Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

She must have taken too long to text him back. Then again, his lack of response could also be a lack of interest. He might have found someone new. Gone out to lunch, met a girl in town, and taken her back to his cabin. That was his MO, right?

But his texts hadn’t appeared as delivered either.

Jen’s throat was tight as she gripped the steering wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror at Colby. He caught her looking and flashed her a smile.

His smile did wonders for her heart. Always had. There were times, especially when he was a newborn, that he’d look at her with those big blue eyes, and she’d whisper to him, “You saved me, buddy.”

She looked back at the road. Maybe Jason’s phone had been disconnected? A knot of pressure pushed in on her ribs. Nope. The likelihood of his phone being disconnected wasn’t huge. Unlike her, he probably had the money to pay his bill. She’d gotten another text from the phone company saying her bill was late on the drive over.

Everything was late. Her rent, her electricity, and of course, the preschool her son could no longer attend. Crap. What was she going to do tomorrow? Mom was working and Dad had a meeting. She’d even asked Laura Dawson and Sam Doyle. The sisters both loved Colby like a nephew and watched him occasionally. But they, too, had been busy.

No one she’d texted had been available.

She’d have to call out of work. She couldn’t do that to Travis, though. Bunny was out of town, and Jen did most of the baking when that was the case.

Maybe Travis would be all right with Colby coming with her?

Really, she didn’t have time for worries about why Jason hadn’t answered her all afternoon. And it didn’t matter that she’d be a stone’s throw from him tonight at work.

She wasn’t about to go over there and see if he’d brought back another fling.

Ugh. She wasn’t supposed to be jealous of an imaginary date with a guy she’d known for a few days. A guy who had clearly told her that what he looked for in women was sex only.

She didn’t want Dan to be right. She wanted to have fun and—

Crap.

Why was Jason sitting on the porch of the guest lodge? It was dusk, but she saw him clearly enough, right there, on the rail of the porch.

Her heart dipped. She pulled up to her parking spot and killed the engine. As she climbed out of the car, she tried her best to look breezy and laid-back. As though she hadn’t noticed his lack of communication. Casual meant not getting hung up on things like that. Clingy emotions would probably repel him.

And you can’t afford to get attached to a guy who’s leaving soon.

Getting Colby out of the back of the car meant a few extra moments to settle her thoughts. Colby hopped out of his seat the moment she’d unbuckled him, reaching for his favorite train on the floor of the car. He grabbed it and then slipped out past her onto the gravel. “Hang on, Colby! Wait for Mommy.” She grabbed his backpack and her overnight bag, then closed the door.

Colby ran up to the guest lodge, then halted when he saw Jason. Colby hung back, waiting for his mother. Jen reached for Colby’s hand and smiled at Jason. “Hey there.”

“Hey.” Jason didn’t exactly return a smile, but his eyes were warm. “That’s right, you’re working tonight.” He looked good, even in a sweatshirt and gym pants. Considering how baggy his clothes were meant to be, his muscular frame filled them out well. And she’d seen him with his shirt open—he had the muscles to back it up.

But he seemed cold. His hands were stuffed into the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

He said it as though he hadn’t been sitting waiting for her. Which meant what, exactly?

“Um, yeah.” She stepped onto the porch beside him. “What’s up?”

“I went for a run and locked myself out of my cabin.”

Oh. She tried not to feel deflated. Of course, he was a runner, though. He looked as though he hit the gym hard on the regular. The lights were on in the guest lodge. “Isn’t anyone here?”

He nodded at a small sign on the glass door front. Laura had written her phone number on a piece of paper with the message, “Be Back Soon!”

Jason cleared his throat. “I left my phone charging in my cabin, so I couldn’t call the number.”

Well, that was something. Maybe it explained why he hadn’t bothered to text her. The keys on her key ring jangled as she unlocked the front door of the guest lodge. “Sorry about that. Have you been waiting here long?”

Colby pushed into the cabin and bounded toward the back room right away. Jen smirked. As he got older, it never ceased to amaze her how he had his own agenda and plans for everything. She set their bags down behind the counter and then unlocked the cabinet where they kept the keys.

