Jack cupped her face as headlights appeared in her driveway. She saw a truck pulling up. Her stomach turned inside out.
Rusty.
Chapter15
Rusty gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles cramped. He ignored the pain, frozen in his seat as he saw a man touching Harper’s face. Even when he stopped the truck behind the black Lexus in her driveway, the guy still held her hand. So her appointment was actually a date. The punch to his chest made it hard to breathe.
Harper rushed to his truck, her date following her. Rusty wanted to throw the phone out the window and drive away, but he couldn’t. He always did the right thing, even if it made him look like a fool.
She rapped on the window. He gulped and scrambled for composure before pushing a button on the truck door. The window slid down. “Hey,” he said, struggling to keep his tone neutral. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not interrupting,” she said as the man appeared next to her. He was a slick-looking fella with short black hair, clean-shaven and dressed like a businessman. Similar to what Rusty looked like after she’d made him over. Obviouslyshe had a type, and it wasn’t him. Under the high-class window dressing, he was still the same Rusty—mechanic, garage-shop owner, and a bust with the ladies. The same guy who didn’t have a chance with Harper Wilson.
“You left your phone,” he said, handing it to her.
“Thank you. I realized that when I got home.” She glanced at the guy who hovered behind her, scowling at Rusty as if he was trespassing. He sure felt like he was.
“Do you want to come inside for a drink?” she asked, smiling oddly, as if her teeth were too tight.
Seriously? She was inviting him to be a third wheel? “Naw,” he muttered, swaying on the edge of losing his cool. “Just wanted to make sure you had your phone.”
“But—”
He rolled up the window and shoved the truck into Reverse. Harper and the man drew back as he backed out of the driveway and sped off.
His chest burned as he went back home. He never should have listened to Senior. Or even himself. He tried to convince himself that this wasn’t the same as being rejected. She could date whoever she wanted to, even after they had spent a wonderful day together. Well, it was wonderful for him. Probably just an ordinary day in the life of Harper Wilson.
But why hadn’t she told him she had a date? Why lie and say it was an appointment? If they were such good friends, she should have told the truth. He wouldn’t have liked it, but he could have avoided what just happened.
He hit the steering wheel with the side of his fist. He wasn’t mad at her—except for her thinking he’d want to tag along on her date. That pricked his ego. No, he was angry athimself for believing he had a chance with her. Like he’d told his grandfather—he’d been here before. This time, though, it was different. This time ithurt.
And this time he’d learned his lesson. For good.
***
“Who was that?”
Harper spun around, aggravated at the possessive tone in Jack’s voice. “A... friend,” she said, walking back to the house. Had Rusty seen Jack touching her face? Holding her hand? She couldn’t believe Jack had pulled that stunt. Actually, she did believe it. What she couldn’t fathom was that she had fallen for it. She should have shoved him out of the house and locked the door behind him. Instead, she had chosen to be polite, and he’d taken advantage of that.
Never again.
“Harper, wait.”
She stopped in front of her open door, then reluctantly turned around. “Thank you for warning me about Brielle. Please leave now.”
His eyes narrowed. “Because of that guy?” He pointed his thumb in the direction of the street as if Rusty was still there.
I wish he was.
Harper opened her mouth, ready to tell Jack no, it was because she would never get back together with him and he needed to get that through his thick head. But the words wouldn’t come. “Yes. Because of Rusty.”
Jack hung his head, then looked at her again. “I had my chance,” he said, sounding disappointed but also resigned. “If you need some help taking care of Brielle, let me know. Purely business, I promise.”
She softened her tone. “I can handle her.”
“I know you can.” He gave her a little wave, then got into his Lexus and drove away.
She shut the door, her cell phone in her hand. She quickly brought up Rusty’s number and called it.
