Page 73 of Hot for the Jerk

“Okay …”

I lifted my gaze back to Danica.“I’m just scared.”

Understanding shone back at me in her eyes.“I know you are, honey.But you deserve happiness.You deserve love.You also deserve to experience a real, honest, healthy relationship—we all do—and maybe Jagger McEvoy is the man to give you that.”

“But what if he breaks my heart?”I asked, my jaw aching from how hard I tried to keep my emotions in check.

My cousin shrugged.“Oh, sweetie, but what if he claims it and gives you his in return?”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Raina

ItwasSaturday.Thelast weekend before the children all headed back to school, and our regularly scheduled program could commence.Not that I didn’t love having Marco home, but the kid did a lot of lounging, a lot of video game playing, and alotof eating.He was in that weird stage of his life where he needed me, but also didn’t need me as much.He also idolized his older cousins.So he wanted to spend as much time with Damon and Austin as he could, since when the kids were in school, they hung out primarily with their age group and classmates.

I finished my work for the day and checked my phone.It was only two o’clock.I hadn’t heard or seen Jagger since he showed up on my doorsteps a few days ago, and for some reason, that bugged me.

Why wasn’t he pushing for us to go out?Surely, he wasn’t going to take my no as an answer and back off.Didn’t men like the chase?Or was I totally out of the loop when it came to dating?Was I supposed to chase him now?How did dating even go?Did we “hang out” for months until we declared it on social media that it was more than just casual or hanging out?Did people even declare things on social media anymore?

My dating experience was nonexistent.I had no reference.My cousins didn’t even date, as far as I knew.So I couldn’t use them as shining examples either.

All I knew was that when I jumped into Gabrielle’s SUV with the intention of heading to the Town Center Grocery Store, I found myself pulling onto the laneway for the San Camanez Brewery and Sound Bites Pub instead.

After the chaos the McEvoys experienced earlier this year, they smartly installed a security gate, separating the commercial property from their private residence.I didn’t like that I had to announce myself, but I understood the reasoning.I was about to roll down my window and hit the intercom when a vehicle pulled up behind me.

The driver’s side door opened and Brooke Barker, smiling like the beautiful blonde Hollywood starlet that she was, came to my window.“Hey, Raina.You here to see Jagger?”

Heat burned my cheeks and my arms grew tingly.“Uh, yeah.”

“Hang on, I’ll punch in the code for you.”She stepped in front of me and hit a series of numbers, then the big, metal gate swung open a second later.I quickly drove through, but I didn’t know which of the five identical houses—all painted different colors—was Jagger’s.

Brooke parked Clint’s truck in front of the first house—a well-maintained two-story with blue siding and white trim—then she, Vica, Chloe, and Justine all jumped out, big grins on all of their faces.

Crap.

“Jagger’s house is the one on the end,” Vica said, pointing to the same style two-story with gray siding and white trim.His truck was parked in front as well.

I swallowed.“Uh, thanks.”

“For the record,” Brooke said, her yoga mat tucked under her arm, “we think you and Jagger would make a really cute couple.”

My head hung forward and I’m sure flames flickered visibly off my cheeks at this point.The other three women simply chuckled as they made their way to their respective front doors, their yoga mats under their arms.

I parked in front of Jagger’s house, pulled up my big girl panties and climbed out of Gabrielle’s SUV.Why the fuck was I even here?What was my plan?

Short answer?I didn’t have a plan.

Long answer?I missed Jagger and hated that he stopped coming around, and that he took my no as a final answer.

With my heart hammering against my ribcage until I thought I might puke, I approached his front door only to be greeted with the sound of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gay and Tammi Terrell playing loudly inside.Was he blasting that on his own?

A sinking feeling formed in my stomach.Maybe he wasn’t alone.Maybe he’d already moved on and was entertaining someone who had a penchant for the oldies.

This was an absolutely terrible idea.I turned to go, but found Chloe standing on Dom’s front porch, a soft smile on her lips.“Knock,” she said.“Just knock.”Then she ducked into her house, but only after giving me an encouraging little tip of her head.

Pulling in a deep breath, I hiked my jeans up onto my hips and tugged down my puffy cream-colored vest.Since the weather was nice, I decided to risk it and wear a long-sleeve, waffle-knit, black shirt and a vest, rather than bust out the full jacket.So far, nothing important had frozen off.

My knuckles made contact with the solid wood of his front door, and I held my breath.

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