by Elena Aitken
“How about a raise?”
Ian laughed, and Mitch along with him, because up until now, he hadn’t paid him anything. He’d volunteered his services, but mostly it was Ian doing Mitch the favor. He definitely didn’t need the money, but he did need the fun and relaxed lifestyle that hanging out at the lake afforded him. He needed that a lot.
“Well, you know, whenever you want to, you can take out the boats, or the jet skis…anything. Have a little fun, brother.”
Mitch’s gaze traveled outside to the dock, and his new favorite boat where he had indeed had more than a little fun. “I think that’s a good idea.” He forced himself to stop thinking about Jade. Again. The Fourth of July was supposed to have been their farewell to fooling around. Friends didn’t do that kind of thing.
At least not the type of friends they were supposed to be.
He was turning his attentions to safer waters. Like Evelyn Rose.
“I heard Chelsea set you up on a date?” His brother must have read his mind. Ian handed him a beer and they headed outside to sit in the sun.
“News travels fast.” Mitch twisted the cap off his bottle and took a long sip. “And it wasn’t so much a setup as a tutoring job.”
“Tutoring?”
Mitch nodded. He’d run into Evelyn at Dream Puffs the day after the fireworks, and she’d asked him again if he could please tutor her son. She’d seemed so desperate to get her son up to speed, and Mitch was a sucker for a damsel in distress. Besides that, she was the epitome of a nice girl and it could only be a good idea to spend time with her. Especially because he needed to get his mind off Jade. “I’m helping out Evelyn’s son, Jonah. It’s not a big deal. Only a few hours a week. He’s a smart kid. It shouldn’t take him too long to get caught up.”
“Is that all you’re helping out with?” Ian nudged him in the ribs. “She’s very pretty.”
“Agreed.” He tipped his bottle back again. Mitch had already decided that when she dropped Jonah off for his first tutoring session, he was going to ask her on a date. After all, you couldn’t date a nice girl if you didn’t ask. He told his brother as much.
“You’re going to ask her out?”
“Why do you sound surprised?” Ian shouldn’t be surprised at any of Mitch’s dating life. His brother knew him well; he knew he’d always liked the ladies, never gone long without a girlfriend or at the very least, a female friend. The only thing Ian didn’t really know was that Mitch was done with superficial relationships. He was ready to grow up.
Ian took a sip of his beer and glanced over at him. “She’s not really your type, is she?”
Not really his type? It didn’t matter that Ian was right; it still pissed Mitch off that he would say anything.
“What is my type?” He stared at his brother as he waited for his answer.
Ian chuckled a little, clearly not wanting to say what was on his mind. That in itself was unusual. Ian never had trouble saying what was on his mind, especially when it came to Mitch.
“It’s just that… Evelyn is so…”
“Evelyn is so what?”
Ian put down his beer bottle and turned to face Mitch head on. “She’s so damn nice. And while I think she’s great, she just doesn’t seem like your type.”
Mitch didn’t know how to feel. He should probably be angry that his big brother didn’t think he deserved a nice girl. He could be angry, but Ian was right. Evelyn wasn’t his type. At least she wasn’t the type he used to be attracted to. But she was very much the type that he was attracted to now, and he was determined to start over. Try harder. And Evelyn was exactly the type of girl for that.
“You’re right. She is damn nice. She’s pretty. She’s sweet. And not at all what I used to be attracted to. The key word there is used to. But things are different now, and if she says yes, I’d really like to take Evelyn on a date.”
Ian didn’t say anything. He just picked up his beer bottle and shook his head
“You have something to say, big brother? You might as well just say what’s on your mind. We’ve never had secrets—we shouldn’t start now.”
“Okay. It’s just…what about Jade? I really thought you two were hitting it off. In your snarky, teasing, heightened sexual tension we could all notice, kind of way. I mean, am I wrong?”
