Page 30 of Trustfall
I glanced down and saw her at my feet, suddenly realizing I must have accidentally stepped on her tail. As I leaned down to pet her head, the world started to spin around me, so I joined her on the grass.
“C-three.”
“Miss,” Jameson replied over my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Sheba. Do you forgive me?” I rubbed behind both ears, and judging by her energetic licks, all was forgiven. “You’re an aggressive little one, aren’t you? But I’ll take all the love I can get.”
“Sheba,” Boden chastised, “no licking her face. You can push her away, Arizona.”
“She’s too adorable; I simply can’t say no to her.” I was still preoccupied showering Sheba affectionately when she noticed a flying bug and sprang off my lap, her little legs making a valiant effort to jump high enough to catch it.
Jameson extended his hand, and I instantly regretted accepting his help. The motion sent me straight into his sinful arms, which wrapped eagerly around my back. Our eyes met, and the glimmer of amber in his brown eyes flashed with heat, making me lose myself in them for a moment before I remembered our surroundings.
“You can let me go now; there’s no mistletoe above us.” I playfully pushed on his strong chest, which was covered in a long-sleeved white Henley, when deep down, what I really wanted to do was etch my nails down his bare chest and leave my mark in their wake.
“That’s a damn shame.” His heated eyes dropped to my lips. “Maybe one day I won’t need it.”
“G-seven,” I guessed, not even bothering to look at the board since I knew it was our next move.
“So, it’s gonna be like that, is it?” His hand dipped lower as his fingers splayed just below my hip.
“Hit,” Jaxon replied.
“We’re playing a game, Jameson.” I pulled the corner of my bottom lip between my teeth.
“Not all of us,” he murmured low enough for only me to hear before he lowered his arms.
I could no longer determine if the warm and fuzzies were from the effects of the alcohol or if it was him, as the loss of his heat was immediate, all but confirming he had made his way past the walls I’d built to keep him at a distance.
While there was no denying my faculties were impaired, my heart knew what it wanted, overriding any and all rational thoughts I had on the matter. I was at a crossroads, unsure of how to be around him because being vulnerable put me at risk of getting my heart broken by him again.
It was something I wasn’t sure I’d survive a second time.
Chapter Twelve
Jameson
There were days on the job when it was easier to compartmentalize a call than others. Then, there were days when you knew without a doubt a call would live on inside you forever.
Today was that day.
In our line of work, coming across death is inevitable. It’s part and parcel of the territory, and while we might reside in a small town, that didn’t make us any less immune. In fact, it often hits closer to home because everybody knows everybody, so we all feel the loss and share in the grief.
It jolts you back to reality and makes you take stock of what’s important in life.
It makes you want to grab hold of those you care about most and never let go.
It was also why I found myself parked in Arizona’s driveway; I wanted to check in on her.
While I didn’t expect her to be very receptive to my presence, as this wasn’t something we did—hang out without our mutual friends—I expected pushback, hence why I was no dummy and arrived armed and prepared.
“Jameson?” Soft questioning lines appeared between her brows when she answered the door. “Now’s really not?—”
Her hair, which had been styled in a topknot at work, was now hanging haphazardly off the side of her head, with loose tendrils framing her tear-streaked cheeks. She had also changed out of her work uniform into a matching black cami and shorts set layered underneath a white robe that hung open over her torso. What next caught my attention and made me smile on the inside were her mismatched, fuzzy knee-high socks—one red and the other green with little Christmas reindeer.
God, she was adorable, even when she was sad.
“Can I come in?” I held up the thermos and a Tupperware container containing homemade chocolate chip cookies that I was holding.
