Chapter 5
Jason
Jason froze. There was no mistaking the sniffle that came from across the room.
If he were a weaker man, he would have rushed to close the space between them and pulled her in for a hug. He would brush the strands of hair from her face and tuck them behind her ear as he whispered words of comfort.
Then he would promise he’d never let anything else hurt her.
His fingers curled tight into his palm as he stayed exactly where he was. Isabelle didn’t need him to overstep and make her feel uncomfortable. She’d had her personal space violated enough in her life.
His sister Penny had told him to tread carefully when he was around her—to be mindful of her reaction to him so he didn’t scare her off or trigger something she wasn’t prepared to deal with.
His sister knew what she was talking about.
At least that was what he continued to tell himself over the last four years when he’d been tempted to tell her who he was.
She still didn’t remember him from that night. Her brain had opted to block out pretty much all memories from that night. She continued to keep to herself. From what he could tell, she didn’t look interested in dating or spending time with any men beyond her brothers.
When he asked Penny about it, she told him to mind his own business.
She’d been right.
He hadn’t known Isabelle before that night. Maybe she wasn’t the type to date much.
Then again, maybe that night had rewired her somehow and she needed…
What?
Fixing?
Jason relaxed his hand and glanced over his shoulder just as the swinging doors burst open.
“Jason. Seriously, man. You realize we didn’t have to be here until four, ri—” Mark’s voice died in his throat when his focus landed on Isabelle. Then he cut a glance at Jason.
Try to be a bit more obvious, would you?
Jason gave his friend a look that said just that.
Then he turned back to the counter where he worked at cutting the slices of bread.
“French toast sticks for breakfast this morning. Fruit, too. Can you start slicing apples and peeling oranges? Then after that, you can put some sausages and bacon on the griddle.”
Mark dragged his eyes back to Isabelle for just a moment, his brows lifting even higher. Then he rolled his shoulders and flashed her a smile. “Hey, Isabelle. What brings you to the kitchen this morning?”
She pressed her lips together, and her eyes locked on him as he moved past her. Jason took advantage of her moment of distraction. Her hands wrung together in her lap. She fidgeted even more. And he could have sworn he could see the pulse point in her neck throb a little harder.
He shifted, moving closer to her and putting himself directly in Mark’s line of sight. With his back to Isabelle, he scowled at Mark. Don’t say a word, he mouthed.
Mark shrugged, then cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he drawled, “I heard that there’s going to be a barbecue or something coming up. Do you think Mateo is going to let us take a break, or will he put us to work?”
“Heck if I know. Does it matter? We’ll still be able to attend either way,” Jason said.
“True, but that’s not why I was asking. Tracy wants to head to the city to spend the weekend with her sister. She’s going to have the baby any day now and Tracy can’t wait to be an aunt.”
“And?” Jason said, still very much aware of the woman at his back. At least she didn’t seem as on edge.
“And,” Mark said, “I want to hang out with my folks, too.”
“Then go see them. No one’s stopping you.”
“Can’t. We don’t get enough time off to spend a whole weekend there. Nikki needs us.”
Jason snorted and returned to his position now that he could sense Isabelle’s calmer demeanor. “I’m sure we can do without your help for a weekend. You just need to let Mateo know.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Mark snuck another look at Isabelle, and Jason gave him a sharp shake of his head. She wasn’t up for discussion. Unfortunately, Mark didn’t seem to care. “Well, Bella? You gonna talk or what?”
Her head snapped around, eyes rounding, the color draining from her face.
Shoot.
Isabelle was up in an instant. “I should probably get going. I don’t want to be a distraction.”
“You’re not—” Jason started, but the doors were already swinging closed behind her. For a girl who had emptied the contents of her stomach earlier this morning and who had a bum leg, she moved fast.
Mark didn’t move from where he stood. “That was… weird.”
Jason whirled around and gave his friend a not-so-friendly shove. “I told you not to say anything.”
“No, you didn’t,” Mark scoffed. “You just kept giving me that look.”
Dragging a hand down his face, Jason groaned.
“Are you kidding me? Those looks were specifically for you to get the hint. Don’t talk to her.
Don’t pay her any mind. Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince her to come in here?
” His breathing had grown heavier, and that thread of hope he’d managed to grasp onto slipped through his fingers.
“And why exactly was she in here? She starting to cook?”
“What? Of course not. I caught her outside this morning. She was…” Okay, telling Mark that Isabelle was throwing up in the bushes wasn’t exactly something he thought she’d want him to know. “She didn’t look well. I thought I could get her to eat something and maybe she’d open up to me.”
