Something Old - Dianne L. Christner [20]
She probed at the matter, furious at herself for gawking at Jake like a lovesick fool. In that one weak moment, his features, wind-ruffled hair, and masculine physique had been burned into her memory all anew, more vivid and arresting than ever. She felt as if months of working to get over him had been destroyed in an instant. He’d stood on the icy riverbank and beckoned her with dark, hooded eyes so scorching and brooding and out of place in that winter playground. It had been all she could do to pull her gaze away. No wonder she’d faltered.
She reached out and flipped the car’s heater off. With a glance at the green, overhead sign, she changed into the exit lane. And when David’s tire had gone flat, the rat had the gall to butt in where he wasn’t wanted. While David had worked on the tire, her nemesis had stepped out of her imagination and appeared in flesh and blood outside her window, wearing a crooked smile and a smug expression.
David had handled the evening’s humiliation with more grace than she would have imagined possible, coming to her rescue. Twice.
Leave it to Katy to trip up the best skater at the party. But David had been a great sport—given that Jake had knocked her off her feet, David had played the hero by whisking her away to safety. Only, poor guy, his efforts had backfired.
With the pride he took in the care of his car, she knew that its flat tire probably embarrassed him the most. The tension that sizzled when David slid into his driver’s side and glared at Jake would have been intense enough to ignite a forest fire in the dead of winter. Thankfully, Jake had backed away.
After all the drama Jake had caused, she hadn’t wanted to humiliate David further by bringing up her dad’s stipulations. Her mom had been right. He was a great guy, and she’d had a lot of fun with him, too. Although with the aggravation he’d suffered on their date, including a set of bruised knees, he probably wouldn’t ask her out again.
Just when she had started to entertain thoughts of David as a real boyfriend, Jake had returned, sending her heart, mind, and body into a crazy spin. He still wielded tremendous power over her. And she resented him for it. Even if he slipped back into oblivion, his brief appearance had caused her irreparable damage.
Lil could probably explain why Jake had shown up at the party, but Katy hadn’t been able to ask her yet with the way their schedules clashed.
As she pulled into the driveway of the Brooks’ residence, Katy cringed. She hoped Lil hadn’t told Jake about the three-date stipulation. She certainly didn’t want him to think she had to buy her dates. Sometimes when it came to Jake, Katy wasn’t sure whose side Lil was on. Flipping down her visor, she checked to see that her covering was straight. When she saw her grim lips, she wet them and forced herself to relax.
Moments later, she used her key to enter the house, taking a quick scope of its usual disarray. By the time she hit the kitchen, she’d already scooped up two sets of newspapers and several pink glittery items of clothing.
In the kitchen, her steps faltered. “Oh. Hi, Tammy. I didn’t realize you were here, or I would have knocked.”
Tammy Brooks snapped her briefcase closed and slipped into its shoulder strap. “No problem.” She grabbed a designer purse off a bar stool. “I’m glad I can at least count on you.”
Katy took the newspapers to the recycle bin and set Addison’s clothing on a bar stool. Her slim, high-heeled employer made a turn toward the door, and Katy knew that she couldn’t waste such an opportunity. “Do you have a moment?”
“Sure. I’m already late so what’s a few more minutes?” Katy felt her face heat,