He shot him a look before returning to the milk. “Something off with you, Jay Jay?”
“No.”
“You look a little tight around the eyes.”
“No, I don’t,” Jay protested. “So don’t start that crap with me.”
In fact, hewasfeeling tight around the eyes, and that was lack of sleep, which he also blamed on Blue Jay McAllister. The woman was messing with his routine.
It had only been two days since she returned, but she’d taken up residence inside his head, and he didn’t seem able to dislodge her.
Ryder smiled at someone entering his cafe, and Jay refused to turn and see if it was her. He was like a lovesick—love?—like a sick pup.
“Help me with this, Pheebs, Blue. Don’t you think Jay looks a little tight around the eyes?”
And that was all he needed. The reason for his eye tightness arriving.
Phoebe came into his line of sight first and studied him.
She was an author and had told him once that it made her more observant than many people.
“Hey, Pheebs,” Jay said, moving in to kiss her cheek.
Blue appeared next, dressed in a long, straight, silky black skirt and a pink-and-white striped collared shirt. On her feet were white sneakers. All her lovely hair was in a high ponytail on top of her head.
She leaned in beside Phoebe to study Jay, and he inhaled that soft, sweet scent of hers. He saw the dark smudges under her eyes were still there.
“He does look a little peaky,” she said, pulling back, much to his relief.
“Whatever. Make my coffee order, and your sister wants one of your chocolate muffins,” Jay said. “And because you’re annoying me, you can bring it to our table.”
“Definitely tight around the eyes,” Phoebe said with a smirk.
“You remember how I said I’d babysit for you and Brody? I’m rescinding that offer,” Jay said before walking away.
“I’ll tell Ally you said that!” she called after him.
He didn’t want to walk away from Blue, but neither did he want to stay there. He’d never been indecisive, but around her, he felt that way.
That night had imprinted itself on his memory. Just thinking about it made him hard. The problem was, and this was Jay’stake on it, that one night hadn’t been enough. Maybe if they’d had more, he wouldn’t now be thinking about her constantly.
Looking back at his tormentor, he noted she was standing on her toes, looking at something Ryder was pointing out. The curve of her—nope, not going there. He retook his seat. Thankfully Zoe was now alone, and the walking club were back out on the streets of Lyntacky, terrorizing its citizens again.
“So, me and the walking club have all decided that Laurie Day would make a fine partner for you, Jay,” Zoe said. “You need to take that girl out on a date.”
“No, I don’t.”
She was grinning like the cat that got the cream. The smile fell as someone else entered the cafe.
“I thought we’d got rid of them with Grill behind bars,” Jay said, getting to his feet, for no other reason than that four of the Bandits motorcycle gang had walked in. They’d been causing trouble in this town for years.
“They have a new leader,” Zoe said. “The one in front.”
Jay studied the man walking in. He looked nothing like Grill. There was something far more sinister about this guy. Grill had been a thug, but this guy…. Jay wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he looked more like a businessman than a biker. Yes, he was in the leathers, but his hair was short and cut well, and he was clean-shaven. A large gold signet ring sat on his middle finger.
“He’s more dangerous than Grill, and that’s saying something,” Jay said.
“How do you know that?” Zoe asked.
