Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
“Ihate exercising,” Myra moaned.
“Quit your whining. It’s good for us to be outside,” Jasmine said.
They had barely been walking for fifteen minutes when Myra started complaining. She had spent the night at Jasmine’s, with the understanding that they would go for a walk at Piedmont Park and then have a delicious, high-calorie brunch.
“Hey, isn’t that...?”
Jasmine followed Myra’s gaze, and her traitorous pulse quickened when her eyes landed on Maxwell. He was coming along the path in the opposite direction, earbuds in his ears.
His hair was a little bit longer, as if he hadn’t cut it in a while, which made her long to run her fingers through the thick curls as she had in the past. He looked achingly beautiful.
He slowed to a stop and tugged one of the earbuds free. “Hi, Jasmine.” He nodded at Myra. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Annoyingly, Myra’s voice had climbed an octave. Jasmine barely resisted the urge to kick her in the shin.
“Getting your steps in before brunch, as usual?” Maxwell asked.
He seemed relaxed and friendly. Meanwhile, she was having difficulty breathing because it felt like someone was standing on her chest.
“Something like that,” she answered.
“You look good.” The words were stated as fact.
“You too.” She returned the compliment without thinking and wished she could kick herself in the shin.
His enticing lips held the faintest hint of a smile. “Enjoy your walk, ladies.” With a small nod, he returned the earbud to his ear and kept walking.
Jasmine watched him longer than she should have. He hadn’t pushed. He hadn’t lingered past his welcome. He hadn’t even asked about the roses.
“You okay?” Myra asked, eyes filled with curious concern.
“Yeah, girl. I’m fine,” Jasmine said with a little laugh.
They continued on their way.