*Rhett approached the clinic from across the park, still feeling like an ass for running away from Jasmine the night before. He looked down at the bouquet he was strangling in his hand and, loosening his grip, he took a deep breath. Signaling Rebel to wait for him, he opened the door to the clinic.
A young man was behind the counter at the reception desk, checking in a man and his son with a cute little gray rabbit in a carrier. Once they checked in, he moved forward. The young man grinned at Rhett, his eyes flickering to the flowers.
“Let me guess, you must be Rhett.” He held his hand out. “I’m Zach, Dr. Owens’s new receptionist.”
Rhett shook Zach’s hand. “Nice to meet you.” Rhett glanced at the little boy holding the carrier in his lap. “I’m sure Dr. Owens is busy. I just wanted to drop these off.”
Zach shook his head with a smile, leaned over the counter, and whispered, “She’s in her office. I can give you five minutes.”
He pointed Rhett in the right direction, and he went back and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Rhett opened the door and held out the flowers before poking his head in.
“Zach says I only have five minutes, and that’s not long enough to apologize for running out on you yesterday,” Rhett said, “so I’m hoping you like daffodils and you’ll come on a date with me this weekend so I can apologize properly.”
Jasmine got up from her desk and took the flowers out of Rhett’s hands.
“Daffodils are my favorite, and I’d like to go out with you this weekend.”
He let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you tonight.”
She nodded. “Thank you for the flowers.”
Rhett nodded, too, then backed out of the door.
“Hope the flowers worked,” Zach said with a wink when Rhett passed through the waiting room.
Rhett gave him a quick wave on his way back outside, where Rebel was patiently waiting on the sidewalk.
“Don’t let me screw this up, okay?” he said to Rebel before rubbing his head.
*
Sunlight glinted off the windows of the cabin when he returned, making it difficult to see inside.
Rhett still hadn’t been able to bring himself to go in since he’d been home. His hands went numb every time he reached for the door handle. Why was it so hard? Maybe it was the fact that if he went inside, he would have to face that his grandpa was gone. He’d been a larger-than-life figure to Rhett. His grandpa revolted against any kind of hero worship from him. He made it clear that he was a flawed man, but to Rhett, he was a savior who took him in when no one else wanted him.
“Yeah, I know,” he said when Rebel pressed himself against his leg with a whine.
He sat on the top step of the porch and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memory of the last time he saw his grandpa.
George Colton was a man who could see the full arc of his life when Rhett sat next to him on the log at the pond for the last time.
“You’ve made your decision?” his grandpa asked.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you after this,” Rhett said. “You’ve got to make it look real.”
“Don’t you worry about me. I’ll put on a good show for everyone. I’m sorry about your folks, though.”
“It won’t be that bad.” Rhett shrugged. “We were just starting to reconnect, so they won’t miss me that much.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. Your folks have settled down, and they’d like to spend more time with you.”
“I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“That’s not what you are, and it’s not what you’ve ever been.”
They had talked well into the night about the past and the future. Rhett walked away from that conversation believing there would still be time, that when his mission was over, he’d have a few more years to spend on that log with his grandpa. Eight months into his mission, George Colton collapsed and died with his fishing pole clutched in his hand. A massive heart attack robbed Rhett of being there for his grandpa’s last moments on earth.
The funeral was on a Thursday. Rhett started the day with a bottle of whiskey and ended the day passed out in the back of his truck. Rhett had known he’d have to make sacrifices during his assignment. He walked in with his eyes open. It was hard enough dealing with the reality of people looking at him with fear in their eyes, thinking he was a racist. He’d made the hard decision to go undercover. The next choice they forced him to make gutted him, and he was still living with the impact of that decision when he lost his grandpa.
He was numb when he found out his grandpa had left him everything he owned. The people he was associating with were thrilled, thinking they would have another base of operations when they found out he’d inherited the cabin. The news that George Colton left his wayward grandson his fishing cabin was the talk of the town. If Colton had a newspaper, it would have made headlines if they knew about the money. Rhett was smart enough to keep that part of his inheritance quiet.
