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“Oh yeah! It’s kind of like the thing football players use to dump Gatorade on the coach after the Super Bowl. Only yours is smaller. And much nicer.”
Carly’s laugh escaped before she could temper it into a mere smile. “Yeah, it’s exactly like that. I figured you might be thirsty, and it’s less likely to spill than a pitcher, so…” She trailed off, clasping her hands in front of her and wiggling her thumbs.
“Wow. That’s really nice of you…” He shifted his weight, but didn’t move to put the infusion jar down. Finally, she registered his raised eyebrows and expectant look, putting two and two together to come up with the sum ofduh.
“Carly! I’m Carly.”
“Jackson Carter.” He lowered the lemonade and glass to a soft patch of grass and extended his hand, which outsized hers three to one. “I’m not bothering you too much with the noise, I hope.” He dipped his chin in order to look her in the eye, and she noticed the slightest cleft in his clean-shaven skin.
“Um, no. Not too much,” Carly clarified with a tiny smile. “Anyway, I wanted to apologize. You know, for yesterday.” Her face flushed, but she pressed on, eager to get the apology over with. “I shouldn’t have thrown the remote at you. It was a stupid thing to do.”
“No, it wasn’t.” He cocked his head at her, blond crew cut glinting in the sun.
“Excuse me?”
An all-American smile took over his features, causing the heat that had bloomed on Carly’s face to migrate down her neck.
“It wasn’t stupid. For all you knew, I was some stranger sneaking around your property with bad intentions. I’m glad the screen door was shut, though. You’ve got a killer arm.”
She resisted the urge to wince. The remote had been so far beyond repair, she hadn’t even bothered trying. “Still. I feel bad about your elbow,” she said, twisting a small patch of grass under the toe of one flip-flop.
“What, this?” He flipped a thickly muscled arm up, pointing his elbow at her with a grin. “It doesn’t even hurt.”
Carly gasped at the sight of the three-inch bruise staring her in the face, and her gut settled into its new home somewhere around her knees. “Oh, God. It left a mark?”
“Hey, seriously, it’s no big deal. I’m just glad I didn’t hurtyouwhen we bumped heads.”
His expression suggested he really meant it, but her embarrassment took over nonetheless. She was about to make a hasty retreat into the cool haven of her kitchen when Jackson caught her with his now-familiar cocky smile, and the twist of his lips rendered her legs useless.
“So you’re an Islanders fan, huh?” His eyes flickered to her shirt, and Carly automatically smoothed her hands over the front to hide the coffee stain.
“Well, seeing as how there’s probably a permanent imprint of seat 14 in section 102 at Nassau Coliseum somewhere on my butt, I’m going to go ahead and say yeah. I’m a fan.”
Annnnnnd now there was no way he wasn’t going to look at her butt when she walked away. God, she should just not speak.
“Wow. And I thought driving into the city from all the way out here a couple of times a season was devotion,” he said, his smile melting into something a touch more reverent.
“It’s a four-hour drive, at least,” Carly replied, confused.
“Only ninety minutes, actually. But I think we’re talking about different cities.”
As far as she was concerned, there were no other cities. Carly pictured Pine Mountain’s location on the map in her mind’s eye, letting her focus travel outward past the Blue Ridge…
“Oh, hell no. Please tell me you’re not a Flyers fan.” Great pecs or not, Jackson was gonna have to go.
The kick of his lips returned in all its glory. “That I am.”
Carly groaned. “Well, everyone has their cross to bear, I guess.”
Silence settled between them for a noticeable beat, and it pressed her to go back inside. She’d offered her apology, he’d accepted in his own weird and flirty little way. Said, done, pick up your parting gifts at the door.
Wait, was he flirting with her?
Carly mashed down on the thought. Travis had flirted with her, too, in the beginning, and just look what that had gotten her. Keeping her mind on the kitchen was the only thing that was important here. Getting warm and fuzzy over the contractor was just plain asking for trouble.
“Well, Jackson, I’m glad you’re okay, and sorry again for yesterday. Enjoy the lemonade.” The absence of her trademark composure was really starting to get under her skin, and she turned to make her long overdue retreat.
“Hey, Carly?”
