“Darn, you caught me.”
His eyes sparkle. “You’re also not wearing a hard hat, which is OSHA rule number one. I’m going to have to write you up, ma’am.”
Is he flirting? Because it seems like maybe—
“Hey, bro, you’ve got company.” Jinx clears his throat behind Jesse, who frowns as he turns.
I can’t see around him, but the way his spine straightens and his shoulders pull back gives me the impression that this company isn’t expected.
“H-hey,” he stammers, as a sudden tension falls over the room like a haze. I wonder if I’m imagining it until I watch Janice’s smiling eyes morph into an icy glare.
And then Jesse steps forward just enough to reveal his visitor. His very beautiful, very voluptuous visitor, who seems to only have eyes for him.
“Mik. What are you doing here?” He takes a handful of steps toward the brunette bombshell as her brightly painted lips twist into a grin. She’s holding what looks like a folder to her ample chest and, while her floral dress is modest enough, the body beneath it is pure pinup.
I don’t even know who she is and I hate her.
“Jesse,” she says his name on an exhale, and nausea rolls in my stomach. “I hope you don’t mind me coming by. I know you guys always have lunch after church, so I figured I’d drop in and catch you all at once. I didn’t know there was an actual party going on today.”
At that, the room begins to slowly fill with chatter again, but Janice is still standing like a pissed-off statue by the stove.
Jesse must feel her daggers, because he glances her way and dips his chin. “Ma, do you mind if Mikayla stays for a minute?”
Mikayla. God, even her name is pretty.
“Oh, no, I can’t.” She reaches out and curls her hand around his forearm, and the whirling in my tummy rises to my throat. I know that touch. I know the look in her crystal eyes, too. “I just wanted to drop off a few registration forms for the Polish Heritage Festival, since I was late getting them out. I didn’t want any of you to miss out on entering.”
“Yeah, of course.” Jesse takes the folder. “You sure you don’t want a piece of cake?” I can’t see his face, but his tone is light and there’s a tenderness to it that makes me second-guess coming, because I really didn’t need to see this.
“I’m positive.” She shifts just slightly to the side and our eyes meet for a half second before she quickly looks back to Jesse. “Thank you for offering, though. Do you mind walking me out?”
“Kayla ate one of my chicken nuggets,” Jett says randomly, dumping another pile of M&M’s into a bowl. “She’s pretty.”
She sure is. And since he obviously knows who she is, I can only assume why. When Jesse’s hand curls gently around her elbow with a level of intimacy that promises they’re more than just friends, I am absolutely certain.
I wanted to know if Jesse was seeing someone and I just got my answer.
“So, he is doing that,” Amelia huffs when Jesse and his lady friend disappear down the hall.
“I don’t like it,” Janice says tightly. Then, she glances to me with an almost sympathetic frown. Even Jinx looks my way like he has something to say, but doesn’t.
I know I’m Jett’s mom and this is the first time I’ve been with their family in years, but as far as they all know, I’m still engaged. Jesse seeing someone else shouldn’t matter to me. Yet they’re looking at me like it does.
Am I that transparent right now?
“I’m going to kill him,” Amelia mumbles as she comes over to the game table, her blonde ponytail swinging as she shakes her head. “But it’ll have to wait until after we open presents.” She swings an almost conniving grin down to Jett. “You ready, buddy?”
He leaps off of his chair, grabbing my hand. “Yes! Come on, Mama!”
“We should probably wait until your dad comes back, don’t you think?” I suggest, but Amelia rolls her eyes.
“Would serve him right to start without him,” she quips. “Freaking Mikayla. Of all the women he could date in this town, he had to pick her.”
“What’s so bad about her?” I ask, trying for casual, as everyone else goes back to their conversation.
“She’s wanted him forever. So long, it’s almost become a joke.” She makes a sour face. “I heard rumors that they were hooking up, but I didn’t think he’d actually give in and give her what she wanted.”
So, obviously, this relationship is new or hasn’t been serious enough for his family to know about it before now. While interesting, it doesn’t make me feel any better. The way he looked at her said it all.
“This is probably awkward for you, isn’t it?” she asks. “I mean, just being here for one, but now this.”
I swallow carefully and shake my head. “I’m under no illusion that Jesse’s been living like a monk. As long as he’s good to Jett, that’s all that matters.”
Her eyes meet mine and she smiles softly. “And that right there is why I will always hold out hope for the two of you. You’re good people.”
A burst of nervous laughter rattles from my chest. “I don’t know about that.” If I were a good person, I wouldn’t have held onto feelings for a man while being engaged to another.
If I were a good person, I wouldn’t have been in such denial about those feelings to the point it ruined said engagement.
If I were a good person, I definitely wouldn’t have come to town, hoping it wasn’t too late.
“Did I hear presents?” Jesse’s voice comes excitedly from behind us and Jett squeals with anticipation, leaping up into his arms.
“Let’s open ‘em!” He giggles as Jesse pretend nibbles at his cheek.
“Hold your horses, kiddo.” Amelia grabs her phone off of the counter. “Pictures by the gifts first.”
I slide to the side to get out of the way, but she points a stern finger at me. “Get in there, Mom. This is a family picture.”
Um… I glance from her to Jesse, suddenly feeling all sorts of awkward. His creased brow says he’s just as thrown off, but it fades a moment later as he smiles and opens an arm for me to step into.
“See, city girl? Family.” His eyes sparkle down at me and hope rises in my chest. Maybe this whole Mikayla thing is just a big misunderstanding.
“Oh. Um, okay.” I step into him and let him pull me close. It feels so good. So right…
But then I smell the perfume on his shirt and see the shimmer of pink glitter on his lips and that hope deflates faster than it lifted.
“Say cheese.” Amelia angles her phone toward us and I force a smile. Family, yes, but not the kind Jesse had once offered.
Once upon a time, we could have been the real deal.
But I’m four years too late.
Chapter 17
FIVE YEARS EARLIER…
HAYDEN
The summer hasn’t gone quite as I’d expected.
Namely, I didn’t expect to graduate from college one day and, the very next, find out my boyfriend of two and a half years had slept with a girl from his out-of-town internship.