Jake arches an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing.” Heat crawls along my skin. I was drooling over him. As usual. I snatch my cup off the table. “Rosemarie, do you need a ride home?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “My son is on his way. He should be here any second. I was going to try and catch Briggs, but as soon as my bag ripped, I knew I wouldn’t be able to wave him down.” Briggs drives the OATS van that just disappeared down a side street. She pats Jake’s hand. “That’s when this sweet boy stopped and gave me a hand.”
“Just doing my job.”
“And you do it looking so handsome.” She winks at him. “Doesn’t he, Emily?” This time she looks expectantly at me, not giving me the option of ignoring her.
“Yes…. He does look handsome.” Jake’s eyes land on mine and stay there until the hairs on the back of my neck stand. Was that a flicker of awareness? My nipples tighten. Fuck. I hunch my shoulders forward so I’m not broadcasting to the whole sidewalk that I’m desperate for his attention.
When his mouth drops open, Colt, Rosemarie’s son, pulls up, ending the moment before it begins.
Five minutes later, when they’re safely on their way, I place my hand on Jake’s upper arm as he turns toward his cruiser. “Can I have one second?”
“Sure.” His jaw tightens, so I drop my hand and rub my palm on my pants. The only reason he’s not bolting to his car is because we’re in public. And yes, I’m pathetic enough to take advantage of that.
“I need to apologize for the other day. There’s no excuse for how I was acting, so I’m not going to give one.” I swallow over the dryness in my mouth. “It was wrong.” The urge to make up an excuse pushes up, but I shove it back down. “I’ve been a bitch to you since you returned. I don’t deserve it, but I’d like to ask for a second chance to prove I can be a civil human being.”
For several long seconds, nothing happens while we stand awkwardly on the sidewalk as cars pass and neighbors glance our way. Fuck, where’s a gust of wind when you need it? I tug the front of my jacket, fanning it.
“So….” He arches an eyebrow with a slight smirk tugging at his lips. “You think I’m handsome?”
Not an acceptance of my apology, but I’ll take it.
“You know you’re handsome. That not news. You’ve had girls drooling over you since you were in the eighth grade.”
“Sixth, but I didn’t think you’d noticed.” The breeze sends a whiff of his cologne drifting my way, making my knees weak. He smells so damned good.
“You didn’t think I’d noticed what? That girls flocked to you?”
He frowns and glances down the street at the traffic stopped at the red light. “It wasn’t that many.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You had a different girl every week.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it was.”
His jaw flexes with tightness. “I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”
“And what idea was that?” What’s wrong with you? Why did you ask that? You’re not going to like the answer.
“That I wanted a girlfriend.”
“Right.” I step back, putting some much-needed space between us. Of course, he doesn’t want a girlfriend. I already knew that before he said it.
When my phone rings, I snatch it from my back pocket. Kaleb. Thank God. “Hello?”
“What’s taking you so long?
“Sorry. I lost track of time. I was talking to Jake.”
“Why?”
I stiffen at the accusatory tone of his voice. “Because he was helping Rosemarie, and I stopped to make sure everything was okay.”
“He couldn’t help Rosemarie without your expert interference? Was she bleeding?”
