AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I sure do like you,” he said. “Maybe we could try again in the future?”
Starla nodded, her jaw set. He’d seen that fierce look on her face before, and it sure did make him smile. “Tell me you’re not going to march over to Nash’s and punch him in the nose.”
“I’m thinking about it,” she growled. In the blink of an eye, she changed from the strong, fearsome kitchen manager to the soft, beautiful woman Jesse had gotten to know that summer. She stepped in front of him and ran her hands up his chest. “Why does he get to decide?”
“He doesn’t,” Jesse said, not daring to move for fear that when he did, it would be to take her into his arms and kiss her again. “Star-sweetheart, you two work together. You have a long history. I have to work with him—heck, we share an office—and he’s…”
“Your brother,” she said at the same time he said, “My brother.”
She looked away, her hands falling back to her sides. “I’m upset with him,” she said.
“I know, but that’ll fade.”
“I don’t want to go out with him.”
“You might, though,” Jesse said, reaching to guide her face back toward his. Their eyes met, and he searched hers. “You told me once, way before I started texting you and bringing you dinner, that you had a little crush on him. Remember?”
She nodded, her eyes so big and so wide. Jesse loved looking into them and reading Starla’s true emotions.
“I’m not saying we can never be together,” he whispered. “I’m saying I don’t think it’s the right time right now.”
Starla closed those eyes, nodding still, and moved into his embrace. Jesse took a deep breath of her hair and skin, getting that soft cottony scent mixed with the savory scents from the kitchen.
She sniffled and stepped back after only a few moments. Not nearly long enough for him, but he could corral his emotions and box them up until the time was right. If it ever was. “We can still play cornhole tomorrow, right? We’re in fifth place, and I bet we can beat Todd and Kyle.”
Jesse smiled at her though it hurt to do so. “Of course.”
She nodded just once and looked back to the lodge. “Jesse?”
“Yeah?”
She met his eyes again, that fierce, strong warrior-princess shining through. “I just want you to know one thing before you go.”
He swallowed, hopinghewasn’t about to get punched in the nose. “Okay.”
She took a step toward him, and he pressed his back into the bark on the tree. “You did not bully me into the walk-in and kiss me.”
“No, ma’am,” he said.
“If I hadn’t wanted to kiss you, I wouldn’t have let you kiss me.”
Jesse grinned at her. “No? What would you have done?”
“There was a huge bottle of mayonnaise nearby,” she said. “I would’ve cracked that over your head and left you to freeze in there.” She grinned at him too, and Jesse tipped his head back and laughed.
She laughed with him, but the sound of it quickly turned sad. Jesse’s did too, and they sobered together.
“I’ll miss you,” he said.
“You still work at the lodge,” she said. “So do I. I’ll see you everyday.”
He cradled her face in both hands. “It won’t be the same.”
“No,” she said. “It won’t be. It’ll be okay, though.”
“Yeah,” Jesse said, dropping his hands. “It’ll be okay. I’m sorry, Starla.”
She gave him a smile that sent pain into his heart, because hers held pain. “Me too, Jesse.” She drew in a deep breath and looked back to the lodge again. “Okay, I have to get back to work.”
