“Oh.” Blythe hoped the hurt she felt wasn’t obvious. So it was a game. Tucker had happily relinquished her to his brother today after making her feel like she was the most special woman on earth last night. Her fear was realized this morning and it made her sick to her stomach.
“What are you thinking about, beautiful girl?”
If Tucker didn’t care, why should she? Instead of wallowing in disappointment, she’d let Jace woo her all he wanted.
“I should talk to my mom first, but if she doesn’t mind, I’m all for it.”
“Go talk. I’ll get my stuff together. We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes? Are you crazy? I can’t be ready in twenty minutes. It’ll take me at least an hour to get ready.”
“If that’s what you need, darlin’, take it. While you get ready, I’ll make breakfast.”
Blythe expected him to give her a hard time about taking an hour to get ready, but he didn’t. He was far too good-natured about it.
Instead of tracking down her mom, she went to get ready. Jace was right, no one would need her help with dinner. If anything, there’d be too many people in the kitchen. And since he hadn’t pushed, she’d see if she could get ready faster and surprise him.
Thirty minutes later, Blythe came upstairs, ready to go.
“Look at you,” he said, not seeming to notice the time. He walked over to the oven and pulled out two plates, which he set on the breakfast bar.
While she got ready, Jace had made omelets, sausage, and toast. There was even a fresh pot of coffee brewing.
She couldn’t help herself, though. She had to ask. “You’re sure Tucker won’t want to join us?”
“I already told you; it’s my turn today. I get you all to myself, except for the other people skiing and slidin’ out on the slopes.”
“Jace—”
“Blythe.” He smiled. “Two people on a lift, that’s the right number. Three won’t fit.”
“Most chairlifts hold four.”
“That’d be too crowded.”
“I have to rent skis. I didn’t bring mine.”
“Took care of it. We’re picking up Irene’s for you, and Billy’s for me on our way to the ski area.”
She finished eating and got up to take care of the dishes. Why not do this? Hadn’t she told Renie she wanted her to fix her up with a hot cowboy, or a skier? Jace was both. Made to order. She wouldn’t give Tucker another thought, since he wasn’t giving any to her.
Her only worry was that they had to pick up the skis, which meant she’d have to see Renie. Yesterday, she’d warned her away from Jace. She wasn’t go
ing to be happy about the two of them going skiing today. And with her new non-doormat policy, she’d probably confront Blythe about it.
“Ready?”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“Wait, what happened? You were all in a few minutes ago.”
“To tell you the truth, Renie told me you were off limits yesterday.”
Jace’s demeanor changed. His body tensed. He walked over and took her hand. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice no longer playful.
“I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for and neither do I. From where I sit, Renie is engaged to Billy. She doesn’t dictate who you or I spend time with. It’s none of her business.”