Page 110 of The Usual Family Mayhem

The main way should be here any minute. I glanced at the wall clock in the baking annex. It was just before four. I hadn’t seen Jackson since he completed his swan dive of martyrdom out of the room two days ago. I texted and called. He left a few messages about being swamped at work.

Nice try, Mr. Adorable. As if I wasn’t intimately familiar with that sort of lame excuse. Come up with a better tactic... or don’t. Just answer the phone.

Since I couldn’t get him here the easy way, I went for the devious way. He thought he was coming to the annex for my going away party. Celia told him he had to show up.

There was no party. No people. Just me and an offer I hoped he’d jump at.

At exactly four o’clock the door opened. Jackson took two steps inside and stopped. Seeing me sitting on the counter next to a plate of freshly made scones was, I hoped, his fantasy.

“What’s going on?” He held his keys and they jingled when he moved.

His frown wasn’t very comforting, but I did trick him into coming, so I couldn’t really be grumbly about his confusion.

He started walking again. Came the whole way to the kitchen area and stood about five feet away from me.

Progress.

“We’re having a party.” Man, if he turned me down this was going to suck. I might stuff him in the freezer. Even Celia would understand the reaction.

“When? Do I have the wrong day?” He glanced at his watch then back at me.

How did he look even more adorable when bewildered?

I continued to sit on the counter. If Gram saw me she’d yell. She was opposed to anyone sitting on a kitchen counter for any reason. She promised to give me privacy with Jackson, so this was my one shot at counter sitting.

“Technically, you’re here to celebrate my work news.”

“Okay.” He looked anything but okay. Disoriented. Tired. Those fit. “Did Micah give you a promotion?”

Jackson, Jackson, Jackson. He really wasn’t getting this.

“I left NOI.” I looked around the room. “I work here now.”

“What?”

“It’s true.”

“Baking?” He sounded horrified.

“That reaction is so rude.”

“Have you ever cooked anything without burning it?”

“You start one fire and right away people think you can’t cook.” I jumped down. He didn’t move back, so the landing put me right in front of him. Just as I’d planned. “Hi.”

“Hi.” His voice sounded scratchy. Very sexy.

He was always so in control. So confident and practical. He looked a little jumpy right now. I hoped that was a good sign.

I crossed my arms in front of me to keep from wrapping them around his waist and pulling him in tight. Baby steps. “You’ve been ignoring me.”

“I wonder why.”

He was not going to make this easy. Lucky for him I liked a challenge. “Me too.”

He started to say something then stopped. It took another deep exhale before he said a word. “You get it, right? I admitted I loved you, which I never intended to do. It’s embarrassing that I barked it out like I did. The logical solution was to give you some breathing room.”

So logical. “You mean hide.”

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