My heart stops while I’m on all fours and I stiffen. Louise sniffs around in search of crumbs to suck up, oblivious to my shock and rage. Eavesdropping on a cougar is not something this old goat seems to care about.
Why do I care for that matter?
“Sure! Where’s your Nerf gun? I’ll find some more bullets.”
“No, Jonah,” she says through a hint of laughter. “Would you like to have somefunwithonlyme. Alone.” She poses it like a question but it’s not. There is no gentle, rising lilt at the end. She’s deadly serious and her request brokers no other meaning. If Jonah doesn’t pick up on it, I’m going to slam my head against this floor and if I’m lucky—really lucky—I’ll concuss myself enough to forget about this stupid crush.
Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it), hedoescatch her meaning and laughs nervously. “Oh! Oh. I’m flattered, but no. I’m—I’m actually taken.”
The reminder of that hot young thing standing in this very kitchen with her wet hair and buttered toast haunts me. I shouldn’t care that Zoey’s making a move on Jonah and yet I’m blindly enraged in a storm of jealousy. And now he’s literally confirming his relationship with someone else, but my validation feels like hydrogen peroxide bubbling over an open wound. I knew the truth, and yet...
I’m crushed. All... over... again.
“That’s too bad,” Zoey replies, casually. “If you and yourpartnerare ever interested in a guest star, let me know.”
Chapter 23
Taken
Renée
Jonah was none the wiser to my emotional turmoil when we left after the party, and I certainly did not want to acknowledge the stupid mistake I made by kissing him. I got up from his kitchen floor and schooled my features into a picture-perfect mom determined to give her daughter the best tenth birthday ever.
After her shower, Delta fell asleep as I braided her hair in the living room. Carrying her to bed, as large as she’s grown, made me miss all those times I carried her as an infant and a toddler. When had I stopped carrying her?Whydid I ever stop?
Amber and I sit on the couch and catch up on a show to decompress after the girls go down. The TV is on, but my mind is still back with Jonah. Surprisingly enough, I don’t focus on the conversation between Jonah and Zoey that I overheard. Rather, I think about the joy on my girls’ faces as they rode Ginger, their giggles while they fed the ducks and alpaca, their squeals as three different dogs licked them head to toe.
I think of Jonah’s face turning up to carefully watch each of them as they rode his sweet, blind horse. They way he looked as we fell over each other in the bouncy house, the September sunshine kissing his golden hair, his laugh so big it pulled me into its orbit. I could replay that moment in slow motion for the rest of my life.
He didn’t have to do any of this today, but he wanted to.
Ishouldn’t have kissed him, but I was so wrapped up in the moment that I forgot my inhibitions—I forgot he’s in a relationship with someone else.
I need to apologize and thank him.
I stand up to leave. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Amber. “I forgot something at Jonah’s.” She’s distracted by the TV but nods without looking at me.
I snag a flashlight and slip out of the house. The evening air has cooled and I’ve ditched the jumpsuit for matching lounge wear. Halfway there, I realize I'm not wearing shoes when I step on a twig.
When he opens his front door in only a pair of low-slung gym shorts, he’s surprised to see me. “Hey.”
“Hi,” I say a little breathlessly, and I sort of… forget why I’m here.
In all his shirtless, muscled glory, he stands with his hands in his pockets just… watching me like he has nothing better to do. Like he’d be perfectly content standing here in silence all night.
“You changed your clothes,” he says.
“Yeah,” I say like a fool. I swallow. “It wasn’t terribly comfortable.”
A sad smile pulls at his full lips. “That’s too bad. I liked it. It was fun.”
Fun!I remind myself.That’s what I want to talk about!
“Would you like to come in?” he asks, and gestures for me to do so.
I nod once and step past him, inhaling the scent of sage and citrus wafting off his body. “Thank you.”
He indicates I should follow him to the living room just off the foyer. “Have a seat,” he says, before taking his own in an arm chair.
