Page 39 of Waiting on You

“I can handle Levi,” Colleen said. “Come on. I brought you a salad. All that nice spinach is good for my godchild. And it’s loaded with bacon for you.”

They sat at the kitchen table and ate. Not only had Colleen brought the salad, courtesy of her brother, but also some whole-grain artisanal bread from Lorelei’s Sunrise Bakery, sparkling water and Lorelei’s famous carrot cupcakes for dessert.

The breeze came through the open windows that overlooked the small, precious backyard. Soon there’d be a little kid toddling around out there. It was nice to picture.

“I think the reason you haven’t found anyone,” Faith said carefully, “is that men are scared of you. They want you, of course, because come on. Look at this.” She waved her hand in front of Colleen. “Beautiful. But it’s intimidating. You have a smart mouth, you’re successful and you know everyone’s secrets. It’s a lot. And then there’s Connor.”

“I know. I should euthanize him.”

Faith shoveled in some more spinach. “Do you really like Jack?”

“Sure! Of course I do. He’s hot.”

“Gross.”

“I know, I know, he’s your brother. But he’s got that crinkly eye thing going. Like your dad.” Colleen took a bite of bread. “I wish your dad had married me instead of Mrs. Johnson. I’d make such a good trophy wife.”

“I’ll ignore that. Okay, of course I’ll fix you up with Jack. And then you can get married and your babies will be my nieces and nephews. Not that I’m rushing anything.”

* * *

“SORRY,” JACKSAIDtwo nights later as they sat at Hugo’s on their first official date. “I’m not feeling it.”

“Oh, shut up,” Colleen said. “You don’t know anything. Jessica!” She waved Jess down; though Jess worked at Blue Heron for the Hollands, she still waited tables here a couple nights a week. “Don’t you think Jack and I make a great couple?”

Jess tilted her head. “I’m not really feeling it.”

“Damn it!” Colleen drained her martini and sighed.

“You guys want dessert?” Jess asked.

“Sure,” Colleen grumbled. “Bring us the lava cake, okay? We’ll split it because it’s more romantic that way.” She tried not to mind as Jack looked at Jessica’s ass as she walked away. For one, it was a great ass. For two, yeah...the chemistry thing might be a little hard to overcome. The past hour and a half seemed like six.

On paper, things were perfect. Jack obediently called her for a date, though he didn’t pick her up at her house; she lived a stone’s throw off the green, but he kissed her cheek in the restaurant foyer. He smelled nice. She’d been flirting with him for ages, and he always blushed and went silent, indicating high levels of attraction.

And then...fizzle.

Happened every damn time.

She stared at him. It wasn’t that there was no chemistry. It was that there was a black hole where chemistry was supposed to be. Jack felt an awful lot like a brother right now. Picturing him naked...yuck.

“Jack, I don’t get it. I’ve been flirting with you for five years now. Now here’s all this—” she gestured to her torso and face “—and you’re just sitting there like a mushroom.”

“Maybe you’re not quite as...” He let his voice trail off before he damned himself completely.

“Yeah, no. It’s not that.”

He smiled. She couldn’t help smiling back.

“I think it’s that you’re like a fourth sister,” he said.

“But you blush when I flirt with you.”

“It’s a flush of horror.”

“Really?”

“I’m sorry. It seemed rude to say, ‘Please stop, you’re making my skin crawl.’”

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