Luck of the Draw (A Betting on Romance Novel Book 1) (26 page)

Kate looked at the photos. The bare-chested one made her drool. Then she thought of other women drooling over Jim. Ex-girlfriends. Potential girlfriends. Not that she had any hold on him, but the idea made her stomach queasy.

Liz: 
Leave a little something to the imagination. The second one is good.

Jim:
 
My ego will pretend it’s not bruised. Okay, one vote for T-shirt by dock. You sure it’s better than the sawhorse one?

Liz:
 
I like them both, and the sawhorse one definitely has your profession coming into play, which I like, but...

Jim:
 
But?

Liz:
 
The lake one looks more relaxed. It’s not so cocky looking, just—can I say this?—naturally good-looking.

And sexy as hell,
she thought, but at least she had the presence of mind not to type
that.

Jim:
 
Okay. I’ll let you say that.

Liz:
 
Sorry. Not trying to be untoward!

Jim:
 
No offense. Soothes my bruised ego.

Liz:
 
Would hate to inflict damage to your ego. Can I also say you’re awfully chatty for a guy and you type fast, too?

The seconds ticked by. Kate bit her lip. It felt somewhat surreal flirting with Jim this way. At least ‘Liz’ got to be friends with him. After the ways things had gone at Lucky’s, she knew friendship would be much more complicated in real life.

Jim: 
Like you said once. I need to get out more. As for the typing, no girls in school thought I was cute enough to type my papers for me. Plenty of practice.

Liz:
 
Nice try, but I don’t believe that for a minute. I’ve seen your pictures
.


Jim:
 
I’ll take that as a compliment. And may I say, whomever you are, you’re easy to talk to. (And surprisingly well-versed in modern technology for a gal in her 70’s.)

Liz:
 
I’m not nearly that old!

Jim:
 
So why are you doing this calendar thing?

Because I was guilted into it by your grandmother, and I’d rather do this than contemplate my apparent lack of passion and purpose? Right. Like she’d tell him
that
. Kate’s fingers fidgeted on the keyboard. What would Liz Bennet say?

Liz:
 
I like balls?

Kate
stared in horror at the screen. ACK!
I like balls??
Where was the delete key??

Liz:
 
I mean DANCING balls!

She
stared at the screen again. Oh God! Could this get any worse? What must he be thinking?

Liz:
 
Like Liz Bennet? You know, THOSE kind of dancing… dances? Oh, just shoot me now!

Jim:
 
When I’m done laughing.


July 4
Mr. Darcy. Is there a woman on earth who wouldn’t throw herself at this man’s shoes? And yet, what do we really know about him? Okay, yes, he’s good-looking and noble and unbelievably rich, but forgive me for saying, he’s also a bit of a starched shirt. Give me laughter and fireworks over stiff nobility any day of the week.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
____________________

“L
IAM,
PLEASE
.
I
T’LL BE FUN!”

“No wanna go!” Kate watched with dismay as Liam balled his little hands into fists by his sides and jutted out his bottom lip. Jim would be by any minute to pick them up, and Liam was throwing a first-rate tantrum. “No go!” he reiterated, as if she didn’t already get the idea.

“Why not? We saw the fireworks last year. Remember when we went with Nana and Mrs. Pemborly?”

“No go!” he cried again, his little lip wavering now.

Kate sat back on her heels and blew out an exasperated breath. Just what she needed. She’d spent Liam’s entire nap selecting just the right outfit, had washed and restyled her hair, then applied fresh toenail polish—candy pink this time. The last thing she’d expected was for Liam to object, for crying out loud.

“Liam
—” she began, but the knock on the door cut into what she’d planned to say. “Look. Jim is here to take us to the show. He’ll be disappointed if we don’t go.”

“No go!” Liam grunted at her back as she opened the door.

“Hi.” Jim greeted her with an easy smile and a wave for Liam. “Ready?”

Kate pressed her lips together. “We may not be going after all.”

“Why not?” Jim stepped into the room and glanced around for the cause of the problem.

“Liam doesn’t want to go.”

“How come, Bud?”

“Don’t wanna,” came the gruff reply.

Jim knelt in front of Liam. “Have you ever seen the fireworks?” Liam nodded. “Did you not like them?” Jim asked softly.

“Too loud,” Liam whispered back, his dark eyes troubled.

“Ah,” Jim nodded sagely. “That’s because you’re young and have sensitive hearing. Rock and roll will fix that in time. You like the way the fireworks light up the sky, though, right?”

Liam nodded again.

“Fine. No problem. How about I loan you my hearing protectors, just for tonight?” At Liam’s frown, Jim chuckled. “They go over your ears so noises don’t sound so loud. Big boys wear them for when we use power tools.”

“Like chainsaws?”

“Exactly.”

“All right!” Liam whooped as he raced for the door. “I get to chain saw!”

Jim glanced at Kate in surprise.

“It’s okay,” she laughed as she collected the cardigan she’d chosen in case it got cool, “we can explain it to him on the way there.”

They rode in relative silence, Liam chattering periodically about chain saws and big boy tools. Kate was content to watch the passing scenery with an occasional furtive glance at Jim’s profile.

She hid a smile as she remembered the steamy looks Jim had given her over his ice cream this afternoon at Lucky’s, the shivers of awareness coursing through her at each innocent contact.

And then, the pickup brought her back to the present as it thumped across the field by the high school.

“They set the fireworks off over the river,” Jim informed her. “The riverbank is a great place to view them, but it can get a little rowdy down there with the teenagers. Probably better for Liam if we watch from here.”

