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He nodded to the hardware store. “Needed a few more supplies for Stewart Mansion.”
Nodding, she replied, “Right. How are the repairs going?”
“They’re going good. Of course, there’s always more once you start working on things.”
“I’m sure. That house is too big for my grandma, but she’s?—”
“Not selling.”
They laughed as Jo shook her head. “No, she isn’t.”
Muffled giggles came from inside the dress shop, and Jack turned his attention to the noise. “Looks like they’re having fun.”
“Yeah, I probably need to get back in there.”
He threw a thumb over his shoulder toward the only old pickup sitting in front of the hardware store. “I probably need to get back to work too.” He started to turn away and stopped. “Uh, you wouldn’t want to grab a bite to eat tonight, would you? I mean just, you know, to catch up or whatever.”
Dinner with Jack. Her heart was screaming yes and little hearts were floating out of her ears until the record in her brain scratched. Catch up, Jo, she thought to herself, not make out. He just wanted to talk. “Uh, sure,” she squeaked, cleared her throat, and quickly repeated herself. “Sure.”
His lips stretched into a wide, heart-melting smile. “Great. Maybe you can tell me about that nothing that made you kick a wall, too.”
“Right.”
“I’ll see you tonight. I’ll pick you up around seven. Is that okay?”
Her head wobbled back and forth like it was on a loose spring. “Uh-huh. Sounds great.”
As he walked away, she fanned herself. Man, his front wasn’t the only thing fit. His backside looked just as great now as it did in high school. Shaking her head, she cleared it, opened the shop door, and stepped inside. The moment she saw the group of women, she knew she was in trouble.
“That looked promising.” Serenity grinned.
“Oh, no, he was just… He’s working on my grandma’s house.”
“The way he smiled at you?” June snickered. “That was not a man who was just working on a house.”
Oh geez. She waved them off. “I promise it’s nothing. Even if it was, I’m not staying in Wishing Well. I have a life back in New York.” She pointed to the dresses on the racks. “How about those dresses?”
Serenity exchanged looks with her friends like, nice redirect, girl. “Okay.”
It was a good thing they couldn’t read her mind. The very idea of going out with Jack, even if it was just a casual thing, made her stomach do somersaults. He’d only gotten better looking with age, and he was still warm and kind. Plus, that smile. Goose bumps lined her arms as the exchange replayed in her mind.
What was she even thinking? Her head had no business playing in the clouds. She did have a life in New York, and has no intention of changing that.
CHAPTER 5
Jack
Jack quickly splashed a little aftershave on his face and hurried to answer the door. “Hey, Ruger. I didn’t expect you until later this week. I’m headed out.”
Ruger and his brother, Booker, were mutual friends of Jack and Ethan’s. Ruger was the same age as Jack, and Booker was a year older than Ethan. They’d all become friends the year Jennings’ house burned down. The school put together a toy drive, and the football team helped rebuild his house. They’d each be taking a spot as one of the groomsmen in Ethan’s wedding.
His friends stepped inside Jack’s apartment. “Date?”
Nooooo…. Jack wasn’t calling it a date, and even if he was, he wouldn’t tell Ruger. He wasn’t in the mood for the inevitable teasing that would occur. “Uh, catching up with a friend.” That’s right. That’s what he’d call it, even if he was already hoping that it’d turn into a repeated event that looked suspiciously like dating. Man, this war between hoping for more and being practical was going to give him a headache before the night was over.
“Yeah, I guess there are quite a few people from high school showing up. I still can’t believe Ethan’s marrying Serenity Harper. I’m surprised there aren’t paparazzi camped out everywhere.”
Jack chuckled. “According to Ethan, she worked out a deal with the gossip rags. That’s why they haven’t shown up.”
