by LuAnn McLane
“Okay.” Jesse nodded, feeling a pang of disappointment. His motives weren’t entirely pure. He’d figured that if she was all in and agreed to go out publicly with him, she might eventually consider the possibility of going out with him for real. Even in spite of her protests, though . . . “But the offer still stands. And if we were suddenly a thing, then nobody would pay a bit of attention to Asshat Anthony and Angelica.”
“Again, thank you.” Ava put a light hand on his knee. “I’ll keep your offer in mind.” She chuckled lightly.
“What?”
“Asshat Anthony.”
“I know, it has a certain ring to it, right, home skillet?”
Ava gave his knee a shove. “You’re so bad.”
“You mean that in a good way, right?”
Ava laughed. “You’re totally going to slip and call him that in public.”
“Maybe . . .”
“Jesse!”
“Okay, when I refer to A2, you’ll know who I’m talking about.”
Ava laughed harder. “Oh . . . thank you.”
“What for?”
“For making a shitty situation less shitty.”
It was Jesse’s turn to laugh. “Thank you, I think.”
Ava grinned. “That wasn’t a very eloquent compliment. Should I rephrase?”
“Nope, I’ll take it.” Jesse smiled. “All right, let’s get back to business. Since we don’t have anything to rehearse, I’m going to head over and charm Arabella into getting onboard with this.”
“Hmmm . . .” Ava leaned forward. “What can you offer as an incentive?”
“Well . . .” Jesse nibbled on the inside of his lip. “She’s a busy mom, so we might have to offer to do some babysitting for Ella so she and Grady can have the date night she’s always asking for. Do you think you might be up for it?”
“Sure, I love children.” Ava nodded.
“Ella is adorable.” Jesse could imagine Ava playing with his niece.
Ava smiled. “How could she not be? Okay, then let’s get this ball rolling.”
“You got it.” Jesse pushed up to his feet and then offered Ava his hands. When he grasped her fingers, he longed to pull her into his arms, but he wanted to make sure she wanted the same thing. After gently tugging her to her feet, he looked at her face, searching, trying to decide if he should simply ask her permission to kiss her. “Ava?” Jesse asked, but before he could get the words past his lips, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his. For a moment, he was taken by surprise, but then he pulled her closer and kissed her back with the longing he’d tried with zero success to suppress.
Ava threaded her fingers through his hair, and damn, her lips were so soft, so pliant, so sexy but achingly sweet at the same time. But after a couple of amazing minutes, she moved her mouth from his. “I can’t believe I just did that,” Ava said in a low voice. She dipped her head and he heard her quick intake of breath. “Wow . . .” She placed her palms against his chest, and he had to wonder if she could feel the rapid beat of his heart.
Jesse gently tilted her face up so he could try to read the emotion in her eyes. “Sorry, not sorry?”
“You could say that,” she replied in a surprising confession. He braced himself for her to express regret, to take a step away with another this-cannot-happen-again speech. But she didn’t.
Jesse rubbed his thumb over her full bottom lip, still moist from his kiss. “It’s confession time for me too.”
Ava tilted her head and gave him a bit of a trembling smile. “Fess up.”
“Ava, I don’t really want a pretend or fabricated romance to piss A2 off. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m already into you. I’d like the chance to see where this could go . . . for real.”
Something sparkled in her eyes. “Jesse, I pretty much had that figured out as soon as you walked into my dance studio that first day.”
“I’m that transparent?”
“You’re that sincere. I’ve learned to spot the difference.”
“Should I be encouraged?”
Closing her eyes, Ava frowned. “I don’t want to lead you on . . .”
“But?” His heart hammered.
Ava opened her eyes and gazed at him. “I’m feeling overwhelmed right now.”
“I can only imagine. I just had to let you know how I feel.” He sighed. “I don’t want to come on too strong.”
“You’re not.”
“Then?” he prompted, sensing some resistance.
“You already know that I like you, Jesse. And we’ve established the chemistry thing.”
