What Janie Wants by Rhenna Morgan Page B

really helped him. “I guess that one’s a little bigger.”
    He smiled big enough to flash his perfect white teeth, eyes sparkling. “That one made my fucking day.”
    The waiter bustled to the table with two young helpers and cleared the dishes. “All finished, señor ?”
    Zade handled the check, taking time to chat with the man, as he did with everyone. No one was a stranger. Everyone was equal. He’d alluded to visually appreciating women and certain aspects of the world when he’d described his business, but he’d sold himself short. Watching Zade watch the world was a beautiful thing in itself. The sharpness in his eyes. The way his gaze scanned the entire picture, capturing every detail. The way his mouth softened and parted when something powerful struck his interest.
    “ You okay?”
    People strolled on either side of them, and a cluster of kids giggled near a storefront where a man made a flamenco string puppet dance to a song on the radio. Talk about inattentive. She’d made it down a flight of stairs and past a thick crowd of diners without realizing where she was. “Sorry. Was off in my head, thinking about your idea.”
    “ Don’t follow it if it doesn’t feel right. It’s what you want that’s important. Sounds like you’ve helped everyone else in your life. Now’s a chance for you to figure out what you want.”
    What she wanted. Three little words that seemed to broaden the universe in one dramatic swoop. Liberating. Powerful. Scary as hell. “Thank you.”
    His eyebrows dipped in the center. “For what?”
    God, she’d misjudged him with the age thing. She’d never met a man so honest. Genuine and giving. Emotionally open and mature. “For helping me with ideas. Seeing me in a different light.” More words snagged on the back of her throat. Raw words that would expose more than she should.
    Ah, to heck with it. After what he’d given her, a little honesty would be good. “For helping me see I’m still beautiful. That I’m not washed up. That wrinkles and gravity aren’t the end of me, just a different part of my story.”
    He stopped in the middle of the street, pulling her to a stop beside him. Cupping her face on either side, he brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones. “You’re not the kind of woman who’ll ever be washed up. There’s too much light in you. Any man who doesn’t want to drown himself in that brightness doesn’t deserve the good that comes with it.”
    Flutters danced in her stomach and her breaths turned shallow. So perfect. A man she could trust and rebuild her world with. To look at the world with a fresh set of eyes.
    Except he lived over fifteen hundred miles away.
    From behind them, a booming, masculine voice rang out. “Hey, Zade.”
    Janie spun with Zade.
    The man who’d been with Zade the day they met ambled from one of the beach-party dive bars. At his side was a beautiful girl with perfect blond highlights, too much makeup for her naturally pretty face, and not nearly enough clothes. God, help her if McKenna came home from her first year of college the same way.
    Zade offered his hand as the couple strolled up. “Hey, Devin.” He wrapped an arm around her. “You remember Janie.”
    “ Hard not to remember the ball buster.” He tipped his head toward Janie, an awkward attempt to be polite and still appear cool in front of his girlfriend, as if he’d hadn’t already blown it with the ball buster comment. “How ya doin’?”
    “ I’m great, thank you.” Janie held out her hand to the girl. “I’m Janie McAlister.”
    The girl gnashed her gum, zigzagged her gaze between Janie and Zade, and shook the hand offered. “Hey. I’m Nelly.”
    With a beer fisted in his free hand, Devin motioned toward the beach. “We’re headin’ back to the resort for a poolside party. You guys wanna come?”
    Zade glanced at Janie and rubbed his chin. “Um.”
    Like she’d be any help on this one. Her experience with pool parties usually involved