Page 79 of His Best Friend's Baby

“I’m not in business,” Jesse said.

“Well, you should be,” the man said with a laugh as he sat again. “Enjoy your meal. I had no idea when I moved out here that I’d be getting the best fried chicken on the planet.”

“It’s good,” Jesse said with a taut smile. “Ice-cream shop next door is even better.”

Julia sighed with the sudden decompression of tension.

They walked on and she shot Jesse a questioning look but he just shrugged. “Never saw anyone make such a big deal about a leak,” he muttered.

“Told you,” she said. “Not everyone wants to talk about the past.” She wanted to say more, but she bit her tongue rather than add more tension to this outing.

“He’s new in town,” he muttered. But Julia could see the bright red skin under his collar and the reluctant grin at the corner of his mouth.

The man with the leak had gone a long way toward saving her first date with Jesse.

They settled into the far corner of the restaurant. Ben insisted on sitting beside Jesse.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to Ben, but he’s becoming your number-one fan,” Julia said and lifted Ben over the table to Jesse, who settled him in the booster seat.

“The feeling is mutual,” Jesse said, pushing Ben’s curls off his forehead.

Julia lifted her menu to hide the smile she couldn’t contain.

It’s happening, she thought, giddy with love and success. It’s all coming together. He’s going to realize this town isn’t as bad as he thought. He’ll start his own business here, rather than in San Diego and we’ll all—

“Well, if it isn’t the hotshot soldier.”

Julia dropped her menu to see a thick, heavy man in a baseball cap come up to Jesse’s shoulder. The restaurant quieted, all eyes on them.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Jesse said quietly. Julia held her breath waiting for the moment to explode.

“That’s not what you were saying when we kicked your ass.” The guy laughed and a few people around them laughed with him and Julia’s heart shattered. This was one of the men Jesse had fought with weeks ago, something she’d managed to forget about, as though it had happened to someone else entirely.

“I’m saying it now. I just want to have dinner.” Jesse looked up at the man and Julia felt chilled at his hard cold black eyes.

“We don’t see you much over at Billy’s anymore.”

“I’m not much of a drinker,” Jesse said. “Why don’t you move along.”

The guy leaned down right in Jesse’s face. “Why don’t you kiss my—”

“Come on, Mike.” A brunette in a tight top pulled on the guy’s arm. “Let’s just go home.”

Mike snapped his arm free and straightened, allowing Julia to finally take a breath.

“I’ll see you around,” he said, dripping with snide disrespect. “You enjoy that dinner.”

He left and Julia set down the menu and leaned across the table.

“Jesse?” she whispered, painfully aware that people were staring at them. Jesse didn’t answer, he studied his menu as if he were alone. And he was, she realized. In his mind, Jesse was all alone. Always had been and, she feared, always would be.

A waitress appeared. “What do you want?” she asked and Julia flinched at her tone. The girl could have taken everyone’s order that way but it felt personal right now. It felt like another attack.

“We’ll have two white-meat half dinners,” Jesse said. “And a chicken leg for the boy.”

She nodded and vanished.

Jesse cast his gaze over those people seated close to them, the ones still watching, and they all turned away.

He smiled at that, as if their actions confirmed that he’d been right all along. She didn’t recognize him when he smiled that way.

“Let’s just go,” she nearly cried. All of the hard work, the inroads to his guilt and unhappiness that she’d made the past week, were crumbling under her feet.

“You wanted to come here,” he told her. “So we’re going to stay.” His eyes glittered. “This is my life in this town, Julia,” he said. “This is who I am here.”

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