Chapter 5

5

“ D id he see me?” Jessa asked, not daring to look over her shoulder toward the bar where Noah sat.

Megan peeked over Jessa’s shoulder before dipping her head back behind her menu.

“Yep. He’s looking this way.”

“Oh, my God. I’m so embarrassed.”

Megan giggled. “Hey, if you had to run into ski patrol, at least it was a hot one.”

“That makes it worse.”

“How?”

“Because he’s hot,” Jessa said, her eyes wide to make her point.

Megan rolled her eyes.

“Hi, ladies,” the bartender said as she approached them. “I’m Dixie, and I’ll be your server tonight. What are we having?”

“Maybe just a beer?” Jessa said as she looked at Megan. Megan shrugged.

“Sounds good to me. Whatever you recommend.”

Dixie nodded. “Your first round of drinks is on Noah.”

Jessa’s face flamed, and Megan snorted.

Dixie leaned in and whispered, “He’s a good one.”

Then she walked away.

“Now I have to look at him,” Jessa said, dropping her face into her hands.

Megan giggled. “Just do it and get the awkwardness out of the way.”

Jessa lifted her head and turned toward the bar where Noah sat with another man who looked similar to him. He was already looking in her direction and smiled, while raising a drink in the air.

She waved and smiled, mouthing “thank you” to him. He nodded and, to her relief, he remained at the bar and didn’t take it as an opportunity to approach.

Megan shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Why?”

“I know you were relieved he didn’t come over here. I’m not sure why you’re so hesitant. He’s hot.”

Jessa shrugged. “I don’t know. This whole thing is embarrassing. I didn’t think I’d run into him out in the wild.”

“Hardly the wild when we’re at the resort where he works.”

Jessa looked at Megan and raised an eyebrow. “Why are you being so difficult? You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“What side is there? I’m just encouraging you to go talk to the hottie.”

Dixie approached with their drinks and smiled as she set their beers in front of them.

“He won’t bite,” she said, clearly having heard what Megan said.

“What is this? Two against one?”

Dixie looked back at Noah before leaning in closer, as if telling a secret. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but it’s been a long time since he has shown interest in someone. Give him a chance.”

And then she walked away.

Jessa slapped her hands onto the chair and pushed herself up. “All right. I’ll go talk to him, but only if you get off my back.”

“Deal,” Megan said.

Jessa walked over to the bar and smiled at Noah, shaking out her hands at her sides. Nerves crept up her back, but she did her best to push them down. There was no avoiding this.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Noah turned in his chair and smiled back. “Yes, it is. What a coincidence.”

The man beside Noah snorted. Noah shot him a look before introducing him.

“Jessa, this is my brother Jackson.”

Jackson took her hand in his and gave it a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Jackson tipped his head toward the table where Megan sat watching them. “Mind if we join you?”

Panic crawled up Jessa’s chest as she cast worried eyes back to Megan. Megan stood up and waved them over.

“Please do!” she shouted, turning several heads in the bar.

Jessa smiled meekly before leading the way back to the table and shooting daggers at Megan. As soon as she got there, she whispered, “What was that?”

“I can read lips, and I knew you’d make an excuse. I accepted on your behalf.”

Megan stood and smiled brightly. “Hi. Nice to see you again, Noah.” Then she turned her megawatt smile to Jackson. “I’m Megan.”

Jackson shook her hand. “Jackson.”

The group settled around the table, with Jessa between Noah and Megan and Jackson across from her.

Dixie approached again and winked at Jessa. “I see you’re all joining each other. Can I bring food?”

“Nachos,” Jessa nearly shouted. Her face flamed as all eyes swiveled to her. Sitting at a table with the guys was hard enough without something to do with her hands. At least with some food on the table, she’d have something to occupy herself.

Dixie smiled with amusement. “Good choice. We have the best nachos.”

Noah motioned for her to bring two plates before Dixie walked back to the bar.

Megan leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “So, did you grow up here?”

“We did,” Jackson said.

Jessa watched the interaction between the group. Megan’s ability to have a simple conversation with complete strangers had Jessa a little jealous. She wished she could be that easygoing. At the beginning of the trip, she thought she could be more carefree since they didn’t know anyone in the small town. It was practice for her to get out of her comfort zone. But already making a complete fool out of herself on the mountain in front of the attractive man she gawked at the very first day they arrived, and then kissed at the New Year’s party, had her crawling back into her hole.

She thought that moving constantly as a child would have helped her break out of her shell, but she was always the loner in the schools she attended, until eventually she was homeschooled. Megan was the closest friend she ever had, and it was only because Megan was an extreme extrovert who adopted Jessa, the introvert, after they had met at work.

