Jared: Red, Hot, & Blue, Book 4 by Cat Johnson

try, but what I was going to say was this. She’ll listen. It just might take a bit of time. In the meantime don’t you go doing any thing crazy.”
    Jared listened, and although he didn’t like what he heard, Bobby was right. He had to keep his cool here. Mandy was strung so tightly, Jared always knew that if she ever snapped it would be really bad. He’d assumed her work would be the thing to throw her over the edge eventually, but it seemed Sue Ann had gotten to her first.
    The door opened fully and the girl walked out, eyeing him the entire time. Jared didn’t wait for an invitation and shot inside. One look at Mandy confirmed his suspicion. She’d cracked and it was bad.
    She sat in the room’s only chair. Head buried in her arms while she hugged her knees. He couldn’t see her face, but he heard her sniffle as she rocked herself.
    His heart broke. He bent and scooped her up in his arms, sitting in the chair with her in his lap. He kissed her hair and gently rocked her. “Shh. Don’t cry.”
    Her soft sniffles turned into all-out heaving, gasping sobs. She always did tend to be contrary, and now was no different. He shook his head, held her tighter and let her cry until she was all cried out. Since she was never one to do anything halfway, that took a while.
    He knew she was finished when she raised her head and one tiny fist smashed into his arm. “You bastard.”
    That nearly made him smile. He’d take anger over tears any day. Luckily, he’d stopped himself from actually smiling at her, because that would have probably earned him more than just a punch in the arm.
    “I’m going to tell you the God’s honest truth, and if you don’t want to believe me, Bobby is right outside. He’ll back me up. I admit to being a stupid idiot who used to sleep with Sue Ann, but I ended it before you ever came to this town and turned my life upside down.” At her frown, he added, “I meant that last part in a good way.”
    “But she said she’s—”
    “She lied. If she’s even pregnant, which is up for debate, there is no way in hell it’s mine because I used protection every single time. I’ll do anything you want. DNA tests. Lie detector. Whatever. I won’t let her or anything else take you away from me.”
    Her face crumpled, but she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. He figured it was a good thing, until she pulled back and looked fiercely at him.
    “But, Jared, really. Her? Her roots are so far past a touch up, her hair is practically two-tone. She’s wearing sparkly blue eye shadow and a tube top. How in the world could the same man be attracted to both her and me? We might as well be from different planets.”
    “You’re telling me.” He snorted.
    She held her hands out in an I’m-waiting-for-an-answer gesture.
    He finally gave in. She wanted an explanation, then he’d give her one. “All right. I’m gonna tell you something about how men see women. There are women we’re attracted to for a night or two because they’re easy. Then there are those we’re interested in for the long haul, because those are the keepers.”
    She considered that for a moment. “Which one am I?”
    Jared laughed out loud. He knew there was only one answer she wanted to hear. Luckily, it happened to be the truth. “Darlin’, there ain’t nothing easy about you. You’re the hardest damn woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
    Yup, she was definitely a keeper. Somehow, someway, he’d find a way to keep her here in Pigeon Hollow with him. Jared snuggled his face against Mandy’s hair. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of her.
    “We all right?” He felt her nod. Running his hand up and down her spine, he bent his head and kissed each closed eye-lid softly. “Can I show you how very much I’ve missed you now?’
    She opened her still-tear-reddened eyes. She looked up at him and drew in a shaky breath. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
    He smiled and kissed her lips. Then