I drew in a deep breath. “By the time I graduated, my grades had slipped. I had a 2.4 GPA and no hope of Cal Tech. Mom wanted me to take a year off. Get some counseling. But Dad wanted me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep on trucking. So, I compromised. I stayed here with them and enrolled in the local community college. I actually avoided taking classes with him after that first semester just so he could take me out on a date.”
I felt Jasper’s grip growing tighter as I fell back into the memories.
“He helped me forget, Jay. He made me smile. And laugh. And our dates were always punctuated with a ride on the back of that bike of his. When I felt trapped by school, he encouraged me to seek out other avenues. When I found out that the library was hiring, he encouraged me to put in an application. And when I got the job, he stood by me against my parents while they fought me every step of the way.”
“He sounds like a great man.”
Tears rushed to my eyes. “He was, Jasper. He was the best kind of man. And I loved him with everything I was capable of. He cheered me on. Provided me what I needed. And he never once expected me to be anything other than the broken girl he met that first semester in community college.”
I closed my eyes as I pulled my hand away from his.
“And then, he died. One morning, during his routine run. He left for his run, I had breakfast prepared for when he got back. And then, he never came home.”
“Khlo, I’m so fucking sorry.”
I finally turned toward him and found Jay with watery eyes.
“I buried him three years ago. But I don’t think that hurt will ever go away,” I said.
He shook his head slowly. “It won’t. But it’ll get easier to live with.”
“Maybe so. But that should fill in all the gaps of my history with John. Because tonight is about Kent and Quinn. I don’t want anything distracting us from that.”
“Will you tell me more about him later?”
His question shocked me. “What?”
He took a step toward me. “Will you tell me more about him later?”
I nodded softly. “If you want.”
“I would like to know more about the man who stepped up when I failed you.”
I nearly choked at his words, but before I could say anything else, he slipped away from me, moving his way into the kitchen. I let out a shaky sigh, then tossed back the rest of my wine.
Holy hell, I’d need much more if to get through tonight.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Jasper asked.
“Steak, lobster tail, whipped potatoes, and grilled vegetables,” I said.
“Oh, that sounds fantastic.”
“I was going to strike up the grill, but I’m thinking about pan-frying the steaks since they’re filets.”
His eyebrows rose. “Filet mignon for dinner tonight. This must be important.”
“Oh, yes. Our mission is very important. I don’t want anything impeding on it, either.”
“Nothing impeding. Got it,” he said.
“Good. Now, would you like to help? Because I could use some help chopping up all these damn vegetables.”
We danced around one another in the kitchen, and I found that I didn’t hate it. I hadn’t cooked with anyone in a very long time. Especially since the last time I’d cooked with someone, it was with John.
“Everything okay?” Jasper asked.
I shook my head. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just waiting for this pan to heat up.”
“Pretty sure it’s done.”
I looked down at the melted butter and snickered.
“Time for the steaks,” I said.
A knock came at the door, and I motioned for Jay to go get it. The second Quinn and Kent’s laughter filled the house together, my head snapped over. Had they arrived together? Or just pulled up at the same time? Jasper came around the corner and shrugged, which literally gave me nothing to go on.
“Holy shit! Something smells fantastic in here,” Kent said.
“The important guests have arrived,” Quinn said.
I peeked over my shoulder at Jay and watched him peel the potatoes.
“So, did you two come together? Or pull up together?” he asked.
“Jasper,” I hissed.
“What? You know you’re thinking it.”
“I mean, how long has Jasper been here alone with you?” Quinn asked.
I shot her a look. “Quinn.”
She shrugged. “We pulled up together. But we may or may not have been talking outside for a bit before Kent kindly ushered me up the porch steps.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes as Kent and Quinn burst out laughing.
The more they laughed together, the closer they grew. Dinner was filled with uproarious sounds, to the point where Quinn was practically leaning on Kent for support. And he was quick to wrap his arm around her. I liked the sound of the two of them together. Listening to them talk. Watching Kent cradle her close. I knew he’d take care of my baby sister. And that was something she deserved.
Though, I could’ve done without Jasper practically shoving Quinn into Kent’s lap.
“We could play spin the bottle,” Jasper said.
He came up behind me and slid some dishes into the sink.
I shot him an incredulous look, but when Jasper started laughing, I found myself laughing along with him.
“Hey, you two. Sounds like you’re having too much fun in here,” Kent said.
“Yeah! Since when are dishes funny?” Quinn asked.
Jasper quickly stepped away, and I drew in a deep breath.
“So, are you guys up for a game or something? I’ve got one last bottle of wine for the night,” I said.
Kent held up his hand. “If I have any more, I won’t be able to drive.”
“And I do have to work tomorrow,” Quinn said.
“All right. Well, let me walk you two to the door,” Jasper said.
I quirked an eyebrow at him, and he winked back. I felt my heart skip a beat as he walked them to the door. But the second the door closed, he rushed back into the kitchen.
“Come on, come on, come on,” he murmured.
