CHAPTER 2
Ethan Steele made sure to keep his eyes focused straight ahead as he ran past Jess’s house. When he’d turned the corner and seen her locking her door, he gave himself one moment to appreciate the curve of her backside that was on display in her form-fitting black pants. Her dark hair was pulled up exposing the smooth curve of her neck down to her shoulder. His eyes briefly traced the area that had always driven him crazy before swooping lower to the angel wing tattoo that lined her shoulder blade. But when he saw her start to turn he forced his gaze back on the sidewalk in front of him.
Jessa Myers dressed in a burlap sack would be difficult for him to ignore but it was near impossible when she was decked out in the pinup clothes that had been her signature style since she was a teenager. She was a flame, and he was a moth. She drew him in like nothing and no one else in his life and even though he was sure that he was going to end up getting burned, he couldn’t resist the pull she had on him.
He did manage not to glance in her direction as he ran by, but only because he knew it drove her crazy when he ignored her on his runs. He knew that because he’d overheard her telling her best friend Ali that it did over a year ago when the two women were an aisle over at the grocery store.
“Why do you care if he runs by your house?”
Ali’s question had caught Ethan’s attention since he’d changed his running route to include a detour down Jess’s street after she’d undergone a heart transplant. At the time he’d been worried and wanted to check on her, but since she wasn’t the kind of woman that appreciated that kind of gesture, he’d known he needed an excuse to even be in the vicinity.
The first day he’d stopped by during his morning run, and her mom had answered the door. They’d chatted for a little bit, and she thanked him for checking in. The second day her dad came to the door, he’d been less talkative, but Ethan knew it was because he’d been worried about Jess. He could see the fear in the man’s eyes. He recognized it because it was exactly what he’d been feeling at the time.
He hadn’t gone up to the door again, but for some reason it made him feel better to run by her house. Just seeing it and knowing she was inside made him feel better. Sometimes he’d get lucky and pass by just as she was leaving for work.
So, when he’d heard them at Lakeside Market, he made sure to stay out of sight as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
“I care because I know he’s doing it to piss me off,” Jess spat back at Ali.
He’d grinned when he’d heard that, loving that Jess thought she had his number, and also loving that she couldn’t prove it.
“Or maybe he’s just trying to stay in shape,” Ali, sweet Ali, countered, giving him the benefit of the doubt. She was wrong, but he sure did appreciate it.
Jess’s only response had been an indiscernible sound of disagreement before diverting the conversation to “happier subjects.”
The truth was, he wasn’t doing it to piss her off, but he sure did like knowing that he could get under her skin.
By the time he made it to the corner of her street, he heard the engine of her Dodge Charger start up behind him. He counted down in his head…five, four, three, two,…
When he got to one, she sped by, doing thirty-five in the twenty-five zone. Just like she was always fifteen minutes late, she also always drove ten miles over the speed limit. In his official law enforcement capacity, he’d pulled her over several times and given her warnings. He’d never actually cited her, but he’d threatened to.
Not that she took his threats seriously. Ethan Steele had always been by the book, no nonsense, and no excuses except when it came to the people he loved. Then he was the biggest pushover on the planet. Thankfully, the list of people he loved was pretty short. Otherwise, he’d be in big trouble.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he answered it on his Bluetooth headphones.
“Steele.”
“Hey man, you got plans for dinner tonight?” One of Ethan’s oldest friends Kade McKnight asked.
Yeah, he did. It wasn’t delivery, it was DiGiorno. Since he’d joined the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force a few months earlier, he’d been living off of frozen food. Between his regular duties at the sheriff’s office and his new role on the task force, his schedule was so erratic that buying groceries that could go bad only ended up with rotten food and a smelly kitchen.
“No.”
“Good. Meet us at Lanterns at seven.”
“Us?” Ethan smirked. His friend had only been back in Whisper Lake for a couple months, but he sure hadn’t wasted any time in becoming an “us.” He’d gotten engaged a few days earlier.
“Us,” Kade repeated. “Me and Ali.”
“And Jess.” Ethan heard Ali’s voice pipe up.
Jess.
“And Jess,” Kade repeated.
“I’ll be there,” Ethan replied.
The call ended and he wondered if Jess knew that he was going to be at dinner. She tended to avoid him in social situations. In a town the size of a postage stamp, that wasn’t always easy to do. And now that her best friend Ali was marrying one of his oldest friends Kade it might be damn near impossible.