Page 11 of High Density

I let my eyes drift out the side window, but I’m not really seeing the landscape passing by.

“Janey,” he says in a low voice. “There’s a new Mexican food truck parked by the Libby station I’ve heard great things about. I was thinking we could pick up some food there and head acrossthe street to the Riverview Park to eat it. But then you opened the door looking gorgeous in that dress, and I realized you deserve better than a food truck and the park.”

That’s probably the most I’ve ever heard him say at once, but what sticks out is that final comment about me looking gorgeous. I’m instantly blushing like a schoolgirl again. Maybe it’s hormones? Am I perimenopausal? At thirty-eight?

“I like the park,” I tell him. “Mexican food by the water sounds perfect.”

“Are you sure? I was going to find you a fancy restaurant.”

That makes me snicker. “Me? I’m a simple country girl, JD. I grew up on a farm and still spend most of my days covered in animal guck; a fancy restaurant is no place for me. I’d probably use the wrong fork or something. A food truck and the park is more my speed.”

I get a rare flash of strong white teeth between a pair of smiling, full lips, and suddenly my eyes are glued to his mouth.

“Good to know.”

When I snap my eyes up, I catch him watching me before he turns his attention back to the road.

With our orders in hand—two soft beef tacos with Mexican slaw for me, a pair of burritos for JD, and a couple of drinks—we aim for the pavilion on the water’s edge, which currently looks to be vacant. We sit down at one of the few picnic tables under the shelter.

“This is really good,” I mumble around a mouthful of my taco.

The beef has a nice kick, which works really well with the crisp fresh taste of the slaw. Thank God for the stack of napkins the guy stuffed in the bag, because the juices are dripping down my chin. Perhaps not the most flattering food to choose under the circumstances, but I was hungry. Besides, JD seems to be suffering the same fate, his food no less messy.

He hums his agreement.

While we eat, I watch a couple of guys backing their truck with a fishing boat on the trailer up to the boat launch on the other side of the pavilion. One of them seems to recognize JD and calls his name. JD turns around and yells back a greeting.

“Friend of yours?”

“Not really. Played darts with him a time or two at Foxy’s, but that’s it.”

I shove the last bite of taco in my mouth and wash it down with my bottle of water. Then I notice JD is already finished.

“About Foxy’s…” he picks up, as if he was waiting for me to be done. “When I saw you there a few weeks ago, I was actually on my way over to your table but I was interrupted.”

I had a suspicion him wanting to talk to me might have something to do with that awkward encounter. Bringing up the subject feels just as awkward, and I don’t really know what to say, so I keep my mouth shut.

“Britt…she’s just a friend.”

I’m not good at keeping a straight face, and I can feel my eyebrows shoot up in my hairline. Or, apparently, at keeping my thoughts to myself.

“Does she know that?”

JD chuckles at that. “Guess that’s fair. Uh…I thought we were friends…who hooked up a time or two, but when I noticed it might’ve been more to her, I tried to do the right thing. She wasn’t really good at taking no for an answer, so for a while I stopped going in there.”

“You know what?” I stop him, my hands up defensively. “I’m not sure why you’re telling me this, it’s really none of my business.”

He’s quiet for a moment, looking down on his folded hands in front of him on the table.

“What if I told you the only reason I pulled into the parking lot that night was because I saw your truck parked there?” he finally asks, glancing up from under his heavy eyebrows.

“I…my truck?” I echo stupidly.

My heart is almost painfully bumping around in my chest, and I’m suddenly mildly nauseated. Mostly because I’m not quite sure what is happening here, and it’s making me a little nervous.

“Yeah, I didn’t think, I just marched in there, hoping to catch you alone. But, clearly, that didn’t go the way I’d hoped.”

I shake my head to stop the swirling thoughts.

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