Page 45 of Dumbstruck
Is it bad that I believe him? I believed my ex too when he said he loved me more than anything, so I’m not sure I can be trusted. But Iwantto believe Jonah. I want to think my dad and Hank aren’t the only good men out there in the world.
I want to stop hiding from the world.
I grab my elbow and shrug. “I’m not saying my reaction was logical, I just—”
“June.” Jonah reaches out, taking my hand from my arm and squeezing my fingers. “You’re allowed to be wary. I’m the one in the wrong here. I’m so sorry I made you feel that way when I couldn’t handle my own issues.”
Letting out a huff of a laugh, I shake my head as I look up into those light brown eyes of his. He really is a good man, and I should apologize for comparing him to my ex. But the words stick in my throat, and the only thing I can do is joke. “A celebrity who takes accountability for his actions? Who knew?”
That gets a soft smile out of him, and he pulls me back into his embrace, holding me tighter than before. “We’re a rare breed, I know. And I never want you to be afraid of me, June. I’ve been alone for a long time, so I’m bound to make mistakes as we go. Please call me out on my crap because I’m not smart enough to know when to…” His words trail off.
I look up. He’s staring over the shelves toward the entrance, eyes fixed on something. “What?”
“The caterer just left. Herman was with her. Now might be our best chance to talk to Maya.”
As much as I would rather keep talking to Jonah and figure out this thing between us, he’s right. This could be my only chance to help with this conversation. “Let’s go.”
As we shuffle toward the front, keeping our steps uncertain and our arms looped together, I grab a carton of eggs. Jonah gives me a questioning look, but we’re too close to the checkout now, and Maya has noticed us.
I set the eggs on the conveyor and smile, speaking before Maya can. “Are your eggs organic and free range? We only eat free range eggs.”
Maya gapes at me for a moment before looking down at the eggs. “Oh. Um, maybe? We had to get these from a different supplier this week because they were a rush order.”
“Oh?” I tilt my head. “Is there an egg shortage?”
Maya’s face pales, fear filtering into her expression. “No, something…” She stops herself and forces a smile, glancing between me and Jonah. “I guess eggs were extra popular last week. I can contact the supplier and ask about these, if you’d like.”
“That would be great,” Jonah says.
Maya moves to the office directly behind the checkout, and Jonah and I share matching looks of irritation. “Why will no one talk about the ghost things?” I whisper, shaking my head. “It’s like they’re all terrified.”
Biting his tongue, Jonah glances at the front door. “I’m starting to wonder if people actually think it’s a ghost.”
A shiver runs through me, definitely not from being cold. “I don’t like that idea.”
“Me neither, but it’s not like we’re any closer to figuring out an alternative.”
“We need to get her to talk about it.” I tap my lips, trying to think of a way to convince Maya she can trust us. We have the old person thing on our side, but if she’s genuinely spooked, she’ll need some persuasion.
But what can we do?
Jonah clears his throat. “Will you stop doing that?” he asks, his voice a little strangled.
I frown and look up at him, surprised to see a pained look on his face. “Doing what?”
He grabs my hand, pulling it away from my lips. “You’re tempting enough as it is, Mrs. Smith.”
Heat washes over me, which is a nice change from the cold dread that engulfed me earlier, and I can’t stop myself from smirking at Jonah. Vulnerable conversations are important, and I’m glad he knows more about how my ex treated me, but I would so much rather spend most of our time in this lighthearted, flirty space. “What? You want to kiss me again or something?”
He groans, his eyes growing darker as he gazes at me. “You’re playing dirty.”
Except, I’m not playing. It’s hard to believe he would be interested in me when he could have his pick of women, but I want him to be. Maybe he’s not Derek Riley, but he’s handsome and charming and has a smile that makes me weak in the knees. And he has a good heart, something I can’t take for granted. One bad conversation shouldn’t be enough to tear down all the green flags he’s shown me so far.
Plus, I really do want to kiss him.
Leaning closer, I tuck my fingers into the collar of his sweater and nudge him down. “Jonah James,” I whisper and close my eyes as he eagerly crosses the rest of the distance between us.
“I’m so sorry, but—oh!” Maya squeaks as we pull apart, and she looks like she wants to run away. But she’s also fighting a smile. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
