Read Online Perfectly Charming (A Morning Glory Novel Book 2) by Liz Talley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Liz Talley
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brings you to Pensacola?” he asked, sliding onto a bar stool.
Jess leaned her elbows on the granite countertop and glanced past his shoulder out at the gulf water rolling onto the beach. Several seconds ticked by in which she seemed to weigh what she wanted to tell him. “Well, let’s see, my husband left me, Lacy died, I got divorced a month ago, and the medical company I work for sent me to fill in for a surgical nurse on maternity leave at Bay View.”
Whoa. “Uh, Lacy Guthrie died?” The image of a round friendly face, blonde hair, and a funny orange truck named something absurd appeared in his memory. Lacy had been a nice girl. “How?”
Jess swallowed and didn’t bring her gaze back to his. Instead she stared hard out the window. “Cancer.”
“God, that’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it was. It is,” she said softly.
“And you’re no longer with Benton?” Something inside him gave a standing ovation to that notion. He’d never liked the cocksure Benton Mason, with his rolled-up Oxford button-ups and flask of bourbon in his back pocket. As the son of the mayor, Benton had strolled through Morning Glory secure in his position, unafraid of the Barney Fife cops in the small town. Fourteen years ago there had been no social media justice, antibullying campaigns, or people willing to stand up to fat cat Mayor Mason. Benton was an apple who’d not fallen far from the tree. Ryan knew all too well what it meant to be on the receiving end of Benton’s attention.
“Weird, huh? We were always ‘Benton and Jess.’ Still feels strange to me.”
“You were together a long time.” He wanted to ask what had happened but didn’t think it polite to push. Sometimes his southern upbringing emerged to strangle his curiosity.
“Yeah,” she said, taking a big gulp of the wine. She looked sad, and he didn’t want her to be sad so he was relieved when she asked, “So do you like living in Pensacola?”
“Love it. The weather’s nice, even in the winter. Early spring can be rough with the constant cold fronts, but even at that, Mother Nature gifts us with warm days to remind us of what’s coming. I’ve only been here for a year and a half, though.”
“Oh,” she said, her gaze finally locking on his. He could see so much in those eyes—regret, longing, grief, and a sort of gameness, as if she refused to sink too far into the mire within her soul. That was something he’d always liked about Jess—she was a fighter. “So before here you were in California? Think that’s what my mother told me.”
“Yeah, California. Similar gorgeous weather, except for the humidity.”
“But the downside is earthquakes, forest fires, and health food.”
Ryan laughed. “True. Never been much of a tofu or kale guy.”
“You told your friend to deliver the food at seven. You want to take a quick walk on the beach?” she asked, her face now impassive. “I need some beach therapy.”
“If that’s what you want,” he said, meaning every word of it. Something told him Jess needed time and space. Any possible thought he had of taking things to another level with his fantasy girl fizzled like cheap champagne in Christmas punch. Jess needed a friend . . . even if it was an old one she hadn’t recognized.
“You know how rare it is to hear a man say that?” she joked.
Ryan smiled. “Well, I was always your puppy.”
Jess paused, her face dimming. “You knew we called you that?”
“I’m not stupid,” he said—truer words never spoken. He wasn’t stupid. Far from it. Hadn’t that always been what separated him from everyone else? The fact that he was a genius?
Jess touched his shoulder, light as a moth wing. “No, you’re definitely not stupid.”
Jess watched a group of teen girls stroll ahead of her and Ryan. She’d left her shoes at the end of the walkway and rolled up the jeans she’d slid on after dumping her scrubs into the laundry at the hospital. Her white cotton shirt caught the wind and
Jess leaned her elbows on the granite countertop and glanced past his shoulder out at the gulf water rolling onto the beach. Several seconds ticked by in which she seemed to weigh what she wanted to tell him. “Well, let’s see, my husband left me, Lacy died, I got divorced a month ago, and the medical company I work for sent me to fill in for a surgical nurse on maternity leave at Bay View.”
Whoa. “Uh, Lacy Guthrie died?” The image of a round friendly face, blonde hair, and a funny orange truck named something absurd appeared in his memory. Lacy had been a nice girl. “How?”
Jess swallowed and didn’t bring her gaze back to his. Instead she stared hard out the window. “Cancer.”
“God, that’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it was. It is,” she said softly.
“And you’re no longer with Benton?” Something inside him gave a standing ovation to that notion. He’d never liked the cocksure Benton Mason, with his rolled-up Oxford button-ups and flask of bourbon in his back pocket. As the son of the mayor, Benton had strolled through Morning Glory secure in his position, unafraid of the Barney Fife cops in the small town. Fourteen years ago there had been no social media justice, antibullying campaigns, or people willing to stand up to fat cat Mayor Mason. Benton was an apple who’d not fallen far from the tree. Ryan knew all too well what it meant to be on the receiving end of Benton’s attention.
“Weird, huh? We were always ‘Benton and Jess.’ Still feels strange to me.”
“You were together a long time.” He wanted to ask what had happened but didn’t think it polite to push. Sometimes his southern upbringing emerged to strangle his curiosity.
“Yeah,” she said, taking a big gulp of the wine. She looked sad, and he didn’t want her to be sad so he was relieved when she asked, “So do you like living in Pensacola?”
“Love it. The weather’s nice, even in the winter. Early spring can be rough with the constant cold fronts, but even at that, Mother Nature gifts us with warm days to remind us of what’s coming. I’ve only been here for a year and a half, though.”
“Oh,” she said, her gaze finally locking on his. He could see so much in those eyes—regret, longing, grief, and a sort of gameness, as if she refused to sink too far into the mire within her soul. That was something he’d always liked about Jess—she was a fighter. “So before here you were in California? Think that’s what my mother told me.”
“Yeah, California. Similar gorgeous weather, except for the humidity.”
“But the downside is earthquakes, forest fires, and health food.”
Ryan laughed. “True. Never been much of a tofu or kale guy.”
“You told your friend to deliver the food at seven. You want to take a quick walk on the beach?” she asked, her face now impassive. “I need some beach therapy.”
“If that’s what you want,” he said, meaning every word of it. Something told him Jess needed time and space. Any possible thought he had of taking things to another level with his fantasy girl fizzled like cheap champagne in Christmas punch. Jess needed a friend . . . even if it was an old one she hadn’t recognized.
“You know how rare it is to hear a man say that?” she joked.
Ryan smiled. “Well, I was always your puppy.”
Jess paused, her face dimming. “You knew we called you that?”
“I’m not stupid,” he said—truer words never spoken. He wasn’t stupid. Far from it. Hadn’t that always been what separated him from everyone else? The fact that he was a genius?
Jess touched his shoulder, light as a moth wing. “No, you’re definitely not stupid.”
Jess watched a group of teen girls stroll ahead of her and Ryan. She’d left her shoes at the end of the walkway and rolled up the jeans she’d slid on after dumping her scrubs into the laundry at the hospital. Her white cotton shirt caught the wind and
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