The Truest Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 4)

Dana.

Tall, slim, and tanned with an athletic body and sweet tits, Dana walked with a confidence that would’ve been sexy on any other woman. Jack understood from a purely visual perspective what Cooper saw in his wife. She had lots of silky, light brown hair and ice-blue eyes that tilted like a cat’s. Perfect little nose and full, luscious lips. High cheekbones. Great skin.

She strutted across the store, her icy gaze flicking between Emery and Jack. He barely noticed what she was wearing. She was always showing off her figure in a summer dress that looked the same to him, if not for the variation in color.

“I thought it was you I saw as I was passing.” She came to a stop at the counter, eyeing him and Emery with a narrow smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m Dana Lawson.”

Emery shifted uncomfortably but nodded.

Dana raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Do you speak?”

“Dana,” Jack warned.

“It was just a question.” She smirked at him. “I actually came in to ask if you like brisket, Jack. We bought a slow cooker and Cooper was thinking of trying brisket for dinner this Thursday. He wanted to invite you.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Dana made no move to leave, even though Jack’s look was pointed.

She pushed up off the counter. “I’ll walk you to Coop’s.”

Realizing his progress with Emery had been well and truly blocked by his buddy’s annoying wife, Jack sighed. He looked at Emery who watched them both with those intelligent eyes of hers. He handed her the money for the coffees.

“You have a great day, Emery.” He gave her a small smile.

She returned it as she took the cash. “You too, Jack.”

It was the first time she’d said his name.

And he would not lie—he felt it in his gut and his dick and in the sudden increase of his pulse.

The urge to shout “Fuck it!” and grab her by the nape so he could kiss the hell out of her was an almost uncontrollable itch beneath his skin. Instead, Jack swallowed the impulse, raised his coffee to her in salute, and walked out of the store with Dana trailing behind.

As soon as they were out on the boardwalk, Dana snorted. “Please tell me you weren’t flirting with her.”

At his silence, she huffed. “Jack, you can do so much better than a shy bookworm.”

“I’m not going after Emery Saunders,” he bit out as he yanked open the door to Cooper’s. “You know I’m not the settling-down type.”

Dana seemed satisfied. Too satisfied.

Lately, she’d been a little too concerned about who Jack had in his bed. It worried him.

The sight of Cooper coming around the bar to accept the coffee Jack held out, while wrapping an arm around Dana’s waist, soothed him somewhat.

Dana snuggled into Cooper’s side, smiling up at him like she actually did love him.

Maybe Jack was being paranoid about her.

He could blame growing up with Ian Devlin for that.

Cooper took a sip from his cup and sighed. “That girl can certainly make a good cup of coffee.”

Dana snorted. “That’s about all she can do. People think it’s shyness, but I think maybe she’s a little dumb.”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “I doubt it.”

“C’mon. I said hello and she just looked right through me.”