But then his words came back to me.I full heartedly agree with this statement. You cannot make somebody change.I’d assumed he’d said that with Tasha in mind, seeing that he and his wild ex-girlfriend had recently broken up.
Sweet Water Chapel looked a little different to me as I passed it. Outdoor floodlights lit the place up from the outside, making the white, steepled structure stand out against the dark night. Pastor Bryant often said we were all broken in our own way; I just hadn’t imagined that he’d been talking about himself and his wife as well.
I squinted as I pulled into Jett’s cul-de-sac, noticing a man by the curb. As I neared, the headlights illuminating his tall, muscled build, I realized it was Jett, taking the trash out as well. He tossed a bag in, lowered the lid, then squinted against the light as he turned in my direction.
My heart skipped.
Quickly, I flicked off my lights, put it in park, and shut off the engine. I snatched my phone out of the cup holder and reached for my bag, when suddenly my interior light kicked on and a rush of cold air came from behind.
“Hi,” Jett said. “Can I help you with that?”
Bag in hand, I glanced over my shoulder and lifted a brow. “With what?”
He tucked his fingers beneath the straps of my bag and took it from me. “This.” I stared at him for a minute and tried to force myself to move.
Jett hoisted the strap over his shoulder and held his hand out for me to take. This was new. I stared at his offered palm, wondering if this was the kind of treatment Tasha got while they dated.
“Thank you,” I said, and placed my hand in his. I couldn’t help but revel in the feel of his strong hand around mine as I climbed out of the car. If you’d have asked me yesterday if I was a fan of chivalry I might have likely said no. But that was because I’d never experienced it before.
Jett closed my door for me while still holding onto my hand. The realization made me pull it away. I felt rude after doing it, so I played with my hair to make the action look necessary.
“It’s a pretty night,” Jett said.
Aside from the sight of the Sweet Water Chapel, I hadn’t paid much attention. I looked up to see a stretch of wispy clouds circling the bright moon. The light from it reached all the way to the small town of Sweet Water, where it lit Jett’s face up like a spotlight on a Greek god. “Yeah,” I agreed.
Jett pulled a grin that triggered that million-dollar dimple.
I gulped.Holy holy.I was in trouble now.
He led me through the front room and into the kitchen where a dining table stood beneath a hanging light. “I figured we’d study in here,” he mumbled. “Is that okay?”
I nodded, wondering what that delicious aroma was. I glanced over to see a pan on the counter. Corndogs and french fries were spread over the surface.Normal food!It looked and smelled so good.
“You hungry?”
I pulled my gaze off the pan since I was probably looking at it like a starving person. “No. Not really.”
Jett seemed to study me for a blink. “I made too much. My mom, she’s, uh, taking care of my grandma in Atlanta, and Ava and Ivy are gone for the night, so I’m just going to have to toss it all in the fridge.”
I glanced at the food once more, and I swear the action made my stomach moan. It wasn’t that my mom didn’t feed me. Heck, she tried to feed us better than any mom in town. I just couldn’t palate the disgusting taste of it all.
“Here.” Jett moved into the kitchen and snatched a paper plate off the counter. Using a pair of tongs, he placed a corndog, some fries, and a few square-shaped things I didn’t recognize onto the center. “Want ketchup? Mustard? Ranch?”
I nodded as my stomach growled.
Jett chuckled under his breath. I watched him retrieve the condiments from the fridge while my backpack hung off one muscular shoulder. The white shirt he wore was clearly an undershirt, the thin fabric revealing the muscled contours of his chest. A chest I’d had my hands on, actually.Get it together, Harper. You’re at the pastor’s house, for crying out loud.
“So where’s your dad tonight?” I asked.
Jett’s face scrunched up as he splatted mustard beside the ketchup blob. “Counseling,” he said.
I lifted my brows, wondering if Jett was going to tell me about his parent’s situation after all.
“He counsels couples from church, you know? As part of the job.”
“Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” I knew that what Jett said was true, but could it be that the counseling session Pastor Bryant was at was for him and his wife? One of those video chats, maybe. I wanted very badly for Jett to open up to me about it. I had no idea why. Except for that I’d been through it already. Watched the two most important people in my life tear apart in a world of angry words and bitter tears. Maybe I could help him.
“So do you plan to major in theater at UNCW?” he asked.
