Page 57 of Fighting For You
Wouldn’t be the first time…
“Nothing about you. She mostly talked aboutMcKean and their plan today. It wasn’t like she was raging or anything, just seemed… subdued.”
I nodded, instantly understanding why this was notable. Jess Korbel was alive and buzzing with energy and beauty and life… describing her assubduedwas like describing someone else as sad or angry and despondent. Jess was full of life, whether it was fury at me or excitement for her friends or focus for the mission.
My heart sank at the reality of what this might mean.
“You’re at the theater this morning, but after noon, you’re back at the resort, right? I think she’ll be at McKean’s door until four. Maybe you could check in.” He lifted a shoulder. “Not that it’s my business. But you know. I think it’s worth continuing to… bridge the gap between you.”
The flicker of a smile on his face echoed on Stone’s.
I grunted, acknowledging the suggestion. I wouldn’t take it as an insult that he assumed I mightnottalk to her. But nothing about the way I’d treated her the last few years made sense to anyone but the two of us, and even then, it was a stretch. For both of us.
Plus, they both knew I’d been grieving and how the weight of sadness made me even less likely to share my thoughts or speak my mind. And we were sitting here with the king of hiding out, so none of us would pretend we didn’t know isolating when things were hard came naturally.
The day dragged on slowly. If I was the type of person to care about celebrity, maybe it would’ve been a little fun. I did like what I knew of Jenna Halter, and since Cookie and Hijack had guarded her and spoke well of her, I felt reasonably sure she was a decent human. The other local celebrities were out in force—Bri Williamson, Miss Mayhem, Jamie Morris, Julian Grenier, and so many more. Plus, thetown was downright flooded with tourists and film fest attendees. It was good for Silverton.
What was not good was knowing that Jess was guarding Jack McKean. Even I had a crush on McKean, and I didn’t get crushes. But the man was a fantastic actor and from what I’d heard from Bruce and others who knew him, a truly good dude.
He was also the kind of Hollywood pretty none of us, savemaybeour beloved Jean-Luc, could compete with.
And was I competing? No. Only an idiot would imagine himself in competition with Jack McKean. That man would lose a hundred times over.
But also, only an idiot would fail to notice how beautiful Jess was, and so if Jack really wasn’t an idiot, he’d take notice. And, well, who could blame her for being a little taken by the millionaire, Oscar-winning dreamboat?
If it wouldn’t be incredibly insulting to her professionalism, I’d be worried. But she’d never cross that line.
Unless his animal magnetism and pheromones destroy all her good sense.
I mean honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. I sawKarrigan’s Museand that depressing Irish one he won his Oscar for.
And more than that, I could be honest about what our relationship had been for so long. I didn’t know where we stood, and one messy conversation followed by a mind-bending kiss didn’t exactly erase everything lying wrecked by the choices of our past.
All the logic in the world didn’t keep me from internally pacing even as I stood still, alert to the potential threats and problems, communicating as needed with the team running overwatch from the office.
It didn’t stop me from feeling antsy whenever I caught sight of a petite brunette only to realize it wasn’t Jess.
And it definitely didn’t halt my bone-deep need to track her down and address whatever this was between us. I’d spent too long assuming things and, whether she wanted to admit it or not, so had she. We weren’t going forward like that, whether it meant we ended up as non-enemy coworkers or… something more.
I didn’t let myself entertain what that “something more” might be as I handed off my post to Tristan and beelined for the lobby. If Jess left her spot outside McKean’s door at the same time, we’d likely reach the hotel entrance around the same time. I could catch her, and we could figure this out… or start.
By the time I reached the ground floor, my heart was pounding. Anticipation and nerves, and maybe a few little visions of her sneering at me with hate in her eyes, had obliterated any confidence I had about the connection we’d made last night.
Then to top it off, I walked into the room to find her smiling up at Jack McKean, laughing as she nodded like she’d genuinely found his joke funny. It was the smile she gave her friends and people she felt safe with.
It was one she’d never given me.
When she glanced my way, her face dropped. She said a few more words to Jack, and Bruce replaced her as she broke away and squared her shoulders to me, looking like it took bravery and determination to talk to me. Far from the ease she’d just shown with Jack.
But the truth was, I couldn’t blame her.
As my neck prickled with heat and my heart thudded in my chest, I could only agree.I know how you feel, Pop.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jess
He approached with the neutral mask I used to interpret as arrogance or dislike. He looked a little worn down from the day, like maybe he’d worked an overnight shift, though as far as I’d seen, he hadn’t been on until early this morning.
