“What is this? Two against one?”
Dixie looked back at Noah before leaning in closer, as if telling a secret. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but it’s been a long time since he has shown interest in someone. Give him a chance.”
And then she walked away.
Jessa slapped her hands onto the chair and pushed herself up. “All right. I’ll go talk to him, but only if you get off my back.”
“Deal,” Megan said.
Jessa walked over to the bar and smiled at Noah, shaking out her hands at her sides. Nerves crept up her back, but she did her best to push them down. There was no avoiding this.
“Fancy seeing you here.”
Noah turned in his chair and smiled back. “Yes, it is. What a coincidence.”
The man beside Noah snorted. Noah shot him a look before introducing him.
“Jessa, this is my brother Jackson.”
Jackson took her hand in his and gave it a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Jackson tipped his head toward the table where Megan sat watching them. “Mind if we join you?”
Panic crawled up Jessa’s chest as she cast worried eyes back to Megan. Megan stood up and waved them over.
“Please do!” she shouted, turning several heads in the bar.
Jessa smiled meekly before leading the way back to the table and shooting daggers at Megan. As soon as she got there, she whispered, “What was that?”
“I can read lips, and I knew you’d make an excuse. I accepted on your behalf.”
Megan stood and smiled brightly. “Hi. Nice to see you again, Noah.” Then she turned her megawatt smile to Jackson. “I’m Megan.”
Jackson shook her hand. “Jackson.”
The group settled around the table, with Jessa between Noah and Megan and Jackson across from her.
Dixie approached again and winked at Jessa. “I see you’re all joining each other. Can I bring food?”
“Nachos,” Jessa nearly shouted. Her face flamed as all eyes swiveled to her. Sitting at a table with the guys was hard enough without something to do with her hands. At least with some food on the table, she’d have something to occupy herself.
Dixie smiled with amusement. “Good choice. We have the best nachos.”
Noah motioned for her to bring two plates before Dixie walked back to the bar.
Megan leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “So, did you grow up here?”
“We did,” Jackson said.
Jessa watched the interaction between the group. Megan’s ability to have a simple conversation with complete strangers had Jessa a little jealous. She wished she could be that easygoing. At the beginning of the trip, she thought she could be more carefree since they didn’t know anyone in the small town. It was practice for her to get out of her comfort zone. But already making a complete fool out of herself on the mountain in front of the attractive man she gawked at the very first day they arrived, and then kissed at the New Year’s party, had her crawling back into her hole.
She thought that moving constantly as a child would have helped her break out of her shell, but she was always the loner in the schools she attended, until eventually she was homeschooled. Megan was the closest friend she ever had, and it was only because Megan was an extreme extrovert who adopted Jessa, the introvert, after they had met at work.
“Noah, we obviously know you work for the ski patrol. But what about you, Jackson? Do you work here too?” Megan asked.
Jessa’s eyes met Noah’s briefly. He smiled at her, which she matched with her own smile, before shifting her eyes to Jackson.