He wasn’t wrong. He was the opposite of wrong. “We’re just friends.” It wasn’t a lie. That’s exactly what they said they’d be. And that’s what they were. Friends.
“Friends? I don’t think I’ve ever had a friend like that. I mean, you guys… Well, you fooled around, didn’t you?”
Mitch hadn’t said anything to Ian about the summer solstice or the Fourth of July. But his brother knew him better than anyone else, so it didn’t surprise him. He didn’t answer, just raised his eyebrows.
“I knew it.” Ian laughed. “The two of you have way too hot of a tension together.” His laughter died. “So what the hell? Why are you asking Evelyn on a date, when you clearly have something going with Jade?”
Mitch tipped his beer bottle back to finish the icy-cold drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at his brother. “Because we’re better as friends. Besides, I’ve been thinking about making a few changes.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of changes?”
“I’m thinking about staying in Cedar Springs. I think it’s time I settle down. I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while. Not the Cedar Springs part, but the settling down part. I actually thought that Bethany back in the city might be the one.” Mitch’s stomach turned at the thought. “But that didn’t work out.” He didn’t want to get into the details at the moment. But Ian already knew the basics that Bethany had cheated on him with the principal, basically made a fool of him in front of the whole school, and totally broke his heart. And here he didn’t think he had a heart to break. To his surprise, Mitch was capable of love. He just needed the right woman.
“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t surprised.” Ian shook his head. “But I think it’s great. Really, I do. And if you think Evelyn’s the right one, then by all means, the first step would be a date.”
Ian’s words were encouraging, but Mitch didn’t miss the tone of his voice. His brother thought he was crazy. And he knew it had nothing to do with the idea of wanting to settle down. Ian himself was so goddamn happy now that he’d settled down. No, it had everything to do with his choice of woman.
But there was zero point in trying to convince him otherwise. Mitch would show him; he knew exactly what he needed. A flash of color caught his eye and he turned to see Evelyn and Jonah, holding her hand, walking from the parking lot toward them.
Perfect timing.
Mitch jumped up, dusted off the back of his shorts and walked toward them with a smile.
“Evelyn, it’s nice to see you again.” He took in her khaki shorts and gauzy flowery top. She looked cute and relaxed with her ponytail and her flip-flops. Perfect for the lake. Not at all like Jade’s big-city outfits.
He had got to stop thinking about Jade. He focused again on Evelyn and for the first time, the little boy next to her. “You must be Jonah.” He offered his hand. The boy took his hand and shook with a surprisingly firm handshake.
“I am,” the boy said with confidence. “Mom says you’re going to make me smart.”
Mitch chuckled and took his hand back. “I have no doubt that you’re already quite smart, Jonah. But I’ll really do my best to make sure that you know what you’re doing in math when school starts this year.”
“Thanks. That will make Mom happy.” The little boy spoke with wisdom much older than his years. He was like a little man, and Mitch liked him already.
“If it’s okay with you, Jonah, I was thinking we could work on that picnic table.” Mitch pointed to a grassy area next to the shop where there were a few tables scattered. “I think the sunshine always helps me learn better,” Mitch said. Mostly he thought sunshine could only help a little boy. After all, it was summer
; the kid didn’t need to be cooped up inside more than absolutely necessary. Mitch was a huge believer in summer fun to recharge your batteries.
Jonah readily agreed but looked up at his mom for confirmation. Evelyn smiled and told him of course it would be fine. Seeing a window of opportunity, Mitch sent the kid into the shop to grab himself a soda before the session started, leaving him and Evelyn alone.
“I just wanted to thank you again for helping out Jonah,” Evelyn said. Worry lines wrinkled her pretty face. “He really is a smart boy. There’s just something about math that he struggles with.”
Mitch had seen it before. In fact, from the moment he started teaching, he’d seen it a lot. It only took one teacher, or even one moment, for a child to start believing that they weren’t good at math—or anything, really. The doubt could be like a cancer, eating away at their self-esteem, and Mitch knew the only cure was to show them that they could do it. To make them see that they were smart enough, and they always had been. That’s exactly what he would do with Jonah.
