Page 36 of I'll Carry You

But if she was even going to consider it, she would have to start by introducing him to Colby. See how Jason even interacted with him. She didn’t have to make a big deal out of it to either of them, especially since Colby was only a few feet away. And she appreciated that fact. One less thing to overanalyze.

“Well, if it doesn’t interfere with your running diet, I’m going to order a pizza for Colby and me. You want some?”

He hesitated, then gave a brief nod. “All right.”

She wouldn’t read into the hesitation. If he didn’t want to, he’d say no, right? She dipped her chin. “What do you like? We usually get cheese. I doubt we have any deep dish or whatever it is y’all eat in Chicago.” She wrinkled her nose. She’d always hated deep-dish pizza, which felt like a soggy mess.

He chuckled. “I like tavern pizza, actually. Deep dish is for the tourists. But cheese is good for me.” He watched her as she pulled out her phone and started the order. “See, you can add that to your list about me.”

“Great. You like soup, sandwiches, and tavern pizza. But really, I’m missing all the important questions like...what fictional family do you wish you could join?”

He gave her an amused look. “What sort of question is that?”

“Fine. Coffee or tea? Morning person or night? Lake or beach?” She finished the order on her phone and pushed back from the counter.

He eyed the chairs behind the counter, then came around and sat, stretching his long legs in front of him. “Coffee, morning, and neither.”

She sat beside him. They were simple wooden chairs—not comfortable for sitting for long stretches, but fortunately, she rarely had to sit behind the counter during Sunday night shifts. Most people checked out Sunday at 11 a.m. or Monday after she’d gone. Sunday check-ins were rarer. She might get a few stragglers later in the evening, though.

“Neither?” She gaped at him. “You don’t like the beach or the lake? What sort of American summer travesty is that?”

His gaze clouded. “Let’s just say I’m more of a winter person. I’ll take a ski lodge or the mountains any day.”

“What about swimming pools at resorts and hot tubs? Those both seem right up your alley.” She threw him a teasing look. “You know, lots of bikinis.”

Any ill humor she’d dredged up by mentioning the beach seemed to vanish in a twitch at the corners of his mouth that hinted at humor. “Pools are about on par with the beach. But hot tubs are an exception.” He lowered his voice to a deep, suggestive rumble that Colby couldn’t hear. “And I generally prefer those without bikinis.”

“I’m shocked.” She felt a blush warm her cheeks. “You know there’s a hot tub in your cabin, right?”

“I do.” He rubbed his neck. “I may need to go out tonight, see if I can’t find some company for it.”

His teasing look made her feel strangely close to him, and she resisted the urge to slug him playfully in the arm. “Oh, I’m happy to give you all sorts of advice about the wonderful locations for romance in Brandywood. There are prime spots everywhere, like under the bleachers at the high school football field and the old, abandoned cars in the woods.”

Jason reached over and traced a fingertip over her forearm. “Romance is overrated.”

Her heart raced. Right. She had to choose her words carefully with him. Did he feel like she was trying to push him toward something he wasn’t interested in? His actions seemed to contradict his words. “And why is that, exactly? Dark and twisty romantic past? You know, in books and movies, it’s always the guys who protest romance who fall the hardest.”

He laughed. “Maybe. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Life isn’t that fairy tale. When the lust fades, it’s not picnics in the park and dinners at the best restaurant. It’s not even that thrill of a great night together. If you never get carried away with the idea that those things will remain in the first place, then maybe you can just enjoy life a little more. That and the sex is better.”

She searched his face. He’d dodged the question, admitting little. Did he mind that she was trying to figure him out? He hadn’t run away yet.

If she let herself think about it more, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to introduce Colby to him. He was leaving, so what was the point? Just another way for her to think of Jason in a way that she shouldn’t. But it was too late for that now. She’d invited him for pizza. She would tell Colby he was a friend of Mommy’s and leave it at that. Hopefully, Jason wouldn’t become Colby’s new favorite person to ask to see again. And somehow, she doubted Jason would, given his life philosophy.

Would Colby find it strange, though? She’d never had any other guest at the cabins join them for takeout at the guest lodge. And Jason had also offered to help her the next day, which was potentially a huge deal. If she could figure out a way to make it work. She’d never leave Colby alone with anyone she barely knew. But maybe if Jason helped entertain Colby at the café for a few hours as he’d suggested? If she could at least get the baking done in the morning, she could leave Travis in good shape for later in the day.

She checked quickly to make sure Colby wasn’t in view, then leaned across the space between the two chairs. Holding his gaze, she brushed a kiss on his lips with the softest touch. “I’ve thought about finishing what we started all day.”

He cradled her chin and returned a warm kiss. “Right back at you.”

She smiled, then leaned back in her chair. She didn’t want to question what they were doing. For so long, she’d overanalyzed every step of every potential relationship to where things lost spontaneity and fun to fit into a plan. Not that her plans had worked out. She’d been trying to fit square elephants into the round heads of a pin.

She took a deep breath, switching gears. “If you really are around tomorrow, I might find a use for you. Even if it’s just having another set of eyes on Colby at the café in the morning. I can probably bring him to work with me but trying to keep him occupied while I work isn’t exactly easy. The tough thing about only children is that they don’t have siblings to entertain them.”

Jason looked over his shoulder toward Colby and nodded. “My brother and I used to spend all day playing together, which made boredom less frequent.” A strange look crossed his face, and his lips drew to a line. He pulled his gaze from Colby abruptly. “But yeah, I can try to help.”

She stood, remembering the sign Laura had left on the door. “You have a brother?” She crossed the room to retrieve the sign.

“Had.” His voice was clipped, with a tone of finality that made it clear he didn’t want to discuss it. “He left years ago, and I never saw him again.”

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