‘You don’t have to explain.’
‘What?’ His forehead furrowed so deeply, the two dark brows were practically touching. ‘Of course I do.’
‘Jesse.’ My arms were crossed but this time in an unconscious stance of defence.
‘Felicity…’ he replied, taking a step closer. ‘Are you going to let me speak now?’
I gave a stiff-shouldered shrug and he tilted his head down, the peak of the cap shadowing his eyes from the sun but allowing me to see them in all their long-lashed glory.
‘I’m sorry I snapped at you.’
‘Apology accepted.’ I went to move but Jesse shifted just enough to block me. I looked up at him with irritation.
‘Thanks, but I’m not done. I’m not bothered what people think about me and if you’re immune to gossip, that’s good too. Best way to be, if you ask me. But there’s someone I do need to make sure knows the situation.’
‘Which is what I was trying to say!’ I huffed out. ‘If there’s someone you like?—’
‘There isn’t.’ He cut across. ‘Not like that. But I need to tell my wife’s family what’s going on.’
‘Nothing’s going on! Wait… what? You’re married!’ What the hell was Julie playing at with her hints and nudging me in her brother’s direction all the time knowing that he was married? I strode past him outside, suddenly needing air.
‘Yes. No,’ he said, following me.
‘It’s usually one or the other when someone refers to their wife.’ I did my best to keep the sarcasm low level. There was nothing between Jesse and me. He’d had plenty of time to throw in a flirty move or two in the time we’d been together, but there’d been nothing. But this still felt like something I should have known, if not for any reason but to stop me making an idiot of myself!
‘She died.’
And right then I felt like a total and utter shit.
10
‘Please don’t look at me like that,’ he said.
‘Like what?’
‘Like you just kicked my puppy.’
I sucked in a breath. ‘I wouldnever!’
He shook his head. ‘I know you wouldn’t. It’s just your expression…’
I met his eyes. ‘I don’t know what to say, Jesse. “I’m sorry for your loss” always seems such an insignificant thing to say to someone so I never know whether to say it or not.’
‘Thanks. I know what you mean. But you feel you want to say something, right?’
‘Exactly.’
We stood for a moment in silence, listening to birds who hadn’t opted for a tropical winter holiday settling down to roost for the night.
‘It’s been nearly five years but, like I said before, this is a small community.’
‘Surely they wouldn’t begrudge you meeting someone?’ My brain caught up. ‘Not that we’re… you know. The offer of dinner was meant as a thank you, not a date.’
His smile spread slowly and I didn’t know what to do with it so I shoved my hands into my pockets and waited.
‘You know, you could really dent a man’s ego.’
I arched an eyebrow. ‘Somehow, I don’t think that’s a problem you’ve ever suffered from.’