“Don’t worry, Evelyn—”
“Evie,” she said. “Please, call me Evie.”
“Evie,” Mitch said. “Don’t worry about a thing. It will only take a few sessions, I’m sure. And Jonah will not only be up to speed with math, he’ll be at the top of his class next year.”
Evelyn’s face lit up with the idea. “How can I thank you? I’ll pay you. But honestly, it won’t be much. I don’t really have a lot of extra money. I just started a little boutique on Main Street, Live, Love, Lake, and all of my money has gone into that. As well as my time.” She shook her head and looked away. “There’s got to be something I can do to pay you back. You don’t happen to need a cute dress, do you?” She laughed and Mitch saw his opportunity.
“Let me take you out. On a date.”
Her mouth fell into a little o and her eyes widened. Whatever she was expecting, it hadn’t been that. Maybe Mitch had read the situation wrong. Then again, had he read the situation at all?
“A date?” She shook her head a little. “I don’t really—”
“Nothing serious,” Mitch said quickly. “Let me take you to the Grizzly Paw for a drink. Super casual.” He gave her the irresistible McCormick grin. And just as he had expected, Evie’s face transformed into a smile of her own and she nodded her consent.
“Okay. Super casual, right?”
“Absolutely. Jonah will be ready to go in about an hour. You want me to bring him up to the shop?”
“No,” she said. “Jonah’s pretty mature. He can get down the street on his own.”
Mitch waited until Evie had walked away, back up the street the way she’d come. He was just about to go find Jonah and begin their session when a familiar voice caught his attention.
His dick twitched in a Pavlovian response.
Mitch shifted his attention to the docks, where Ian now stood with his arm around Gwen, talking to Jade. They must have come over from the Paw, which was why he hadn’t seen them on the road.
As if she could sense him watching, Jade turned and spotted him. She waved him over.
It would be the friendly thing to do. To join them and chat about their days. That’s what friends did. But Jonah was waiting. Mitch could see the boy, with his books already spread out in front of him on the table. He shook his head and turned toward the picnic tables.
It would only take a minute to say hi. Jonah wouldn’t even notice. But it was so much easier not to.
He hadn’t said hi. He hadn’t even waved back. As far as Jade could see, he hadn’t even smiled in her direction. But she wouldn’t let it bother her. They were supposed to be friends. Maybe to Mitch that meant ignoring her. Whatever. That just affirmed that she’d made the right choice.
“I’m sorry. I missed that,” Jade said to Ian. She was aware that she hadn’t been listening; hopefully it hadn’t been too noticeable.
Gwen gave her a strange look, but fortunately didn’t push the matter. “Ian was just saying that he spoke to Cal this morning.”
Jade was instantly at attention. If Cal was interested in playing the role of his older brother, it really would save time when it came to finding an actor who was suitable. Assuming he screen tested well. Not that Jade even knew what that meant, but it’s what the directors told her when she mentioned it. “And what did he say?”
Ian flashed his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows. “He said he’d be on the next flight here. It still feels weird that my little brother wants to play me on TV.” He laughed. “Hell, it still feels weird that my life is going to be on TV.”
Gwen rubbed his arm and kissed him on the cheek. “Babe, I told you. It’s mostly fiction. I mean, it’s based on our situation. But it’s totally fiction. I’m making it up. But if you’re not comfortable…” Gwen looked away, and for a minute Jade thought she might cry.
Was something going on with her? Jade knew it had to be a little weird that they were fictionalizing their life for TV, but she just assumed that they were both okay with it. Had that changed?
“Gwen, look at me.” Ian tilted her head up so she looked in his eyes. “I told you, it’s fine. That doesn’t mean it’s not a little strange, especially with Cal coming. But honestly, I think it’s great. I mean, who better to play me than my brother?”