Jason came up to the counter slowly, his eyes unreadable. He watched her silently. Did he not know what to say? Had they made things awkward?

She fished one of the spare keys for cabin four out of the cabinet. She held it out to him, and his fingers brushed against hers as he took it. A sizzling, electric feeling rose in her skin, goose bumps the aftershocks of his touch. She met his gaze, pulling her hand back, then gave a quick glance to the room where Colby was busy setting up the train set from the box he’d pulled out from under the bed.

Moistening her lips, she gave him a taut smile. What did you do today? Nice day? Nothing seemed to be an apt question.

“So what do you have going on tomorrow?” Jason dropped the key into his pocket and broke the silence.

“Actually, I’m not sure. I work at the café, but”—she looked back at Colby and lowered her voice—“I don’t have anyone to watch Colby. I’m trying to figure it out.”

His eyes, fringed with dark, long lashes, narrowed. “Don’t they have apps for babysitters these days?”

She raised a brow. His inexperience with children and parenthood was showing through. “You’d think.” Then she shook her head and added, “But even if they did, I’m not comfortable leaving Colby with just anyone. Especially because I left him with a friend last winter for a few hours, and he got lost in the woods during a snowstorm. It was terrifying. That’s when his night terrors started.”

“That sounds awful.” A thoughtful look crossed his face as though her words had a deeper impact. He leaned forward on the counter on his forearms. “Can you call out?”

“Only if I really want to leave my boss scrambling and upset with me. But I don’t know if I have much choice.” Crap. With her having to do the baking, she’d have to get to the café extra early. That made the logistics of childcare even more difficult.

He hesitated, his eyes flickering over at Colby. “Do you need a hand? I mean, not that you know me well enough to watch your kid, but I can try to help in some capacity. Maybe sit and entertain him in the café if he doesn’t mind watching cartoons on my laptop? If it helps you.”

This definitely broke the rules of casual hookups, didn’t it? She hadn’t expected that level of thoughtfulness or problem-solving from him. And she really shouldn’t take the offer to mean something more than it did. She did her best to keep her expression completely even. “Don’t you have work or something?”

“I’m working remotely.” Jason shrugged. “Besides, I’m taking leave. The only reason I’m logging in hours on this trip is that it’s my family's business, so I like to keep my head in the game.”

“So you’re a compulsive workaholic who works on vacation?” She leaned forward on the counter on her forearms and elbows, closer toward him, clasping her hands. “The list of things I know about you is getting a little long for comfort.”

“And those include?”

“Let’s see. You’re from Chicago, drive a nice car, go on vacation by yourself in small towns off the beaten path—presumably because you have family nearby—and have terrible taste in coffee.”

He guffawed. “What’s wrong with my coffee?”

“It’s black.” She rolled her eyes. “Which everyone knows is the quintessential drink of choice of a workaholic, by the way. All the caffeine, none of the fun.”

“It’s healthier,” he defended wryly.

“Ah, yes, you’re also a runner—and probably a health nut, from the sounds of it—and you like your women commitment-free.”

He set his hands down on the counter and straightened. “And you claim not to be stalking me.”

They shared a laugh, and she bit her lip, smiling.

She didn’t need to know much about him to know she was extremely attracted to him, which wasn’t a great thing. He was leaving sooner rather than later, but she didn’t want to put the brakes on whatever pulled her toward him, either, because he had somehow made her feel so alive. Desired.

His offer to help her with Colby was intriguing, and if she was honest, a bit of a relief. Even if she didn’t accept it, he’d been sweet to offer.

And Jason isn’t the sort of guy who comes off as sweet.

But if she was even going to consider it, she would have to start by introducing him to Colby. See how Jason even interacted with him. She didn’t have to make a big deal out of it to either of them, especially since Colby was only a few feet away. And she appreciated that fact. One less thing to overanalyze.

“Well, if it doesn’t interfere with your running diet, I’m going to order a pizza for Colby and me. You want some?”

He hesitated, then gave a brief nod. “All right.”

