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NOW
LONDON
A loud chirp sounds as a text hits my cell while I sit at a red light. I glance at my phone and am surprised to see it’s from Julie, and she wants me to come over to her place to talk. Ever since Wes and I have separated, I have purposefully stayed away from her. It’s too hard to look at her and know that I’m hurting her Wes, and I’ve not been ready to face her just yet.
Almost as if she can sense my reservation, a second text comes through: Please.
I sigh, knowing that it’s time to sit down and talk to the woman who’s been like a second mother to me ever since I lost my own.
A horn blares behind me, and I head to Dad’s house, since he’s right down the street. When I pull up against the curb out front of Dad’s and get out of the car, I glance toward the Kraft house and notice Jared out front mowing his mother’s lawn.
I can’t take my eyes off Jared as he works. It’s like we’re magnets, and I’m drawn to him whether I want to be or not. I twirl my car keys in my fingers and then walk down the sidewalk toward him.
Sun shines down on his shirtless back, and I watch his muscles work beneath his skin as he pushes the machine over the green blades of grass. His blue jeans hug his backside perfectly.
I forgot how unbelievably sexy he is without his shirt on. When he rounds the corner, he notices me standing on the sidewalk watching him, so he cuts the engine on the mower.
He squints one eye like he’s trying to block out the sun. “London?”
I glance nervously to the driveway and notice Julie’s car isn’t there.
I raise my hand up in greeting. “Hey. Do you know that time your mom will be home from the shop? She asked me to stop by so we could talk about something, but now I can’t reach her because the battery on my cell died.”
He pulls a shirt from his back pocket and wipes his face but doesn’t bother putting it back on. “No idea. Do you want to come in and try her cell?”
I nod, standing there ogling the perfectly toned, tattooed male body in front of me. “Yeah. That would be great.”
He motions me toward the house and then follows me up the stoop. I can feel his blue eyes boring into my backside. Knowing that he’s checking me out makes me feel desired.
“Phone is on the counter.” Jared walks i
nto the kitchen and washes his hands. “Do you want something to drink? I bought some beer last night.”
“Yeah, that would—” I quickly stop myself. I don’t need to sit and casually drink with the man that I lust after most. I need to keep a clear head around him so I don’t do something stupid. “Just some water would be fine.”
The cabinet doors creak open and then slam shut as he grabs a glass and goes to the refrigerator to use the ice maker. “So what’s going on?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “I’m not sure. She just texted me and asked me to stop by and chat.”
He chews his bottom lip. “That’s odd, considering she just left here about thirty minutes ago and told me she was meeting the ladies from her book club for dinner. The way she talked, she’ll be gone for quite a while.”
He hands me the glass of ice water. “Thank you.” I take a small sip. “Do you know how long you’ll be sticking around?”
Jared pops the top off a beer and then leans back against the counter. “I’m not sure. I guess I’m off until our lead singer decides to come out of hiding, which I’m hoping is soon, considering that we don’t get paid if we don’t play any gigs. Record sales barely make any money these days. It’s all about touring.”
“Makes sense, I guess, but that sucks for you.”
He smiles. “Tell me about it. My job as a musician is so uncertain. It’s not like we have a retirement plan, but it’s nice that I’m able to invest a lot while the money is rolling in.”
“You sound a lot like your dad when you say stuff like that,” I tell him, but grimace because I’m sure that’s still a very sore subject for him.
He gives me a closed-mouth smile. “Thanks. I wish he was here now. There are so many things I want to talk to him about.”
“That’s how I feel about my mom. There are days—like today—that I miss her so bad. It would be so much easier if I could just pick up the phone and call her—ask for her advice.”
He nods. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
I open my mouth to say more about Henry but hold back because I don’t want to push the subject too far and make Jared uncomfortable. So far he seems very calm and rational—a far cry from five years ago.
