Page 34 of Hard Knock Hero

A few minutes later, I had the coffee brewing and some eggs scrambling in a pan. I’d envisioned creme fraiche and brioche toast, but I had to settle for sour cream and sourdough. But I had found some chives, and I was chopping them on a cutting board.

I heard the door open upstairs, and the wooden steps squeaked as Jessi made her way down.

“Smells great.” She leaned her hip against the counter. She was wearing a different sweater and jeans. “Is this for me?”

I’d left a coffee mug there, ready for her. I grabbed the carafe and filled it. “Your eggs will be right up.”

“My goodness.” She warmed her hands around the mug. “I don’t think anyone’s made me such a fancy breakfast before. I didn’t realize you could be so charming.”

“I can. If the moment inspires me.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I like that about you.”

“I like a lot of things about you.” I’d said it without thinking and was glad when a cautious yet gratified smile hovered over her lips.

She took a sip of coffee. When the eggs reached the perfect combination of opaque and silky-soft, I plated them, adding a dollop of sour cream, finishing salt, and a sprinkling of chives. But when I handed her the plate, Jessi set it on the counter instead of digging in.

She stood in front of me, still holding her mug, but she took my hand with her free one. My fingers slid into the spaces between hers. I liked how tall she was. Just a few inches shorter than me, which put her at near six feet. I barely had to look down at all.

“Aiden,” she whispered.

Ask me to kiss you. Please, just ask me. Because I didn’t know if I could hold myself back when she looked at me that way.

I leaned in.

Loud knocking broke the spell, and Jessi and I leaped away from each other. Owen Douglas was banging on the diner’s front door. Andshit, we’d just been standing an inch apart, holding hands. We were in the kitchen, so only part of us had been visible from the front of the restaurant. He probably hadn’t seen the way our fingers were entwined.

But if I had kissed her? Kissed her in the exact way I’d wanted to?

It would’ve been hard to explain a kiss like that between a brother and sister.

And Owen wasn’t alone. There was someone standing behind him. It was the same man I’d seen last night outside the bar with Chester.

Dale Rigsby.

Jessi rushed through the swinging door to unlock the front. I followed, moving more slowly with my hands tucked into my back jeans pockets. Through the glass, both Owen and Dale wore serious and unreadable expressions. Jessi opened the door, and they stepped inside. Owen was first, and he took off his cowboy hat and tucked it beneath one arm.

“Dale is here to have a word with you, Jessi. If you’re willing to hear it.” Owen’s eyes narrowed as they slid over to the other man.

I glowered and crossed my arms, staying at Jessi’s shoulder.

“Are you going to tell me that someone was arrested for breaking my window last night?” she asked.

“Theo was. He spent the night in jail. Dale is here to apologize.” Owen’s tone held a warning.

The lines around Dale’s mouth deepened. He had a goatee and sun-weathered skin. Probably in his fifties, though his hair was still so dark it was nearly black. He didn’t seem like the type to bother dying it. “Ms. Novo, I apologize for the actions of my son last night. Theo regrets what he did. Let me know the cost to have your glass repaired, and I’ll take care of it.”

“What about Mitch?” I asked. “He was there too.”

Dale’s eyes slid over to me. “You’re the brother?”

I felt both Owen’s and Jessi’s eyes on me.

“That’s me. The big brother.”

“You took the video Owen showed me this morning. I couldn’t recognize any person in the truck other than Theo.”

“Because they were wearing masks,” I pointed out. “Did you recognize the truck?”

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