by Annie Rains
“Ma’am?” Jack said, wanting to make his presence known.
She didn’t acknowledge him.
He noticed now that she had earbuds in. They were attached to a small radio hooked to the pocket of her shorts. Jack hadn’t seen a little radio like that in a long time. Most people used their cell phones to listen to music these days.
Once he got in line of her peripheral vision, she startled and whirled to look at him. For a moment, she put weight on her opposite leg. Then she flinched and quickly leaned against the tree to shift her weight off it again.
Jack held up a hand. “It’s okay. I’m the park ranger here. Are you hurt?” he asked.
Her wide eyes stared back at him.
“Can I help you?” he asked. “You seem like you might have hurt your leg.”
She shook her head, throwing off her balance just slightly.
Jack sighed. “Your leg is hurt.” He gestured at his ATV. “I can give you a ride out of the park and arrange for you to get medical attention.”
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
That sent out all kinds of warning signals in Jack’s gut. “Are you in trouble?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
Well, he couldn’t make her seek help if she didn’t want to. “You can’t camp at the park,” he told her. “It’s illegal.”
She sucked in a tiny gasp. “Oh. I didn’t know. I’m…I’m sorry. Please don’t call the police.”
Jack noticed the duffel bag nearby. She wasn’t camping for the sake of camping. “You don’t have anywhere else to stay?”
She didn’t answer.
Hurt and homeless it was.
“I won’t call the authorities, but I will give you a ride out. You can’t walk on that leg, and you can’t stay here. My nephew and I were just about to get lunch. I’ll take you too if you want.”
She eyed him suspiciously.
“Just friends. My treat.” He scratched the bottom of his chin. “Except I know most of my friends’ names.” He jutted out his hand. “I’m Jack Hershey, like the candy.”
This made her smile. Reluctantly, she put out her hand as well. “I’m, um, Diana.”
He noticed that she didn’t include a last name in her introduction. “Can you walk to the ATV, Diana, or do you need help?”
“I can walk,” she said. “But I can’t walk and carry my bag. And I’m not leaving my bag,” she said quickly.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it.” Jack jogged over and looped the strap over his shoulder as she watched him closely, almost as if she was worried that he might steal her belongings. He didn’t blame her. If everything she owned was in this one bag, it must be very important to her. He led her back to the vehicle and hesitated. “You’ll have to ride with me. Do you need help climbing on?”
She shook her head. “I can do it.”
“It’s just a short drive. I’ll go slow to minimize the bumps on that leg.” He climbed on first and waited for her to climb behind him, readying himself to catch her if her balance became compromised.
Once she was on the back, Jack looked at Sam and nodded an okay to crank the engine and head back to the office. He’d expected that when he took the illegal camper out of his park, it would be to meet chief of police Alex Baker. After looking into Diana’s eyes—if that was even her real name—he realized that she hadn’t intended any harm. Instead, she seemed to be in need of help.
* * *
Emma loved a good jolt of caffeine first thing in the morning. She loved it so much that she’d built her whole career around that buzz of caffeine. But she also loved drinks of a different variety every now and then.
As she sat with Nina at the Tipsy Tavern, she thought that maybe she should do this more often. This was a good stress reliever. Just as much as the alcohol felt good buzzing through her veins, it also felt good to laugh. The kind of laughter that squeezed tears out of the corners of your eyes and made your belly ache a little. That’s the kind that she and Nina had been having for the last hour.
“So…,” Nina said. She was just as tipsy as Emma, if not more so. “Which guy in here would be the one?”
Emma shook her head while grinning. “Which one?”
“You know…the one you’d pick to go home with. If you could choose any guy, no strings.”
Emma laughed softly. “No, that’s not me.”
“What’s not you?” Nina asked, taking a sip of her lime margarita.
“There’s nothing wrong with casual hookups, but it’s not what I do.” She felt her cheeks burning at just the discussion. “I mean, I never have before.”
“You’ve never had a one-nighter?” Nina asked in mock shock. Or maybe it was real.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “I’m guessing by your reaction that you have.”
“Of course I have. I’m twenty-seven years old, and I’ve never been in any serious relationships. Without the one-night stands, I’d still be a virgin.”
Emma and Nina started laughing hysterically again.
“I’m not a virgin, but it’s been so long that I might as well be,” Emma confessed.
Nina giggled softly. “So, which guy? Just for the sake of pretending.”
Emma groaned and looked around the room. “It’s a definite no to all the guys in here that I already know because that would be weird. And I know every guy in here,” she clarified, returning her gaze to Nina. “So none.”
“Aw, you’re no fun at all.”
“But you have to admit meaningless sex with guys you know could be awkward the next day when you’re serving them coffee.”
Nina shrugged, and if Emma wasn’t mistaken, her cheeks were now turning red.
“Wait. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve done the casual thing with a guy in here and seen him the next day at the café. Who?”
Nina shook her head, her body shaking as she giggled. “Sorry, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Now you’re the one who’s no fun.” Emma harrumphed. She looked around the tavern again, this time her breath catching.
