SheLikesHimBad Read Free

door? She couldn’t relive
memories with him. It was too dangerous.
    “Well.” She cleared her throat and stood, retrieving all the
dirty plates from the table. “Should we get going then? I don’t want to hold
you up.” She glanced down at her hapless outfit. “Just let me get dressed
first.”
    * * * * *
    No matter how much time passed, she would always know every
inch of Paradise. It was a familiar drive to the edge of town, past the high
school and football stadium where she’d cheered him on from the stands. They
headed past the town’s lone shopping center, which housed a combination grocery
store and pharmacy and not much else. But the turnoff was different now, she
realized when she almost drove right past it.
    Instead of the red dirt road, the driveway was now paved a
deep ebony that shone in the sun. “Wow,” she said as she pulled in, almost as
much to herself as to Jackson. “It looks a lot different than I remember.”As
she rounded a bend, his house came into view beyond a line of trees and a
well-kept lawn. “Jackson, it’s beautiful.”
    The white house was a rambling plantation style with pillars
flanking the stately front door. It was like something torn from the cover of a
lifestyle magazine. The interior designer in her was one hundred percent in
love with its classic aesthetic.
    “Thanks. It’s been a hell of a ride, but it turned out to be
worth all the hassles.”
    She glanced over to find him smiling at the home he’d built.
“Do I get to see the inside, or have I worn out my welcome?”
    “Of course, Em. You’re always welcome at my place. You
should know that.”
    She should? How could she when they hadn’t spoken in all
this time? She pulled to the front of his gorgeous home and slid the car into
park. “It’s been so long, Jackson.”
    “Never too long for old friends,” he said as he took off his
seat belt. Then he startled her by reaching out and touching her hand where it
rested on the center console. “I’ve missed you. I know I’m not good at showing
it, but it’s damn good to see you.”
    She turned her hand in his and gave his large, calloused
fingers a squeeze. “I feel the same.”
    They were both adults now, long past the point of pain over
their old romance. Of course they could be friends. But that didn’t mean the
touch of his skin to hers didn’t send sparks of awareness through her. She
relinquished his hand and moved to get out of the car before she lost control.
    The early summer air was humid and tinged with the sweet
scent of blossoming flowers. As she followed him up the paved walkway, she was
again touched by the beauty of the structure.
    “You’ve done an amazing job,” she said softly as she waited
for him to unlock the front door.
    “Thanks.” He threw her a crooked grin over his shoulder. “I
have to warn you to enter at your own risk. My guard dog hasn’t learned his
manners yet.”
    Of course he had a dog. She knew he’d always wanted one, but
his mother had been allergic. Emma loved dogs but a pet wasn’t conducive to her
busy lifestyle. “What’s his name?”
    “Tinker Bell.”
    She laughed. “Just what I always imagined you’d name your
dog. No, really. What is it?”
    Jackson opened the door and gestured for her to enter before
him. He wore an embarrassed expression. “Really. My niece named him and I
didn’t have the heart to change it, so he goes by Tinker.”
    “That’s adorable.” Emma stepped inside a spacious front hall
to the sound of nails clicking on the polished hardwood floor. A small,
brindle-colored blur flew at her, paws first. She bent down to pet him and
received a very wet puppy kiss on her cheek. “You must be a good uncle,
Jackson. Is your niece Evan’s or Cara’s?”
    Jackson was the middle child, with an older brother and a
younger sister. She hadn’t forgotten and he looked surprised. “Livie is Evan’s
daughter. She’s three and Tink’s biggest fan.” He sank down on his knees