“I’ll take it to your mom to throw in the laundry?”
He leaned in and kissed her quickly again, then let her go with a smile. “You’re sassy.”
Jill wasn’t sure she’d ever been called sassy. Before she could come up with a response, he pivoted on the heel of his work boot and headed out of the penguin enclosure.
She watched him go. She wasn’t quite sure what to think of Zeke Landry yet, but she was becoming more and more certain that she was going to be thinking about him.
And then, when she got home that night and found a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of strawberry jelly on her kitchen counter with a note that said, “This counts for twenty minutes of petting too. But you can decide if it’s penguins I’m petting,” she realized she was definitely going to be thinking of him.
And not smiling when thinking of him was simply impossible.
So, she decided to just avoid him.
11
She was avoiding him.
By Sunday it seemed obvious.
The penguins had gotten to Autre on Thursday as planned.
And no one had seen Jill since.
Apparently she was answering texts from Griffin but she’d also said she was fine, the birds were fine, and no, she didn’t need anything.
Griffin, being Griffin, had been okay with that answer and had left her alone.
Zeke had too, but he’d been a lot less cool about it.
“You’ve been a grumpy ass for three days now,” Zander told him. “And you’ve been bitching about her not returning your texts every time I see you. Knock it off.”
“Well, it’s annoying.”
“Thought you weren’t planning to work on her house for a couple of weeks anyway. You’re still helping Jase with the Pork and Peach, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So why are you texting her?”
His brother knew damned well why Zeke was texting Jill.
He liked her. He wanted her. He wanted to be sure she was okay. And he…fucking missed her.
He shoved a hand through his hair. “She’s stressed about the penguins. Just checking on her.”
“And how are you going to help with the penguins?” Zander asked. “You don’t know anything about animals that could be helpful to her.”
That was true. And yet, he’d had the feeling the other day at the penguin enclosure that he had been helpful. He’d helped calm her down. He’d made her smile. He’d helped her build penguin nesting sites at least.
When he should have been working on building things for humans.
He was kind of a mess.
“It’s kind of killing you that you remodeled the bedroom on the side of her house opposite of your house so you can’t see when her lights are on at night, isn’t it?” Zander asked as he popped a shrimp in his mouth and chewed.
Yeah, it kind of was.
Zander swallowed. “That was dumb,” he said without Zeke needing to answer.
“When I remodeled that bedroom, I had no idea that I’d care when those lights were on or off,” Zeke told him with a scowl.
Zander laughed. “If it’s any consolation, her bedroom does face my house.”
“It’s not,” Zeke said flatly.
“And I haven’t noticed her lights on. If she’s sleeping there, it’s late at night and she comes in, goes upstairs, and pretty much heads straight to bed.”
Zeke didn’t really feel consoled by that, no. Though if she was working long hours, it would explain why she hadn’t called, texted, or stopped over for a booty call.
“Just stop out there,” Zander said.
“Where?”
“Where the penguins are. Griffin makes it sound like that’s the only place she ever is.”
Zeke could believe that. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“They need peace and quiet and to get used to the new place without a lot of disruptions.”
“So don’t be loud or disruptive.”
“That’s…”
“Do that or go get laid with someone else. You’re being a dick.”
He wasn’t going to go get laid with someone else.
That thought was swift and clear.
Dammit.
She’d ruined him for other women.
And he’d known it the first time he’d thrust inside her.
“I’m just worried. That’s not the same thing as being a dick. You just haven’t seen me do that much,” Zeke said. Which was absolutely true. The last time he’d been actually worried about anyone had been when Leo had needed to have his gall bladder removed at age sixty-eight.
“Huh.” Zander took another bite and studied Zeke. “Well, either stop worrying or go out there and make sure she’s okay then.”
“I’m not going to do that. I’m…giving her space.”
Zander just nodded. But Zeke was certain he was thinking what a dumbass.
Of course, he was thinking the same thing about himself when he pulled up at the penguin habitat three hours later.
That was how long he lasted without seeing her—four days and fourteen and a half hours.
Her car was there and it was the only vehicle, so she was probably alone.
As he got out of his truck, he heard the very loud squawking-trilling sound that he assumed was the noise Galápagos penguins made.
He texted Jill. I’m here to pet your…
He sent that, then followed up with penguins.
She had, after all, had milk and yogurt in his fridge for four and a half days now. Sure, he’d been the one to put it there, but half the milk was gone and there were only two of the six yogurt cups left.
That made him feel stupidly happy.
He got a text back this time.
Jill: Now????
He texted back: Yep. Come let me in.
There was no answering text, but two minutes later, he heard the gate rattle and it swung in with a, “What are you doing here?”
He strode toward her, shocked by how happy he was to see her. “Told you. Want to pet something.”
She looked…harried.
But not pissed.
He could work with that.
He held up a paper bag. “Brought you something too.”
She lifted a brow. “Laundry?”
“You’re hilarious. It’s beignets from Cora.”
Her expression brightened. “Oh.”
He grinned. She ate cereal, yogurt, and PB and J because it was simpler but not because she didn’t like other good food.
“But,” he said, lifting them up out of her reach. “I need eyes on a penguin before you get these.”
“Fine.”
He relented with that. “But honestly, only if it’s okay. I don’t want to screw anything up. I really just came to check on you.”
She gave him a little smile. “Thank you. I’m…”
God, he really wanted her to say “good”.
“Really, really tired.”
Dammit.
“What can I do?”
He braced himself for her to tell him to leave her alone.
“Come on in.”
Oh damn, yes. “Really?”
“I do owe you some petting.”
“I’ll take any and all petting you’ll give me.”