Page 18 of One More Time

I blinked away the tears stinging my eyes and took a steadying breath before I turned my truck on. Moments later, I was driving down to my temporary house when I saw McKenna walking down the sidewalk with grocery bags dangling from her arms. She turned to climb the steps of a house only three doors from mine.

As I watched, she slipped on the ice, and groceries spilled everywhere. I heard a muffled, “Fuck!”

I slowed to pull over and park, climbing out quickly and jogging over to her. “Are you okay?”

Chapter Eleven

McKenna

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

I was sprawled on the icy walkway with groceries strewn around me. And, of course, Jack Hamilton just had to be the one to drive up. Now, he was trying to be helpful. My knee throbbed.

As luck would have it, I’d managed to slide and jam my knee against the edge of the stairs. “I’m fine. I can deal with it,” I said as he stopped beside me.

Jack’s gaze arced about the groceries surrounding me. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, his tone dry as sand.

I let out a sigh, ignoring my achy knee. I shifted and started to stand only to lose my footing again. “Stupid ice.”

Jack was already reaching out to steady me. “Ice is definitely a stupid asshole.” His tone was somber as he looked down at me, but his eyes twinkled.

A giggle slipped out. “Okay, fine. Maybe I don’t have this.”

“Let me help.”

He gathered up my groceries in no time. I fished in the snow along the edge of the walkway to rescue some cans that had rolled free. A few moments later, we walked into my small house.

Jack glanced around. “Does another tenant get grocery duty?”

I looked up at him, pondering my options, and decided to go with honesty. “I live here.”

“Oh, you’re my neighbor?”

I shrugged, not sure why I hadn’t said as much when I showed him the rental the other day.

“Fireweed Harbor is really small. Everyone’s your neighbor.”

Jack studied me for a minute before walking past me to set the bags of groceries on the kitchen island. He turned back. “I suppose so, but not everyone lives three houses down.”

“Good point.” I shrugged again and began putting away the groceries.

Just having him around made me restless in my skin. Nervous energy buzzed through me a little faster than usual.

“Thank you for your help,” I belatedly said as I turned back to face him.

“Of course. I imagine you’d help me if I slipped on the ice.”

“Definitely. I’d help a stranger if they slipped on the ice. I’m sure you would too.”

Jack nodded slowly, his eyes holding mine. I shifted on my feet, trying to ignore how my pulse hummed faster and faster. My belly did a little shimmy.

I didn’t know how long we stared at each other, but my body was alive with heat and electricity. I startled myself when I whispered, “Jack…”

Perhaps a foot separated us, maybe less. When I slid my hand along the counter, my fingertips touched his.

He moved to push away from me, and I experienced an intense shaft of disappointment. In another second, he stood in front of me and curled his hands over the edge of the counter, catching me between his arms.

Jack’s intense blue eyes held mine. “Tell me something, McKenna.”

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