her to go before things got any worse. “Ginny, could you wrap it? I lost my appetite.”
Jamie rose abruptly, and plopped some cash on the table. “On me, Ginny.”
Alex just watched his hurried departure in mute surprise. “Catch you later, Lovey,” he muttered in her general direction, and headed for the door.
~~~~~~~
It was annoying. Jamie had found himself caught right up once again by that shimmering intensity in Alex’s eyes, the hazel orbs had literally glistened with it.
The eyes always get me , he thought ruefully, as his gaze had slanted down her slender nose and across those full, sexy lips.
Even as she smirked over being one ridiculous year older than him, he noted how that mouth had a pouty aura, the bottom lip slightly fuller, and profoundly kissable.
Jamie now pushed the image away, disgusted, and wondered for the second time around why he had actually bothered. He was curious, sure enough, but it was becoming quite apparent that trying to get to know Ms. Winters was a lot like trying to sniff a bloom on a cactus plant. You always got pricked in the process.
“James, wait… ” he heard her call to his retreating back. “I, uh, don’t forget about your stove.”
“Oh, I didn’t forget. You can keep it.” He tossed the words lazily over his shoulder, and continued on, noting irritably that at the bar, Len was guffawing behind his beer mug. With a sarcastic wave, Jaime ducked outside.
The night air was bracing, the temperature having dropped considerably. The cloying darkness of early evening had lifted, and a few stars now patterned the black void above. He breathed deeply, shoving his hands roughly into his jeans pockets.
Although it was Friday night, he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow. It would suit him just fine to head on home early.
“Hi Mouse,” he nodded at the menacing shadow who had magically appeared, as if conjured up from the pits of Hades, to loom four inches above his own six feet of height. But Mouse’s nature was anything but hellish, and he had biceps that could rock a sixty pound bale of hay through the mow like it was nothing but feathers and fluff.
“Jay-me.” Mouse’s speech was impaired from an injury sustained in early childhood, and he had grown up with the stigma of the severely retarded, even though his IQ was only a handful of points below normal. People were either afraid of him or ignored him completely, and both responses had the same detrimental effect on Mouse’s monumental shyness.
“Could use some help next weekend. It’s time to clean out the haymow, get ready for the new stuff coming. You gonna be around?”
“Yup. S ure Jay-me.”
Jaime smiled and reached out to thump Mouse affectionately on the shoulder. Then he realized that Mouse’s attention had been diverted elsewhere. Alexandra Winters was poised on the top step, juggling her boxed dinner and her purse. Mouse broke into his wide, toothy grin and Jaime bit back a chuckle at her nervous look.
“James,” she began, “Please wait a moment. I want to talk to you.”
S o she was not to be deterred by the presence of the Incredible Hulk, Jamie thought wryly. Dear Lovey obviously wasn’t used to being walked out on.
He sighed. “Okay Alex, this is Mouse.”
“We met,” she muttered. “Hi again... umm Mouse.”
“Hi a-gen. Oww-lex.”
“Close enough.” She gave Mouse a quick smile and started sidling uneasily down the stairs.
“James , listen. You’re going to take your stove back. I’m sorry for all this fuss. I don’t want this on my conscience.”
“ What? You have a conscience?” he questioned lightly.
S he bristled and then simply stormed away toward the quiet parking lot. No back talk, no sarcastic jibe to cut his pride to the quick? He decided to follow her slender form between the rows of cars, now dark beasts of metal that hulked in the absence of