Page 35 of Simply Yours

“I know.”

She hesitated, measuring his expression. “Matthew told me what he did.”

Jason exhaled through his nose, a mix between a chuckle and a sigh. “So you know I asked him then.”

“Yeah, but it’s not that big of a town. You could have found me over the last six weeks or something.”

Jason gave a rueful laugh, rubbing at his jaw as he shook his head. “You know, for it being a small town, you’d think it would be easier to run into you casually so it didn’t come off as creepy, right?”

Caitlin arched a brow, tilting her head slightly as she stepped toward the booth. “I don’t think a girl would take it as creepy if a guy was interested in her,” she whispered, her voice low but laced with meaning. “I think a girl would find it flattering if he was brave enough to ask for her number or wanted to talk to her.”

Jason held her gaze, the warmth in his eyes intensifying. “What if the guy was really scared because she intimidated him?” His voice had dropped, quieter now like he was confessing something he didn’t even mean to. “I mean, hypothetically, of course…”

“Of course…” Caitlin murmured, though her heart was pounding.

Jason swallowed, watching her closely. “Let’s just say that this guy asked her outtwice,and she turned him down, so he was really nervous…”

Caitlin could feel her pulse thrumming in her throat. She licked her lips, her voice softer now. “I guess maybe it says a lot about both of them.”

“How so?”

“Maybe he was scared and ran—and maybe she said no because she was frightened too.”

Jason exhaled slowly, considering her words. His gaze never wavered, never broke from hers. “Hmm,” he mused, nodding. “That’s a pickle.”

“Yup,” Caitlin agreed, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. “A tough one to get past.”

Jason crossed his arms, tapping a finger against his bicep in thought. “I guess they have a history, which is why they might both be frightened to take the next step.”

“Sounds like it.”

“And then there’s the third wheel who keeps throwing both of them off the scent by interfering…”

Caitlin rolled her eyes dramatically, stepping even closer, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of sawdust and spice clinging to his shirt. “Ah yes, the third wheel,” she muttered.

Jason grinned. “Someone should put a spoke in his wheel.”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I have it on good authority that he was beaten within an inch of his life by a loaf of sourdough today when it was discovered,” she whispered like she was sharing the town’s best-kept secret.

Jason’s smile widened, a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest, and for a moment, they just stood there—locked in a stare neither one of them was willing to break. The air between them was thick, charged with something unspoken, something neither of them seemed ready to say aloud.

Jason finally cleared his throat, shifting slightly. “So… how did the bread sales go for you today –really.”

Caitlin let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Terrible. You?”

“Awful,” he admitted, still grinning. “We’re going home with a piglet and some baby chicks, but we sold most of Dad’s seasoning. I was hoping to go home empty-handed.”

“I’ll take a baby chick or two.”

Jason’s brow lifted, amused. “You can have them,” he said, his voice lower, softer. And then, after a beat—“In exchange for coffee.”

Caitlin’s heart stumbled over itself, and she knew, without a doubt, that they were no longer just dancing around the past. Jason Baird had just taken a step forward. And now, it was her turn to decide if she’d meet him there.

“Ahhh,” she smiled hesitantly, eyes flicking between him and the table. “Would this be acluckykinda hostage situation?”

“Thecluckiest,” he agreed smoothly, his grin sharp and knowing. His easy confidence sent a ripple of something unexpected through her—anticipation? Amusement? Maybe both.

Jason tilted his head slightly, considering her as if trying to decipher exactly what she was thinking. “So how do you do this?” he asked, nodding toward the setup between them. “You’re distracting me.”

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