Evie stopped walking and shot him that classicreally bruh?look.
“For real. Tell me.”
“Tell me why you sent her a bottle of wine at dinner.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“That right there. That’s why you should ask her out.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Jesse, the whole time I’ve known you you’ve never had secrets. Well, except the whole not telling Zach that you and I were still keeping in touch, but that was my secret too.”
“It’s getting late, Buck. Make your point.”
“My point is, she said she just got back to town?”
“Yeah.”
“And you two have already had a public blowup, what I think might be some kind of passive-aggressive making up, and now you’re acting like nothing happened. You got a big ole juicy secret and it involves Lily-Grace.”
“Not telling you my business isn’t keeping secrets. Besides, isn’t it against the law to draw focus away from the bride this close to the wedding? Wouldn’t my sudden involvement with any woman shatter the bedrock of this entire community? No one would even be thinking about your dress or how hard Zach is gonna cry while he tries to get through his vows. Everyone will be focused on a simple bottle of wine.”
“Hey, buddy, you should have thought of that before you body slammed an old man in cold blood,” she said with a cheap-shot giggle.
“Ha ha.”
“Promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“When we get back from the honeymoon you’ll let us girls set you up. It’s time, Jesse. I know you don’t want to be alone like this. It doesn’t have to be Lily-Grace, though that would beamazing.She seems over-the-top in the best possible way. But I see what you’re doing. You’re putting the ranch, all of this, before yourself, just like Zach used to. And you don’t have to, it’s just an excuse to push love away.”
“Who are we including in thegirls?” he asked, ignoring the pain that suddenly bloomed in his chest.
“Hmm, me, Lilah, and Blaire.”
“I should have asked Blaire out when I had the chance.” The pretty high school teacher and Evie’s former roommate had always been kind to Jesse, kind to everyone. He could see himself with a woman like that.
“Excuse me?!?! Why didn’t you?”
“Someone I know had a traumatic brain injury, and by the time she was feeling back to herself and speaking to my brother again, her best friend was dating a doctor, who she’s now engaged to. Plus, she lives in New York.”
“Damn it. I mean I love David. But you and Blaire would have been fun. Mostly for me.”
“That’s what I need most in a partner. Someone who is perfect for you,” Jesse teased, his tone dry.
“At least let us try.”
“No. Never.” He trusted Evie with a lot of things, but not his love life.
“Okay, well, how about this. Enter yourself in the date auction.”
“No.” Every spring the Charming Chamber of Commerce helped sponsor a community date auction. Jesse and Lilah were on the planning committee. It brought in a shitton of money and in recent years a few happy couples and even a marriage had come out of it, but Jesse would rather stab himself in the eye than be put up center stage.
“Hear me out.”
“No.”
