by CeeCee James
“He’s not. I didn’t hear his truck.” Cassie eyed her sister’s room, destroyed with scattered clothing and shoes. “Wow. You really are stressed. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m not stressed. I’m just trying to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what? It’s not like you’re going out to dinner with a Sasquatch or something. It’s Jason. Hello, you’ve seen him a few times.” Cassie winked at her. “I mean he’s still coming around after seeing you dressed in your Where’s Waldo outfit.”
“I liked that shirt!” Miranda grabbed the nearest thing at hand and threw it in her direction.
Cassie laughed as the slipper bounced harmlessly off the doorframe. “You should wear it tonight!” she teased. “Red stripes make you look hot.”
“Whatever, even your famous movie stars like stripes.”
“Puh-lease.”
“Yeah? Well, what about that one actress with the little mocking bird who wore them for her magazine cover?”
“Jennifer Lawrence? Only the most awesomest actress on the planet. You don’t remember her name?” Cassie rolled her eyes. “You are such a dork. And she did not.”
Miranda started to say more, when she noticed Archer stand from under a slew of dresses, his ears alert. She ran to the window to look outside.
Headlights wove down the driveway. What the heck? Who’s this? It definitely wasn’t Jason’s truck. Frowning, she lifted the curtain higher to get a better glimpse.
The car’s engine had a beautiful deep rumble. At each of the potholes it slowed and cautiously eased over them. Miranda stared, lips parting slightly. It approached a particularly deep one but seemed to anticipate its location, deftly swerving around it. The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the house. The headlights flipped off.
A second later the driver’s side door opened and a tall man stepped out. The darkness made his features indistinguishable, but he was dressed to the nines. Slowly, he looked out to the lake and buttoned his jacket. His face was hidden in shadows as he turned to glance at the house. Unexpectedly, his gaze snapped up towards the upstairs window.
Jason.
Miranda sucked in her breath and let the curtain drop. What in the—? Warmth filled her cheeks at being caught peeping.
A minute later the front door opened, and Cassie squealed, “Jason!” Archer raced down the stairs, his loud barks shutting down any conversation.
Miranda stood frozen by her bed before grabbing the first pair of shoes she could find and hurrying to greet him.
Jason was down on one knee with his arm wrapped around Archer. “Hey ol'boy. How you doing, huh?” He scratched the dog’s neck, his eyes wet with tears.
Miranda paused at the bottom of the stairs, absorbing the scene. Slowly, Jason stood as he caught sight of her. He pulled at his cuffs again and then nodded in her direction.
“Hi, Miranda. You look nice tonight.”
She didn’t feel like she looked nice, especially since she’d rushed out of the room before a final “All clear” in front of the mirror. Anxiously, Miranda patted at her hair and a zing of anxiety zipped through her. Ah! It’s doing its crazy thing! She tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
“Thank you.” Forcing her tone to sound confident, she slipped on her heels and walked over to him, taking in his dark suit and flashy tie. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be overdressed but I guess I’m not.”
He glanced down at his clothing, the corner of his mouth curving in a self-deprecating grin, then raised his green eyes to study her again.
His face was clean-shaven. When had she ever seen him like that? He almost always wore a thick five o’clock stubble. Her eyes widened as she realized his hair was short too, and he’d tamed the usually thick unruly wave in front.
What in the world? Even his eyebrows had been groomed. Unconsciously, she lifted a hand and touched her own brows. Good grief, I forgot to check mine. He’s in better shape than me tonight. She bit her lip and said. “Jason, you look so…different.”
He held out his hand to her, the nails clean and filed short. She suppressed a shiver at the touch. His hand was soft, his scent foreign. Miranda’s breath caught. What on earth is going on? She pulled her hand away. “Let me get your letter.”
“It can wait.”
“No, I’ll be right back,” she said and went to retrieve it.
She ran from the room, her thoughts reeling. What’s he playing here? It’s like he's morphed into some weird version of Dylan. She chewed on her thumbnail, thinking quickly. Fake it. Pretend everything is normal. Maybe he’s trying to impress me.
She scooped the letter off the counter and hurried back.
Jason stuck the envelope inside the front of his jacket without a look. Miranda’s forehead crinkled in puzzlement.
“I already know what it says.” He answered her unasked question.
“Oh? Why did you come then?”
“I wanted to see you.”
Miranda felt her cheeks color.
Walking to the coat rack, Jason casually pulled down her grey wool jacket and held it out.
“Thank you,” she said as she slid her arms into it. “So where are we off to tonight?”
“I have a few surprises.” He grinned. His lip caught on his crooked tooth and she exhaled in relief. There he was, his beautiful smile.
“You kids be good,” Cassie admonished.
“Shake that finger at me again—” Miranda warned with a scowl.
Cassie laughed as she shut the door behind them.
Jason offered his arm. As Miranda took it, a shiver ran through her at the unfamiliar feel of the expensive fabric. Her stomach swirled. Who is this person?
23
Autumn
The red Porsche glistened like a drop of blood in the moonlight. Miranda stopped in her tracks, remembering his car. “Jason, what’s going on?”
