“Don’t do that without supervision. You know, if you want to jump in the water, you can do it right here, and I’ll be glad to watch over you.”
“I don’t have a swimsuit.”
He arched a brow. “That might even be better than I thought.”
She pursed her lips despite the smile she was trying to hide. “I’ll see you when you come into the ice cream parlor for your mango tornado scoops. Bye, Jack.”
Nora gave him a little wave and slowly moved away from his arms. He tried to keep her anchored to him, but she had asked to leave. What kind of ass would he be if he tried to convince her to stay?
Nope. Jack had to let her go even though it felt like he had just met her for the very first time.
It damn well nearly broke his heart. It took him by surprise. He thought his heart had stopped working a long time ago.
* * *
Jack wasin a hell of his own creating. He hadn’t meant to completely overturn his life, but he had done it with a single kiss, or rather, a single series of kisses.
He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Nora since her impromptu visit to his cabin last night. For the life of him, he still couldn’t figure out why Nora had been there in the first place. Their mouths had been too busy to do much talking.
This was new territory for Jack. He hadn’t dated in years. Sure, he went out of town to fulfill his more physical needs, but all of those women knew precisely what they were getting when they got into bed with him.
Jack never made any promises. It was sex and only sex. With Nora, however, it wouldn’t be just sex. It couldn’t be. No woman had ever completely turned his world around with a kiss.
But Nora had.
At a loss for what to do, Jack left the cabin in the capable hands of his seasonal high school staff, and he walked all the way to Moonie’s.
The only diner in Half Moon Key was always busy, but the owner, Lila, and her boyfriend, Mason, had finally hired some help. The couple could take days off together, and they could also drop everything when their friends came into their restaurant for some life advice.
At least, that’s what Lila assured him when he walked in. Lila took one look at him, and she sensed something wasn’t quite right.
“You don’t look too good, Jack,” Lila said, sliding a glass of lemonade onto his table. “Do you need to talk to Mason? He can totally leave the kitchen for a bit. He’s been training one of our waitresses who has an interest in cooking.”
Jack didn’t want to impose, but he nodded. Lila winked at him. “I’ll send help right over. It’s becoming a Moonie’s specialty to help folks in town with their troubles.” She added a wink and glided back to the kitchen. Jack was pleased to see Lila so happy. Obviously, being with Mason was really good for her. For Mason too.
No sooner had Lila disappeared into the kitchen than Mason walked out, wiping his hands on his apron, which he quickly took off, balled up, and dropped onto the tabletop.
“What’s up, bro? You look like you haven’t slept in ages. Lila sent me right over check on you. You good?”
“One sleepless night, and I look and feel like a zombie,” Jack shrugged.
Mason’s eyes lit up. “Oh, this is gonna be good. Did a woman from your past come back into your life?” He wiggled his brows suggestively.
Jack balked. “No! Fuck, no,” he said in a more sedate tone. “I would never want anyone from my past to find me here. Are you insane? That would be a disaster. No, I need to …” He took a deep breath. Jack was way out of practice; he hadn’t shared anything in a very long time. He was used to living a solitary life out there by his cabin.
Until he had kissed Nora, he really thought that was the way he wanted to live his life. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
He leaned over the table, looked around to make sure that no one was listening, and he pitched his deep voice as low as he could get it. “Can I overshare for a second?”
Mason’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, you totally can. What’s up?”
Jack winced, not sure how to approach the topic. “Okay, I kissed Nora last night.”
“What?”
He nodded, but Mason wasn’t even looking at him. He leaped from his seat in the booth and motioned for Jack to follow him. “Did you go on a date with her?”
Jack shook his head, only increasing Mason’s confusion.