She wouldn’t read into the hesitation. If he didn’t want to, he’d say no, right? She dipped her chin. “What do you like? We usually get cheese. I doubt we have any deep dish or whatever it is y’all eat in Chicago.” She wrinkled her nose. She’d always hated deep-dish pizza, which felt like a soggy mess.

He chuckled. “I like tavern pizza, actually. Deep dish is for the tourists. But cheese is good for me.” He watched her as she pulled out her phone and started the order. “See, you can add that to your list about me.”

“Great. You like soup, sandwiches, and tavern pizza. But really, I’m missing all the important questions like...what fictional family do you wish you could join?”

He gave her an amused look. “What sort of question is that?”

“Fine. Coffee or tea? Morning person or night? Lake or beach?” She finished the order on her phone and pushed back from the counter.

He eyed the chairs behind the counter, then came around and sat, stretching his long legs in front of him. “Coffee, morning, and neither.”

She sat beside him. They were simple wooden chairs—not comfortable for sitting for long stretches, but fortunately, she rarely had to sit behind the counter during Sunday night shifts. Most people checked out Sunday at 11 a.m. or Monday after she’d gone. Sunday check-ins were rarer. She might get a few stragglers later in the evening, though.

“Neither?” She gaped at him. “You don’t like the beach or the lake? What sort of American summer travesty is that?”

His gaze clouded. “Let’s just say I’m more of a winter person. I’ll take a ski lodge or the mountains any day.”

“What about swimming pools at resorts and hot tubs? Those both seem right up your alley.” She threw him a teasing look. “You know, lots of bikinis.”

Any ill humor she’d dredged up by mentioning the beach seemed to vanish in a twitch at the corners of his mouth that hinted at humor. “Pools are about on par with the beach. But hot tubs are an exception.” He lowered his voice to a deep, suggestive rumble that Colby couldn’t hear. “And I generally prefer those without bikinis.”

“I’m shocked.” She felt a blush warm her cheeks. “You know there’s a hot tub in your cabin, right?”

“I do.” He rubbed his neck. “I may need to go out tonight, see if I can’t find some company for it.”

His teasing look made her feel strangely close to him, and she resisted the urge to slug him playfully in the arm. “Oh, I’m happy to give you all sorts of advice about the wonderful locations for romance in Brandywood. There are prime spots everywhere, like under the bleachers at the high school football field and the old, abandoned cars in the woods.”

Jason reached over and traced a fingertip over her forearm. “Romance is overrated.”

Her heart raced. Right. She had to choose her words carefully with him. Did he feel like she was trying to push him toward something he wasn’t interested in? His actions seemed to contradict his words. “And why is that, exactly? Dark and twisty romantic past? You know, in books and movies, it’s always the guys who protest romance who fall the hardest.”

He laughed. “Maybe. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Life isn’t that fairy tale. When the lust fades, it’s not picnics in the park and dinners at the best restaurant. It’s not even that thrill of a great night together. If you never get carried away with the idea that those things will remain in the first place, then maybe you can just enjoy life a little more. That and the sex is better.”

She searched his face. He’d dodged the question, admitting little. Did he mind that she was trying to figure him out? He hadn’t run away yet.

If she let herself think about it more, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to introduce Colby to him. He was leaving, so what was the point? Just another way for her to think of Jason in a way that she shouldn’t. But it was too late for that now. She’d invited him for pizza. She would tell Colby he was a friend of Mommy’s and leave it at that. Hopefully, Jason wouldn’t become Colby’s new favorite person to ask to see again. And somehow, she doubted Jason would, given his life philosophy.

Would Colby find it strange, though? She’d never had any other guest at the cabins join them for takeout at the guest lodge. And Jason had also offered to help her the next day, which was potentially a huge deal. If she could figure out a way to make it work. She’d never leave Colby alone with anyone she barely knew. But maybe if Jason helped entertain Colby at the café for a few hours as he’d suggested? If she could at least get the baking done in the morning, she could leave Travis in good shape for later in the day.

She checked quickly to make sure Colby wasn’t in view, then leaned across the space between the two chairs. Holding his gaze, she brushed a kiss on his lips with the softest touch. “I’ve thought about finishing what we started all day.”

He cradled her chin and returned a warm kiss. “Right back at you.”

