Page 11 of Cherry Picked
“I do.” Crys’s smile went sly, and she tapped her lip thoughtfully with one long nail. “And I’m thinking you need to make sure he’s looking at you in a way that drivesbrothersout of his mind altogether.”
I stared at her, open-mouthed. “But, like… how?”
“Easy. You just have to—” Crys’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and she coughed lightly before sitting back in her seat. “Erm. Why don’t we discuss specifics later?”
“Later? No way!” Couldn’t she see I was dying here? I cut my hand through the air to make my point. “Tell me n—ow-ow-ow!” I wailed as I accidentally whacked my funny bone on the back of the chair.
“Bird?” The voice from my dreams made me spin around to find Jack Wyatt leaning over the seat next to Mrs. Cleeward, watching me with a troubled expression that suggested he’d witnessed the whole thing. “You okay?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and ignored the spot of dampness in my eye caused by the pain.
Ugh.The only thing worse than confronting the person you love after they’ve rejected your affections is confronting him while surrounded by your busybody family after demonstrating that you are, indeed, the foolish child he believes you to be.
Elizabeth Bennet wouldnever.
Jack’s large palm cupped the back of my head, and it was harder than it should have been not to lean into his touch like Webb had earlier with Luke. “Look at me, Hawk. Are you alright?”
Closing my eyes didn’t help when I could perfectly picture Jack’s laser-beam-of-concern eyeballs boring a hole into my brain. And that was the problem, really, with fantasizing about someone for as long as I had. Two thousand days analyzing the precise meaning of each smile-crinkle beside his deep blue eyes and two thousand nights dreaming of him touching me like a lover had conspired to make me imagine things in his gaze that weren’t there.
For example, that he might be open to the idea of some recreational sex with an inexperienced (butveryeager to learn) younger man…
And that today, of all days, would be an auspicious time to approach him about it.
I sighed and opened my eyes.
“Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine, Jack. Now, sit down, okay? The meeting’s starting.”
But Jack didn’t let go. His eyes searched mine for a beat, his hand still warmly clasped in my hair. “Your scrapes from earlier… are those—?”
I felt like everyone was staring, so I twisted my neck and shook him off with a big, friendly smile. “Also fine! I’m totally, completely…fine.”
Jack dropped his hand—which was a good thing, and I didnotimmediately miss it. He gripped the back of his chair until his knuckles turned white. “Hawk. Are you sure…?”
I could tell he was asking about more than my pinecone rash now. “Oh, for god’s sake. When a person says they’re fine, they’re fine!”
Everyone whipped their heads around to stare at me, like the sight of Hawk Sunday losing his shit was a newsworthy Hollowan event.
Which, okay, maybe it was.
“Now who’s making thingsunnecessarily complicated?” I asked softly.
Jack’s eyes darkened, but before he could say anything, Mayor York called the meeting to order. Everyone turned their focus to the front while he welcomed us and went over a few pieces of Hollow housekeeping before introducing the primary topic of tonight’s meeting.
“As you know, we have an important vote coming up in just four short weeks. Our friends at Evola Corp made us a very generous offer back in February to purchase the land at Fogg Peak in order to build an exciting new resort that’s sure to bring many more visitors to our little town. Tonight, we’re going to hear from some of Evola’s representatives about the design concepts for the Fogg Aerie Resort so that we as a community can come to a decision. I’d like to give a warm Hollow welcome to—”
“Fogg Aerie?” I scoffed under my breath. “It has a fancy name now?”
“Shh.” Uncle Drew, ever the peacemaker, leaned across Emma. “At least they kept Jeremiah Fogg’s name in it.”
Hmph.
I missed the name of the man Mayor York introduced, but he made his way to the podium and gave the audience a warm, slightly nervous smile.
“He’s cute,” Em and Crys whispered to me, one in each ear. I shrugged both of them off.
The guy was definitely cute in a smiley, enthusiastic way, which, sadly, was not the type that set my blood on fire. His fair hair was neatly combed, his suit was perfectly pressed, his expression was innocent and earnest… all in all, exactly the sort of harmless-looking person a soulless corporation would send to a small town to convince them to part with their precious natural resources.
I sighed. I reallywascranky.
