5. Suzie

5

SUZIE

T he next morning is one of George's days in the daycare center. I hug him extra hard when I drop him off so that he squirms in my arms and pulls away. He runs toward the sandpit, a piece of my heart running off with him.

Thoughts of Jack plagued me all night despite my best efforts to banish him from my mind. I tossed and turned thinking about his scent, his smile, and his words, wondering what possible explanation he has for three years ago and wondering if Carrie's right. If I should give him a chance to explain.

I'm on the mid shift today, and when I pull into the parking lot, I find Jack leaning against a black rental car with his arms folded.

My heartbeat picks up a notch, and I hate that my first reaction is excitement to see him. I quickly tamper that down so by the time I step out of my car I'm calm, and my face is trained in what I hope is a neutral expression.

A light drizzle hangs in the air, and he's got a jacket zipped up with the hood pulled over his head. It's soaked, indicating he's been waiting a while.

"Beautiful day," he says.

Nothing gets Jack down. At least that hasn't changed about him.

I slam the car door shut and shoulder my purse. With my head down, I stride towards the center. Jack falls into step beside me.

"I didn't know what time your shift started, so I've been waiting since the center opened."

I pause and finally turn to him. "You've been waiting here since 6:00 a.m.?" The man's determined, I'll give him that. "In the rain?"

He grins. "Rain never hurt anyone."

It's official. Englishmen are all mad. He could have gone inside, but he waited in the rain.

For you. He waited in the rain for you.

The thought makes my stomach do a little flip. I push the feeling down and jog up the steps to the center. The doors slide open, and Jack follows me inside.

"I was going to take you to breakfast, but it'll have to be lunch."

The arrogance of the man stops me in my tracks. "First, I'm not going to lunch with you, and second, I'm working. I'm on the mid-shift which starts in five minutes. I can't run off to lunch."

The last sentence is said as we step into the comms room where Mateo is working the phones and Alex and Ethan, who heads up the Search and Rescue team, stand around chatting with his buddy Landon, who's with the fire department but often hangs out here.

Ethan frowns when he sees Jack.

Jack slides the hood off his head and gives the men his best grin. "I'm Jack. Visiting Suzie from England."

Three sets of eyebrows slide up three sets of foreheads. Alex gives me a knowing look and holds out his hand to shake Jack's.

"He's not visiting me," I mutter but my protests are drowned out as hands are shaken and Jack charms his way into the hard hearts of my colleagues.

"Are you the guy responsible for Suzie's tea fetish?" Alex asks.

"It's not a fetish," I say quickly as my neck heats with embarrassment.

Jack gives me a wicked grin. "Does she still drink it with milk, or has she seen the light?"

I plunk my purse down on my desk and unbutton my coat. "I'm right here guys. You can stop talking about me."

I flick my computer on and hang my coat by the door. Jack's making himself at home, chatting to the guys about the mountain, and I fold my arms across my chest to watch.

He really is a master at getting people to talk about themselves without ever giving anything away.

Alex asks where he's staying, and instead of answering he tells him about the view he woke up to of the misty mountain.

It's the same tactic he employed with me when I thought back to our time together, going over every conversation with a fine-tooth comb and looking for details about the man I'd shared a bed with for two weeks.

Instead of answering the question, he provides a related detail so you don't realize he hasn't answered your question. But I'm the only one who notices. He's got my colleagues wrapped around his charming little English finger.

"I can man the phones here while you go out to lunch, Suzie," Alex offers. "I only came down to give Chantelle some alone time. She's hormonal and cleaning and ordered me out of the house."

Alex has a cleaner but his pregnant wife is nesting, and the pleading look he gives me almost makes me relent.

"You'll be doing me a favor," he begs. "And take your time."

Alex gives a lot of his time to the team without charging a cent. He's more than competent on the phones.

"That's awfully kind of you. Thanks, Alex." Jack puts his hand on the small of my back, and with his other hand he plucks my purse off the desk. He ushers me toward the door, not giving me a chance to protest. "Where's good to eat around here?"

"Angie's bar," Landon suggests. "Good food and popular with the locals."

"But…" I'm distracted by the touch of Jack's hand on the small of my back and the fireworks that it's setting off in my body. Memories of a warm bed in England flood my brain, and the fight goes out of me. What can it hurt to have one lunch with Jack? He can say what he needs to say. Then at least he will leave me alone.

I let him usher me to the door.

"Take your time," Alex calls with a grin on his face. My colleagues have no idea that Jack is George's father. They don't know the timeline of events and haven't put it together. To them, I'm the hard-working single mom who hasn't been on a date for three years.

They're beaming like schoolgirls as they wave me out of the center. It's only Ethan who comes forward with a hard look directed at Jack.

"You seem nice, but Suzie's precious to us. You take her to lunch; you treat her well. But if you fuck with her, there's an entire team of mountain men that are going to track your English ass down and fuck you up. You understand?"

My throat constricts at his words. I work alongside these guys, and it's nice to know they have my back. Even if it is expressed in an utterly violent manner.

I expect Jack to laugh it off, but he matches Ethan's hard look. "You have my word. I will not fuck Suzie over."

Ethan gives a curt nod, and we head down the stairs.

Too late, I think to myself. You already did.