Jett didn’t let me off so easily. He reached his foot out and bumped my shoe. “Bywhattime?”
I glared at him, hoping he’d let it drop.
“What time was it that she told you to be home?” he repeated under his breath.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Pastor Bryant rinsing an apple at the sink. Wasn’t there a microwave over there too? Yes, green glowing numbers that read five after nine.
“By nine o’clock actually,” I said, “but she won’t mind if I’m home a little late.”
I stuffed my notes back into my bag, zipped it up, and scooted my chair back into place. Jett came to a stand and shut his laptop. “I’ll walk you out.” He rested his hand on my lower back, causing a sensation of tingles to move over my skin.
“That’s my boy,” Pastor Bryant said. He gave us a wave and bit into the apple.
“Should we, um, do this at your place next time?” Jett asked while opening the door for me.
I considered it as I stepped onto the porch and shivered.
“Do you want a jacket?” Before I could answer, he bolted back inside and came out in the speed of light. “Here.” He held out his letterman jacket and motioned to me with a nod.
Jett Bryant wanted me to put on his letterman jacket? Trying hard not to overthink it, I straightened my right arm and slid it into the silky sleeve. I went to slip the backpack off my shoulder but Jett was one step ahead of me. He hooked the strap with his fingers and held it out to the side as I slipped my left arm through. Instead of handing it back to me he looped it around his own massive shoulder.
He glanced up. “Clouds are gone,” he said, a far off look in his eye.
The humor and playfulness were gone, causing me to remember what my mom had said about his parents being separated.
“So,” he said as we walked around to the driver’s side of the car. “I’ve got basketball practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday nights. So how’s Thursday for you?”
I looked at him, thinking of how nicely this was working out; every other day was perfect. “Sounds good.”
He nodded, glanced down at his feet and tipped his head to the side. “Should we do it here again or do you want to have it at your place?”
I hadn’t exactly decided on that yet. If wediddo it there, we’d need to watch a movie as well so it looked like an actual date. “We could do that, but my little sister will be there. She might be kind of a distraction.”
Jett lifted his chin, then studied me as moonlight poured over his handsome face. “I don’t mind kids,” he finally said, voice low and raspy.
I gulped, wondering if I should just tell him about the whole fake date fiasco. Summer had said that I shouldn’t while Bailey insisted I should, so I was still a little confused. “Okay,” I said. “Thursday at my place.”
He gave me a nod before his face turned thoughtful. “Didn’t you used to work for the Sweet Water recreation? Doing, like, theater classes for the kids?”
My heart misbehaved with a little happy dance. Why did I like it every time Jett admitted to knowing details of my life? “Yeah,” I said. “And you did some coaching, right?”
The grin that pulled at those tempting lips of his said he might like it when I remembered stuff about him as well. “Right. My dad wanted me to focus on grades, so I only work there the summer now.” He shrugged and added, “Plus I work a double shift at the warehouse on Saturdays.”
“My mom’s the same way. She pays me a decent allowance, hoping it will, in her words, ‘pay off in scholarship money later.'”
“Which itdid,” Jett pointed out.
“Yep.” I nodded as my face warmed.Dang, he was attractive. “And yours did too.”
I patted my pockets for the keys and realized they were clipped to my bag. “Oh, my keys,” I said, shifting to the grip he had on it. Was it just me or was he stalling?
Jett let the backpack slide off his shoulder and held it out for me by the strap.
“Thanks.” I hooked it over my shoulder, sensing there was something more he wanted to say.
“Hey, umm…how long ago did your parents get divorced?”
The question made my heart hurt. Poor Jett. And his whole family for that matter. I couldn’t imagine Pastor Bryant and his wife actually getting divorced. They seemed so perfect together. I forced my mind back to his question.
