Page 27 of Embers of You
I smile, looking down at my feet, enjoying their banter. No wonder Jameson always seems like a sweet ray of sunshine whenever he talks to me. How he isn’t turned off by my refusals, and it doesn’t seem to stop him from continuing to try. I can’t help but think that has to do with the woman that raised him.
“Where’s Dad?” Jameson asks, his tone of voice clearly devoid of the warmth it just had, and it’s something I recognize all too well. I don’t want to talk to anyone about the betrayal of my own family, but if I did then I would have a tone too.
“He’s up at the house. He doesn’t feel the need to babysit me like my own son does.” She glares playfully at him. “Sutton, why haven’t I seen you before now?”
“Oh, I just moved here not long ago. I’m only here to groom Juniper.”
“Juniper needed to be groomed? Since when?” She turns toward Jameson whose eyes widen just barely as he looks at his mom.
“She was still fuzzy, the weather is getting warmer, I thought it would be a good idea for her to get her body clipped.”
“Hm,” she hums, and I feel like there’s something here I’m not fully understanding.
“I really should head out,” I announce.
“You don’t have to, you could stay for dinner,” Emily offers brightly.
I shake my head. “That’s okay. Maybe another time. It was nice meeting you.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Jameson offers.
“You don’t need to do that.” I gesture for Bennet to heel, which he does easily.
“I’m going to, even if I don’t need to.”
He does, walking the short distance to my car with me. I open the door to let Bennet jump in.
“Thank you. Let me know how much I owe you.”
I honestly forgot about the money because I’m so flustered that all I’m focusing on is getting out of here.
“Oh, don’t worry about it.” I climb into my Jeep, but before I’m able to shut the door, Jameson holds it open.
“I can’t let you do work for free.”
“It’s really okay, it was a practice run.”
“Let me do something then. How about I take you to dinner.”
I lift a single brow at him. “What’s with you and food?”
He shrugs, leaning against my door. “I like food, don’t you?”
I sigh, reaching for the door again. “I’ll see you later, Jameson.”
He backs up, letting me close it. “That wasn’t a no.”
I shake my head, closing the car door. He keeps his eyes on me, that soft smile on his lips as he watches me drive away. I keep looking at him in my rearview mirror, worried about how much longer I’ll be able to keep saying no to him.
Or if I even should.
CHAPTER 14
Jameson
“She’s pretty,”Ma tells me once I come back into the barn.
“She is,” I agree, because there’s no use in denying it. Sutton’s gorgeous and anyone with eyes would say the same thing.