Kate nodded. A handful of cars and pickups were already scattered over the field as people arrived for the show. The sound of crickets chirping and children running and laughing in the twilight lent a festive air to the evening. She slid out of the cab.

“We’re not meeting your family?” She glanced around, surprised not to see a familiar face.

“Oh. They’ll be here. Here and there. I didn’t know you were hoping to see—”

“Oh. No. I just thought we might
—”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

Jim cleared his throat. “I think Liam will enjoy watching from the truck bed. I brought some blankets and stuff to make it more comfortable.”

Kate looked over as Jim let down the tailgate then unrolled a sleeping bag for padding. He unrolled another and laid it next to the first, then glanced over his shoulder at Kate as if seeking her approval.

Oh, yes. It looked very accommodating. She’d been on less padded surfaces with this man without complaint.

Something of her thoughts must have shown in her expression, because Jim’s grin grew warm and intimate. He glanced at the sky, then his watch. “I think they’ll be starting soon. We should probably get Liam set so he doesn’t freak out on us.”

Kate nodded and tried not to think about Jim and sleeping bags and padded surfaces as he retrieved the hearing protectors and set them over Liam’s ears.

Liam wiggled his head and grinned. “I look like a big boy?”

“Absolutely,” Jim agreed as he helped Liam onto the tailgate
. “Why don’t you scootch back so I can help your mom up?”

Liam scrambled into the truck. Jim turned to Kate.

“I think I can manage,” she said with a soft laugh.

“I think I’d really like to help,” he said just as softly.

She caught her lip with her teeth as his hands came to rest on her waist. His warmth seeped through the light cotton top she wore as he picked her up and set her on the tailgate. Then he nudged her knees apart, leaned in and brushed his lips lightly over hers.

For a moment she returned the kiss then realized where they were and what they were doing. “Liam,” she whispered urgently against Jim’s lips, trying to pull away.

“—isn’t even looking,” Jim said, pulling back. “Relax. I wasn’t going to jump you right here on the athletic field.”

She felt heat creep into her cheeks and tried not to feel hurt by his tone. “It’s just
—”

“You don’t want to do anything in front of Liam. I get it. Been down this road before.” Jim stepped into the back of the pickup, leaving Kate to scramble up after him.

“I’m sorry.” She fumbled for the right words even as they stuck in her throat. “I’ve never... He’s never seen... I hadn’t thought how I’d react.”

Jim busied himself rearranging the blankets he’d brought into a makeshift pillow for Liam and her. “I get it, Kate.”

She reached out and grasped his arm. How could he get what she couldn’t explain to herself? “Jim, you caught me off guard. I just need to think about how to handle you.”

He gave a hard little laugh. “I didn’t realize I was out of control. I’ll try to keep my hands off you from now on.”

“You’re not,” she said, fighting exasperation. “That’s not what I meant.”

“No?”

“No. What happened Thursday night... I’m not good at this. I’ve never done this before.”

“What? Blown hot and cold on a guy?”

“I guess I deserve that.
”
Kate glanced uneasily at Liam. Thankfully the hearing protectors made him oblivious to their exchange.

Jim ran a weary hand over his face. “I’m sorry. That was
probably out of line.” He shook his head, sat down and linked his hands around his knees.

Kate took her seat next to him. “Look. I can’t pretend there’s nothing going on between us. I don’t
want
to pretend that. But, I don’t understand it either. This whole thing with you—it’s taken me by surprise.”

Jim nodded and stared off toward the river.

“If I can’t explain it to myself, I don’t know how I’d explain it to Liam if he were to ask questions.” She pressed her lips together and stared at the river, too, the warm night air unaccountably chill. “I have no regrets, though,” she finally whispered. “I can’t make any promises, but I have no regrets.”

“Just for fun, is that it?” Jim turned to her now, his eyes implacable.

“Yes
. No!
I don’t know. My life is so complicated right now...”

“And you don’t need me to be another complication,” he finished for her, turning away again.

Kate sighed and wished things could be different. Knew there was no way they could be.

“You’re not a complication,” she lied, wishing it were true. “You’re just... a surprise I haven’t figured out how to handle yet.”

He looked at her now, his eyes registering some emotion she didn’t want to acknowledge. “It we’re nothing serious, then there’s nothing to figure out, is there?”

She sat back without answering and waited for the show, wishing she could go back in time, kiss him and not worry about anything else. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t
not
kiss this man when he was intent on kissing her any more than she could
not
be pregnant with another man’s child.

It was better they put some distance between them. Whether Jim knew it or not.

A wistful ache squeezed her heart. “I like you, you know.”

He pressed his lips together, and she wished she could kiss away the twinge of regret she saw there. “I like you, too, Kate.”

“I’m not trying to be difficult.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Neither am I.”

“I don’t mean to be a tease. I’ve never been that kind of person, but I need to figure some things out before we go any further.” He let a raised eyebrow talk for him. “Fine. I know. They’ve gone plenty far. Farther than I ever intended—and I don’t regret it, but I’m not looking for a relationship right now. I
can’t
get into a relationship right now.” She tried to ignore how good he felt beside her, how much her fingers ached to brush the hair at his temple and make all the awkwardness between them fade away. “Friends?”

He looked at her, wordlessly, as the fireworks began to burst overhead. She held her breath as he leaned in and pressed a single kiss to her hair, then pulled back. “Let’s watch the show,” he said.