George had been part of an investment club for over thirty years. Most times, the group would buy a stock, turn around, and sell it if it went up a dollar or two. His grandpa went along with whatever the group decided most of the time, but every once in a while, he’d invest some of his own money in a stock that he thought they shouldn’t be so quick to sell. It turned out his grandpa’s instincts were good. He left Rhett just over four million dollars. Every penny was sitting in the bank untouched, just like the cabin. He couldn’t bring himself to use it.
Rhett squinted at the fishing pond off in the distance, fighting the surge of anger that threatened to overwhelm him. Damn George for thinking he could make up for what he’d lost. He was tired, tired of being angry and tired of being lost. Rebel and Jasmine were what kept him from giving up and just walking away from Colton for good.
He looked over his shoulder at the door.
“Not today, boy,” he said, digging his fingers into Rebel’s fur.
Rebel rested his head on Rhett’s thigh with a heavy huff.
“Yeah, I know. I’m frustrated, too.”
He wanted to have Jasmine come out to the cabin. Maybe spend an evening on the porch watching lightning bugs between kissing and maybe more. Rhett needed to stop indulging in a fantasy that wasn’t ever going to become reality. But he also had to put the past behind him and embrace the present. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he would go inside and start to clean up and move in. That left him with today, a sunny spring day with nothing to do.
Rhett debated whether he wanted to go fishing or maybe on a long hike when his phone pinged with a message, bringing a smile to his face for the first time that day.
Rhett typed a quick reply and stood up. “Come on, Rebel. We have something better to do than hang out here.”
Talking on the phone was nice, but Rhett hadn’t been able to see Jasmine as much as he’d liked. And that was his fault. He didn’t want to draw too much attention and subject Jasmine to the curious looks from people when he was around town. He’d noticed the hint of fear in Jasmine’s vet tech’s eyes when he came into the office. But Jasmine’s smile every time he saw her made it worth it, even though he worried he was asking too much from her. He didn’t want people to think poorly of Jasmine for being seen hanging out with him.
Rhett opened the door of his hunter green Jeep and stepped back to let Rebel jump in. The new car was an indulgence but one he could afford since he’d used almost none of his salary for the past two years. There wasn’t anything to spend it on. Rhett lived with the bare minimum he needed to survive. He couldn’t stand driving the old truck with its gun rack and stomach-churning bumper stickers, and the first thing he’d done when he’d gotten back was trade it in.
This was the first actual date he’d gone out on in a long time. He’d almost given up on the idea until he met Jasmine. He wasn’t opposed to dating; he used to go out on the weekends just like normal people. There were a few times when he went out on dates while undercover. Those dates were part of the job and left him feeling disgusted with himself and the women he’d gone out with.
Jasmine was the first woman who he wanted to spend time with. No, every day with. It wasn’t just about sex, although he’d spent plenty of time indulging in those fantasies. Her kindness and intelligence were qualities he valued in a woman. She brought laughter back into his life. Rhett didn’t realize just how much laughter had been missing from his world until he met her.
She was waiting for him on the bottom step leading up to her apartment. She jumped up and came toward him with a smile, wearing a pale purple sweater that was huge on her and belted at the waist. It fell to her knees, only giving a glimpse of the slim-fit jeans that were tucked into a pair of brown suede knee-high boots. That was one of the other things that set Jasmine apart from other women he’d dated. Instead of trying to show off her figure, she covered herself up. Every time he saw her, she was wearing baggy, oversized clothes.
“What do you need our help with?” he asked once she buckled herself in.
“We’re going to check out some pet stores in Greenwood.”
“What for?”
“We were talking at the knitting circle, and Mae suggested I should sell a few pet toys and supplies. I have room in the lobby to add a small section with items for sale. I thought we could go check out the competition, and I can get ideas on what customers are looking for.”
“What’s our part in this?” Rhett jerked his thumb at Rebel.
Jasmine’s smile grew even bigger. “We’re posing as a couple, shopping for a new toy for our dog on a Saturday afternoon.”
Rhett tried not to panic. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Was there any reason he couldn’t, other than his own discomfort being out in public?
