Rum and Raindrops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance (17 page)

“On that ankle?” Dina asked, eyebrows raised reminding Jen of a mother challenging a teenaged daughter.

Jen brought herself back to the present and looked down at the slightly dirty gauze. “Well…” Her business wasn’t exactly bouncing back even with the fire out. Cancelling another hike might just ensure that the rest of her little business marched right on over to her competition in Derbyshire. So not happening if she had anything to do with it.

“Well, come when you can,” Dina said. “It isn’t until the evening and the hike can’t last all day, can it?”

“Leaving town might be a problem,” she mumbled.

“I’m not taking no for an answer.” Dina raised her left eyebrow as she went to talk to her brother.

Billy added his lifejacket to the back of the van’s stack. “Put yourself out there, girl,” he urged. “A good man won’t be single forever. He already likes you in a ‘let’s keep her’ kind of way. Get in his face. Make him fall. The rest will be history. A story you’ll tell at your wedding.”

Jen choked out a laugh as Billy eased away. If only it were that easy.

Within moments Dina was back.

“You told me you’re single!” Dina accused.

“Yeah,” she replied warily, leaning away. “Because I am…”

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” whispered Billy, easing closer again. Jen resisted the urge to tell him to dunk his head under the water’s surface and try counting fish.

She slammed the back doors to the van.

“See!” Dina spun to Rob who looked as though he’d rather wrestle a bear than deal with his sister.

Meddling family was right. Someone was playing matchmaker and hadn’t taken the time to notice the colossal-sized conflict of interest, and the fact that Rob lived a zillion miles away and kept backing off, setting limits between them. Limits that needed to be respected. Limits she should have been setting up, not bombarding.

“He doesn’t believe that you and that guy around town are just friends,” Dina said.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake! He’s just a friggin’ friend.” She hobbled to the trailer and began checking straps so they could get the hell out of here. While Dina was blunt and to the point, Jen was also counting on her shutting the heck up once everyone was in the van.

“See?” Dina said in a tone of voice that made Jen happy she didn’t have siblings.

Rob avoided the group’s stares, his jaw tight.

Jen passed Dina and said quietly, “Thanks, but just let it go, okay?”

“You guys love the same stuff. Laugh at the same things. The conflict of interest won’t last forever.”

“Hear, hear!” chimed in Billy.

“I’m available,” Ned offered.

“Christ. Anyone else want to weigh in on my love life? Maybe make me into a mail-order bride while we’re at it?” Jen asked, hands on her hips. Everyone shook their heads, ducking into the van. “That’s what I thought.”

As they buckled their seatbelts, Jen in the driver’s seat, Dina said, “I’ll email you the details to my bachelorette party, Jen. And don’t worry. You already know the designated driver, Rob. Plus, he can get you out of town.” She dusted her hands. “Problems solved.”

Great. If she went, Rob would get to babysit an alcohol-infused, crush-crazed female—herself. Adding alcohol to attraction always raised the stakes to uh-oh, and she knew it was an opportunity she’d be bound to talk herself into. Why? Because Rob would be there.

CHAPTER 7

Jen opened the door to the street, the midday sun blinding her as she leaned against the jamb. It had been a rough morning. Her ankle ached from the Father’s Day hike, and she hadn’t slept well due to thoughts of Rob swirling through her head. She’d been brushing off Dina’s party invites with excuses she could tell Dina wasn’t buying.

She needed to back off of Rob. Dina didn’t get it. If she went to Dina’s party, she wouldn’t back off. She’d back the hell on, plus some. She’d get sucked in like someone was holding a giant Hoover over her.

She leaned back into her apartment, shutting the door. Liz was on her way up the street, and there were only so many times she could tell her she didn’t want to put her side of the story in the newspaper before she’d go freak show.

She waited a few minutes then quickly backed out the door so she could avoid Liz and head to Mary Alice’s to grab an armload of chocolate. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar shape finishing a conversation with Liz.

She turned and blinked.

Couldn’t be. It really couldn’t be.

She blinked again as the person moved closer.

Rob.

