Six

Jill

The Weakest Link…

In The String of Lights

Jack was…

Argh!

He might have kissed me like a god last night and dropped into his role of current beau, but that hadn’t stopped him from pranking me. Playing on the old adage of one goes out they all go out, he’d stolen at least one bulb from my frolicking penguins, leaving the trio in the dark for the evening.

It was harmless, and I probably deserved it after the snow-batage I’d pulled on him, but last night could have been the one where they judged the displays. No one knew when that was happening. You just had to be ready.

Jack’s decorations had been in Light Show Spectacular mode, probably visible from space. And from the road, since he’d apparently gotten someone to plow away the snow mounds.

He hadn’t said a word about it when he picked me up that morning, my favorite coffee once again in hand.

“You’re really trying to earn some points, aren’t you?” I teased before taking a sip of the heaven in a cup.

“Depends on what the points get me. Did you sleep well?” he asked after planting a kiss on my cheek. If I shivered, it was purely from the cold. Right?

“Well enough. You?”

He shook his head. “I had nightmares about the Nordic surfer dude cop, Hans, hitting on you. I kept waking up pissed off.”

With restraint, I didn’t point out how I’d felt after what I’d witnessed last December. He was adamant that it hadn’t been him, but I knew what I’d seen. I wasn’t sure what I’d do about that whole thing. Let it slide? I couldn’t see how. “Forgetting” would go against every feminine instinct I had. The way I’d responded to his kiss last night, though… We weren’t over.

And now that he’d spoken to my mom, I was stuck with him for a bit. I wasn’t even sure how to justify my feeling to myself. He hadn’t apologized, downright denying it was him, and I was just so tired of the battle within me, being mad at him but still wanting him, too.

All my feminist sisters should disown me.

“I never went out with Hans,” I told Jack. “Never even thought of it, and he never asked. You don’t need to fantasize about knocking out a cop.”

“Thank God. I’m not much of a fighter. That was always my brother, John. He used to get me in trouble all the time, getting me blamed for stuff he did.”

“He’s the one I’ve never met. He was flying some place when I met Curt and Aimee.”

“Yeah. Lately, he’s had a few charters to the regional airport between here and Adrian Point, but he only started them over the past year. He’s been shuttling some billionaire over here for business with the Anderson and Wellston families.”

“Well, maybe next time he’s around, I can meet him.”

Jack smiled wide and I realized what I’d said.

“I mean—”

He held up a hand. “Nope. You’re committed now. You’re meeting John.”

I groaned, but we’d just stopped outside my shop. He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “I’ll see you at lunchtime. We can talk about this place moving in with mine, the trip to your parents’ and our date tonight.”

“I never agreed to a date.” Or anything else for that matter.

He ignored me, and I knew I’d be going with him. He knew it, too.

* * *

“This is…not exactly what I thought you had in mind?” I said as we walked toward the shelter in Adrian Point. Nerves tumbled in my belly because I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was this even safe?

“They’re just people, Jill. Don’t judge.”

“I won’t,” I replied, feeling immediate shame. “I just… It’s out of my element.”

“I come here every Wednesday,” he said as we entered through the double glass doors and were greeted by a vestibule that blasted us with warmth. He pulled open the inner door and held it open for me. “I just help prepare and serve dinner then work with the literacy program. There’s some really good people here who just need a break. Some of them have managed to slip through the system without being able to read.”

“I can do that. Help with that, I mean.” Reading and cooking were in my wheelhouse, and the idea erased a tiny bit of my apprehension.

“I know you can, honey. This place is who I’m doing the Cherish Cove decoration contest for. The prize money and the equivalent of the taxes I’ll save will be donated here. They really need it.”

I looked around the room we entered. Long cafeteria tables and a play area for kids filled the space. Some people sat at a few of tables, talking while they sipped from paper cups. Shame dogged me again. They didn’t look much different from me, just ordinary people.

“That’s so good of you, Jack,” I murmured.

“Gotta win first,” he replied with a half smile. “Come meet Asia. She’s in charge here, and she’ll put you to work.”

A woman, a few years younger than me and wearing a net over her springy curls, looked up when we entered the kitchen. “Jackie! You brought a friend.” Her dark eyes scanned over me. “Pretty one, too.”

“Asia, this is my girlfriend, Jill.”

“Girlfriend! Damn! All the ladies will be crushed.”

I held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

For a second I felt dumb since Asia wore plastic gloves on both hands, but she seemed to think nothing of it as she whipped off one and wrapped her fingers around mine. “Back atcha. Jack and Jill. That’s super cute. Now tell me, what can you do?”

“Whatever.” I shrugged. “Cook. Serve food. Help with reading to kids or teaching—but I don’t have a degree in that or anything.”

Asia waved away my disclaimer. “The kids love story time after dinner, and they’ll love having someone new. You okay if they sit on your lap?”

I shrugged again, taken aback that someone might protest that. “Yeah.”

She nodded and pointed to her side. “Cool. Well, first up, you’re in charge of peeling potatoes, tonight. And reading later.”

“How many potatoes?”

“All of ’em that are there.”

I nodded and got to work, watching while Asia led Jack away to set up the serving table. She came back just as quickly, though, her arms full. “Forgot,” she said. “You need gear. The ever-so-stylish hairnet, gloves, and an apron. Don’t want to get your blouse messed up.”

“He told me we were going on a date.”

She laughed. “Girl, if he calls this a date, I’m glad I don’t like guys.”

Shaking her head, she walked away while I got to work. After what felt like a million potatoes later, I was smiling and dishing food onto trays.

“Hey, what’s your name?” a little boy with an unruly mop of blond curls asked. I guessed he was three or four and his mom to his side held his plate, a baby in a carrier on her front.

“I’m Jill. What’s your name?”

“Tom. I’m almost four.”

“Almost four?” I gasped. “Wow. You’re going to be all grown up soon. Make sure you eat your vegetables.”

His face screwed up. “Ick.”

“What do you like?” I asked.

“Cake.”

I leaned forward. “I heard there might be some for little boys who eat their green beans.”

Earlier, Asia had had me slicing an enormous sheet cake onto plates, and the plates were on huge round trays in the back.

“Yeah!” he exclaimed with a little hop.

“Thank you,” his mom said. “Some people ignore him.”

“Well, he’s adorable.”

“You’re with Jack?” She nodded over to where he was serving sliced turkey as if he were presiding over Thanksgiving dinner for his family.

“I am.”

“He’s a great guy. He’d been helping my boyfriend with reading. It’s hard, but Jack’s patient. With everyone.”

I couldn’t help but smile, seeing Jack with new eyes and not being as annoyed with him about all the pranks he’d pulled on me over the past months. “Yeah, he’s pretty great.”