“Let’s hope not. Let’s hope you can’t sprain the same ankle twice.” I moved just far enough to the side to lock eyes with a certain someone who seemed unable to pry hers from a certain part of Jesse that made me every shade of territorial.
I knew every last female who wasn’t related to him checked out Jesse’s backside when he passed by—hell, I’d probably been the worst offender—but that girl . . . well, for some reason, her checking out Jesse’s backside got under my skin more than the rest.
Jesse and I didn’t do territorial. Or at least, we hadn’t. It looked like I would be the one to break that rule.
“Oh, hi. You must be the Rowen this guy can’t shut up about.” Jo circled her finger Jesse’s direction.
“I must be.” I stepped out from behind Jesse and angled myself in front of him. Yeah, because my hundred and twenty pounds could protect him from whatever I suddenly felt he needed protecting from. “I don’t know who you are, though. Jesse hasn’t mentioned you.”
Garth let out a low, “Meeeooow,” and tried to hide his smile.
If my arms were long enough, I would have bitch-slapped that smirk off his face.
“Oh, my gosh. Where are my manners?” When she hobbled my way, I noticed she wasn’t clinging to Garth like she had Jesse. In fact, she was barely using him at all. Much to Garth’s dismay. “I’m Jolene. It’s great to finally meet you.” The miraculously cured girl stopped in front of me and smiled, and dammit if it didn’t look like a genuine one. If it was one of the syrupy fake ones begging to form on my own face, it would have been easier to hate her guts. That smile, along with the biggest pair of brown eyes I’d ever seen, made gut-hating hard to attain. When her gaze flicked to Jesse and that smile grew, it became a little easier again.
What I really wanted to do was wave, grab Jesse, and do things to him all night that would make me blush in the morning. Because the Walkers were staring at me with growing concern and Garth was practically holding his breath for a girl-e-girl cat fight, I forced a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Jesse tells me you’re going to school in Seattle?” As soon as I nodded, she added, “At a community college, right?”
That was true, and I wasn’t ashamed I was attending a community college while I stowed away money for a four-year school, but the way Miss High Horse had said it . . . well, it certainly sounded like she meant it as a jab. Or was I way off?
“That’s an affirmative.” I teetered back and forth on my heels and toes, a sure sign I was getting worked up. “I also work at a nutty doughnut shop where I make minimum wage, and I ride a bike older than me since I don’t own a car. Oh, and almost my entire outfit came from a thrift store.” There. If she was throwing a jab with the community college comment, I’d just glazed over a few other hot topics.
“Are you kidding me? That outfit is from a thrift store? No way. I never find anything good or in my size.”
Since her size was rail thin with jumbo tits, I figured she had a tough time finding stuff in her size anywhere.
“And wait . . . is that . . .” She zoomed in on my denim bag.
“Yep. It is.” I patted it possessively. “Rose made it for me out of a pair of Jesse’s old jeans.”
And she started eye-molesting my bag. “I thought that looked like a familiar sight.”
I exhaled slowly. A familiar sight was visiting the same vacation place every year; the way Jolene was mind-fucking Jesse’s ass was something else entirely. “So you’re working here? Helping out Rose and the girls?” I felt another twinge of possessiveness. “No community college for you then, eh?”
“I just got back from almost a year-long Peace Corps mission, and since I’ve got a few months before I head out on my next one and I had plenty of time on my hands, Rose asked if I’d help out.” Jolene smiled at Rose, who was watching us just like everyone else in the room was: with guarded interest. “I’m thrilled to be working at one of the most renowned ranches in the state.”
Two words. Kiss. Up.
Then something else registered. “Did you just say Peace Corps? As in you’re a member?”
Her smile turned my way, and she bobbed her head. “For the past year.”
Yeah. I was going to hell. “Is that like a lifelong career sort of thing?” I’d graduated with a couple of kids heading off to join the Peace Corps. They were rich kids who thought they were above the material, capitalist, American mentality, but really, they just wanted to piss off their parents. Both of them were back in Portland and working a Starbucks drive-through a month later.
“Well, it can be. I’m just planning on doing it for a couple of years. I wanted to give something back before I did something selfish and committed to seven years of school.”
Neil had drifted back into the kitchen, probably because the Rice Crispy treats were calling his name, and Clementine followed. Everyone else was still staggered around the foyer, letting Jolene and I own the conversation.
“Do most people go to school for seven years?” Of course, the pessimistic critic inside of me picked that one thing to run with. Not the unselfish, Peace Corps part.
“The ones who want to become doctors do.”
Her smile was rubbing me the wrong way. Big time. It might have been real, but I was about to really remove it if she didn’t dim it a few hundred volts. Peace Corps. Future M. D. Gorgeous to the tenth degree. A kiss up to the hundredth. Oh yeah, and she was so hot for my boyfriend I could feel her ovaries pulsing. What Jesse Walker saw in me over someone who redefined perfect, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to waste any more time fleshing it out.
Jesse said, “It’s been a long day for all of us. I’d say it’s about time to wrap it up.” My god, that man had impeccable timing.
I’d been in front of him for close to five minutes and we had yet to kiss. That was unacceptable. Sure, his family was staggered around the room, but we’d never let that stop us. We toned it down to a PG level when they were around, but the whole reason I’d failed to kiss the man who made ovaries pulse near and far was because I’d let some real-life Sleeping Beauty lookalike mess with my head. No more messin’. Wait, scratch that. No more messin’ unless it included messin’ around with Jesse Walker.
“And by wrap it up, you mean it’s time for us to wrap it up.” Rose circled her fingers to include everyone in the foyer except for Jesse and me.
Jesse’s dimple formed as he gave his mom a sheepish look. “Maybe?”
“Oh, fine. I suppose you’ve earned a quiet night with Rowen to yourself, but tomorrow I won’t give up so easily.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Jesse’s hands formed over my shoulders, and he guided me to the front door. Someone was a little eager and unconcerned about showing it.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, lowering my voice in a bad attempt to mimic Jesse. I managed to give Hyacinth and Lily quick hugs before Jesse sped me through the door. “I’ve got presents for all of you. Let’s have a girls’ get-together tomorrow. No boys allowed.” I elbowed Jesse’s ribs lightly. He groaned like it was anything but. “Sound good?”
“Sounds great,” Lily replied, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“Especially the no boys allowed part,” Hyacinth added, giving Jesse an accusing look.
“Oo, that sounds like fun. I can’t wait,” Jolene squee’d, clapping her hands.
I suppose I should have clarified the girls’ get-together rules, like thou shalt not covet the other girls’ boyfriends. I wondered if I could get that stamped onto a shirt I could wear around a certain someone.
“You kids be good now. I’d hate to win a bet this easily.” Garth winked as we passed him and Jolene.
“You’re not winning another thing tonight, Black. Get that through your dark skull and darker head now.”
Rose was following the girls into the kitchen when Jesse whacked Garth in the stomach. “Go cuss already. You know you’re about to die from keeping-it-all-inside poisoning.”