“You avoided most of my questions at lunch—don’t you dare think I didn’t notice—so you owe me some answers. Then you talked with my son. I’ll go crazy if we don’t discuss it.”
No way in hell could he have answered her questions without lying his ass off, so he’d kept spinning the conversation back to her. Was that so wrong? Besides, she’d thanked him for the way he handled Jason. Or had he upset her somehow? Should he chalk up her gratitude as politeness?
“Please stay the night.” Linda clamped her hands together. “If not here, then somewhere in town. We could meet tomorrow, just the two of us.”
The worry lines etching Linda’s face slapped him with guilt. He rubbed his tired eyes. He couldn’t head out with her so upset, as he had long ago. And hadn’t he vowed to say goodbye to Jason? As he opened his mouth to relent, Marissa jabbed her finger at his chest. Hard.
“You want to go, fine, but you’re checking into a motel. Once you give us your damn phone number, email, and home address, then you can split.Tomorrow, not tonight. Is that clear?”
The anger and defiance radiating from her threatened to seduce him. What would she do if he tried to kiss off her frown—kiss him back, melt in his arms, knee his balls? “Still as stubborn and bossy as ever. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“No, I have changed. I’m not taking your arrogant attitude up the ass like before. If you vanish before we at least get your number, I’ll follow you to San Francisco and drag your ass back here.”
“I’ll be going too.” Linda notched up her chin.
He chuckled a little. “Good luck finding me.”
“It shouldn’t be that hard since we now know where to search. If need be, Harold could pull a few strings with his old station buddies to track you down.”
“He’ll refuse.”
“Damn it, Jarrett, your parents love you. You may not give a damn about me anymore—and frankly, I don’t care—but you should show your mother some respect. You need to man up and take responsibility for your actions, and I’ll be the bridge between you and your parents if that’s what it takes. Stop running away.”
His heart clenched. Fuck his promises. Jarrett grabbed his backpack and flung open the door. The fury permeating through every inch of his body drove him outside and down the steps. The breeze slashed at his burning face, sharpening his temper.
Marissa’s voice carried. “I’m so sorry, Linda. Jason has an overnight bag upstairs. Will you watch him for me?”
The drumming in his ears silenced his mother’s response. Snow crunched right behind him. Shit. Marissa gripped his biceps like a damn iron clamp and jerked him to a stop halfway down the path.
She flipped him around to face her. “I won’t beg like last time. I won’t cry for hours after you leave. Just do me the courtesy of sticking around tonight. I did nothing—not back then or now—to warrant you walking out on me. I’m your friend. Talk with me.”
He pulled free and stalked to his bike. As he straddled the machine and started the engine, the cold of the leather seat seeped through his pants and chilled his legs. The purring rumble soothed his racing pulse. He clutched his helmet as déjà vu swept over him.
He’d stood in this very spot over ten years earlier, holding his helmet while straddling his bike as Marissa begged him to stay.
But this time, Marissa scowled at him without tears. The girl she’d been was gone. The woman standing so strong and defiant beside him could drop him to his knees.
“Goddamn it.” He handed her the helmet. After she took it, he shoved on his gloves and goggles. “Hang on. The roads will be slick.” With her arms wrapped around him, he kicked the clutch and sped away.