He cupped her elbow and guided her to the sports car.
“Are you serious? Where’s your big rig?” she asked.
“It was time to retire the truck.” Jason opened the passenger door for her.
Miranda’s eyes widened as she slid into the car; the rich leather smell was overpowering. She ran her fingers along the dashboard as Jason quickly climbed into the driver’s seat.
“How can you afford this?” Her eyes were loaded with questions.
“Well.” He gave his half-smile. “It has to do with this letter.” He pulled it from his jacket and set it on the dash.
She eyed it suspiciously. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s informing me of a very big estate.” He glanced in her direction, his eyes glinting by the lights on the dash. “That I inherited. I found out a couple months ago.”
Miranda made a soft noise of shock. “You’re kidding me? That’s incredible.” She looked down at her pinky and curled it, remembering when he’d linked his through hers. A lump rose in her throat that he hadn’t shared that moment with her.
Jason watched her from the corner of his eye.
“You’ve been anticipating telling me that for a while, haven’t you.”
“How can you tell?”
“You look like Archer did the night he broke into his new box of dog biscuits.”
Jason licked the corner of his lip and nodded. “Yeah, you could say that.”
After turning the ignition he rumbled up to the end of the driveway. “You ready?” he asked. Before she could respond, he sped out into the road, the tires squealing against the driveway. She immediately thought of Dylan and couldn’t shake away the new similarities between the two men. This is weird. “So where are we going?”
“Like I said, it’s a surprise.”
“I don’t know if I can handle any more.” She studied him closely, worried, before trying to cover with a smile. “I don’t understand what’s going on with you.”
“What do you mean?” He eyed the rear view mirror before merging into traffic. Shifting again, he began to zigzag around
cars.
Sighing, she tried again. “It’s been three months. I’m going to be honest. I want to hug you and smack you at the same time. You totally crushed me by not answering my texts. I don’t understand why you’re back. Why now, Jason?”
“I’ve missed you.”
“Why haven’t you contacted me sooner? Especially in light of all this.” she waved her hand around referring to the car.
He shifted again, his lips pressed together. “I didn’t feel like it was right to barge back in. Especially since….”
“Since what, Jason? I haven’t developed any sweet mind reader skills since you’ve been gone.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were seeing that guy.”
“That guy?”
“You know who I mean.” His voice lowered into a growl.
“You mean Dylan. Yes, I see him. I work with him, remember?” She crossed her arms over her chest. He better not be going down that road again.
“Again, you know what I mean.”
“I don’t know how that matters. It’s not as though we’re together.” Frustration bubbled through her. Jason took an exit and they drove through the city in silence. Miranda stared out the window as the city’s lights flashed by.
He stopped at a red light, the glow playing over his smooth face. “Miranda, I didn’t leave you because I wanted to. I left because I knew he could take care of you.”
“Not this again.”
The light turned green. “But, I can take care of you now.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “I’m not some homeless dog at the pound. I don’t need anyone—not you, not Dylan—to take care of me.”
Jason swerved into the nearest parking lot and stopped the car. He reached for her hand. “Look at me. You were the first person I thought of when I got the news. That I could finally be the person you deserved and have a real chance with you.” His eyes shone with sincerity.
She studied him, her gaze running over the smooth planes of his square jaw and cheekbones. Her stomach fluttered. Jason’s shaved face was both unnerving and exciting; familiarity mixed with the unknown. “You already were that person, you dork.”
Reaching out, he stroked the back of her neck. “I forgot how much I’ve missed your sexy talk.”
“I don’t know how you could. I include that on my girlfriend resume.” She shifted back in her seat and felt her defenses thaw. I can at least hear what he has to say. She eyed him again. I can’t believe how much I missed him. “So where are we going anyway, Mr. Moneybags?”
He threw the car back into gear and sped out onto the road. “You still aren’t a good listener, though. I told you it was a surprise.”
“Keep it to yourself then. I’ve got some news, too.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Cassie got contacted by Jessica, our old neighbor from when we were kids. She asked why we weren’t at our uncle’s wedding.”
Jason shifted again. “Wow. The infamous uncle?”
“Yeah. Long story short, Cassie ended up doing some research on him. He’s facing some major Federal charges right now.”
“Wow. How do you feel about that?”
“I feel like justice has been served. There was a part of me that always felt like a little girl. I don’t know, like it was still caught in that time of my life. It’s not there any more. I feel whole for the first time in a long time.”
“Good for you,” Jason nodded. “You deserve that. I guess we’ve both grown up. I feel different, too.”
“Yeah, it shows!”
“It’s been pretty nice. Going to try being a rich man for a while.”
Miranda nodded, but thought, “Why not just be you?” She wondered what else he had rejected about who he was.
Fifteen minutes later he pulled into the Red Dragon. Miranda’s stomach fell. She’d had an awkward dinner there with Dylan last week. The restaurant’s atmosphere had been stiff and uncomfortable. Dylan had yelled at the waiter for serving cold food and sent it all back, despite her protests. It was the first time she’d seen him be rude. No please, not here. They might remember me! She glanced over at Jason. How can he like this snooty place? “Have you ever been here before?”
