AllFreeNovel
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“I didn’t hit a home run.”
“Not this time, but I’ve got a replaced bedroom window as proof of how hard you can hit the ball.”
“Har har.”
Fuck, when had he picked that up from me?
“And you got two runs batted in, which certainly helped your team get the win,” I added.
“I guess.”
“No guessing, buddy,” Ellen said firmly. “You did good. I think you deserve an ice cream.”
“Really? Can I?” As always, Jesse looked to Gabe for permission.
“Of course.” Gabe linked his fingers through mine as we headed to the parking lot.
“What flavor are you gonna get, Allegra?”
“Butterscotch, kiddo, how about you?”
“Cookies and cream.”
“Excellent choice.”
At Poppy’s Ice Cream Parlor and Cake Shop, we got a table outside in the sunshine. Jake said, “I can hold the table, if you like. Ally, you wanna keep me company?”
“Um, sure.”What the fuck? I kept my sunglasses on as we sat down, because there was something telling me this was about to get uncomfortable. Gabe gave me a searching look and all I could do was shrug in reply. Clearly, he had no more idea what Jake was doing than I did.
Jake watched Gabe and Jesse go into the store before turning to me. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, Jake, everything’s fine. How about you?”
“Can’t complain. Heard you had some trouble a few weeks back, is that right?”
Okay, seriously, where was this going? “Yeah, my dad had a cancer scare.”
“Had? He’s okay now?”
“He is.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything more for a moment, just stared through the store window, at Gabe and Jesse. “You and Gabe been hanging out a lot since then?”
“A little.” More than a little, because it didn’t seem to matter how much I tried to pull away, pull back, something always drew me right back in. And it wasn’t just for sex. It was for movie nights, staying over to take Jesse to school in the morning, having them visit the restaurant. “He’s a good friend.” I sounded defensive and that annoyed the fuck out of me. In fact, it pissed me off so much that I said, “Do you have something you want to say to me?”
He brought his gaze back to me, calm and steady. “I like you, Ally.”
“Thanks.” I made zero effort to hide the sarcasm.
He smiled. “And I want my brother to be happy.”
“Are you warning me off?”
“No. The opposite.”
