Page 71 of Forever After All

It was guilt. She had feelings for Linc, and dating somehow made her unfaithful, even if she didn’t have a reason to be loyal to Linc. They weren’t even thinking about dating, but everything inside her said it wasn’t fair to date when her heart wasn’t in it for a reason.

“Um, no. And I’d rather not tell him. It’s pointless anyway. I’ve come to my senses. Dating is a waste of time.”

“If everybody thought like that, no one would live happily ever after.”

Jess narrowed her eyes at Thea. “Maybe happily ever after isn’t for everyone.”

She was coming to grips with that idea. Sure, most people dated for years before they found “the one,” but if Jess wasn’t willing to put in that kind of determined effort, maybe that meant she should forgo it altogether. Her heart wasn’t in it.

“I’m surprised you didn’t stand up to Mrs. Huntington.”

“I would have if she hadn’t seemed like she was asking me for a favor and I was denying her.”

Also, peer pressure was still very much a thing in her twenties. Instead of people in high school trying to get her to smoke or drink, old ladies were asking her for favors.

It was much harder to stand up to an old lady than a popular kid.

Thea stretched her arms over her head and yawned. “Well, have fun. I’m going to get some coffee before getting back to cleaning out the tack room.”

Jess hung her hat on the hook inside the office and headed home. She could make it through one more date. It was only a few hours.

* * *

The Basket Case was busier than usual. Just as she got used to the slower pace of the winter months, the tourist season ramped up again.

Jess looked around the laid-back restaurant. It wasn’t Italian food, and it wasn’t a bar setting. This date was already shaping up to be better than the others. The Basket Case was more her speed.

Jeremiah stood from a table by the window. She’d taken all the precautions on this date. She’d asked for a photo before meeting him so she could look him up on social media, and he seemed perfectly normal.

She even gave herself a pat on the back for meeting him at the restaurant. Lesson learned there.

Jeremiah waved and smiled as he approached her. He was tall. Really tall. He had a lean build and dark hair. Overall, he was the definition of an average American guy in his twenties.

“Jess?”

“Hey.”

She waved, but Jeremiah extended a hand.

Shaking hands wasn’t as bad as hugging, but getting away with a wave would have been fantastic. She shook his hand and noted there wasn’t any unnecessary squeezing.

Jeremiah kept his bright smile and waved for her to follow him. “Come on. I got us a table.”

She followed Jeremiah to the table where a basket of fried pickles waited. He held out an appetizer plate. “You want some? We can get a different appetizer if you want something else.”

Slowly taking the seat in front of him, she accepted the plate. “Thanks. This is fine.” She wasn’t a big fan of pickles, and she didn’t normally spring for an appetizer before a meal. If he was paying, she didn’t want to order excessively. Enough was as good as a feast, in her opinion.

“So, I’m glad you agreed to come out with me.” Jeremiah put a few pickles on his small plate and poured out a dollop of ranch dressing from a cup.

“Mrs. Huntington is convincing.”

Jeremiah picked up the menu and looked at it for a few seconds before putting it back down. “You know what you want to order?”

“I usually just get a burger.”

“Oh, theirs are the best here. I like the veggie burger myself. Never tried one with meat.”

Jess fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. “Are you a vegetarian?”

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