In the Fast Lane (Fast Series Book 1) (26 page)

Read In the Fast Lane (Fast Series Book 1) Online

Authors: Evie Anderson

Tags: #Contemporary, #Sports, #Romance

BOOK: In the Fast Lane (Fast Series Book 1)
11.18Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Infused with a new bout of righteous indignation, Dalton rose from the bed and grabbed his jeans. He had to stop and bend over when he swayed a bit, but as soon as he manned up, he squared his shoulders and walked out into the hallway. Jessi was not going to see him on his knees again. She had a tendency to cut him off at them.

Walking into the kitchen, Dalton saw Sawyer bracing himself over the island with his head hanging. Trash bags were in his hand, but it didn’t look like he was moving any time soon. “Morning, lightweight.”

“Fuck. You.”

“Yep.”

That signaled the end of their conversation. They seriously needed to boost up their tolerance to alcohol if they were going to do something so amazingly stupid ever again. In their defense, they’d been too busy to drink lately. Finally, after drinking a glass of orange juice that tasted vile on his tongue but was probably necessary if he was going to survive the next few hours, Dalton felt capable of more industrious movement.

He went to the stove where an entire heaping untouched pan of scrambled eggs sat. What a little brat. She’d made the damn eggs just to make them sick. Dalton picked up the pan, held his breath, and started shoveling the cooked eggs into the garbage disposal.

“When did she become so bitter?” he more or less muttered to himself, but while Sawyer had moved away from the painful noise of the garbage disposal, he apparently could still hear him.

“Right about the time we trashed her front yard, I think.”

“Fuck. This is going to suck.” He looked at Sawyer who was now sitting on a bar stool and looking like he needed to grab a kitchen chair instead. The dude was going to fall off. Help was clearly not coming from that quarter.

“Listen, I’ll go talk to her. I’ll tell her we’ll be by later today to clean up. We’ll get some sleep and head over. That way she can be out of the house so she doesn’t have to see me.” Dalton just assumed that was what would be best for both of them.

“Too late. She already left with instructions to get over to her house in thirty minutes or she’s calling the police. She has security cameras that take video, so...yeah. We’re pretty much screwed.”

“Fine. Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

“Can you? I think I’m still drunk.”

“That’s because you’re a pussy. My liver has been conditioned to handle this shit. In fact, given how much we drank last night, I’d have to say it’s pretty damn efficient.”

“Oh, God. I’ll do anything you want if you will just stop talking.”

Dalton and Sawyer walked to the truck and got in. Dalton fired up the engine while Sawyer adjusted his sunglasses and hunched down in the seat. They drove over to Jessi’s house. It looked empty. No one was waiting for them, and no noise came from the house. They got out of the truck, grabbed their trash bags, and went to work. There were buckets of water and wood cleaner along with rags on the front porch. No mops...that would be too easy.

The work was hard at first, and more than once Dalton thought he would puke. But something about sweating out a hangover worked, and by the time lunch rolled around, he was feeling a lot better. The sun had come out in full force, so Dalton took off his shirt and wiped his brow. He looked over at Sawyer, who had taken a seat on the porch step. He looked better too.

“Do you think we get a lunch break?” Dalton asked Sawyer.

“I don’t know, but we’re taking one. Chinese buffet.”

Dalton couldn’t agree more. What was it about Chinese food and hangovers? He was already craving the crab Rangoon.

Just then, a car pulled into the driveway. He’d never seen Jessi’s car, but he assumed it was hers. It was a nice, respectable little Audi that suited her perfectly. Cute, happy, and snappy. Just like the woman. Despite everything, he smiled to himself.

Jessi got out of the car holding two huge bags. Dalton could smell the sweet and sour sauce from his spot some fifteen yards away. God, he loved this woman.

“This is
not
on the house. You guys owe me, but I don’t want the alcohol to eat your stomach lining away.” She looked irritated, but not pissed. It was like she was trying to be mad, but was really over it. That was encouraging.

“God, I could kiss you right now.” Sawyer was on his feet and heading toward the bags of food.

