Page 88 of Last First Kiss

It’s so easy to like Jamie.

So natural to fall for him…

Jordan blinks. Recalibrates. It’s so natural forpeopleto fall for Jamie. Like, the world in general. No one specifically.

Jamie ambles back over. He holds up two popsicles wrapped in plastic. Strawberry lemonade for Jordan, raspberry lime for himself.

“I see your taste hasn’t changed either,” Jordan comments.

Jamie grins, his eyes lingering. “No, it hasn’t.”

A rush of warmth creeps up Jordan’s neck. Heatstroke, probably. He clumsily unwraps his popsicle.

“Shall we”—Jordan waves a hand around aimlessly—“keep walking?”

Jamie directs them toward the happy yipping. There are two separate enclosures. One for bigger dogs, the other for smaller breeds. They pause by the latter. Five different types of dogs scramble around like they’re drunk on summer and freedom.

Jordan canalmostrelate.

“I always wanted a dog,” Jamie comments. He looks eager to jump right in. Roll around in the grass with the delighted pups.

Denz once said Jamie reminded him of a golden retriever. But Jordan can’t unsee that tenacious, keen side of him.

Border collie, for sure.

“You never had one growing up?” he asks.

Jamie snorts derisively. “Withmyparents? Wasn’t an option.”

The temptation to question Jamie more about his parents reemerges. Jordan resists. He can wait for Jamie to go there voluntarily.

Instead, he says, “What about with Denz?”

“Denz is a cat person.”

Jordan squints. “Denz isnota cat person.”

“Yes, the fuck he is!” Jamie peels the plastic off his popsicle. “He’s territorial. Impulsive. Sneakyandsuspicious. He’s friendly until you forget to feed him—”

“That’s my cousin you’re talking about,” Jordan says, guffawing.

“And my best friend! That doesn’t change the fact that he’s obviously a cat person.”

Jordan’s mouth opens to argue. He stops short. Jamie’s comparison is… extremely accurate. It makes sense. How did Jordan not see it before?

Jamie grins at him. “You see it, don’t you?”

“Whatever,” Jordan says. “You should get a dog.”

“You think so?”

“I would if I were you. The companionship would be nice.”

Jordan does his best not to wince at how his last sentence comes out. Like he’s lonely. Like he needs something else to fill the spaces in his life. Jordan’s learned how to ignore that emptiness. How to find other things to occupy that void.

He’s good.

Jamie bumps his shoulder. “We should get Mikah a puppy for Christmas.”