Chapter Twenty-One
Jessica
I watched Alan gently set a sleeping Ruth in her car seat, carefully strap her in, then look over at me with a broad smile when she didn’t wake up. He grabbed the handle and stood up tall, and I leaned against the couch cushion to keep from swooning.
I’d already learned my lesson about what happened when I did that. Ruined shirts and cinnamon rolls.
“Are you ready?”
I glanced around Lainey’s office to make sure I’d gotten everything, then hoisted the diaper bag over my shoulder and replied, “Yes.”
With his free hand, he gestured to the door. “Lead the way.”
I’m sure I was imagining it, but I swear I could feel his eyes on my butt.
Although, I hadn’t imagined his dick against it earlier. And I know I didn’t have a lot of experience, but I was beginning to wonder if we’d been flirting all day.
Speaking of… why had he been at the bakery all day?
He slid behind the wheel after installing Ruthie’s car seat in the rear seat of the Silverado—something he insisted on doing, although he did ask me to double check to make sure he’d done it right—he had. And I summoned the guts to ask him.
“Why were you at the bakery all day? Aren’t you here visiting your brother?”
Putting the truck in reverse, he replied, “My brother was working,” then put it in drive and continued, “and I told you I’d take you and Ruthie home.”
“Take Main until you get to Polk Drive, then turn right,” I directed before resuming the conversation. “Okay, but why were you there all day? You could have showed up at four-thirty to give us a ride. Like Mr. Roberts did yesterday.”
I saw his jaw clench the second I said Mr. Roberts, but his tone sounded casual when he said, “I wanted to hang out with you.”
“Me? Why?”
His brows were creased when he glanced over at me. “Because I want to get to know you better.”
“You do? Why?”
He stole another look at me before making the turn onto Polk Drive.
“Why do you think?”
I thought I had an idea, but I’d feel really stupid if I said it out loud and was completely off base. Or worse, he laughed when he told me I couldn’t be more wrong.
“Um… I’m not sure.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to come back tomorrow and try again.” He paused, then said, “Unless you don’t want me—”
I cut him off before he continued his thought. “No!” I realized that might have sounded too emphatic, so I toned it down. “I liked having you there.”
Oh geez, Jess. Why don’t you just fling yourself at him?
I tried backtracking a little more.
“I mean, it was nice having someone to talk to.” I pointed to the upcoming street. “Turn left on Jackson Drive.”
****
Alan
My ego wanted me to press and ask her, “Someone or me?” but my rational side appeared just in time and shut that down.
I made the left turn and asked, “So, you won’t mind if I come back tomorrow, then?”
“No, I wouldn’t mind that all.”
It wasn’t exactly “I’d love it if you came back, Alan. That would make my day!”, but I’d take it.
“Great. Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?”
“Really? I don’t want to put you out. I mean, you’re already giving me a ride home. Take the next right on Dogwood Lane.”
I already knew how to get to her house. I had Lainey give me Jessica’s address last night, then looked it up on the satellite app on my phone. It was barely two miles out of town.
“Jess, it’s like five minutes out of my way. It’s no trouble.”
A small smile crept across her lips. “Okay, that’d be great.”
Then her smile fell, and she let out a small sigh. I turned to where her attention was. That’s when I noticed a gold Buick in the driveway of a white farmhouse up the road.