“Noah, we obviously know you work for the ski patrol. But what about you, Jackson? Do you work here too?” Megan asked.

Jessa’s eyes met Noah’s briefly. He smiled at her, which she matched with her own smile, before shifting her eyes to Jackson.

Jackson nodded. “I work on the resort grounds. So these days I’m plowing a lot of snow.”

“Is this the place to work in town?” Jessa asked.

Jackson furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

She gestured around. “You both work here and it’s a small town. So how do two brothers end up working for the same place unless it’s the place to be?”

Jackson’s lips quirked up, and he looked over at Noah as if he was waiting for him to answer.

Noah took a drink of his beer and smiled shyly. “Our family owns the resort.”

“Oh… wow. That’s exciting,” Jessa said.

“That is exciting,” Megan said. “How many other family members do you have working here?”

Dixie came with two large plates of nachos and set them down on the table between them. Jessa’s eyes widened with delight.

“This is amazing. Thank you.”

Dixie smiled and asked if they needed anything else before heading back to the bar.

Jessa didn’t waste a beat grabbing a chip and scooping a large portion of ground beef, guacamole, and cheese into her mouth. She moaned.

“This is so good.”

Megan laughed and scooped a bite into her mouth. She chewed for a minute before giving a thumbs up to Jessa. “I think this might top it.”

“I think you’re right.”

“What does it top?” Noah asked.

Jessa gestured at the food with a loaded chip in her hand, food spilling onto the table. “These are the best so far out of all the restaurants we’ve been to.”

Jackson looked between the women. “Out of how many?” he asked, as he put a large bite of his own into his mouth.

Jessa shrugged and looked at Megan for confirmation. “Like twenty. Maybe thirty.”

Megan nodded. “Could be closer to fifty.”

Noah’s eyebrows lifted. “You order nachos at every restaurant you go to?”

“In new towns, yes. And assuming it’s on the menu.”

“And how often do you choose a restaurant just because it has nachos?”

“Every time. Duh,” Megan said.

Jessa smiled at Noah and shoved another heaping bite into her mouth. “It’s kind of our thing,” she said around a mouthful.

Noah smirked and quirked a brow at her. “It’s your thing, huh?”

“Yep.”

“And what a delicious thing it is,” Megan said.

“What started this?” Jackson asked.

Jessa could feel Noah watching her, and while she normally would attempt to eat like a lady, nothing came between her and her nachos. Not even a cute guy. If a man couldn’t accept the way she devoured the food in front of her, then he wasn’t right for her.

A chunk of meat fell off her chip and onto her white shirt. She looked down and wiped at it with a napkin.

“Rookie mistake,” Jessa muttered.

“Told ya,” Megan said.

“Never wear white on nacho night,” both women said at the same time.

Noah and Jackson laughed.

“Well, one day at work a few weeks after I started with the company, Megan asked me to join her for lunch at this bar down the street. I’m pretty introverted, but I said ‘sure.’ I knew I needed to meet some people at work.”

Megan giggled. “And this one—” she jutted her finger toward Jessa, “—ordered a giant plate of nachos.”

Jessa shrugged. “I like nachos. Sue me.”

“Well, we only get a thirty-minute lunch break, and she’s just shoveling these chips into her mouth.” Megan looked at Jessa and laughed. “Much like she is now.”

Jessa chewed her mouthful and swallowed. “I prefer the word ‘enjoying.’ Besides, I couldn’t let my money go to waste. It was a huge plate. And they were delicious. It’s a crime to waste delicious nachos.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “So then she convinces me to help her eat these things.”

Jessa smirked. “This one had only ordered a salad. She thanked me later for saving her from a crappy lunch.”

“Oh, please. I like salads. Just because a woman orders a salad, it doesn’t mean she’s trying to watch her weight.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we demolished those nachos.”

“Demolished them, huh?” Noah asked. An amused smile lit both the men’s faces as they watched Jessa and Megan take turns telling the story.

“Of course. It’s the only way to eat them,” Jessa said. “Have you not been listening?”

Jackson snorted. “Yeah, come on, Noah. Have you not been listening? The ladies like nachos.”

Jessa and Megan nodded.

“And that was it. We were besties for life,” Megan said. “All because she ordered nachos.”

“So really,” Jessa said. “Nachos bring people together.”

“Precisely.”

Noah leaned forward and grabbed a chip out of the dish he was sharing with Jackson. “So what happens if we don’t finish ours?”

Jessa raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Don’t think Megan and I won’t devour every bite.”