“Sure, why not? Let’s go for it,” he said.
She reached back to give Rebel a pat on the head and turned back to Rhett and asked, “Are you going camping?”
Shit. He’d been so excited when she called he forgot about the sleeping bag and pillow in the back seat.
“I was thinking about it. I might head up north and spend a couple of nights in the Piney Woods,” he lied.
“Sounds like fun.”
Thankfully, she changed the subject and asked him about the cabin and how his restoration efforts were coming along on the drive to Greenwood. What were a few more lies from the one he already told? He asked her about her week. Even though they’d talked every night, she still came up with stories about patients he hadn’t heard before. He pulled over in front of the store Jasmine pointed out to him and parked. Big cities made him itch. Greenwood didn’t really qualify as a city, but it had a big enough population and bustling streets to put him on high alert as he scanned the passersby. Of course, there wasn’t any threat, but old habits die hard. Either that or he was hyperaware that he was with a Black woman, a beautiful Black woman; he couldn’t help but wonder what she saw in a plain old country boy.
Jasmine slid her hand into his when they walked into the first store. She leaned over and whispered, “We’re a couple, remember?”
Once again, Jasmine found a way to push his doubts and fears away. She pulled different toys from the display, asking Rebel what he thought. Rebel played his part perfectly, tilting his head as if he were considering the pros and cons of each toy she showed him. It didn’t take long for Rhett to become caught up in the fun.
Rebel was having the time of his life as they went from store to store. Jasmine insisted on buying him whatever toy he picked out at each store, claiming it was for research. The hand holding became second nature by the end of the day. They went to five different stores, sharing what they liked and didn’t like about each one. Jasmine asked his opinion about how much stock she thought made sense to have at the clinic and what kind of displays would work. It felt good to be able to help out and voice his opinion after spending most of his time listening and observing. The best part of the day was taking Jasmine to his favorite little tamale place on the way back to Colton and introducing her to another type of Southern cuisine.
He didn’t want the day to end when he pulled up to Jasmine’s building. He cut the engine and got out to open her door.
“You’re spoiling me,” she said, taking the hand he held out to her.
“My mama raised me right. That’s why I’m going to walk you to your door.”
Jasmine was standing on the first step, bringing them face-to-face. The light from the pink sunset cast a rosy glow over her face. Rhett reached up and cupped her cheek. When she put her hand over his and shifted closer, he lost the last bit of self-control he had.
There were kisses that were fun and kisses that made you ache and burn. And then he kissed Jasmine. Her kisses were like her name, soft and sweet, curling around him, bringing him back home. He could never kiss another woman after this. No one else, just her. She was the sunlight that brought him out of darkness. He needed to let go, he should let go, but he pulled her closer instead.
For too long, he’d kept anyone from getting close to him, both physically and emotionally. The sensation of having Jasmine’s arms wrapped around him was almost too much, and yet he wanted more.
She made a funny little noise at the back of her throat and tilted her head, deepening the kiss. He tugged at the belt of her sweater. When it fell away, he reveled in the chance to touch her body. Her fingers made their way into his hair, digging into his scalp. He forced himself to take his time and savor every taste, tracing the fullness of her lips with his tongue. He committed to memory the way his hand fit perfectly at the curve of her waist and the softness of her hair when it brushed against his cheek.
Jasmine stiffened in his arms at the sound of the siren from one of the sheriff’s SUVs. Jasmine’s head whipped around, her eyes narrowing, watching the car speed down the street. Her eyes were enormous and dark, her lips wet and pink when she looked back at him with a small smile.
She exhaled, pressing her forehead to his. “I didn’t mean to ruin our moment.”
“You didn’t ruin anything.”
“It’s the only bad thing about living here. I’m kind of hyper-aware when my brother is out in the field.”
One more reason he needed to keep his distance. It would be too much to ask Jasmine to be with someone whose job put them at risk every day.
