Page 31 of Forever After All

Jess lifted her head. “Hanson. Hey, it’s good to see you.”

Linc gave him a once-over. Hanson’s face was a little too friendly for someone who got turned down for a second date.

“Good to see you too.” Hanson looked at Linc and raised his brows. “You must be Linc.”

Linc turned to Jess. How did this guy know him? Had Jess talked about him after he ran into her at the steakhouse?

Jess’s mouth opened and closed before she tried again. “Um, yeah. This is Linc.”

Hanson’s expression hardened, and he looked Linc up and down before extending a hand. “I heard about you.”

Oh, really?

Linc took the hand and gave it a firm grip. “I heard things didn’t go your way Monday night. Better luck next time.”

Jess jabbed her elbow into Linc’s side, but he didn’t take his attention off the guy.

“You win some, you lose some. Jess gets to break another heart.”

Jess dramatically rolled her eyes. “Stop it.”

Little did this guy know, she’d done that very thing less than an hour ago.

“I’m just messing with you. No hard feelings,” Hanson said. “Well, I’d better get back to my aunt. She’s been trying to set me up with someone else here. Half of my house is still in boxes, and she thinks finding the love of my life is at the top of my to-do list.”

Jess laughed. “I don’t envy you.”

Linc didn’t envy the guy either. Blind dates sounded about as appealing as getting a shot in the eye.

“I might sneak off to go fishing and stay gone for a while,” Hanson said. “Maybe she’ll forget I’m the lonely new bachelor in town.”

Linc chuckled. “You could come on a pack ride with us and disappear into the wilderness.”

“Linc, behave,” Jess seethed.

“I meant that in a good way. Not like I wanted him to get lost.”

“Kinda sounds like a good idea, minus the horses.” Hanson grimaced.

Linc hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Hanson. “This guy doesn’t like horses?”

Jess nodded. “They have big eyes,” she explained.

Everything clicked into place. Jess and Hanson had found some common ground in that they didn’t like being set up by the town, but Jess’s heart for the horses and Hanson’s dislike drove a wedge between them.

“Ah. Too bad, man,” Linc said.

“I’ll be fine. You two have a nice night,” Hanson said with a wave.

Jess smiled as she waved, but it faded as soon as she turned back to Linc. “What was that?”

“What?”

“You were trying to intimidate him like you were my protective big brother or something.”

Ouch. He’d been demoted from friend to big brother all in a few hours.

“Just looking out for you.”

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