“Aha. So Jack is the one,” Nina said with a wide grin. “I knew it.”
“No, I know him too, and that would definitely be awkward.”
“Not really. He’s already your boyfriend,” Nina pointed out.
“Fake boyfriend and that whole scenario is just silly. I’m not sure why I ever agreed to it.”
“I know why. Because you’ve always been into him and this was a safe way to test the waters. If it turns out to be a disaster, you could throw your hands up and chalk it up to the fact that it was never real anyway. And if it’s amazing, you can ease into it and pretend like you knew it was meant to be all along. It’s genius actually.”
Emma blinked across the table at her friend. Was that true? Is that what she and Jack were doing?
Nina flagged the waitress as she walked by. “I think we’re going to need another round.”
“And some for us too,” Sophie said as she pulled out a chair with Brenna. “Do you ladies mind if we join you?” she asked.
“No, of course not,” Emma said.
“I saw your boyfriend over there.” Sophie winked.
Emma regretted telling anyone about her arrangement with Jack.
“I suppose I won’t ask him to dance,” Sophie added. “I don’t want to cause any sort of scandal.”
Emma shook her head and drained the last of her drink as she anxiously awaited another.
Nina knocked her elbow against Emma’s. “But you should ask him to dance. Seeing that you two are an item these days. What could it hurt?”
Nina was right. This pretend relationship was a safety net for going after something Emma had always secretly wanted. She scooted back from the table. “I think I’ll take your advice and go have that dance.”
Her world shifted and realigned every few steps, telling her that she should return to the table with her friends after this dance and have that l
ast drink she’d ordered. Tomorrow morning’s headache was going to be a doozy. But she’d worry about that when she got there. Right now, she was stepping up to Jack’s table and pulling him out onto the dance floor. If he’d let her.
And she’d worry about what happened after that when she got there too.
* * *
Jack knew in an instant that Emma had been drinking. She was adorably flushed and swaying just a touch. He was here tonight waiting for Luke and Granger. They’d called and asked to meet up tonight after work. From a quick scan, he knew they hadn’t walked in yet. He’d somehow missed the fact that Emma had.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he said.
“I’m here with Nina. And now Sophie and Brenna too.”
He glanced back, seeing the table of women now. They were all watching Emma and him with interest. He lifted a hand and waved before turning back to Emma. “And you left their company for me?”
“You are my boyfriend after all.” Emma tilted her head in a flirtatious way that left her hair falling across her cheek. “And as such, I came over to ask you to dance.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “I don’t dance.”
Emma stuck her lower lip out. “I’m not buying it.”
“It’s true.”
She reached for his hand anyway. “You would’ve danced with me at my prom, if you’d have taken me. You owe me at least one dance. Probably an entire night’s worth.”
Jack felt his own mouth spread into a wide grin. “Collecting on debts, huh?”
She gave a soft tug. “Something like that. Now come on.”
Relenting, he stood and let her pull him into the corner where other couples were swaying to the music. He put his arms around her and gathered her close. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he was willing to give Emma whatever she wanted.
“I’m sorry that I’ve been drinking. I hope it doesn’t bother you.” She looked up into his eyes. “I didn’t realize you’d be here tonight. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have—”
Jack shook his head. “If I was bothered by being around people drinking, I wouldn’t have come to a bar. Don’t worry about me.”
She kept her eyes locked on his. “Okay…Where’s Sam?”
“Hanging out with a couple friends.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“I think he’s doing well here,” Jack said. “He was a little quiet this morning until we had an issue at the park. Then he perked up a bit.”
“What kind of issue?” Emma asked, seeming to melt into his arms. He enjoyed the feel of her there, her skin sliding over his softly as she swayed.
“The illegal camper I was looking for turned up with a sprained ankle. I also discovered that she’s camping in Evergreen because she’s temporarily homeless.”
Emma gasped softly. “Oh my goodness. Why?”
Jack shrugged. “Sam and I took her to the urgent care and then to get something to eat, but she didn’t offer much. She was laid off from work and couldn’t afford to pay rent. So she’s been camping at the park.”
“But she can’t do that, right?”
“No. We gave her a ride to the women’s shelter,” Jack said. “Trisha, the director there, is well connected. She might be able to help her find a job.”
“Wow.” The song ended, but Emma didn’t pull away. If anything, she leaned closer. Jack slid a lock of hair out of her face, trailing his finger along her skin as he looked at her. “I’m sorry I missed prom.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m not apologizing to you this time,” he cut in. “I’m sorry for myself. Dancing all night with you would’ve been one of the most amazing nights of my life, and I missed it. Who knows where things would’ve led between us after that night if I’d have been there?”
Emma’s lips separated.
“Maybe we would’ve ended up, you know…” He trailed off, not saying what he was thinking. Maybe he’d already said too much.