“Uh, yeah.” Jesse stepped away and shoved his fingers through his hair. “Then why do you have to have yet another but?”
“I know what it feels like to have my heart shattered, and I don’t want to do that to you.”
“If this is a we-should-be-friends speech—”
“No . . . it’s an I-don’t-want-to-hurt-you speech. I’m damaged goods. I’ll overthink everything—I’d drive you insane.”
“Like right now?”
Ava nodded. “I can tell that right now you are torn between kissing me and shaking me.”
“First of all, I’d never shake you. And if A2 did that to you, let me know and I’ll knock the shit out of him.”
“No,” Ava said softly, but something in her eyes led Jesse to believe she’d received some sort of bullying from Anthony. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and Jesse knew he was pushing too hard.
“Hey,” he said gently. “I’ll leave you with this: I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m afraid of getting hurt. And I’m still scarred from the early loss of both my parents. But just to let you know, I’m willing to take that risk and see what can come of us. And I’m willing to be patient.”
“Okay.” Ava nodded.
“And one more thing,” Jesse said, stepping closer. “I’ll never be torn between wanting to kiss you or shake you. Kissing you will always win, hands down.” With that, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. Stepping back, he said, “I’ve got to bounce. See you tomorrow,” and he turned to walk out the door.
Jesse strode into the bright sunshine, trying to gather his thoughts and rein in his emotions. Usually, walking down Main Street, seeing friendly faces and the familiar storefronts, gave him a sense of peace and settled the anxiety that sometimes caught him off guard. But today, he kept his head bent while walking briskly to I Heart Music, the family music store his parents had opened some forty years ago. The street hadn’t changed much over the years and always took Jesse down memory lane. He used to walk here with his brothers and his mom; they’d stop here and there for errands, and, if the boys were good, they’d get to go in Thelma’s Sweets and Treats and pick out a cookie or a Danish.
Jesse paused when he reached the bakery, deciding he needed a coffee and a pastry after opening up his heart to Ava. Sugar always made everything a little sweeter.
The little bell dinged over the door, capturing the owner, Thelma’s, attention.
“Well, Jesse Heart! Aren’t you just a sight for sore eyes? Come on over here and give me a big ol’ hug, you rascal,” she said in a booming voice. Except for the silver hair, Thelma never seemed to change, and her round face and big smile had Jesse grinning.
“Well, hello, Miss Thelma,” Jesse said, and braced himself for a hug that seemed to squeeze the breath right out of him.
Thelma stepped back and pinched his cheeks. “Cute as a button as always. What brings you in here so early?”
Jesse looked up at the ceiling and back at Thelma. “Why does everybody in this town know that I’m not a morning person?”
“Um, because nobody usually sees hide or hair of you before noon.”
“Oh . . .” Jesse said with a sheepish smile. “Well, I need a large coffee, cream, no sugar, and . . .” He paused to eye the glass cases full of all things delicious.
“I have cream-filled doughnuts—your favorite, as I recall.”
Jesse gro
aned. “I shouldn’t.”
“Why? You look fit as a fiddle.”
“Only because Arabella has been sending me real food with things like . . . vegetables. She even sneaks some kale in on me.” Jesse made a show of shuddering, and Thelma laughed.
“Surely you can have a little ol’ breakfast pastry.”
“You are such an enabler. Okay, put a cream-filled doughnut in a bag. Actually, make that two, since I’m heading over to the music store. Jimmy will appreciate the pick-me-up.”
“I haven’t seen that twin brother of yours lately. But Grady and Arabella stop in with cutie-pie Ella all the time.” She threaded her fingers together. “That little one melts my heart.”
“Mine too,” Jesse said with a smile. “Of course, Arabella has to be the disciplinarian, since Ella has Grady wrapped around her little finger.”
“No doubt,” Thelma said while putting the doughnuts in a small white bag.
“So, I hear you rented the flat above the bakery.”
“I did! But you already knew that, now didn’t you, sweet pea?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Uh, you were spotted driving Ava’s little Beetle.”
“Does anything go unnoticed in this town?”
