CHAPTER 20
Trey was battling the restlessness he always felt after one op ended and another had yet to begin. Only this time it seemed worse.
He’d decided to try to sweat out the agitation. He and Jack were currently in the middle of a long run. The only problem was it wasn’t working. Now he was both sweaty and restless.
“Hey, Jack. You want to come over to my place tonight and watch the game? Or we can go to the bar if you want.”
He’d given Carly her space for a day. That should be enough. Besides, he missed the bar. That’s what he was telling himself anyway.
“Um, actually, I’m busy.”
“Busy? Doing what?” Trey frowned. Jack never gave up an opportunity to go to Carly’s bar.
Jack stopped running, so Trey stopped too. “She said yes.”
Feeling his eyes pop open wide, Trey hoped he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion as he asked, “She said yes? Carly? To your date?”
Wiping the sweat from his face with the hem of his T-shirt, Jack nodded. “Yup. I couldn’t believe it myself but we’re going out tonight.”
Suddenly sick to his stomach, Trey pressed a hand to his side. He must have run too hard.
He was having trouble wrapping his head around this. He had thought he was safe since she’d been saying no to Jack for about two years now.
Trey couldn’t date her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her dating anyone else either. He supposed that sounded selfish but really, she’d been with him only two days ago. How could she say yes to a date with Jack only two days after she’d been in his bed?
What was that Jack had said about sharing his filly? He’d been right. Trey didn’t like it.
He wiped the sweat from his face, still speechless. He should be congratulating his best friend. This was exactly what Jack had wanted for a long time now.
Instead, he paced in a small circle, trying to walk off the sick feeling in his gut.
“You feeling a’ight?” Jack watched him with concern, while he was having trouble looking at Jack at all.
“Fine, just a cramp or something. I think I’m done for the day. I better head in.”
“I’ll walk with you. I want to get home anyhow. I’ve got to shower and pick up some flowers before I go get Carly. And I’ve got to get my bedclothes out of the dryer.”
Jesus. Had Jack done laundry so his bed would be fresh for Carly tonight?
Trey bent over, braced his hands on his knees and tried his best not to vomit right there on Jack’s running shoes.
~ * ~
Carly couldn’t deny that Jack had been an absolutely perfect date. He’d arrived exactly on time. Not too early so she wasn’t ready and not too late so she was afraid she’d been stood up.
He’d brought her a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and opened every door and pulled out every chair. He’d chosen just the right restaurant too. Not so expensive she felt obligated to him in any way, but not so cheap she’d think he was stingy either.
So why now, as he walked her to the backdoor of the bar where the staircase to her apartment was, did she fear what was probably going to come next?
Jack stepped in close and raised his hand to her face. He stared deep into her eyes and smiled. “They’re green.”
His comment took her by surprise. “Yeah.”
He frowned a bit. “Hmm. Why have I never noticed that before?”
The memory of how Trey had surprised her by knowing the color of her eyes the day before they left for Kosovo hit her.
Was that really just a few days ago? It seemed more like a year. So much had happened between them.
And why was she thinking about Trey?
This date was so she could move on and forget him. Although, if that were really the case, she probably shouldn’t have picked his best friend to forget him with.
She looked up at Jack. What the hell was she doing?
He lowered his head a bit. “Carly, can I kiss you?”
Her heart rate sped with nervous energy as she nodded.
Jack leaned low and pressed his lips softly to hers.
He was a good kisser, both sober and drunk. His gentle, almost chaste kisses lulled her into a sense of security.
This was fine. Pleasant actually. She could do this. She could like Jack. Though why the hell was she thinking so much? She didn’t remember being able to think at all the first time Trey had kissed her, or the second, for that matter.
Jack stepped even closer, his leg between hers now. He wrapped his big hands around her head and tangled them in her hair.
As he kissed her harder, his lips parted and his tongue sought hers. She stiffened at first but forced herself to relax, allowing him to kiss her the way he wanted.
Then he broke away and leaned his forehead against hers with a short laugh. “You’re not doing such a good job, darlin’.”
“Huh?”
“Of pretending you like me. You’re trying, but you’re not really here with me, are you?”
She shook her head. “Jack—”
“Shhh. It’s a’ight.” He placed one finger across her lips to silence her. “I don’t blame you. If I was a woman, hell, I’d be in love with him too.”
He was talking about Trey. How did he know? She shook her head again to deny it, but then the tears started and there was nothing she could do about it. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, darlin’.” He wrapped her in his arms and rubbed her back. “Let’s go upstairs. You put on your favorite pj’s, I’ll tuck you on the couch under a nice blanket and then I’ll make you some tea. We’ll talk about you and him and what we’re gonna do about it.”
Through her tears she grabbed onto the one topic that wouldn’t make her cry harder. “You know how to make tea?”
“Darlin’, I’m southern. We invented sweet tea, or was that the mint julep?” Jack grinned and took the keys out of her hand.