She smiled, then leaned back in her chair. She didn’t want to question what they were doing. For so long, she’d overanalyzed every step of every potential relationship to where things lost spontaneity and fun to fit into a plan. Not that her plans had worked out. She’d been trying to fit square elephants into the round heads of a pin.

She took a deep breath, switching gears. “If you really are around tomorrow, I might find a use for you. Even if it’s just having another set of eyes on Colby at the café in the morning. I can probably bring him to work with me but trying to keep him occupied while I work isn’t exactly easy. The tough thing about only children is that they don’t have siblings to entertain them.”

Jason looked over his shoulder toward Colby and nodded. “My brother and I used to spend all day playing together, which made boredom less frequent.” A strange look crossed his face, and his lips drew to a line. He pulled his gaze from Colby abruptly. “But yeah, I can try to help.”

She stood, remembering the sign Laura had left on the door. “You have a brother?” She crossed the room to retrieve the sign.

“Had.” His voice was clipped, with a tone of finality that made it clear he didn’t want to discuss it. “He left years ago, and I never saw him again.”

She peeled the tape off from the glass, lingering there to think. “I’m sorry.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I have two brothers. Both are older than me. They’ve been overprotective pains in the ass all of my life, but I’ve always appreciated them, too.”

“Are you close with them?” Jason crossed his arms. Those strong biceps. She had to stop imagining him with his shirt off. Nothing was going to happen tonight. Another night of sexual frustration.

“I am. Especially my brother Dan—he’s closest in age to me.” She didn’t want to think about the way she’d treated Dan earlier today, though. She’d text him an apology later. “My other brother Warren has kids, so I probably see him more often these days. Colby is a huge fan of his cousins.”

Almost as though he’d heard his name, Colby wandered out of the back room. He came up to Jen, his hair sticking up in twenty different directions. “Mommy, my tummy is hungry.”

“We have pizza coming.” She ruffled his hair, then squatted beside him. “In fact, Mr. Jason is going to stay here and have pizza with us. Isn’t that fun?” She pointed at Jason. There. Done. That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Why did she feel the need to hold her breath?

Colby gave him a wary glance.

Jason leaned forward in his chair. “Were you building trains in there?”

Colby nodded shyly.

“I ride a train to work every morning where I live. It’s my favorite part of the day. You ever been on a train before?”

Scratching his nose, Colby looked at Jen, then looked back at Jason. “We went on a big train for July.”

“That’s right.” Jen gave Colby an encouraging smile, raising the pitch of her voice. It amazed her that he remembered. He’d also spent the holiday adorably calling it “July” rather than the Fourth. “We went on that steam engine on the Fourth of July.”

“Can you show me the trains you were building?” Jason peeked back toward the bedroom.

The bell to the front door rang, and Jen stood as a guest wrangled with the glass door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Colby lead Jason to the room, talking animatedly about his trains.

She focused her attention on the man who came into the guest lodge, then started the check-in process with him. Jason and Colby chatted together, Colby noticeably excited, and her heart squeezed.

The truth was, she’d never introduced any of the guys she’d been on dates with to Colby. Brad had only ever seen one picture she’d pulled up for him on her phone.

Maybe it was the circumstances of him staying where she was, but she was excited about seeing Jason playing with Colby.

She pulled her thoughts back toward the guest in front of her and slid the key toward him. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Vickers?”

The man shook his head. “No, thank you. Have a good night.” As he turned to go, the door to the guest lodge opened. A driver with her pizza. Good timing.

She took the pizza from the driver, then carried it back to the room. She and Colby usually ate on the bed while watching TV together. Then Colby would take a shower and go to sleep.

Pausing at the doorway, she leaned her hip into the door frame. The heat from the pizza box warmed her sleeve, the scent of it making her stomach growl. But Jason and Colby were sitting on the floor together, and Colby was playacting with his trains. Jason watched him with rapt attention.

A pang pierced her heart, making it hard for her to breathe quite right.

This was why she hated Kevin. He’d left Colby without a father, something every boy needed. She was lucky that Colby had her brothers and her dad, but that right there was what Kevin walked away from. Complete focus from a dad.