Jasmine took her lips away from his just long enough to reconnect them with his skin just below his ear. He grunted and sucked in his breath. When her fingers tugged at the opening of his shirt, he grabbed her face, looking into her eyes. He dropped his forehead to hers, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Stop,” he ground out in a harsh whisper.
She fumbled with the top button on his shirt while she pressed her mouth to his again.
“Stop,” he said again with more force.
Her eyes searched his face, looking at him with confusion mixed with want.
He took a deep, shuddering breath and reluctantly pushed her away.
“I can’t do this.”
“What… why?” she asked.
“I’ve got to go,” he said in a low, harsh voice.
If he walked away now, he wouldn’t cause more pain later. He was too uncertain and full of risk to share it with anyone. The best thing for both of them was what he was doing right now. He got into his Jeep and drove away without looking back.
Rhett’s eyes flicked to Jasmine standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching him drive away in the rearview mirror.
“Don’t look at me like that. This is for the best,” he growled at his companion.
Rebel whined and flopped down on the back seat.
*
Jasmine gripped the stair rail tightly, watching Rhett drive away. Bad dates happened to everyone at least once, but she’d never had someone practically run away from her the way Rhett just did.
She lifted her hand to her lips. The skies were still gray, and rain was on the horizon, but when Rhett’s lips touched hers, spring bloomed, filling her senses with color and light. Jasmine dropped her hand and sighed. Clearly, the kiss wasn’t the same for Rhett.
She climbed up her staircase and stopped, coming back down again. Being alone in her apartment seemed too depressing. The evening air was cool with just a hint of lilacs in the air, providing proof that spring was here. Jasmine wrapped her sweater around herself. She retied the belt firmly around her waist and then loosened it again. Maybe that was what turned Rhett off and made him leave. She blinked back tears, remembering the comments she’d endured from her former employers.
Boy, those scrubs really show off your thighs, don’t they?
Over time, she started wearing larger sizes, trying to hide her body. That led to more comments about how she should take more pride in how she looked. She was too sexy or too frumpy. It didn’t matter. The point was obvious; she wasn’t what they wanted.
“Hey,” a voice called out.
Jasmine looked up to see Presley Beaumont waving to her from her porch.
“What are ya up to this evenin’?” she asked.
Jasmine looked around. She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going.
“Just out for a little walk.”
“Do you want to come up and have a glass of somethin’?” Presley asked.
“Sure, why not.”
Presley did a little jump and clapped her hands when Jasmine headed up the walk. The Beaumonts lived in a elegant Victorian on a corner lot. The white house with dark green shutters was two stories with a grand wraparound porch. An ornate mahogany front door with beveled glass panes sparkled even in the evening light. Presley pointed to a large wicker sofa on the porch between two large urns overflowing with giant Boston ferns.
“Have a seat. Do you want sweet tea or wine?”
Jasmine nodded. “Wine would be good. Thanks.”
She settled herself on the blue and green paisley-printed cushions, admiring the view while Presley went inside. The old-fashioned lampposts that lined the street flickered on, illuminating the street in a warm glow.
Presley came back out with a bottle and two glasses.
“I hope this is okay. I stole it from Ashton’s stash. There’ll be hell to pay when he finds out, but I didn’t want to give y’all wine from a box on your first visit to my house.”
“I don’t want to get you in trouble with your brother. Wine from a box would be okay.”
Presley shook her head, setting the bottle and glasses on the table. She pulled a wine opener out of her pocket with a determined look on her face.
“Nope, I want to make a good impression.”
She looked down at the corkscrew and then at the bottle with a furrowed brow.
“Would you like me to help you with that?” Jasmine offered.
Presley plopped down and held the corkscrew out to her.
“You’d better do it. The last time I tried, there were little bits of cork in everyone’s glass. Dang it, I really wanted to be elegant,” she muttered.
Jasmine bowed her head, pretending to focus on opening the bottle to hide her smile. Presley Beaumont was one of those people who didn’t have a filter. Presley’s way of blurting out whatever was on her mind was a quality Jasmine both feared and admired.
She twisted the metal corkscrew into the pliant cork, and it came out of the bottle with a soft pop. Jasmine poured the light burgundy liquid into the glass. She looked at the label and raised her eyebrows. Brothers in Arms Pinot Noir.