Steamy Rob. His Holy Major Hotness in blue jeans, a button-down shirt over a navy shirt that brought out the blue flecks in his eyes. Storm cloud eyes. Unlike anyone else. Worn work boots with a scuff of black along the bottom.

“Were you at the fire site?” she asked, unable to think.

He ran a hand through his hair. “Hello to you, too. And yes, I was at one of them.”

“It’s been a bad year.”

He sighed, looked at her legs. “How’s the ankle? Any better?”

“Yeah, no stitches required. But I have this funny feeling in my chest.”

“You do?” His brows furrowed in concern.

Only when you’re around.

“I…never mind.” Her cheeks flushed and she glanced away.

“I had a good time on the canoe trip,” he said.

“Does that mean I get a Get Out of Jail Free card?” She stopped breathing. Oh, damn. Talk about putting a man on the spot. She may as well have asked him if her butt looked fat. “Kidding. Just kidding. Bad sense of humor. Bad.” She gave herself a slap on the cheek. “Bad Jen.”

He grabbed her hand to prevent her from doing more damage. “Hey, now.”

She felt her body leaning toward his heat. All she wanted was to know whether she could wrap her arms around his neck and give him a nice, long lingering kiss. This man was everything she’d been telling herself she’d been searching for. Nice. Smart. Hot. Athletic. Outdoorsy. Kind. Sense of humor. Ability to put her in jail.

Well, okay. Not the last one.

Stupid destiny. Didn’t she know she was avoiding Rob right now? Why did he have to be here? So tempting. So kind. So sexy. She could feel her resolve lessening every time she inhaled his woodsy scent.

“So?” he asked.

“So?” She couldn’t help but smile. What was he waiting for?

He’d better not be expecting to go on that stupid meadow hike right now. Yeah, when she’d first met him, she’d told him if she didn’t burn the town down she’d show him a hike or two around town. But that was before. This was now. And right now her ankle was throbbing and bitching at her as though she’d been clawed by Fluffy—the world’s stupidest cat who kept getting stuck in the tree on Main and would only allow herself to be rescued by Mandy’s ex-boyfriend, Oz. That and the fact that Jen was trying to be a good girl and avoid him.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think hiking would be a good idea today. My ankle is still a bit sore from this morning’s hike. Maybe another day? We could, um, go for coffee instead?” In fact, a coffee would be marvelous.

“A hike? Oh!” Recognition brightened his face. “I actually meant Dina’s bachelorette party. But you do still owe me a hike seeing as you didn’t burn the town down.”

“Uh? Her party?” She’d turned Dina down so many times she was surprised the girl was still talking to her.

“I heard we had a bachelorette in distress, and I was sent to be the knight in shining armor.” He spread his arms out at his sides as though showcasing himself.

She’d give him a ten. Definitely a ten.

“And?” she asked.

“And I’m here to give you a ride. Dina said your car was leaking oil, you weren’t allowed to leave town, and that you had work today. But it looks like you’re done with your hike, I asked Scott if I could take you out of town, and I’m here to take you away. Are you ready?”

Oh, boy. Now she was going to find herself in a situation with Rob that was awkward (on both their parts), alcohol-infused (her part), and lusty (her part again, but Rob was most welcome to join her) and was destined to end any friendship they had going on and a big ol’ heartache for her.

“Uh? Is there any way out of this?” She rubbed her hands down her thighs. There had to be a way out.

Rob shook his head. “Nope.”

“I’ll text Dina and tell her I’m sick.” She backed into her entry, but Rob leaned in, resting a shoulder against the doorjamb.

“You don’t know my sister. She’ll have my head.” Rob changed tactics. “Please? It would mean a lot to Dina.”

Jen sighed. If she stayed home she was going to wallow in self-pity, eat way too much chocolate, and basically hide out and let her fight or flight response rule her life. If she went…well, things could get…messy. Fun, but messy. “You know I can’t make any guarantees for my behavior once I get a few drinks in me.”

“Cuba Libres, right?”

“Hurricanes, too, if it’s a good bar.”

“Oh, it will be.” He gave her a soft smile and she knew there was no way out. No way that wouldn’t result in her turning that nice smile upside down—accidentally, of course.

She heaved a sigh and turned to go up the stairs. “I guess I’d better get ready.”