He’d better not kiss her. Hungover or not, drinking partner or no, Dalton wasn’t putting up with that shit. Thankfully, Sawyer did no such thing. Instead, he grabbed the bags out of her hands and headed toward the rough wood table that sat on the large end of Jessi’s side porch. It really was a nice place.

Jessi yelled at Sawyer’s retreating form. “This does not mean you are forgiven, Sawyer Jameson. I just don’t want you two dummies puking all over my yard because of a low food to alcohol ratio!”

With Sawyer removed from the vicinity, it was just Jessi and Dalton. She looked at him, and he stared back. He could tell the anger was gone from her eyes. She just looked...tired. He was instantly sorry about that.

“Jessi, I’m—”

“Dalton, not right now. You and Sawyer eat some lunch. I’ll be inside.”

She walked back into the house, and Dalton had no choice but to go sit with Sawyer. He hadn’t been invited in. He was just there to pick up his mess. When he was done, he’d get in the truck with Sawyer and... then what? He’d never see her again.

No. That wasn’t true. He’d see her all the time. She’d retired, but she’d still be part of swimming. Sure, she was going to start grad school soon, but she’d work with the camps and coaches throughout the year. He’d just no longer have the right to come up behind her and plant a kiss on her neck when she wasn’t paying attention or put his hand on her hip when they were talking with a group of people. They’d just be acquaintances. She’d start dating again, and she’d bring her new flings to Christmas parties. She’d show up to team events with someone else. Dalton was feeling decidedly less encouraged as he sat down.

They ate in silence. Partly because there wasn’t much to say. Partly because it kind of hurt to talk. And partly because they were
killing
the Chinese food.

Just as they were cleaning the boxes up, Jessi came outside. She’d put on yoga pants and a tight hoody. Her hair was up in a messy bun again. This was Jessi on the weekend. It broke Dalton’s heart to know he’d never see her like this again, but he was glad for the opportunity anyway.

“Sawyer, you can go home. I appreciate you cleaning up the mess. Dalton can finish the porch.” She shot him a glare. “I’m sure it was his idea to throw the cans in the first place.”

“It was.” Sawyer wasted no time getting up and walking toward his truck.

“Dude, you’re just gonna leave?” Dalton yelled from the deck. “How am I going to get home?”

“I’ll take you home when you’re done.” Jessi turned around and walked back into the house.

Sawyer threw his hand in the air without so much as a backward glance as way of goodbye. He got in the truck, started it up, and backed down the driveway.

Dalton stood there, dumbfounded. What in the hell was going on? He shook his head and figured he might as well get to it since he wasn’t being given many options. Not that he deserved them.

Dalton scrubbed the deck for a good hour. Damn. Beer really made a sticky mess on rough wood. He felt bad about that. He’d have to apologize to her...if she’d accept it.

When he was done, he went to the front door and stood there for a minute. What was he supposed to do? Knock? Ring the doorbell? He settled on a quick knock and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he waited.

Jessi came to the door shortly after and opened it. She stepped aside so he could walk in.

The house was amazing. It was all log with the exception of the fireplace, which was made out of river stone and extended up to the roof. A second floor looked out over the open floor plan of the main level, and a wall of windows opened up to a view of the craggy foothills.

The decorations were warm and rustic. Jessi had furnished the house with overstuffed brown leather furniture. The only exception was an odd, cowhide chair. He’d have to ask her about that if he got the chance. There was a chandelier made out of antlers that was equally surprising. Dalton had pictured a much more contemporary setting for Jessi.

“Your house is great. I hadn’t expected this, I guess.”

“Thanks. I always wanted to live in the mountains, but Mom and Dad couldn’t afford it with the bills for my swim clubs and private school. A lot of my high school friends were pretty rich, so we’d go to their cabins for ski trips during winter and spring breaks. I guess I got the bug for log homes then.”

Jessi was wiping down the granite top of her kitchen island. She’d just poured herself a tall glass of what looked like craft beer. “Little hair of the dog?” she offered, turning to pick out another glass. She was just full of surprises.

“Actually, I swore off beer this morning, but that might actually be the only thing that saves me today.”

Jessi smirked and opened a small fridge cut out of the cabinets below the counter. It was full of different craft beers. “I’m kind of a beer snob,” she confessed. “I don’t get to drink often, but when I do, I want the good stuff. Sorry, no Bud Light.” She looked up from the fridge with a raised eyebrow.

