“Sure, okay. Emily will be fine. Don’t worry.”
Faith disappeared, and Jake took their empty plates inside, returning a few minutes later.
“Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“Mom will chew me out if I don’t take you for a ride.”
She held up a hand as he reached down to pick her up. “I can walk with my crutches.”
“Not out here you can’t. The ground is too uneven. It’s not safe for you to cross it on your own.” Again, Jake bent to pick her up, giving her barely enough time to put her arm around his shoulders before slipping his arms under her.
Jake’s fresh, zesty scent tickled her nose. He smelled so good and entirely masculine. She’d caught a hint of it a couple times earlier this evening and had thought it was nice. But now, as it hit her full force, her breath caught, and her stomach turned somersaults. Oh yeah, she liked the way Jake smelled.
She also liked the way his jeans and t-shirt hugged the muscles she’d searched for under his work shirt.Did he dress like this on purpose? To get a reaction out of me.
She was reacting all right, but she refused to show it. It was all she could do not to rub her hand across his shoulders as he carried her.
Relief, followed by disappointment, washed over her when he set her in his truck. He leaned over to buckle her seat belt before closing her door. He’d hardly touched her, but his proximity and scent caused her mouth to go dry and her temperature to rise.
When he closed her door, she sucked in a deep breath and licked her lips. She was glad to have a little distance between them, even if it was only the center console. She couldn’t believe how everything about him affected her.
Have I ever responded to a man like this before?
She had no idea. But deep down, she had a feeling the intensity of what she experienced, here with Jake, was a first for her. She wouldn’t be single at thirty if she’d felt this electricity with another man. She was sure of it.
So what did that mean where Jake was concerned?
Jake put the truck in gear and drove up the lane. He turned onto the highway and headed toward town.
This surprised Emily. When Faith mentioned the bluff, Emily had assumed that meant the hills toward the north end of the ranch. She was doubly surprised when several minutes later Jake pulled up to a low building full of windows that looked like a quaint restaurant sporting the name Charity’s Diner.
“This is the bluff?”
Jake laughed. “Nope, this this my Aunt Charity’s diner. I thought I’d get us some pie to take up to the bluff. Unless you’d rather go to the Tasty Freeze at the other end of town. I think they have chocolate ice cream, and I could ask them to mix in some brownies or something.”
A warm flush swept over Emily. If Jake’s teasing tone hadn’t led Emily to believe he was flirting with her, the twinkle in his eyes sure did. She liked that he remembered her ice cream preferences and she liked him. More and more with each passing hour.
“I’ll settle for pie, this time.” She smiled so he’d know she was teasing. “I mean, your aunt’s pie must be pretty amazing if this is where you bring me when you’re trying to impress me.”
Jake’s eyes widened, and the tips of his ears turned pink as she stared him down, daring him to deny he was trying to impress her. Finally, after a lengthy staring contest, Jake’s lips turned up. “What kind of pie do you want?”
Smart man.He’d neither denied nor admitted he was trying to impress her. For some reason she found that wildly attractive.
She matched his smile. “Surprise me.” It was the only response she could come up with, since her mind was a little muddled by the unexpected flutter of desire that rippled through her. Besides, the man was full of surprises.
* * *
Emily watchedJake enter the diner and approach the counter. She appreciated the way he walked. Not cocky like a strut but a little more than a swagger. And boy did his backside look good in those jeans!
A slender yet busty redhead approached Jake as soon as he placed his order.
Curious, Emily’s gaze stayed glued on Jake through the window.
Jake took a step back, but the redhead advanced again, leaning in a little closer this time. Jake didn’t move. Was it because he was backed up against the counter, or did he welcome the pretty woman’s proximity?
Jake cast his gaze around the diner. Was he looking for a way out of the situation? Or checking to make sure they didn’t have an audience so he could take advantage of the opportunity the redhead clearly offered? When he didn’t push away from the counter, Emily suspected it was the latter.
