“This is Jake. Jake, Rhett,” Shelby said.
She leaned into Jake. Rhett’s eyes narrowed almost to the point of closing, then snapped open with intensity and understanding. “Jake? From Obsidian, right? Well, this is interesting.” He looked back and forth between Jake and Shelby, who was now the one staring with narrow eyes.
Rhett. The mayor’s son who keeps proposing to Shelby. The mayor’s son. Jake felt heat making a meteoric rise in his skin to hit his face. Rhett probably knew exactly why Jake was in Lucky and why Shelby had lost her property today.
“How do you know Jake?” Shelby asked.
Rhett gave a sly smile and opened his mouth just as Matt stepped into the middle of the conversation.
“Hate to break up this party, but your ride’s leaving,” Matt said.
Saved by the Matt. Jake did not move and Matt grabbed Shelby by the arm and turned her toward the door. “Hey,” she protested, but didn’t seem to actually be angry about it. She did pull out of his grip and walked with quick strides ahead of Matt and Jake to the door.
“Thanks,” Jake said, keeping pace with Matt.
“I didn’t do it for you,” Matt said. He pushed past Jake. As he came up beside Shelby, he placed her cowboy hat on her head. Jake hadn’t even noticed that Matt had been holding it. Matt put an arm loosely around Shelby’s shoulders and she wrapped her arm around his waist, giving him a side hug.
The current of jealousy that ran through Jake could have powered the entire city of Lucky for a week. The jealousy rivaled the guilt he felt and the anxiety. Shelby had lost her home because of him. She was going to find out. Shelby was going to find out. He had to be sure, though, and shot off a quick text to Xander, asking for the property name and location.
His mind swung back to Shelby. If she was trying to cope with the loss, did that mean that the flirtation wasn’t real? Maybe the chemistry he was imagining was only because she was dealing with the blow of knowing she would be losing her property. He should back off anyway. Because even if the attraction was real, it wouldn’t last as soon as she found out who he really was.