from?”
“Atlanta. Why do
you want to know?”
She straightened and put that look on her face that let
Jesse know she was lying. “I like
to know about my customers. I
thought maybe we had a new resident in town. Although she looks too fancy to live
around here.”
“Fancy’s one word for her.”
Kerri Ann eyed Jesse suspiciously. “If you know her, what are you doing
sitting over here?”
Jesse shrugged and tried his best to look innocent. The last thing he wanted was for Kerri
Ann to know was how badly he’d struck out with her. “Didn’t want to interrupt.”
Kerri Ann laughed. “Let me guess. You’ve
already hit on her and she turned you down.” When he only frowned at her, she shook
her head. “Christ, Jesse. You’ll never change.”
When she turned and walked down the bar to help another
customer, Jesse noticed Bryce leaving. He waited what he thought was a respectable amount of time before
turning and plopping into Bryce’s vacated chair.
“We meet again.” Why, as the corners of her lush mouth folded downward, could Jesse feel
his competitive juices start to flow?
“Please don’t ruin the best meal I’ve had in ages.” Her dark eyes made a quick assessment of
his attire.
A snob. He knew
it, but couldn’t figure out why it tickled him so. “Mind if I join you?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She scraped the last bite of pizza
through her salad dressing and plopped it into her mouth. “And I’m done.”
She sure was. There wasn’t a crumb left on either plate. He loved a woman who wasn’t afraid to
eat. “I wanted to apologize for my
behavior yesterday. I was rude and
I’m sorry.”
She looked shocked and then her eyes narrowed. “What’s the catch?”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t want to make it up to me by buying me dinner or
sharing a sunset drive into the woods?”
Boy, was she jaded. “Would you have agreed if I’d offered?”
Her lips pursed as she considered. “No, but I wasn’t expecting a simple
apology.”
“When I’m wrong, I like to admit it and move on. And since I keep running into you, I
figure we ought to make up so I can stop looking out for knives thrown at my
back.”
“Okay, I’ll admit my reaction to you was a little
harsh. I apologize too.” She put her napkin on the table and
reached for her purse.
“So, truce then.” He tried to think of how to get her to linger.
“Truce.” She
held out her hand and they shook over the table. He felt something when he took her small
hand in his, something like a spark or a connection. She must have felt it too because her
expression turned serious. “May I
have my hand back, please?”
Jesse slowly disengaged her hand from his. “Sure, Angelita. I’ll see you around.”
***
Kerri Ann was manning the cash register when Lita got up to
leave. The woman practically ran
the restaurant single-handedly. Lita knew Bryce had paid the check, as promised. She also knew that Kerri Ann was
swimming in a giant pool of jealousy from the hundreds of daggers she’d shot
their way while they ate. If only
Kerri Ann knew that Bryce had spent half of the time talking about her and how
hard she’d worked to keep the business running while raising her son.
Lita grabbed a mint from the jar by the register and painted
on her most genuine smile. “That
was the best pizza I’ve had in ages. You’re truly gifted.”
Kerri Ann’s expression softened. “Thanks,” she said in what Lita assumed
was her real voice. “Come on back.”
“I will.” She
unwrapped the mint and popped it in her mouth. She glanced back where Jesse sat at her
abandoned table, all gorgeous and rumpled in his grunge-wear. She was still reeling from their brief
contact and the look she’d seen in his eyes. Since her feelings were slightly
off-kilter, she figured she might as
“Atlanta. Why do
you want to know?”
She straightened and put that look on her face that let
Jesse know she was lying. “I like
to know about my customers. I
thought maybe we had a new resident in town. Although she looks too fancy to live
around here.”
“Fancy’s one word for her.”
Kerri Ann eyed Jesse suspiciously. “If you know her, what are you doing
sitting over here?”
Jesse shrugged and tried his best to look innocent. The last thing he wanted was for Kerri
Ann to know was how badly he’d struck out with her. “Didn’t want to interrupt.”
Kerri Ann laughed. “Let me guess. You’ve
already hit on her and she turned you down.” When he only frowned at her, she shook
her head. “Christ, Jesse. You’ll never change.”
When she turned and walked down the bar to help another
customer, Jesse noticed Bryce leaving. He waited what he thought was a respectable amount of time before
turning and plopping into Bryce’s vacated chair.
“We meet again.” Why, as the corners of her lush mouth folded downward, could Jesse feel
his competitive juices start to flow?
“Please don’t ruin the best meal I’ve had in ages.” Her dark eyes made a quick assessment of
his attire.
A snob. He knew
it, but couldn’t figure out why it tickled him so. “Mind if I join you?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She scraped the last bite of pizza
through her salad dressing and plopped it into her mouth. “And I’m done.”
She sure was. There wasn’t a crumb left on either plate. He loved a woman who wasn’t afraid to
eat. “I wanted to apologize for my
behavior yesterday. I was rude and
I’m sorry.”
She looked shocked and then her eyes narrowed. “What’s the catch?”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t want to make it up to me by buying me dinner or
sharing a sunset drive into the woods?”
Boy, was she jaded. “Would you have agreed if I’d offered?”
Her lips pursed as she considered. “No, but I wasn’t expecting a simple
apology.”
“When I’m wrong, I like to admit it and move on. And since I keep running into you, I
figure we ought to make up so I can stop looking out for knives thrown at my
back.”
“Okay, I’ll admit my reaction to you was a little
harsh. I apologize too.” She put her napkin on the table and
reached for her purse.
“So, truce then.” He tried to think of how to get her to linger.
“Truce.” She
held out her hand and they shook over the table. He felt something when he took her small
hand in his, something like a spark or a connection. She must have felt it too because her
expression turned serious. “May I
have my hand back, please?”
Jesse slowly disengaged her hand from his. “Sure, Angelita. I’ll see you around.”
***
Kerri Ann was manning the cash register when Lita got up to
leave. The woman practically ran
the restaurant single-handedly. Lita knew Bryce had paid the check, as promised. She also knew that Kerri Ann was
swimming in a giant pool of jealousy from the hundreds of daggers she’d shot
their way while they ate. If only
Kerri Ann knew that Bryce had spent half of the time talking about her and how
hard she’d worked to keep the business running while raising her son.
Lita grabbed a mint from the jar by the register and painted
on her most genuine smile. “That
was the best pizza I’ve had in ages. You’re truly gifted.”
Kerri Ann’s expression softened. “Thanks,” she said in what Lita assumed
was her real voice. “Come on back.”
“I will.” She
unwrapped the mint and popped it in her mouth. She glanced back where Jesse sat at her
abandoned table, all gorgeous and rumpled in his grunge-wear. She was still reeling from their brief
contact and the look she’d seen in his eyes. Since her feelings were slightly
off-kilter, she figured she might as
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