“Yeah, I come here all the time,” he said and quickly climbed out of the car.
Unhooking her seatbelt, she felt a pang of uncertainty. Was this part of the change he’d warned about?
Buttoning his coat, he came around to her side and opened the door. Miranda hesitated before getting out. “Let’s not eat here.” She reached for his hand with a gentle smile.
“Why not?” His hand stayed on the car door as he glanced towards the entrance.
“Let’s go to the steak house instead. Red Dragon is not really our kind of place.”
He took a step away and lifted his chin. “It’s my kind of place now. Come on.”
Something shifted inside of her at his insistence, and her guard went way up. I don’t think he knows himself anymore. She sighed, and followed him inside.
Miranda ducked her head, hoping the host wouldn’t recognize her as they were seated. On the way to the table, several women ran their eyes over her, obviously disapproving her outfit. Her face heated at the sight of their designer clothes and the blatant judgment. Jason moved ahead briskly, shoulders squared. He pulled out her chair and leaned over to whisper. “We need to get you some better things.”
Miranda pulled away, stung. She felt raw and exposed, and hid her tears with a quick sip from her water. This is his new improved version? Yet, it serves me right for always picking on his holey t-shirts. Taking a deep breath, she tried to smile around the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were bringing me here or I would have worn something different. That’s the bad part of surprises.”
He winked. “You’re still beautiful.”
Miranda lifted her menu, her mind reeling. Still? Anger was quickly supplanting the hurt feelings.
“At least let me upgrade that necklace.” His gaze darted around the room at the other women’s diamonds. “Kind of makes me look cheap.”
Unconsciously her hand went to the pearl. “What are you really saying? It makes you look cheap? Or me?”
“Don’t be so sensitive. I just want you to have the best.”
She stared at him for a second. “Maybe this is too much for our first time together. A lot’s happened that we need to sort out. We really need to go someplace quiet and talk.”
“Miranda,” he sighed. “I’m really not in the same place as I was when I left, and I don’t want to rehash it all. For the first time ever, I get that new beginning. Now take the leap with me. Let’s just move forward.”
“What? We’re not going to talk about it?”
“Listen, I’ll say I’m sorry if it will get you to feel better. Now can we leave it alone and just have a nice time?” He smiled. “I’ve been dreaming about this night for a while now.”
Why does he have such a big wall up? All of her unanswered questions swirled around inside. She quickly returned to her menu to hide her frustration, and scanned the list. “What’s this?” Wrinkling her forehead she sounded it out. “Edamomee.”
“It’s pronounced Edamame.” His lip curled on one side and he laughed. He looked proud at being able to correct her.
Miranda shut her menu. “You know, I’m actually not feeling well. Can you take me home? Actually, never mind, I’ll call Cassie.”
“What? Aww, no, I’m sorry.”
She gathered her purse and stood up. “It’s fine. I just need to get home. I’ve got work tomorrow and all.”
His face flooded with a hurt expression as he set the napkin down on the table. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to treat you.”
Miranda’s heart wrung at the expression on his face. Why does he have to look at me like that? She felt herself soften. “Hun, Outback Steak house is a treat. This here,” she indicated with a small wave of her finger. “This to me is work. Work at acting like someone I’m not.”
&n
bsp; “I’m tired of the Outback. This is where I want to be. This place. I told you I’ve changed. The old Jason is dead and he’s never coming back. Do you understand?” His voice lowered at the last few words, sounding defensive.
“Fine. Enjoy your time.” Miranda pulled out her phone and dialed Cassie as she walked towards the entrance.
Jason muttered a curse and quickly followed. The maître d’ opened the door and she stormed through. Jason picked up their jackets and hurried after her.
He caught up to her at the corner. She was shivering, her breath coming out in white clouds. “Here,” he said, handing her the jacket.
She shrugged into it without making eye contact.
Jason stood by her side and chewed his cheek. “I don’t know what you want me to do,” he finally said. “Why are you being so resistant? I want you to step into this new life with me.”
Miranda spun around, frustrated. A car drove by, and she scooted back as its tires splashed through a puddle.
“Why is it okay for Dylan to have money but not me?”
“This isn’t about money. If I was all about the money then I’d be with Dylan. This is about you being you. Dude, we jumped trains together. Where is that person now?”
“Change is good. I was a loser before, going nowhere.” He pulled his cuffs down and straightened the front of his black jacket. “I’m moving up now.”
“You weren’t a loser to me,” Miranda said, her eyes downcast.
“It feels like you’re trying to keep me in my place.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m finally getting ahead, making a life for myself.…” He trailed off at Miranda’s open mouth stare.
“What the heck is wrong with you? I’d never hold you back. You were always good enough.”
“Oh, yeah? I knew as soon as Dylan came around I was going to lose you.”
“You weren’t going to lose me.” She cut him off. “That was all in your head.”
“I saw how you looked at him.”
“We were just friends.” She clenched her hands and took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Yeah,” he cocked his eyebrow and studied her. “What are you now?”