“I never did care for her.” Jensen shook his head. “She was an airhead and flirted with every guy in school. I never understood what you saw in her.”
Jason seriously didn’t want to have this conversation, but Jensen could be like a dog with a bone. “My hormones sort of ran the show back then. I was an idiot, I know.”
“And you want to remedy that, huh?”
“I think she’d rather I drop dead, but I can’t seem to get her out of my head.”
“You might be surprised.” Jensen shrugged. “There could be some serious groveling on your part first, but I have a feeling she’s worth it.”
Jason thought of Jensen’s girlfriend, Marquetta. They’d met recently when she’d saved him from getting hit by a car. Now they were living together, and he’d never seen his brother happier. “Was it like this with Marquetta? Feeling like you just have to see her again?”
“Pretty much. She knocked me on my ass, and I haven’t stopped grinning since.” Jensen smiled as if to prove his point. “So, what’s your plan with Emma?”
The answer to that was easy. “First, I need to find out if she’s single.” The idea that Emma might be taken set Jason’s teeth on edge.
His brother chuckled. “And if she’s available?”
“Then I’ll ask her out.” He only hoped she’d say yes, because the idea of Emma turning him down sucked. For some reason, the thought of never seeing her again just didn’t sit right with him. Ever since she’d quit working at the pizzeria, Jason had an itch to track her down. Now, fate had dropped her in his lap—literally—and he wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass him by.
Jensen cocked his head to the side and said, “It just so happens I know where she lives and works.”
The news practically knocked Jason out of his chair. “You do?”
“Yep. I overheard one of the waitresses at Pete’s talking about Emma the other day. The girl was going on and on about Emma opening her own business. A little shop called Your Heart’s Desire. It’s right down the street from here, actually.”
“What sort of business is it?”
“From what I’ve gathered, it’s an odds-and-ends store. She’s living in the little apartment above it.” He held up his hand. “That’s the extent of what I know, though.”
Hell, Jensen knew more about Emma than he did. “I had no idea she was a business owner.”
“I have a feeling there’s a lot about Emma you don’t know.” Jensen pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s late, come on.”
After paying for the beer that they’d barely touched, they stood and headed for the door. When they reached the cool night air outside the bar, Jason took the keys to his Harley out of his jean’s front pocket, then turned toward his brother. “Say hi to Marquetta for me.”
He nodded. “Drive safe.”
“You too,” Jason replied as he took his helmet off the handlebars and slipped it over his head. He swung his leg over the seat and started the bike. Before he even realized what he was doing, Jason found himself pulling up outside Emma’s shop. He had no business skulking around in the dark. She could have a boyfriend. Hell, a husband. As a light went on in an upstairs window, Jason became transfixed. Emma appeared at the window, and she looked like she was alone. She had changed out of the dress he’d seen her wearing earlier at the bar. Now she wore an oversize, fluffy robe. He had to grit his teeth against the need to go to her. God, she’d been gorgeous in the clingy dress earlier. How could she be that same shy girl he’d cheated off of in history class?
When she looked in the direction of where he sat on his cycle, Jason wondered if she knew it was him. Was she as attuned to him as he was to her? Suddenly, she pulled the curtain closed and disappeared. Jason revved his Harley’s engine and took off down the dark street. Now that he knew where she lived and worked, he could relax. Tomorrow he aimed to pay her little shop a visit. If he was lucky, he’d walk away with more than a few odds and ends.
Emma didn’t take a deep breath until she was back inside her shop. Lordy, she wasn’t easily shaken, but Jason Kershaw shook her. She needed time to think about the way he affected her. Ever since high school, the man had had the power to render her mute. The connection between her and Jason seemed altogether too strong for her peace of mind. Jason’s rugged face sprang to her mind, and she shuddered. The way he’d stared down at her with such concern when she’d tumbled onto his lap… He’d held her in his arms, cradling her almost protectively. Jason Kershaw was bad for her peace of mind, of that she was absolutely certain.
As she maneuvered through the crowded aisles of knickknacks, healing oils and herbs, a sense of pride shot through her as she thought of how much work had gone into putting her store together and making it a place she could be proud of. She’d started her online business a little earlier, and it was already expanding. Her customers seemed eager to flock to her physical store too. When Emma reached the stairs at the back of the shop, she
kicked off her heels. Her mind focused on one thing as she took the steps to her upstairs apartment. Sleep. She needed several hours of it, or she wouldn’t be able to think clearly, and she had an early day tomorrow. As her head hit the pillow, sleep evaded her, though. All she could think about was Jason. His large, muscular frame had her body spinning out of control. The man was incredibly rugged and so very male. His messy, dark hair and five-o’clock shadow made her think he was as wild as imagined. Sleep would be a long time coming.
Later in the evening, she somehow sensed him. Jason was close by. She even got out of bed to see for herself, but she hadn’t seen anyone on the street outside her apartment. Finally, she’d given up and rolled back into bed, falling fast asleep from exhaustion. But it seemed like only minutes passed before the blasted alarm clock was chiming.
She shoved out of bed and made her way to the adjoining bathroom. A long hot soak in some soothing bath oils should wake her. Soon, the tub was filling with hot water and bubbles, and the small room was abundant with the scent of lavender. She loved flowers. The scents of them always reminded her of her grandmother’s garden. When Emma was little, her grandmother would show her how no two flowers ever looked exactly the same, never smelled exactly alike. She’d grown up learning all about nature at her grandmother’s knee.
She pinned her hair atop her head, then immersed herself in the water’s healing scents. She closed her eyes and used the time to meditate. Soon, peace permeated every cell in her body. She concentrated on each tiny particle of her body. From the hairs on her arms to the tips of each finger. It was easy for her now to create the right atmosphere. No matter where she was or what she was doing, she could always find the peaceful garden in her imagination, where she felt like nothing and no one could hurt her. Her grandmother’s garden, even though it was long gone now, still held a place of honor in her mind.
Grandmother Lilah had been a woman to reckon with, formidable and fierce in her ideas and beliefs. She’d all but raised Emma from the time she was just a small girl. She’d taught her in the ways of natural healing and how to use the riches of the earth to her advantage. Grandmother Lilah had taught her well. Emma hoped to use all that knowledge in her new business. She silently wished her grandmother could tell her what was going on now with Jason and why she felt so drawn to him. Suddenly, Emma got a quick glimpse of her grandmother smiling down at her. She would firmly plant her hands on her hips the way she always used to do when she would try to drive a point home. She’d say, “Baby doll, you listen to your Grammy, I know what I’m talking about. Don’t think I don’t.” Then she’d hug Emma and send her on her way with a kiss on her cheek.
Emma sighed and sank farther into the scented heat. She missed the warm, tight hugs the most, as well as the bond they’d shared. Now Emma was alone. The sense of belonging she’d had when her grandmother was alive had all but disappeared. She’d never known that kind of unconditional love before or since. It was just as well, she supposed, because caring about someone meant they might leave you. They couldn’t hurt you if you didn’t allow yourself to care.
She lifted herself out of the tub and grabbed the towel hanging on the back of the door. As she dried off, Emma knew what she had to do. Put Jason Kershaw out of her mind and get on with life. Lonely it may be, but she could handle lonely, so long as she didn’t let her heart do her thinking for her. She’d done that once with Damian. Look how that had turned out. She refused to play the fool again.