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Authors: Betsy St. Amant
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moody most of their marriage. Jacob was allowed a bad day or two.
“Want to talk about it?” Marissa swallowed, trying to decide how much of her hopes to risk. Her hand shook, but she had to know. They’d had such a great time together last weekend—surely there was a chance they could do so again. She bit her lower lip. Finding out would be better than wondering—right? She hesitated, then blurted the words before she could change her mind. “Maybe over that dinner date you mentioned Friday?”
Jacob’s smile slowly faded. “About that …” He coughed. “Look, Marissa, I’m sorry, but I can’t—”
“It’s okay.” She cut him off before he could fully verbalize the rejection, her hopes shattering like the perfume bottle Owen had dropped on the bathroom tile last month. She straightened her shoulders, determined to remain professional. “Thanks for letting me see the property.”
“Anytime.” Emotion darkened Jacob’s eyes, a contradiction to the words he’d just spoken. Did he regret them?
Confused, Marissa took the keys he held out in his palm, ignoring the jolt of electricity that still occurred on contact. She quickly opened the door of her SUV and climbed inside. This time, he didn’t stay to shut her door as he had Friday night. He simply turned and ambled toward the front porch, head down, shoulders slumped.
She turned around in the grassy spot by the carport, unwilling to risk backing out of the long driveway all the way to the road.
And unwilling to risk one more portion of her heart on Jacob Greene.
Jacob pulled back the blinds and watched Marissa drive down the gravel drive, hoping the hand she brushed across her face was shoving aside loose hair and not a tear. He didn’t know what hurt worse—the fact that he’d been borderline rude to the least deserving woman on the planet, or the fact that she probably thought he was a complete jerk now.
He dropped the blinds as her SUV disappeared from sight, and stalked to the fridge. His one rare day off that he wasn’t working at the station or working on a yard, and he was going to spend it miserable because he couldn’t tell Marissa the truth.
Well, he could—but would it sound presumptuous to tell her they couldn’t date because of her dad? Because of the domino effect a relationship would have not only on his career but on his family’s welfare?
Although after today, she wouldn’t want to date him anyway.
He grabbed a carton of orange juice and took a swig, the cool liquid doing little to calm his frustration. In answer to his own question, it wouldn’t be presumptuous at all—Marissa was obviously expecting him to keep his word about another date, or she wouldn’t have hinted about it when she asked if he wanted to talk. He should have told her right then and there. But it was all he could do not to wrap her in a hug at the sadness in her gaze.
Sadness he’d placed there.
He slammed the refrigerator door and rested both hands on the countertop. It didn’t help that Liz had gone by the store today to introduce herself to Marissa. If those two were going to be working together in the office, things would surely go from bad to very bad. The last thing he needed was a meddler in this hairy situation, and Liz was well known for her matchmaking ways. At least Liz didn’t seem to have mentioned that he was a fireman when she stopped by Your Special Day.
It’d be easier if Liz had spilled the proverbial beans, but he couldn’t let that happen. Marissa deserved the truth from him. After all, he was the one who let things move as far as they had in their relationship, risking a professional relationship for something more. It was his fault it couldn’t happen now, and therefore his responsibility to explain.
One thing was certain, though—ignoring the obvious wasn’t going to be an option anymore. Not with the way Jacob’s heart pounded in Marissa’s presence and her smile wreaked havoc on his stomach. He’d hoped
“Want to talk about it?” Marissa swallowed, trying to decide how much of her hopes to risk. Her hand shook, but she had to know. They’d had such a great time together last weekend—surely there was a chance they could do so again. She bit her lower lip. Finding out would be better than wondering—right? She hesitated, then blurted the words before she could change her mind. “Maybe over that dinner date you mentioned Friday?”
Jacob’s smile slowly faded. “About that …” He coughed. “Look, Marissa, I’m sorry, but I can’t—”
“It’s okay.” She cut him off before he could fully verbalize the rejection, her hopes shattering like the perfume bottle Owen had dropped on the bathroom tile last month. She straightened her shoulders, determined to remain professional. “Thanks for letting me see the property.”
“Anytime.” Emotion darkened Jacob’s eyes, a contradiction to the words he’d just spoken. Did he regret them?
Confused, Marissa took the keys he held out in his palm, ignoring the jolt of electricity that still occurred on contact. She quickly opened the door of her SUV and climbed inside. This time, he didn’t stay to shut her door as he had Friday night. He simply turned and ambled toward the front porch, head down, shoulders slumped.
She turned around in the grassy spot by the carport, unwilling to risk backing out of the long driveway all the way to the road.
And unwilling to risk one more portion of her heart on Jacob Greene.
Jacob pulled back the blinds and watched Marissa drive down the gravel drive, hoping the hand she brushed across her face was shoving aside loose hair and not a tear. He didn’t know what hurt worse—the fact that he’d been borderline rude to the least deserving woman on the planet, or the fact that she probably thought he was a complete jerk now.
He dropped the blinds as her SUV disappeared from sight, and stalked to the fridge. His one rare day off that he wasn’t working at the station or working on a yard, and he was going to spend it miserable because he couldn’t tell Marissa the truth.
Well, he could—but would it sound presumptuous to tell her they couldn’t date because of her dad? Because of the domino effect a relationship would have not only on his career but on his family’s welfare?
Although after today, she wouldn’t want to date him anyway.
He grabbed a carton of orange juice and took a swig, the cool liquid doing little to calm his frustration. In answer to his own question, it wouldn’t be presumptuous at all—Marissa was obviously expecting him to keep his word about another date, or she wouldn’t have hinted about it when she asked if he wanted to talk. He should have told her right then and there. But it was all he could do not to wrap her in a hug at the sadness in her gaze.
Sadness he’d placed there.
He slammed the refrigerator door and rested both hands on the countertop. It didn’t help that Liz had gone by the store today to introduce herself to Marissa. If those two were going to be working together in the office, things would surely go from bad to very bad. The last thing he needed was a meddler in this hairy situation, and Liz was well known for her matchmaking ways. At least Liz didn’t seem to have mentioned that he was a fireman when she stopped by Your Special Day.
It’d be easier if Liz had spilled the proverbial beans, but he couldn’t let that happen. Marissa deserved the truth from him. After all, he was the one who let things move as far as they had in their relationship, risking a professional relationship for something more. It was his fault it couldn’t happen now, and therefore his responsibility to explain.
One thing was certain, though—ignoring the obvious wasn’t going to be an option anymore. Not with the way Jacob’s heart pounded in Marissa’s presence and her smile wreaked havoc on his stomach. He’d hoped
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