Gifted Connections 3

“I will. Surprise me,” Jaxson said with a lopsided grin.

“Me, too.” Kade shrugged.

I got up and made my way back to the counter and waited in line behind a group of young girls who just walked in. One of them even still had braces on his teeth. I assumed they were local high school students.

“He is so hot,” I heard one of them gush as she pointed her phone towards the couch I just vacated.

“You are not taking a picture of him,” one of the girls said in a horrified whisper.

“He needs to go in my book of hotties,” she insisted.

I felt a combination of annoyance and amusement. They really were harmless. All the girls continued giggling and talking loudly.

You have a fan club over here. Want to smile and wave? I asked silently to Jaxson.

He snorted in response. He looked over at me, and I had to smile. He really was a hottie, and I could see why the girls thought so. He was dressed in dark washed jeans and had a thick heather gray sweater on that clung to his broad chest, shoulders and biceps.

I already have Pizza dude texting me all night and even this morning. Dude can’t take a hint. Even after I told him I wasn’t interested. Goodness knows he wouldn’t believe me if I told him I wasn’t Jemmy! Jaxson gave me a piercing look with his light gray eyes.

I had to stifle the laugh behind my hands. I could imagine Pizza guy’s persistence and Jaxson’s growing annoyance.

“He’s looking our way,” one of the girls squealed.

“Why can’t we have hotties like that in our school?” another girl shrieked. “Even the younger guy next to him is a cutie.”

“He looks way too old for us,” a quieter girl finally spoke up. “And they’re probably from out of town.”

I hadn’t even noticed her until she spoke up. She looked like she really didn’t fit in with the mini version of the Bubble Gum squad. Her clothing wasn’t as nice as the other girls’ clothing. Her clothing was ill-fitted, her hair looked like it was in desperate need of a trim, and her make up looked like it was from a local drug store.

“Why is she with us again?” the girl with the braces said in a loud whisper. She wasn’t even trying to be discreet.

One of the pretty blonds swished her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “She’s my step sister, and my dad made me bring her,” she muttered. “Supposedly she’s a good boarder, though. She just moved here and he think she needs friends. He wants us to bond. She made air quotes with her fingers.

My heart lurched seeing the look of rejection on the other girl’s face. I wanted to make her feel better, somehow, someway.

Kade, can you do me a huge solid? I quietly cajoled my brother.

He looked up from the lap top he had been working on and raised his brow in questioning.

These girls are being so mean to the girl in pink and black, the one with the blond hair, pretty blue eyes. Can you invite her snowboarding with you? Her and her only. You don’t have to flirt with her. Just be friendly.

I saw Kade lean into Jaxson who looked up. Kade wants to know why.

These girls are total mean girls, and her stepsister is making it clear that she’s really not welcome. I know how sweet Kade can be, and he doesn’t have to flirt with her or anything, but she could really use a boost of confidence. I begged quietly.

Jaxson leaned back over to Kade, and Kade didn’t even hesitate as he nodded to me. He says his sister was bullied a lot for a while until his parents moved her to a different school, so he says it’s okay but friends and friends only.

I smiled my thanks at them.

Jaxson began to urgently talk to my brother, Kade nodding in return before Kade stood up and wiped his palms on his jeans. He was a good-looking boy, and I could see why girls would be attractive to his exotic looks.

He walked over to the girls and stopped in front of them. He cleared his throat and they started giggling. “Are you girls from around here?” he asked nonchalantly.

The girl with the braces stepped forward. “Yes, but you’re not, because we would have definitely remembered you.”

I rolled my eyes at how obvious she was.

“Well, my brothers and I just got into town last night, and we wanted to know what the best slopes were around here,” Kade flashed a brilliant smile their way.