He grabbed my hand and started tugging me toward the door.
“What? What’s going on?” I asked.
“I may or may not have pep-talked Kent in the corner earlier about kissing Quinn tonight,” he whispered.
“Why are we whispering?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, you started it.”
I looked over at him and saw him smiling brightly, igniting those beautiful eyes that had made my heart flutter as a teenager. I smiled back at him, feeling at ease in his presence. But when he turned his stare back out the window, I followed in kind.
Only to see Kent’s head dip toward Quinn’s.
“Yes!” I exclaimed.
Jasper put his finger to his lips and started laughing.
“They’re going to hear you all the way from here,” he said.
I stood up and danced around, rejoicing as they kissed outside. Yes! The dinner had been a success. I pumped my fists in the air as Jasper fell apart in laughter. And for a moment, it felt like old times. Our old plans. Our old antics.
Our old ways.
Chapter 16
Jasper
“You know Khloe saw that kiss, right?”
“It almost didn’t happen.”
“Oh, come on. You know you’d been thinking about it all night. You were practically playing footsies with her underneath the table at dinner.”
“Maybe,” was all he’d say, though the ear-to-ear grin said it all.
“Is that her? Why are you smiling at her phone?”
“Maybe,” he said again.
“Kent has a girlfriend. Kent has a girlfriend.”
“Dude, shut up.”
All morning, I busted his balls like a good partner should.
Kent sighed. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
The look on my partner�
�s face when he said those words gave me pause. I looked over at him as I ate my sandwich, since we were wolfing down lunch in the cruiser. I saw him staring at his phone and peeked over his shoulder. And the text I saw made me grin.
I saw Quinn’s name, with a bunch of kissy faces filling a text message screen.
“She’s a good one, yeah,” I said.
Kent started typing back to her. “I’ve liked Quinn for so long. I mean, going on two or so years now. It killed me to do what I thought was right. I mean, seeing her all the time and not being able to touch her just…”
I sat there, waiting for him to finish that statement.
“Do you know what it’s like to stare at the woman you’re in love with for months on end and feel like you can’t touch her?” he asked.
Actually, yeah. “Must be rough, man.”
He sent off the text. “It is. And now, I finally get to take her in my arms and kiss her and do all that stuff I’ve wanted to do for so long.”
I smiled. “Well, you could have had this a long time ago, you know. Khloe’s been angling at it for a while, it seems.”
“I’m an idiot. I get it.”
“No, you were just being stubborn. A stubborn gentleman. You wanted what was best for Quinn and her reputation in town. There’s nothing wrong with that. And now? You get to start making it up to her.”
His phone dinged with a text, and he chuckled. He tilted the phone over to me, and I practically barked with laughter.
You and me. Tomorrow night. I’m coming over to help you clean that nasty bachelor pad you’ve got. You can cook dinner to make it up to me. See you around five!
“Oh, man. You’re in for a ride with her,” I said.
“Guess I get the pleasure of making up a lot now,” Kent said, grinning.
“Love looks good on you, you know.”
He snickered as he slid his phone back into his pocket.
“It looks good on you, too,” he said.
I furrowed my brow. “What?”
“Time to get back on the road.”
I stuffed my sandwich back in its bag. “Wait, wait, wait. What did you mean by that?”
“Time for us to clock back in, partner!”
I narrowed my eyes at him as he pulled away from the curb. As I stared at him, we started driving down the road, making our usual after-lunch rounds that had become routine for us. I decided to shrug off the statement. At least, for now.
But I’d get back around to it.
“Oh, by the way. The library’s having a story time. I thought we could stop in and say hi to the kiddos. They get a kick out of it,” Kent said.
I nodded. “Fair enough. What time is it?”
“In a few minutes. Just wanted to give you a heads-up. You know, like I promised.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. A few minutes’ heads-up. Thanks for that.”
“Don’t act like you don’t want to see her. .”
I shot him a look, and he threw his head back with laughter. Then, we made our way over to the library. Piper stayed by my side the entire time as we walked in. And I got to witness yet another one of her wonderful Matthew introductions.
“I bet if everyone closes their eyes, he’ll reappear before we know it. You guys ready to close your eyes?” Khloe asked.
I watched at the kids put their hands over their faces as Kent, Piper, and I took up our posts against the wall. Khloe looked over at me and nodded. But the cheeky grin on her face made my heart flutter in my chest. Kent nudged me, and I nudged him back. I didn’t need him getting any ideas. I wasn’t in love with Khloe, and she wasn’t in love with me.
We were merely trying to get a feel for one another again after all these years.
“All right, everyone. Now, say the magic word,” Khloe said.
“Merry Christmas!”
“Bippity boppity boo!”
“Trick or Treat!”
“Please?”
Every kid shouted a different magic word, and I had to put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I even saw Khloe suppressing her own laughter as Matthew jumped out from around the corner. The kids opened their eyes and cheered for him as he sat down in a chair. Then, he sat a massive children’s book on his knee to start reading to them.
