Page 42 of Isabelle & Jason
Nikki shrugged. “Honestly? He doesn’t have much of a leg to stand on. He dated me. Then his sister dated Cameron. But to be fair, he didn’t know they knew each other beforehand.” She shrugged again as if she was trying to dislodge another thought. “Anyway, as long as you treat her right, you’re going to be fine. The Palmer men all have more to worry about than policing their sisters.”
Jason smiled at that. It was nice to hear Nikki’s perspective. Maybe he actually had a chance. If Isabelle was the only person standing in their way, then this was going to be easier than he expected.
Mark chuckled, drawing his attention. “You still seem on edge. What’s going on?”
Jason tossed a glance in Nikki’s direction, then sighed. There was no point in keeping any of this a secret anymore. “I was thinking I’d ask Isabelle on a date.”
Nikki looked over her shoulder at him and smiled but didn’t say anything.
“And you think she’ll say no.” It wasn’t a question. Mark could read him like a book. He was the only one who knew how long Jason had been interested in Isabelle. “Why?”
Jason gave him a meaningful look. Isabelle was as closed off as they came. Last night had been the closest he’d come to asking her out on a real date, and he’d lost his nerve. It didn’t help that Isabelle had fallen asleep on his chest. He, on the other hand, hadn’t gotten much sleep at all. Every time she stirred, he’d worried she was having a nightmare.
But she slept soundly. And he was thrilled she’d managed to do so at his side.
“She’ll say yes,” Mark said with certainty. “The way she looks at you says it…” His voice trailed off, and when Jason looked up, he noticed Mark staring at the door, his smile fading.
Dread tangled up in his stomach as Jason followed Mark’s focus and found Isabelle standing there with two cups of coffee in hand. She was staring at him with curiosity, but it was clear she knew they’d been talking about her. A faint blush touched her cheeks as she held up the cups. “I brought you coffee.”
Jason lurched away from his station, where he’d been forming sausage patties for the breakfast sandwiches. “Hey, Isabelle.” He nodded toward the door. “Got a minute?”
Her eyes cut to Mark for only a moment before she nodded.
Jason ushered her outside, and the second he got her alone, he rubbed her upper arms with his hands. “Why didn’t you go back to sleep?” It felt natural to touch her, and he realized that he hadn’t asked to break that barrier. He forced himself to shove his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“I’ll say yes to what?” she said, looking at him with eyes wide.
He blinked, then glanced back at the building. “Oh. About what Mark said.”
She nodded.
Squeezing the back of his neck, he looked away. “I was going to ask you out…”
Isabelle didn’t blink. She didn’t say anything else. He wouldn’t be surprised if she took off running. But she didn’t do that either.
“You don’t have to, of course. I was just thinking?—”
“I’d love to.” Isabelle flashed him a wide smile and held up his coffee. “What did you have in mind?”
There was no fighting the smile that spread across his face. “Yeah?”
Isabelle took a sip of her coffee, staring at him over the rim of her cup. “Of course. I enjoy spending time with you, Jason.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms then and there. He could have kissed her if she let him. Strange how something so simple could cause so much anxiety and so much joy at the same time. “Great. Saturday? We’d leave in the afternoon, but we won’t get back until real late.”
That adorable frown that formed between her eyes when she studied him, questioned him without speaking, had him chuckling.
“I’m not going to tell you what we’re doing, but I will tell you to bring clothes that you don’t mind getting wet.”
Isabelle tilted her head. “Like a swimming suit?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you don’t mind getting wet,” he repeated.
She shook her head. “Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out.”
“I highly doubt that.” He took a sip of his coffee, then lifted it in the air. “Thanks for this. See you later?”
Isabelle nodded. “Yeah.” Then she turned and headed for her house.