Jen entered her apartment and heard the power of the bright walls hit Rob who’d followed her up the stairs. “Wow. This place is fantastic.”

“It grows on a person,” she said as she tried to figure out what she needed needed to bring. “Sorry to hear you’re color blind. Most people don’t find my bright walls particularly cool.” In fact, she could practically see her style-sense stock falling in their books as they looked around at the hodge podge.

“I can see colors just fine,” he said, kicking off his shoes and wandering over to a finger painting she’d made ages ago to burn off some of her hurt and anger toward Ken. It was huge and covered the space between the door to her bedroom and the bathroom. “This is cool. Did you make this? I like all the red.”

Huh. He really could see colors.

He checked out a few more treasures. “Are you ready?”

She lurched into action, having been drawn into watching him discover the inner Jen through her belongings. He’d paused at all the right items. For the hundredth time she wondered how she could make something work with what would inevitably be long distance should they get past what already stood in their way.

She grabbed her toothbrush from the bathroom before coming back to the living area. “How am I going to get home?”

“Brownies,” he said with a shrug.

“Seriously? You’d drive all that way? That hardly seems…” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“What?” He gave a mock offended look. “Am I chopped liver or something?”

“No, but I can’t ask you to go a bazillion hours out of your way. I barely even know your sister. This is a major imposition.” She set her toothbrush down on the coffee table.

“Why don’t you let me decide what’s a major imposition?” He crossed his arms.

“Rob…”

He sat on her couch, flipping open one of her outdoor guide magazines. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

“But—”

“I’m already here, Jen.” He gave her a look over the top of the magazine. “If it makes you feel better, I had to drop some stuff off in town. And tomorrow I have to come halfway out here to take my dad out for Father’s Day brunch, so I can easily bring you home. No imposition necessary.”

Jen backed into her bedroom and bit her bottom lip, making herself step past her reluctance and go with the flow. To let people in and all that other stuff Wally had told her. A few minutes later, she dropped her backpack by the door.

Rob started to stand when she caught sight of his button-down shirt. She glanced at her cutoffs and work T-shirt. Way too casual. They would be partying and shaking it in front of eligible men. “Hang on. I have to change.” She flew into her room to pull on a new outfit.

“Leave the cutoffs, they’re cute. Kind of Daisy Duke.”

Jen caught her reflection in the full-length mirror. Daisy Duke? Not even close. They weren’t skin tight. And they weren’t that short either.

She held up her new denim miniskirt. “I think I have something cuter.” She blushed and shook her head at herself. What was it about this man? And what the heck was she getting herself into?

She checked out the skirt in the mirror. Much more flattering and slimming. She slid into a form-fitting, white tank top that showed off her tan and strong shoulders. She added a beaded necklace and a touch of makeup.

“Ready.”

“That was fast.” He held the door for her. “You’re right, that’s even cuter.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“I handed in my report, and my boss is sending it in. Conflict of interest is over.” He held up his hands as if showing he wasn’t armed.

“What? What did it say?” She took an eager step closer. “Did you prove it was the truck guy? Is that why you’re here? It was him, wasn’t it?”

Rob laughed, brushing her hands off him as though they tickled. “I can’t tell you a single thing and you know it.”

“But you just said the conflict of interest is over. That means I’m innocent!” She clapped her hands and did a little skip.

“I didn’t say that,” he said quickly, shutting the door that led to the sidewalk.

“Then what?” She could feel her jaw hanging with disappointment but couldn’t shake the feeling.

“I just…I’m not investigating you any longer.” He met her eyes, his jaw tight. “But depending on other findings and what the judge decides when all is collected, he could ask me to testify.”

“What?” She felt the need to sit.
Testify?
What had he found? What had Scott not told her?

“I only meant…there’s still a conflict of interest, but it’s not like it was before.” He reached out and placed a warm hand on her arm. In that moment, she felt as though he might actually want her. As in,
want
her. Her. Nobody else. “I don’t know what they’ll do with the information I gave them or what else has been discovered, but until your name has been completely cleared, we have to be careful. That’s all.”

We.
He said
we
.

That was something wasn’t it?

“I guess I’d better stop flirting with you then,” she said, her voice low.