“Jack…”
He looked away, scanning the other couples on the dance floor. They were all laughing and smiling, and here he was being serious. “Yeah, I know. We’re friends, and nothing would’ve happened between us anyway. I’m talking crazy. Forget I said—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Emma went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. His grasp tightened around her waist, holding her there as he deepened the kiss. Even though they’d kissed twice before, she tasted forbidden, like his best friend and alcohol. The first kiss had been under pretenses. The second, they were still holding back. This kiss, however, was a no-holds-barred kind of kiss, and more real than anything he’d ever experienced.
Step away, Jack.
Instead, Jack inched forward and kissed her some more, blocking out all the reasons that had kept him away so long. He swore he’d never lose his self-control in a bar again, but here he was, losing it with Emma.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma was drunk, but not so much that she wasn’t completely in control of what was happening right now with Jack. Nina was so right. She was in a rare situation this summer where she could throw caution to the wind and have a get-out-of-jail-free card if things went south.
Jack pulled away and looked at her, concern etched in his brow. “Sorry.”
“I’m not,” she said.
“I don’t want to take advantage of you when…you’re like this.”
She tilted her head. “Maybe I’m the one taking advantage of you, Jack Hershey.”
“I don’t mind one bit.” The corner of his mouth kicked up. “So you’re leaving here with Nina and the other women at your table?”
Emma lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. You’re my boyfriend. It only makes sense that I’d leave with you. Nina can get a ride home with Brenna or Sophie.”
“Or,” Jack countered, “I can give you all a ride home when you’re ready to leave.”
“What about your night with Granger and Luke? Won’t they be upset if you bail on them?”
“Nah. Ladies come first. That’s the code.”
“I thought the code was in favor of the guys.”
“Depends on the guys, I guess,” Jack said, his breath tickling her ear as they continued to slow dance. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
She looked up and practically melted in his arms. “It was so much easier when I thought you just didn’t want me.”
“Is that what you thought?” he asked, pulling back to meet her gaze.
“Well…You stood me up, and then you never gave me any reason to believe you were interested in being more than friends.”
“I wasn’t in a good place, Emma. Your dad was right. I didn’t deserve you.”
“What?” Emma asked. “Did he say that?”
Jack looked away. “I had to pull myself together, and I did. Although some days I don’t feel that way. Your dad still hates the idea of us. I can tell.”
“Who cares?” she asked.
“I do.” He looked at her again.
“Because you’re a good guy. And you deserve to be happy.”
“So do you,” Jack said.
His fingers curled into her waist as he held her. The sensation and the vibration of the music in the air made her body buzz. A dance wasn’t enough. She wanted Jack—all of him.
“Maybe, once you drive me home, I’ll invite you inside for a sweet tea?”
He gave a slight nod. “Sounds nice.”
“Yeah,” she whispered, “it does.”
“So how much longer until your friends will be ready to go home?” Jack asked.
“An hour maybe.”
He nodded. “That gives me just enough time with the guys. And an excuse not to drink tonight if I’m your DD.”
Emma felt her face contort into a frown. “I had no idea that you had to go through this every time you went out.”
“It’s no big deal.” Jack shrugged. “Really.”
“Then why don’t you just let your friends in on what’s going on with yo
u?”
“I guess it’s like when you tell someone you’re sick. Everyone starts treating you that way. If I tell people I struggle with alcohol, they’ll stop asking me to hang out here at the tavern. Stop asking me to come by and watch the game with them because there’ll be beer. That’s not what I want.”
“I think you’re selling your friends short. But I’m glad you told me. I promise I won’t treat you any differently.”
“Thanks.” The music stopped, and he stepped back. “So we have one hour. Then I’ll give you and your friends a ride.”
Emma nodded. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I don’t,” he reiterated. “Just come tap my shoulder when you’re ready to leave.”
He headed in one direction, and she headed back to the table where the ladies were waiting for her, wishing that she could fast-forward the next hour. She loved her friends, but she wanted to spend more time with Jack, alone.
* * *
When Jack sat down at the table with the guys, they stopped talking and looked at him.
“We had a bet that you were going to ditch us in favor of Emma,” Granger finally said.
Jack chuckled, noticing the drink in front of him. One of the guys must have ordered it for him when he was dancing with Emma. “Who bet who?” Jack asked.
“I bet Luke his next drink that you would come back and ditch us,” Granger said.
Luke shrugged, sitting next to Jack. “I bet that you wouldn’t. Emma’s with the ladies, and you’re with the guys.”
“Looks like I win,” Jack said. “I’m not leaving just yet. But I did agree to be the DD for Emma and her friends in about an hour. So you both lost and you owe me a drink.”
Granger and Luke gave each other a look that told Jack they’d discussed something privately about him.
“Except you don’t drink, right?”
Jack nodded, willing his body to stay relaxed. “No, I don’t,” he said. Maybe Emma was right, and he was selling his friends short by thinking they’d treat him differently. “I’m a recovering alcoholic.”
Luke frowned at him. “What? Since when?”
“Since college,” Jack said. “I haven’t touched a drink in almost ten years, and I won’t.”