Khloe came and took up a position beside me.
“You ever read this book?” she whispered.
I shook my head. “I don’t recognize it, no.”
“Oh, Goodnight Moon was a favorite of mine.”
“If everyone is ready, I can begin,” Matthew said.
When I looked over at him, he was staring directly at Khloe and me. Whoops.
“I’m an officer of the law. I’m always ready,” I said.
Khloe giggled. “Ready.”
Matthew chuckled. “All right, then.”
The book was really sweet. A child saying good night to everything in his room, including his mother and the moon. I saw why it was Khloe’s favorite. She used to do that all the time with her dolls and stuffed animals. Though, she’d never admitted that to anyone. Ever. I kept stealing glances at her as Matthew kept reading through the book and entrancing the children.
Then, once the story wound down, I drew in a deep breath.
“Why don’t you come over tonight for some dinner?” I asked without much thought.
Her eyes whipped up to mine. “What?”
“Dinner. You know, that thing you eat?”
She swatted me playfully. “Sure, I could eat. What’s the occasion?”
“Well, Kent is going to be preoccupied with your sister. And I figured I’d do a little more shed snooping if I’m feeling up for it. I figured I could entice you over for food, we could catch up—.”
She placed her hand on my arm. “Whatever you need, Jay. I’ll help you out, okay?”
She hadn’t called me that in years. No one had. I never let anyone truncate my name like that. Hearing it fall from her lips after all these years made my heart seize in my chest.
“I appreciate it. Thank you,” I said.
Kent kept shooting me glances for the rest of the day, but I ignored them. I kept running down in my head what I needed to get from the store to cook a decent enough dinner. I was no chef, but I knew my way around a few recipes. Lasagna with a salad. A nice pot roast. I was good with ribs. I needed a couple of days to prep those, however.
“So, what’s on the menu for tonight?” Kent asked.
I grinned. “I’m thinking about doing a nice Southern meal.”
“A Southern meal? With all that grease?”
“Eh, depends on what you cook. I’m thinking macaroni and cheese, some cornbread, oven-baked chicken, and potato salad.”
“Nice. Can I come?”
“I’ll make you a plate and bring it over later. How’s that sound?”
He chuckled. “You mean, there’s going to be a ‘later’ for you?”
I cut my eyes to him. “I didn’t invite Khloe over to screw around with her.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Just busting your balls, man.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “So, what’s the occasion?”
“For dinner?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“Well, we still have a lot of catching up to do. She opened up to me a lot about John before you and Quinn came over for dinner last night. I figured I owed her at least a bit of opening up myself. Answering questions she might have.”
“What did she tell you about John?”
I shrugged. “How they met. How long they were together. Rides on his motorcycle.”
“He fucking loved that thing.”
I heard a waver in Kent’s voice and patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s time she had answers, and I plan on giving those to her tonight. Any questions she’s got.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that. She’s wanted them for a long time.”
“Yeah. I know.”
I decided not to tell Kent about any
thing else. Because while I was glad my friendship with Khloe seemed to be on the mend, part of me hoped we could be more than that. Eventually. Sometime in the future. But tonight definitely wasn’t the night for that.
“All right, time to head back to the station,” Kent said.
I paused. “Wait, what?”
“Yep. Time for you to go home.”
“It’s only four-thirty.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And the station’s just up the block.”
“Yep.”
“Why am I being let off early?”
He chuckled. “Because you need to do some grocery shopping. And don’t forget the fresh donuts. Go by the general store and get them straight from her father. She fucking loves those things.”
I smiled. “That man always made the best donuts. It’s nice to know he’s finally selling them now.”
“Exactly. And have fun tonight. But, you know, not too much fun.”
I nodded. “I plan on having the exact right amount of fun that respects Khloe and makes her smile.”
“And you say you’re not in love.”
Chapter 17
Khloe
As I stood on the porch, I felt nervous about being there. Which was insane, given the fact that I’d been to this house so many times. Still, I raised my knuckles and knocked softly against the door, readying myself for whatever the night had in store for me.
Well, for us.
The first sound I heard was Piper barking, then the skittering of her feet along the floors. That high-pitched whistle rose behind the door, however, and the dog stopped. Amazing, the training Piper had. Very telling of the time Jasper had spent with her.
But when the door opened, all thoughts of Piper fell to the wayside.
“Hey there, Khloe. Thanks for coming. I just need to pull the chicken out, and dinner is all set.”
I had to force my jaw to stay in its place. Even so, my mouth still watered. Not because of the smells coming from the kitchen, either. Jay looked outstanding. With his dark-wash jeans and his tight button-down shirt, I saw the ripples of muscles I didn’t even know him to have. His clean-shaven face was accented with a soft shadow. The piercing green of his eyes stopped my heart in my chest. There was a churning in my pelvis, in my gut, and as my eyes slid along the swell of his chest, I felt heat gather between my legs.
Dating My Best Friend: A Second Chance Romance Page 10
