Page 37 of Reckless

“Jude, are you okay?”

I snap out of it and look over at Krista, who is halfway up the RV steps. I make sure those guys have given up and get into the RV, closing the door behind us.

I’m so fucking annoyed with myself, I can barely think straight.

“At the risk of repeating myself, which I never like to do. Are you okay?”

Krista is worried as she watches me pace in the very limited space between the couch and the fireplace. She tosses her purse onto the couch and kicks off her sandals, all the while watching me.

“I put you at risk.”

“Is that what you think?”

“If they approached us, things could have got out of hand.”

Krista rests her hip against the counter beside the TV. “They didn’t.”

“But they could have, and that would have been on me, if something happened to you.”

“Jude, the only thing I’m worried about is that you left my hat at the restaurant.”

“This isn’t funny,” I shout.

Krista straightens up and glares at me. The amusement is gone from her face.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell, I’m just…” I run a hand through my hair and peer through the window looking over the street. There is no sign of those guys now. “Sorry,” I repeat.

“You’re taking the blame for something that didn’t happen. Does that make any sense?”

“When you say it like that,” I huff out. “It sounds stupid.”

“You said it.” She walks past me and opens the cabinet that holds the alcohol.

She pours a shot of tequila and hands it to me. There is still an air of pissed off around her, but she does a good job of not losing her temper.

Unlike me.

“Nothing happened, Jude. We’re both fine.”

“It could have gone differently. And they were already interested in you.” I shake my head again.

Krista shrugs. “I’ve dealt with worse than a few looks, Jude. Can you stop pacing? You’re driving me crazy.”

Before I can say or do anything, she walks over, puts a hand on my chest, and pushes me. I fall back onto the couch and barely manage not to spill my drink. I can’t keep the shock off my face.

Krista comes to stand in front of me, her hands on her hips. My eyes are level with her breasts, and I quickly raise them to her face. Last thing I need is to make her mad again. I’m impressed by how quickly she reigned herself in. I deserve for her to be pissed at me for yelling.

“Don’t start acting like a jerk. That situation was out of your hands, no matter the outcome. Do you really think a hat is enough to hide your identity from a true fan?”

“It works,” I say.

“No, it doesn’t. If anything, it draws attention.”

“What? You’re the one who gave me the hat,” I splutter.

“Because it makes you feel better. It makes you relax and have a good time. The reason people don’t notice you is that you aren’t doing the things you’re used to when moving through a crowded street. Today, you were a normal guy, being a tourist. You weren’t all tense looking around, waiting for something to happen. You were too busy enjoying the natural beauty of your surroundings.”

“Are you trying to say the hat is a security blanket?” I ask.

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