Dang it all! This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go. He’d let his feelings take the wheel, and after he’d taken one step forward, he’d now gone ten steps back.
He watched her go, feeling cold and confused.
The following morning, he stared into his coffee, still dwelling on how he’d managed to screw this up so royally.
“You look like you didn’t get much sleep last night,” Mack chuckled as he entered the kitchen. “Is Mom around?”
Noah shrugged, not lifting his eyes from his drink. “I haven’t seen her.”
“Will you let her know I need to talk to her?”
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled. Noah heard his brother’s steps move across the kitchen toward the fridge, then the sound of it being pulled open. If anyone could answer his questions about Jane, it would be Mack.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” Noah lifted his eyes, and Mack glanced at him. “Why do you think Jane hasn’t married anyone?”
Mack laughed. “That’s a strange question. I have no idea.”
“What about her aversion to dating someone with money?”
That gave Mack pause, and he faced Noah, leaning against the now closed refrigerator. He folded his arms and tilted his head. “I guess it has something to do with who she is at her core. She’s always focused on helping others. She’s seen people getcorrupted by money, and she doesn’t like it. She’d always wanted to settle down in a small town. You know, the kind of place where everyone knows your name?” Mack grinned. “I guess it makes sense that she moved here. I wouldn’t be surprised if she found someone to settle down with soon enough.” His grin turned into a knowing smirk. “Why? You interested?”
Noah shrugged, but his brother read him too well.
“It’s a good thing you don’t fall into the category of entitled, rich jerks, huh? You might actually have a shot.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Noah muttered.
Except that wasn’t true. He might have been able to convince Jane to give him a chance, but if she was so against wealth, then that small opportunity was all but lost.
CHAPTER SIX
The gala wasthe perfect way for Jane to distract herself from what had happened the night before. In hindsight, it had been stupid of her to go for that ride with Noah. There was something about him that continued to draw her in, even though she continued to tell herself that she needed to keep her distance.
He was her friend’s brother. There had to be rules about that.
Okay, so she hadn’t really been close to many of the Reese family since Mack got into trouble in their youth. But there was still a line she wasn’t sure she wanted to cross.
But he was so… handsome.
Her eyes drifted to where he stood. The second he’d shown up, she’d sensed him. It was like his body had a specific sort of signature that made it impossible for her to ignore. The suit he wore looked expensive.
It almost looked as though it was tailor-made just for him. The fabric conformed to his body, every seam perfectly alignedagainst him. Nothing hung loosely but rather tightened slightly beneath his muscles.
She groaned and tore her gaze from him. He’d almost kissed her last night! And she’d turned him away like she knew was the smart thing to do. Right now wasn’t a good time for a relationship. She had her new job, she was helping to take care of her grandfather, and she simply didn’t need the distraction in her life, no matter how much her mother wanted her to settle down.
There was a small part of her that wondered if she avoided relationships for that fact alone. If her mother continued to point out how happy her sisters were in their families, Jane just knew she’d lose her mind.
Yes, Mom. I know that I’m the oldest. I know that I haven’t given you grandchildren yet. I know I’m a disappointment.
A growl escaped her throat, and she pushed the frustration aside. Tonight, she was determined to enjoy herself. The planning had gone off without a hitch. Her job was done. She could sit back and watch all her work play out with a degree of pride. She’d helped to make this happen.
All around her, men and women danced on the platform. Refreshments continued to be brought out. Music blared. As far as charity galas went, this one was less formal—and yet people still dressed in their finest. A couple of the guests wore tuxes or floor-length gowns, while others wore the best they had.
She looked down at her own dress. It was nice enough, but nothing compared to the majority of what others were showcasing. A pang of disappointment crawled beneath her skin. As much as she didn’t want to be the kind of person whoflaunted her money, it would have been nice to have something to her name.
If she continued to move up in this company, then she’d need to invest in at least one gown she could wear to these functions.
“Care to dance?”