“Your brother has good taste.”
“Yeah, he’s the classy one, or at least that’s what he keeps telling me.”
Jasmine laughed. “I think big brothers are born with some kind of instruction manual for teasing little sisters.”
Presley looked at her, wide-eyed. “Goodness gracious, I think I’d be scared to death if I had to grow up with your brother teasin’ me. It’s bad enough Ash and I are still livin’ under the same roof.”
“Isiah is all bark and no bite.”
Presley frowned. “I’m pretty sure he’s all bite with me.”
Jasmine’s heart went out to Presley. It was clear she wanted to make a good impression on Isiah. From what her brother had told her so far, Presley wasn’t successful.
“Don’t let my brother intimidate you. It’s good for him when someone stands up to him every once in a while.”
Presley gave her a skeptical look.
“Can I ask, why do you and your brother still live at home?”
“Neither of us wants to leave Dad alone. We both feel guilty, I guess.” Presley looked up at the ornate arches framing the porch columns and sighed. “This house has my heart. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
They sipped their wine, watching lightning brighten the sky far off on the horizon.
“How are ya liking living in Colton?”
Jasmine thought for a minute. “It’s amazing how quickly a place can feel like home. The way you talk about this house, that’s how I feel about Colton. It grabbed hold of my heart the first time I came to visit Isiah here.”
“I know Isiah’s happy to have you here.” Presley took another sip of her wine, eyeing her over rim. She set her glass down and clasped her hands in her lap, sitting up straight with her ankles crossed.
“I was wondering… well, everyone in town is wondering, and I know you didn’t want to say when Mae cornered you at the knitting club, but now it’s just the two of us, so… what’s going on between you and Rhett Colton?”
Jasmine looked down at the contents of her glass. “Nothing. We’re just friends.”
It hurt to say it. Jasmine realized just how much she wanted her relationship with Rhett to be more than just friends when she heard the words come out of her mouth.
It surprised her when Presley reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “I understand.”
She wasn’t being condescending or making fun of her. When Jasmine looked up, she only saw sympathy in Presley’s eyes.
“The thing is, everybody’s been talkin’ about how the two of you were makin’ out by your apartment the other night.”
“Oh no.” Jasmine dropped her head in her palm. “My brother’s going to interrogate me for sure.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s okay. Isiah warned me there weren’t any secrets in a small town.” She eyed Presley. “Do you want to tell me what people are saying?”
Presley chewed on her lip. “Well, folks are curious. I mean, everyone knows Rhett was pretending to be racist, but some people think he’s going overboard trying to show he’s not by seeing you.”
Jasmine sat up straighter. “Wait, what? People think he’s using me?”
“Well, kind of.”
The idea irked her. She jumped up and paced the porch before turning back to Presley.
“He’s not.” Jasmine thumped her chest. “I know what it’s like to be used, I know what that feels like, and Rhett doesn’t make me feel that way.”
She dropped back into her seat with an exasperated sigh and then noticed Presley staring at her with wide eyes.
“I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that,” Jasmine muttered. “Touchy subject.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t think that. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and… I wish a man would look at me that way,” Presley said.
An image of Rhett’s blue eyes gazing into hers just before their mouths met filled Jasmine’s mind. “It can definitely take your breath away,” she admitted.
Presley looked out at the night sky wistfully.
“Whatever I thought we had between us, I think I misread the signs.”
“Well, I’m rooting for you.”
“Thanks, Presley. I appreciate that, I really do. I’m just not sure there’s anything to root for.” Jasmine smiled. “You know, I’ve made more friends since I moved to Colton than I’ve ever had before. It’s another reason I enjoy living here so much. Thanks for the wine and sympathy.”
Presley’s eyes grew wide, and a huge grin lit up her face.
“I really wanted to be friends with Isiah’s sister… I mean, you.”
Jasmine fought the urge to laugh. Presley was fun, and she was happy to have her as a friend, no matter what Presley’s reasons were for wanting to hang out.