Jane's Gift (Lone Pine Lake 1)

Her gaze lingered on his mouth, noticed that it was straight and firm, his expression intent as he drove. He handled the truck with quiet efficiency, considering how the wind howled outside. She was duly impressed.

Again, too perfect for words. There had to be a flaw inside there somewhere—most likely a big gaping one, too. The player thing came back to her mind, and the more she thought about it the more she realized it was probably true.

No unattached man as gorgeous as Chris would not play the field.

“I leave Monday morning for a conference in Sacramento,” he said once he’d turned off the highway and onto the county road that led to Lone Pine Lake.

“Really?” She continued to stare out the window at the imposing shadows of the towering pine trees outside. The road led through a dense forest before opening up to reveal the lake and the little town that surrounded it.

“Yeah, I’m gone for five days. Mandated training, all captains are required to attend.”

“Who’s covering your shifts at the station?”

“Eric will. He’s my engineer and backup guy.” Chris paused, turned right onto the road where her sister lived. “Maybe we could get together next weekend?”

Jane swallowed hard, kept her eyes locked on the window. She couldn’t see the houses that lined the street, though she knew they were there. It was late, almost eleven, and the people of Lone Pine Lake usually went to bed early. If she were at home, she’d be in bed by now as well.

But she wasn’t at home. She was with Chris. And she couldn’t accept his offer of another date, no matter how much she wanted to.

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to see each other again. Like I said earlier, I’d like us to be friends,” she said quietly, choosing on purpose to drop that bomb as he pulled into her sister’s driveway.

That way she could make her escape quickly.

He jerked the truck to a stop, causing her to bounce in her seat. “Friends. All right.”

The edge of anger and frus

tration in his voice surprised her, and she turned to look at him. The scowl on his face said everything, the disappointment in his eyes a confirmation.

He didn’t like being turned down. Had she wounded his pride?

“I don’t think I’m ready for…this.” She waved her hand in between them and clutched her purse in her lap, as if using it for a shield.

Chris ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up in a way that made her ache to reach out and smooth it back into place. Just so she could touch him, one more time.

“Did I move too fast? I’m sorry about what happened back at the theater. I know I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

She wasn’t sorry for that magical kissing session. It now rated up there with one of the most unforgettable experiences of her life.

“It wasn’t that,” she admitted softly, though she knew she should’ve just agreed with him. It would’ve made it all so much easier.

“Fine, okay.” His mouth was drawn into a tight line and he clenched his jaw. His profile appeared as if carved from stone.

“It’s not you, Christian. It’s me. I can’t do this. I don’t think I’m ready. It’s just…too much, what with my kids and my situation and the way I am.” She reached for the handle on the inside of the door and he sprang toward her; rested a warm, large hand on her left arm; and stopped her movements.

“I don’t know about you, but I lied. I’m not sorry about what happened. That kiss we shared earlier was unbelievable.” He watched her, his eyes glittering from the glow of Mindy’s porch light. “And I don’t know if I want to forget it.”

“You should. Forget it. I need to forget it, too,” Jane admitted. She looked down, watched as he gave her arm a squeeze before removing his hand, and then he was out of the truck, rounding the front so he could open the door for her like some sort of gentleman.

Yes, indeed, the man was way too perfect for words. Just the idea of his secret fatal flaw instilled fear within her. It had to be bad. Really bad. And she’d figure it out while he was gone, convince herself he truly wasn’t any good for her, and reinforce her decision not to see him again.

He walked her to the door and she shrugged out of his jacket, handed it to him without saying a word. He took it, pulled it back on, and then nodded toward the front door.

“You should go inside. It’s too cold for you to stand out here.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist, regret filling her at having to tell him good-bye, for good. Even though she knew she had to do this. “Thank you for taking me to the movies. And for the popcorn.”

He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He appeared sad, a little lost, and her heart suddenly ached for him.