“Not when it involves a Heart brother,” Thelma said with a wink. She fixed his coffee and then headed to the cash register. “So, are you sweet on Ava?”
“I’m dancing with her at an event at the arts center designed to raise money for some repairs needed to the building,” Jesse said while fishing in his pocket for his wallet.
“You avoided the question,” Thelma said. “Then again, it’s none of my business . . . but . . .”
“What?”
“I hear a lot of gossip in here, and the word on the street is that her ex is in town with his new lady.”
Jesse frowned. “Wow, gossip travels at the speed of light here.”
“Supposedly, this guy in question stopped in at Daisy’s Diner and made sure everyone knew who he was. I only mention it because I’m quite fond of Ava and I don’t want to see her get hurt. She’s such a lovely girl.” She arched an eyebrow at Jesse.
“Thelma . . . I have no intention of hurting Ava.”
Thelma raised her head skyward. “Oh, child, you’ve got me all wrong. The look in your eye when you mentioned her name said it all.”
“I had a look in my eye?”
“You sure as shootin’ did. I’m hopin’ you’ll look out for her, you know? Seeing as you seem to be smitten.”
“From a look in my eye?” he repeated.
“The look of love.” She held a hand to her heart.
Jesse almost laughed, but then he realized that Thelma wasn’t pulling his leg. He handed her his debit card, a bit floored at what seemed to be acute perception on her part. Jesse didn’t admit to being smitten, not wanting to add fuel to the gossip fire. “I’ll be sure to look after Ava,” he said simply.
“That’s my boy. Now, don’t be a stranger, you hear me?”
Jesse nodded and walked back out the door. He hefted his duffel bag onto his shoulder and paused to take a sip of the coffee. “The look of love,” he mumbled, but then he smiled. Thelma might just be right.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DROWNING
“We need a break, Ava,” Arabella announced. After a long swig from her water bottle, she scooted her stool away from the surfboard island in Jesse’s kitchen. “But I love where this is going.”
“Me too,” Ava said with a smile. Arabella had chosen Jesse’s house in which to work on the choreography to get out of her own home, where distractions would have hindered their progress. After three sessions, they were almost ready to bring Jesse into rehearsals.
“This is exhausting but so much fun.” Arabella stood up, stretched, and then gave Ava a high five. “We make a great team!”
“Agreed on both counts,” Ava said. Jesse had been right. Arabella was a cool chick, and they’d bonded right off the bat. “At first, I was sketchy about doing freestyle.”
“I know the judges will be snooty about it.”
Ava nodded.
“But Jesse’s right. This will make the audience go crazy. Jesse and Oliver were the best dancers in Heartbeat, and Jesse was always willing to do some over-the-top moves. The audience will love it when he throws it back.” She rubbed her hands together. “After all that, I could use a cocktail. How about you?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Ava raised her eyebrows. “Do you think it’s okay if we raid Jesse’s liquor cabinet?”
“He has no problem raiding mine . . . so my vote is yes!” Arabella said with gusto. “Hey, do you mind if I give Maggie a call and ask her to come over? She’s dying to meet you, and I think our brains are mush at this point. And it’s Saturday evening, after all. Grady and Jesse are watching Ella. I adore my little munchkin, but a girls’ night in would be fantastic.”
“But we’re at Jesse’s,” Ava said. “Won’t he come home?”
“Not if I call and ask to swap houses. We should have a sleepover here! He’ll have no problem crashing at my place. If Maggie comes over, Jimmy will head over to join the guys and they’ll watch a game, swim, or do some other guy things. Ella will be asleep soon, so there’s no need to feel guilty. Please say yes.” Arabella made praying hands and closed her eyes. “I never get to do this.”
“Are you going to tell them we’re working?” Ava didn’t want to be dishonest.
Arabella shrugged and flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “I’ll imply it, but Grady will figure it out. And we can work. A little wine just might send our imaginations soaring.”
“But it would feel weird to be at Jesse’s house without him overnight,” Ava whispered. “We could go to my place. I have a rooftop patio that’s pretty sweet.”