Mark arched a brow as he put the paring knife on his workstation. Then he folded his arms. “Open up to you? Dude, have you seen her lately? That girl doesn’t open up to anyone. Has she given you any indication that she even remembers you?”
“No, but—”
“Then why torture yourself, man? Just… I don’t know… go after someone else. You almost had a thing going with her sister. Clearly you have game.”
Jason scowled. Yes, he’d attempted to go on a date with Camilla, but in hindsight that had been merely a way for him to avoid what he knew in his heart all along.
Isabelle was made for him.
And he wasn’t ready to let go.
He worked his jaw, not willing to give his friend any indication of where he stood.
They were both quiet for a while, and Jason’s heart rate was just starting to ease up a bit when Mark had to open his big mouth. “Then again, maybe congratulations are in order.”
“Mark,” Jason warned.
“Cuz, you know. It’s been five years.”
“Mark.” This time there was a bite to his voice.
“You finally got the courage to make a move. That’s a monumental accomplishment, right?”
Jason slammed a hand down onto the countertop and glowered at his friend. “Leave it alone, Mark. I don’t need you butting into my business.”
His friend chuckled quietly to himself, only shaking his head.
“If she means that much to you, I would have thought you would have done something by now. We’ve been working here for four years.
How many days is that?” He cocked his head as if to calculate the number in his head, but whatever number he plucked from his mind wouldn’t be nearly close enough.
“However long it’s been, you need to make a decision.
Do something or don’t. Just stop mooning over her. ”
“I’m not mooning,” Jason said.
“Who are you mooning over?” A female voice wafted into the kitchen and Nikki appeared, laden with two paper grocery bags. She glanced from Jason to Mark.
Jason’s warning glare was thankfully clear enough that Mark shook his head with a chuckle. “Oh, you know. I’m always mooning over my fiancée. Can’t help it.”
“Nice try, Mark. But I’ve been working with you two long enough to know that you were the one telling Jason to knock it off.” She pushed the groceries onto the counter, then brushed her brown hair from her brow with the back of her hand. Then she turned to Jason with her hands on her hips. “Spill.”
There would be no getting out of this conversation. The best chance he had was to lie and pray that Nikki would believe him. Looking away from her, he sighed. “Camilla. We went out, remember? And she’s with Dallas now.”
Nikki offered him an empathetic frown. “Oh, sweetie.” She moved across the tiled floor and patted his upper arm. “You’ll find your special someone. Just continue to be patient. One day you’ll bump into her, and she’ll sweep you off your feet.”
Mark choked on a laugh. “Pretty sure it’s supposed to be the other way around.”
Nikki gave him a playful shove. “It can go either way, I assure you.” She then winked at Jason. “You’re a catch. If I were a betting woman, I’d say you don’t have to wait long.”
That was the understatement of the century. Jason had already fallen for a girl, and the worst part was that he barely even knew her.
He turned back to the task at hand, his thoughts shifting to how he’d found her this morning.
He’d heard what sounded like footsteps around three in the morning, but when he’d gotten up and looked out his window, he hadn’t seen anything.
Forty-five minutes later, he’d bumped into Isabelle. She’d been going for a run.
Strange time for a morning run.
He’d planned on asking her about it when she relaxed more. Mark was usually late, and he’d thought he had longer with Isabelle all to himself.
Jason gave Mark an irritated look. Why today, of all days, did his friend have to be on time?
Once breakfast was complete and they’d cleaned up to get ready for lunch, Jason set to work on a small project of his own.
He grabbed the ingredients for a chocolate soufflé.
He knew the recipe by heart. It had been one he’d perfected over the years in culinary school.
Desserts were his specialty. There was something about plating and presenting a work of art that made people swoon.
A smile tugged at his lips as he put the finishing touches on the dessert.
Life was too short not to enjoy the sweet stuff.
That’s what he told his siblings when he insisted they eat dessert before the main course.
What if they choked on their lamb? Then they’d never get to experience the masterpiece he’d put together for them.
“I’ll be right back,” he called out to Nikki. She nodded at him without looking up from the recipe she had in her hand. Chili and cornbread were scheduled for lunch today. It would be easy enough but would need some additional prep.
Jason headed toward the main house, his steps sure until he reached the stairs.
Then suddenly he wasn’t certain he was doing the right thing.
He’d already put Isabelle’s name on the small box.
The soufflé was still warm in his hands, and he wished he’d be able to see her reaction when she took her first bite.
Unfortunately, his courage waned, and he placed the dessert at the door before knocking and hurrying back to the kitchen.
As long as Isabelle enjoyed it, he’d call this a win.
Jason wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard the door open then close.
He didn’t look back. He didn’t have to. Someone would give Isabelle the treat. He was certain of it.