was make dinner…but she’d forgotten the pasta for her pasta casserole, which was kind of important.
The door opened and she didn’t even look up. It would be Jesse. Perfect Jesse. Yesterday, he’d literally made her breakfast and a steaming-hot cup of coffee. Good coffee. It was like he’dknownhow much she needed it after the night she’d had. She’d wanted to fall at his feet and kiss them, she’d been so grateful. It was like he could do no wrong.
And he hadn’t brought up the nightmare again. In fact, he was acting like it never happened…for which she was grateful.
“What did those carrots do to you?”
Her traitorous heart set off in a gallop at his deep, sexy voice. “I forgot the pasta for my pasta casserole and didn’t want to walk back to the grocery store.” Didn’t really answer his question, but it was connected.
“I see. And is that the carrots’ fault?”
“If I said yes, would you believe me?” Another far too aggressive chop of the carrot.
Suddenly he was right beside her, his hand covering hers, stilling her movements.
She sucked in a quick breath, her gaze stuck on his large hand on hers. When he touched her, it was like every other thought just dropped out of her head.
“You didn’t get any words written today?” he asked gently.
She looked up. Mistake. Big mistake. His eyes were too close and too beautiful. “None.”
Sympathy darkened his eyes as he removed his touch. Her skin suddenly felt cold. “Is that all that happened?”
How did he know? Was he really good at reading her, or was it just written all over her face? “My mother was messaging me.”
“Okay, and what did she say?”
“Yesterday she called and insisted on sending me some of my stuff that I left at her place. Stuff that I don’t want back. Stuff thatI told hershe could keep or throw away. But Karen Davies doesn’t want to do that, because she doesn’t like to respect other people’s wishes. She knows best. So I gave her this address so she could mail the things I didn’t need sent.”
“What happened next?”
“Texts. Millions of texts, all in the span of an hour.” Her words sped up. “It took her all morning, apparently. Hours to go through her house and make sure I hadn’t left anything else there. Then it took her more time to take the stuff to the post office and package everything up. Oh, and it cost her a small fortune—her words, not mine. And when I reminded her that I did not need or want her to send any of it… Now I’m ungrateful. I’m irresponsible for leaving it all at her place. I’m also conniving, because I left the stuff there on purpose because Iwantedto ruin her day and make her go broke. I’m one big—”
Jesse gripped her wrist. The wrist attached to the hand she hadn’t realized was waving around the big kitchen knife. “I think I should take that.” He slipped the knife from her fingers.
“I’m sorry.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “It’s just been a frustrating day. She sent barrages of texts, and then she called and started verbally abusing me. I dropped Mrs. Gerald’s teacup. Dylan also tried to call—”
“Dylan tried to call you?” Jesse’s tone deepened, an edge to his voice.
“Yep. I swear he’s the mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“What did he want?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t answer. I never answer. Then I blocked his number.”
She’d come to Amber Ridge to escape it all, but her past just wouldn’t leave her alone.
Jesse’s frown was deep, anger darkening his eyes before he seemed to visibly force it down. “Come to the bar with me tonight.”
She straightened. “What?”
“I’m meeting my brother and sister. Join us. Have a night off from everything.”