“But this feels like an adventure,” Arabella whispered back, making Ava laugh. “And we’ve got the tiki bar. We could even heat up the pool and go for a swim—or, better yet, just listen to music and chat.”
Ava squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Oh . . . okay!”
“Yes!” Arabella did a fist pump and then twirled in an elegant circle. “Freedom!”
Ava laughed.
“Hey, I have a toddler who requires constant attention and supervision. I didn’t know that one tiny person could be so exhausting. And . . . Grady makes me be the bad guy if Ella misbehaves. Do you know how hard it is to put her in time-out?”
“Aw, does she misbehave?”
“All the time! Must be the Heart in her, because I, for one, was a little angel.” Arabella gestured with her hands above her head. “Can you still see my halo?”
Ava squinted. “Um, nope.”
“It might be a bit tarnished,” Arabella said with a grin. “I’ll shoot Maggie a text. Jimmy’s been working on a new song for Oliver and Belinda, so she will likely welcome a break unless she’s in deep writing mode. I’ll find out.”
“Okay.” Ava nodded, but she looked around, feeling a little bit odd. She bit her bottom lip and wondered if she should send Jesse a text message asking his permission to raid his liquor cabinet. And his pantry was likely full of crunchy snacks to indulge in . . . which sounded pretty good about now. Maybe she should ask about that too. “Should we do this?”
“He’s my brother-in-law.” Arabella waved a dismissive hand at Ava. “Besides, I adore Jesse’s place. It never gets boring, because he changes everything all the time.”
Ava nodded. “He showed me his storage shed. Cool stuff in there.”
“Really?” Arabella arched an eyebrow. “He showed you his . . . storage shed?”
“Oh, stop,” Ava said, but she felt the heat of a blush in her cheeks.
“No way am I stopping. It is too much fun seeing Jesse strung out over a girl.”
“He doesn’t know me that well,” Ava said, trying not to feel a rush of pleasure at Arabella’s observation.
“That makes it even more enjoyable,” Arabella said wit
h a grin. “For a long time, he was one of those guys professing never to fall in love. And the more resistant they are, the harder they fall.” She did a spiraling downward motion with her fingertip. “Boom!”
“Jesse did admit to not being able to be serious. Does that go for his relationships too? Truth.”
“Mmmm, I wouldn’t go that far,” Arabella replied. “Let’s get those drinks flowing and we can discuss this further.” She looked around and sighed. “We’ve had to babyproof the house, so I had to put away all the cool knickknacks Grady collected from all over the world. Of course, nothing compares to this place. But bringing Ella here is a nightmare. She wants to pick up everything.”
“Me too!” Ava admitted.
“But you’re not going to drop anything or put it in your mouth. I just want to wander around and look, you know?”
“Oh, I know. I’m an old soul. Everything in here speaks to me.”
“No wonder Jesse likes you so much.”
“You really think he likes me?” Ava asked, feeling a warm rush of—what? Joy?
“Um, according to Grady, he’s told him he likes you too many times to count. Grady stopped over at the music shop, and he claimed you were all Jesse talked about . . . but you didn’t hear it from me!”
“Really?”
“Mmmm, yeah, let’s get a drink and we’ll chat. I just sent Grady a text and he gave me the green light. Cha-ching!”
“I have to ask Jesse if we can stay first.”
“But then it wouldn’t be raiding his liquor cabinet,” Arabella complained. “Trust me, he deserves some payback.”
Ava was about to protest, but then her phone pinged, and the text was from Jesse.
Hey girl, make yourself at home. The bar is stocked, and you’ll find tons of snacks that Arabella claims she won’t eat, but she will.
Ava smiled. “Jesse said for us to make ourselves at home.”
“Well, that takes the naughtiness out of it, but whatever.” Arabella’s phone pinged. “Oh sweet, Maggie is on her way.” Arabella wiggled her phone in the air. “Let’s make some drinks and go out by the tiki bar.” She had such a look of excitement on her face that Ava had to laugh. “What should we make?”