Page 49 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

I mean, Everstone, while shabby, wasn’t violent or beyond hope. Our neighbourhood was rarely on the news. Which was a perk, considering Tamara’s mother called and fretted over us whenever it was.

Once James and the man had everything sorted, we walked toward my apartment, passing the empty lot. “That wouldn’t have happened if that mess was a park.” I shook my head. “Anyway. I’m sorry. I’ll cover half.”

“No chance,” he said.

“Of it becoming a park?” I pretty much had to go big if I planned to pay off my debt. Especially seeing as anything I’d just earned with James had been eaten up by the broken window and subsequent fight with the guy. Cause and effect. That was what Josie had told me. We’d made space for good and then filled it with bad. We’d ruined that guy’s day for sure. That was not the positive energy I was hoping to snowball. That meant I really needed to do something big and wonderful.

“No chance of me letting you chip in for the window,” James explained.

“What? Why? I wasn’t paying attention to the ball. It was my fault.”

“You’re trying to go to Greece with your dad.”

I stopped. Greece. I’d forgotten all about my dream trip. Was that ever going to happen now that I was in major fairy godmother debt?

“Anyway, I threw the ball too hard.”

Squaring off, eyes narrowed, my tone was light but filled with challenge. “You saying I can’t handle your catches because I’m a girl?”

James faced me, so close his chest brushed mine. He was still throwing off alpha boss vibes, still a bit puffed up, but honestly, I was swooning.

The skin around his eyes softened, and his body stilled. His blue eyes danced over my face and I knew mine were doing the same thing, like a butterfly seeking sweetness.

“I can handle your pitches,” I said, my voice not sounding nearly as confident as I’d like it to. Sure, my palm was still stinging, but I’d never admit it.

“You’re a good player.”

“I know.”

“Sometimes…” His words trailed off, his eyes locked on my lips. I moistened them with my tongue. His chest expanded with a slow inhale.

“Sometimes what?” I said, placing a palm against his pecs, chin tipped upward.

“Sometimes women say things.”

“Like?” I wanted to roll up onto my tiptoes, make it easy for him to kiss me.

“Like they’d love to play catch with me, but don’t actually know how and then want to go home.”

“I’ll always tell you the truth. No flirty lies to win you over.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ll be honest about what I want. Even if it’s different from what you want.”

His focus was still on my lips, but instead of kissing me, he suddenly blinked his way out of his little spell and turned to continue walking me home.

Unkissed.

CHAPTER12

~ James ~

Shoulda kissed her, man. Shoulda kissed her.

That had been an invitation.

But Char didn’t want something long-term, or even marriage. On Friday she’d confessed that she couldn’t picture it, whereas I could. She wasn’t against it, but she clearly wasn’t looking for the kind of relationship I wanted.

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