So, I tip my head toward the stairs and tamp down the curiosity. “Let’s get you that butter and flour.”
“Oh, right.” She gives a laugh, even though her gaze dances toward the remaining doors down the hall. “Those apples aren’t going to make their own crust.”
I’d love nothing more than to finish the tour, but my room would be one of the stops and there’s no way in hell I can let her step foot into my personal space and ever expect to sleep there again.
We head back downstairs and while I grab her ingredients, she lingers on the other side of the island, her gaze sweeping around the kitchen once again.
“I stand by what I said earlier. Your home is really beautiful, Jesse.”
Pride blooms in my chest and I nod. “Thank you. It was a lot of work, but I’m happy with the end result.”
Her lashes flutter ever so slightly. “It’s so you,” she says. “But it’s also more.”
Yeah, I know, but that’s also a conversation for another time. “I had a lot of help,” I say instead. “Aiden, Jinx, my dad…”
“But it was your vision. Your dream.” She presses her lips together and glances away. But not before I see the glint of emotion in her eyes.
And then I feel like shit.
I didn’t think about how difficult it might be for her to come here, seeing what I’ve done—the life I’ve built for our son—while hers is falling apart. Especially knowing how she feels about providing that stability she lacked herself as a kid.
“I left Lane,” she says suddenly and I freeze, the container of flour in hand. She flashes a watery smile and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with trembling fingers. “He, um, wasn’t entirely honest with me about some things. Things that are kind of a big deal to me.”
Go on, baby. Tell me.
“And you were right the other day, too,” she adds. “He doesn’t like you being so involved. And he hates that we get along like we do.”
“I’m not going to apologize for that.” I give my head a shake and her lips tip into a knowing smile.
“I would never ask you to.” She pulls in a breath. “Jett’s my priority and always will be. But then I don’t need to explain that to you, do I?”
I slide the butter and the flour across the island as I round it myself, coming to a stop in front of her. “We’re on the same page there, city girl.”
Her eyes lift to mine and there’s a glint of something light there. “You make this easy,” she almost whispers. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“I just want what’s best for Jett.” For her, too. And I really want to touch her again. Even if just to pull her close and bury my face in her hair.
“That’s why I came to Cole Creek.” Her eyes continue to hold mine as she wets her lips and swallows. “He’s going to need you. And this…” She waves a hand around the room. “Until I figure out what I’m going to do.”
“I understand. And I’m glad as fuck you’re here.”
Her lashes flutter again and she bites at the corner of her lip before closing her eyes for the briefest of moments. I expect her to say more, but she doesn’t. Instead, she tips her head toward the foyer.
“I should get going. I’m already going to be up until midnight. Don’t want to make it any later.”
“Okay. I’ll walk you out.” I grab the ingredients and follow her to the door. I almost mention the birthday party tomorrow, but I don’t want to overwhelm her. Besides, I’ll see her again when we connect to exchange Jett. And I’d rather have time with her alone than with a bunch of nosy people, anyway.
She leads the way outside and takes the butter and flour from me to put them in the back seat. I hang back, hands tucked into my pockets, trying not to stare at her ass and failing miserably.
“Thank you for these, by the way,” she says, closing the door and wrapping her arms around herself. “I’ll replace them.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. But if you wanted to share some of that pie, I wouldn’t complain.”
She laughs, her chin dropping to her chest, as she kicks her shoe against the concrete apron. “Deal. I’ll bring it tomorrow when I pick up Jett.”
“I can bring him to you—”
“No.” She looks up so quickly and with such fire in her eyes that I almost take a step back. “Jesus, Jesse, will you just stop?”
“Stop what?”
She shakes her head. “Stop being such a good guy.”
Oh, if she knew half the shit that goes through my head, especially about her…
“Look, you don’t…” Her focus shifts out into the night and the trees surrounding my property. “You don’t have to be perfect, okay? Not anymore.”
Not anymore? What the hell does that mean?
“You’ve gone out of your way to make this easy for me,” she continues, almost as if she’s been holding it in. “And I appreciate that so much. But you have nothing to prove. Especially not to me.”
I shake my head, unsure of where this is coming from. “I’m doing what I’ve always done.”
“I know, and that’s just it.” She glances back to me with a soft smile curling at her lips. There’s something more genuine—less reluctant—in this one than any of the others she’s given me all night and it’s so fucking pretty on her.
I want to kiss that mouth. I want to taste her again and confess that I’ve been anything but perfect…
I’m so caught up in that mouth that I don’t realize she’s stepped forward until her hands are on my chest and those warm lips press against my cheek.
“Thank you, Jesse,” she whispers against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “For everything.”
But just as quickly as she invaded my personal space, she’s out of it again, backing toward her car with that bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“Good night,” she says softly, and then climbs into the vehicle and shuts the door before I can tell her the same.
It’s a good thing she didn’t wait, but if I’m honest, I wouldn’t have said good night…
I would have asked her to stay.
Chapter 16
HAYDEN
“How you doing, baby sis?”
Curled up in a chair on the front deck of the cabin, I curl my hands around my coffee mug and cast my eyes to the lake. A cloud of early morning mist lingers over the water and a loon calls in the distance.
“Better than expected,” I sigh, my phone on speaker in my lap. “I forgot how peaceful it is here.”
“It is, isn’t it? Paul and I were talking about heading up one of these weekends. Now that you’ve opened it up and done all the work, anyway.”
I give a short laugh. “It actually wasn’t that bad. Just a little dust and some cobwebs.”
“Hmm.” Hannah pauses, probably sipping her own coffee. “So, does Jesse know you’re there yet?”
“Funny story, actually.” I tell her about him dropping by yesterday. “I wasn’t even here five minutes.”