“Too soon?” Jade shot back. “You’ve been in love with Jack for such a long time. If anything, this is a good thing. It will show those assholes you’re related to that it doesn’t matter how shy you are, you can still find love.”
“As wonderful as you are making that sound, I can’t. I’m just going over the whole nerves thing with Jack. If I get embarrassed by my family in front of him, all that will vanish.”
Jade frowned, now more than skeptical but looking like a woman on the warpath. “I hate that they are ruining this for you.”
“They don’t know they’re ruining this for me,” Nora argued. “They just think I’m sensitive.”
“Youaresensitive, but that doesnotmean they aren’t jerks.”
Nora sighed because she couldn’t agree with Jade. Not out loud, anyway. “Jack says he understands, so he won’t push.”
“I bet he does understand, but if he doesn’t treat you like the absolute queen and precious jewel that you are, I will make a necklace out of his balls.”
“I’m sure Parker would just love that.”
“He would. Who do you think would hold Jack down while I maim him?”
“Well, hold off on removing that appendage, will ya? I need it for something.”
Jade threw her head back with a laugh. “Oh, my god, I love that!”
It took some doing, but Jade was able to needle more information out of Nora about her night with Jack. Her friend took it well and only screamed for joy for a few moments before calming down.
“What’s happening here?” Cohen asked, his ever-present frown secured on his handsome … albeit severe … features.
“Oh, nothing,” Jade answered, her voice way too high-pitched to be innocent.
“Right, well, I don’t believe that for a second,” the sheriff shot back.
“Would you leave them alone?” a beautiful redhead cut in, crossing her arms and giving the sheriff a stern stare down.
Nora would have withered if she had been on the receiving end of it, but the sheriff wasn’t fazed at all. He merely rolled his eyes. “As the sheriff, it is my lawful duty to make sure that all of the Half Moon Key citizens follow the rules. That means the rules of the scavenger hunt too.”
The redhead, Alana Wixx, clicked her tongue. “Yes, because there is a criminal mastermind out there who has it in for the first annual scavenger hunt.” Alana turned toward Jade and Nora. “Ignore him. You two go on about your business.”
“Miss Wixx, I wasn’t aware that merely having a conversation with …”
Nora stopped listening. The sheriff and the shop owner were always at each other’s throats, and if Nora and Jade snuck off to avoid their whole bickering show, they wouldn’t even notice.
The two friends snuck away, giggling like guilty children. “Did I tell you what Parker told me about those two? He thinks that they’vebanged.”
Nora blushed at the very notion. “Don’t say bang. It sounds so aggressive.”
Jade grinned. “Oh, sometimes, it can get a little aggressive, all right, but with the right partner, a little oomph doesn’t hurt.” She winked at her. “You’ll see eventually. I’m sure Jack will teach you all that.”
“And that’s where I leave you,” Nora grumbled.
“Have fun with your hunk!” Jade called out loud enough to make Nora blush all kinds of red.
Of course, it was only because of her awesome luck that Jack was right there. If he heard Jade’s joke, he made no indication. He only smiled brightly at her.
“I don’t know what you’re comfortable with, Nora. Is it okay if I kiss you right now?” He took a step closer to her, and she had to crane her neck to look into those blue eyes she loved so much. “Because, I’ll be very honest with you, I have never wanted to do something more than kissing you.”
A swooning breath escaped from her parted lips. “Jack,” she murmured. “I really wanna kiss you too.”
He steps farther into her. “Then why not do it?”
She nodded, sure that she would regret it eventually. Her siblings and parents were somewhere in the gathered crowd, and though they would surely know that their wallflower daughter was all roped into the latest town gossip, she didn’t want to give them a show.