She nodded. “It’s just that… Sometimes… It just seems, well like…”
“Please don’t read anything into this. I promise I’ll tell you if it’s too much. Communication and all that, right?”
Jade felt a little as though she were intruding on a private moment. Especially when they kissed. But Gwen and Ian didn’t seem to care. Probably because they only had eyes for each other. But the second he twisted his hands through Gwen’s hair and pulled her mouth to his, Jade was out of there.
She left the lovebirds on the dock and walked up toward the shop. Mitch had disappeared around the back, and although she told herself she wasn’t looking for him, it wouldn’t be terrible if she ran into him either.
She moved around the corner but a child’s voice stopped her before she walked out of the protection of the building. Then she saw it. Mitch and a little boy sat at a picnic table, with books spread out between them. Mitch was explaining something on a piece of paper, and the little boy was laughing.
She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but at the same time, she didn’t move away.
“See? You already knew the answer,” Mitch said kindly. “I don’t know why your mom told me you were having so much trouble. You’re a pretty smart kid.”
The boy’s face lit up with Mitch’s compliment. He clearly knew what he was doing.
“Thanks, Mitch. You make this seem so much easier. I wish you were my teacher.”
Jade’s heart squeezed in her chest. To have that kind of impact on a child must be amazing. She never had that kind of impact on anyone, let alone someone so impressionable. Watching him gave her a whole new respect for Mitch.
Dammit.
She was supposed to be looking for reasons why Mitch wasn’t an acceptable man.
Eavesdropping definitely wasn’t helping. Jade tried to back away, but at that moment, her cell phone rang in her purse. Both the boy and Mitch turned to look at her.
Busted.
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath before she pasted on an innocent smile and backed around the shop to take the call.
Jade didn’t bother looking at the caller ID before she pressed the Talk button and spoke. “Jade Johnson.”
“I’m glad I got you, Jade. Peter Short, here.”
Peter was the executive producer of Mr. Summer. Although he’d largely left her alone to make the daily decisions, he didn’t reach his level of success by being completely hands-off. She wasn’t surprised to hear from him.
“Peter. It’s nice to—”
“Jade. We have a problem.”
A problem? A shiver of fear passed through her, but only for a moment. She didn’t have time for any feelings that would distract her from
the ultimate goal. It was a skill she’d perfected years ago: compartmentalizing emotions that had no place in her success.
“What’s going on?” Her voice was calm and controlled, ready to solve whatever problems had come up.
“It’s the script, Jade.”
“What about it? Gwen told me this morning—”
“We don’t have it yet. I expected it on my desk two weeks ago, but I haven’t seen even a rough draft of the pilot.”
Her stomach clenched. This time, the trace of fear didn’t evaporate as before. “But that can’t be, Peter.” She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “I was just talking to Gwen and she said—”
“I don’t care what she said,” Peter interrupted her. “There’s no script and without a script, even a draft, there’s no show.” Peter didn’t waste any time getting to the point.
“No, no. I’m sure there was just a misunderstanding.” Jade walked around the shop, toward the docks as she spoke. Maybe Gwen was still there and she could get to the bottom of the situation right away. “In fact,” she continued. “Gwen is right here.” Sure enough, she spotted the woman in question, still wrapped up in her fiancé’s arms, making out in the middle of the dock. Jade rolled her eyes, even though she was secretly envious of their connection. “I’ll go talk to her right now and get to the bottom of it.”
“Do that, Jade.”
She nodded and then added, “I’m on it. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding, but I’ll make sure you have something in your hand by the end of the day.” She wasn’t sure she should make such grand promises, especially if Gwen hadn’t been totally honest with her, but she needed to say something.
“No. I’m swamped here with other projects,” Peter said. “So I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Jade. I didn’t hire you on for this project because I thought I’d need to micromanage you. Take care of this, check the script and make sure it’s everything it should be. I’ll be in touch. Or it’s your career. Got it?”