Page 24 of Off Limits
He stood tall, jaw set, eyes burning. Whatever it took, he’d never bring that kind of darkness to her door.
Chapter Twelve
Jane
Jane paced her kitchen, heart thudding with a mix of nerves and resolve. Zachary Norton would be pulling into her driveway any minute now for their date. Yes. A date. After two weeks of radio silence from Brady—not one single word—she’d finally given Zach awhen. No more stalling. No more waiting around for a man who wouldn’t choose her.
She’d avoided the brewery like it was nuclear. She’d told Rex she’d been busy. And she had been. Plus, her brother had been traveling. But in the past, no matter how hectic her schedule was, she always found time to swing by Dog Tired—even just to say hi. That changed the moment Brady restacked the bricks around his heart.
The few times she’d stopped into the brewery, Brady had kept himself tucked away in the office. Their interactions, brief and polite, were like cold splashes of reality—each one chipping away at her heart a little more.
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. Any second now.
She stared at her reflection in the kitchen window. She’d almost canceled. Almost texted Zach to say she wasn’t ready. And maybe she wasn’t. But how would she know unless she tried?
What’s that saying? The only way over a man is under another.
She snorted. Not that she planned to sleep with Zach. But maybe letting someone new into her life might help push Brady further out of her heart. Or at least help her remember who she was without him.
She watched as Zach’s black Toyota 4 Runner turned into her driveway and rolled to a stop. The door opened and he hopped out, casual confidence in every step. His chestnut-colored hair looked freshly trimmed, cropped short like he’d just buzzed it that afternoon. A mustard corduroy jacket, buttoned to the top, hugged his torso. The dark denim jeans he wore clung to his hips like they had no intention of letting go.
He looked good—stylish, put-together. Handsome.
But he wasn’t built like Brady. Brady’s muscles contoured his frame like something chiseled out of stone. Raw, real and impossible to forget.
Ugh. Stop it, Jane. Stop thinking about him.
She forced a breath, pressed a smile to her lips and stepped toward the door.
She opened it. “Hi.”
Zach’s gaze took her in as he climbed the two stairs to her front porch. “Hi, yourself.” He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. “This color looks incredible on you.” He touched her cherry red blouse that she also paired with dark jeans. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” Heat rose on her cheeks. It’s not the first compliment she’d received but it was nice to get one. She gave him another once-over. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”
He smiled.
