"You’ve had a great many adventures, Carter. I like Jess, and I would hate for you to have another adventure with her and then hurting her."
"It's not like that, dad." I wasn’t quite sure how everybody got the reputation that I had a woman in every port where I traveled. That wasn't to say that I never did hook up with women during my adventures, but I was nowhere near the horndog that Noah was or Hunter had been.
"The truth is, if I succeed in getting to know her again, I'm probably the one that's going to end up hurt."
My father frowned. "Why would you say that?"
"Because the woman I met four years ago was perfect for me. Even today I still feel like maybe she's the one, like mom was for you."
Once again, my father's brows lifted, and his eyes rounded.
"But Jess, she seems skittish around me and I don't know why. Do you know if she's seeing anyone?"
My father shook his head. "Jess and I have lots of interesting conversations, but we don't get into personal details because it wouldn’t be appropriate since I’m her boss."
I nodded. "That's why she's telling me she won't go to dinner with me."
"Well, far be it for me to keep my son away from the woman who might be the one. If she hurts you, I won’t fire her, but I won't like it."
"You need to hurry up and get better then, so whatever happens, won't impact you."
My father put his hand on my shoulder. "Whether she is still working with me or not, if she were to hurt you, Carter, I wouldn’t like it."
I smiled, because even as a grown ass adult, it was nice to feel a parent’s love.
While he went off to have his massage, I told them I'd be back later to pick them up for dinner, and then I left to run a few errands. Once I was done with my errands, I went home to clean up, and switched out my cars opting for the SUV since I would have two passengers.
I showed up back at my dad's house, parking in front of the door so he wouldn't have to walk very far to get in. I entered the house, calling out for my dad, letting him know I was there.
A door opened down the hall and I waited in the living area for him to come out to greet me, wondering where
Jess had gone. Her car was here, which was a good sign. I had a thought that she might have bugged out on us.
I turned toward the sound behind me, and my mouth went dry. Jess stood there in a lovely soft pink dress that looked vaguely familiar. It hugged her lovely curves and I had to shove my hands in my pockets because I was about ready to rush over and touch her luscious skin. Her thick red locks, that she normally wore up, were down hanging loose around her face and shoulders.
I swallowed hard. "Hi."
"Hi." Her smile was tentative, but that didn't stop it from melting me from the inside out. “Your father said I could wear this.”
At that point I remembered it as one of my mother’s dresses. My father had donated much of her clothes, but had kept a few. I’m not sure what was special about this dress, unless the cosmos knew Jess would be here and needed a perfect dress to wear.
“It’s…” I wasn’t sure what to say. I wanted to tell her she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, but considering how she was so resistant to me, I felt like that might be over the top. “Lovely. You’re lovely.”
"Are we ready to go?" my father said as he appeared from the hallway.
I shook myself from the fugue state I often got into where Jess was concerned, and said, "Yep. Your chariot is parked right outside."
I drove us to the new upscale Mexican restaurant that I'd heard about. I'd selected it because I hoped that it would remind Jess of the fun we had in Mexico. Granted, having my father there as a chaperone, wasn't going to allow me and Jess to delve into some of the more erotic or romantic details of our time in Mexico, but still I needed her to remember how it had been between us then.
"I was thinking maybe you’d take us to Cesare’s," my father said of my brother Hunter’s restaurant, as we sat at the table.
I shook my head. "He spies on people there."
My father looked up and arched a brow. "Spies?" Then he shook his head. "Hunter is out of the country now anyway."
"Yeah, but Noah might be there and he spies too."
Jess looked at me in intrigue. "Is there a reason you don't want to be spied on?"