Yeah, there’d been a lot of Bud Light cans on her lawn that morning. “Actually, I don’t think I could drink another Bud if my life depended on it. Do you have an IPA?”

Jessi pulled out three different kinds of India Pale Ale and set them on the countertop for his inspection.

God, he seriously loved this woman. He selected one and she grabbed a bottle opener, popped the top, and began pouring the beer into the glass at the perfect angle.

“So,” she began.

Fuck. Here it was. She wouldn’t offer him a drink and then kick him out before he had the chance to take a sip, would she? Dalton wouldn’t put it past her. He’d seen firsthand how mean Jessi could be, and he had seriously pissed her off.

“Why did you show up here with Sawyer last night?”

“Well, actually, I snuck away from Sawyer at some point and did a little covert yard hopping until I found a liquor store. Then I bought a case of beer and came up here. Don’t be too pissed at Sawyer. He was just trying to find me and keep me from doing something stupid.”

She raised her eyebrow again and stared at him.

“I didn’t say he was successful.”

Jessi was trying to look serious, but her lips were twitching. Dalton’s heart soared. He wouldn’t let himself get overly excited, but that was a good sign.

“You guys are stupid. You know that, right?”

“Yep.”

“Good. So...” Jessi looked down at the counter for a second.

Dalton thought she wasn’t going to speak again, but then her head popped up and she looked right at him. “What did you want to say to me that was so important you had to camp out on my front lawn?”

Shit. He hadn’t expected to be able to explain himself. He wasn’t prepared. “Look, Jess, I’m so sorry. I was an ass and—”

“Yes. We’ve established that. Numerous times. And in numerous situations. I’m not really interested in that, and I accept your apology. You’ve cleaned up your mess, so we’ll consider things square. What I want to know is what you wanted to say to me.”

Dalton took a deep breath. Here it was. “I guess I wanted to yell at you for waving your ex-boyfriend under my nose. I wanted to tell you I was proud of you in Canada. I wanted to shake you for pushing me away while we were there. I suppose I probably also wanted to say sorry for leaving without saying goodbye...” Dalton trailed off.

“Yes. Let’s start with that one. You realize this is the second time you’ve left me at an Olympic Games without so much as a ‘see you later, Jess’?”

Dalton looked up at her from under his eyelashes. “I’m not sure I’m supposed to call you Jess.”

“Oh my God, Dalton, I swear—”

“Sorry! Sorry. Humor is my go-to when I’m in a corner. I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. That was really shitty of me. I just knew I was losing you, and I couldn’t handle it.”

“If you knew you were losing me, why didn’t you do something about it?”

“What was I supposed to do? You’d already made up your mind. I was a dead man walking.”

“You didn’t have to be.” Jessi looked down at the counter again, and this time, her voice was soft. She looked eighteen again.

Dalton’s heart broke even more. He hadn’t known that was possible. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” he confessed.

“Yes, you do. You just can’t say it.” She looked up with tears in her eyes.

Dalton would do anything in that moment to make those go away, but he didn’t know what to do.

“Jessi, I’m going to be completely honest. I am so lost when it comes to this...to us. I don’t know how to do this, so, baby, you’re gonna have to tell me what to do sometimes. I swear I’m not trying to hurt you. I just really am this clueless.”

“Dalton,” Jessi sighed. “It’s not difficult. I love you. I’ve loved you since I was a kid, but I can’t wait around hoping you’ll just magically fall in love with me. I’m not what you need—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dalton interrupted. “Not what I need? Jessi, you are exactly what I need. You make me happy. You keep my mind focused. I don’t want to do anything stupid when I’m with you. I just want to be the guy you need. Why in the hell would I sit out on a lawn and curse your ever-loving name if I didn’t
need
you?” Dalton was yelling by now. It sort of hurt his hungover head, so he took a sip of the beer she’d offered him.

Other books

Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman
Undercurrent by Pauline Rowson
Sword Dance by Marie Laval
Dark Admirer by Charlotte Featherstone
His Wicked Ways by Joanne Rock
Midsummer's Eve by Margo, Kitty