“Hailey? Is that you?” Cason said, peering at me from over the grill. “Wow, you've – you've grown up.”
“As have you,” I said. “Though honestly, you guys haven't changed much at all. You still look almost exactly the same as you did when I left. It's unreal.”
“You've certainly changed a bit,” Cason said.
His gaze never left mine, and like Quinn, his eyes were a soft, golden brown. He used to wear glasses back in high school, but now his eyes were completely unobstructed – and as beautiful to look at today as they had been back then.
“In a good way, of course,” he added quickly, as if just realizing how bad that could have sounded. “Not that you were ever –”
Quinn punched his brother in the arm and laughed. “It's nice seeing you around again, Hailey,” he said. “Don't be a stranger, you hear?”
“I'll try not to be,” I said, my heart fluttering in my chest as I turned away from them.
I was grinning like an idiot by the time I got back to Jenn's booth.
“Liked what you saw over there I take it, huh?” she teased me.
“Oh yeah,” I laughed, sitting down again. “And they even seemed to be flirting with me. Who'd have guessed that? I totally didn't see that coming.”
“Your fresh meat,” Jenn said with a knowing smile. “It's rare that someone new comes into town.”
“But I'm not new,” I said.
“You might as well be,” she laughed. “I mean, look at you. You're gorgeous.”
I felt my cheeks flush at Jenn's words. All this time, I wasn't sure I had changed enough from that gangly awkward girl I used to be. My transformation wasn't anywhere near as radical as Jenn's and I worried that I'd only thought I changed more than I actually had.
I was afraid that I'd still be that dorky girl everyone knew and picked on in high school. But hearing Jenn say that, and seeing the response from the brothers, made me think otherwise. My ego, which had been deflating since the moment I set foot in Black Oak again, suddenly found itself full and bursting at the seams again.
“Well, I'm not all that,” I said and laughed. “I just hoped I was a little better off than I was back in the day.”
“You are,” Jenn said. “All that and a cupcake, if I may say so myself.”
“You're just biased,” I said. “But, I appreciate the thought.”
“Nah, the McCormick boys obviously thought so too,” she teased. “In fact, don't look now, but –”
I, of course, didn't listen to her advice a
nd looked.
Quinn was still near the grill, but was stealing glances in my direction. And when I caught him looking, he smiled over at me. He gave me a soft wave before turning and going back to work on the grill. Cason was talking to him and they were laughing together, but then, my old lab partner, shot me a look too.
Suddenly, I felt like a supermodel. Or at least, some kind of minor celebrity.
Jenn playfully slapped me on the arm and squealed. “I said don't look!”
“Hard not to,” I said and laughed. “Especially, when you tell me not to!”
“Yeah, I can't blame ya,” she said. “If they were checking me out, I'd be all over that too.”
“You're married,” I said.
“Doesn't mean I don't have needs and wants,” she said. “Regrets over those things I missed out on.”
“You had your chance, Jenn,” I laughed. “You went out with Bennett, remember? And you still chose Martin.”
“Because Martin is good for me,” she said, staring wistfully at the baby in her lap. “He's practical; a hard worker and great provider. We have the same philosophies and values in life. But if I were looking for a one-night stand or a fling, you bet your britches I'd be after one of those McCormick brothers. I can't imagine they're anything but amazing in the sack. It's certainly not like they haven't had more than their fair share of practice.”