Her voice softens, and she blows out a breath. Her face turns red, like she’s embarrassed or something. “The truth is, my ex did a number on me, and I don’t trust myself to make good decisions right now. It’s probably not a good idea for us to go out, Jason.”
I watch her closely, and even though she’s said it plain as day, I can see the regret already forming on her pretty face. I tap lightly on the glass top between us. "First of all, your ex is a dumbass that didn’t deserve you, and second of all, I think it is. I think it’s a great idea for us to go out."
The way she shakes her head, it’s obvious she’s trying to stay strong. "I'm sorry. I can't."
I shake my head. That’s definitely not what I want to hear from her. I come in here every day. Sometimes she’s busy and doesn’t have time to talk, but other days, when it’s slow, she has sat and talked to me for long periods of time. We have a lot in common. It’s obvious she’s not taking me seriously, though. She hasn’t caught on to how much I want her.
I grab up the boxes and nod my head to her. I wish I could just throw her over my shoulder and take her out of here, but I can’t. I have a feeling the locals wouldn’t take kindly to it even if I don’t truly believe I’d get too much of a fight from Tara.
But now’s not the time. I turn to go. I get just a few steps away and then I turn back to her. I give her a half smile. "One thing you're going to learn about me, Tara, is that I don't give up. Not when it's something that I want this badly. I'll see you tomorrow."
Her face softens with a small smile, and then she puts her guard up. It was quick, but I saw it. She doesn’t want me to go, and that’s all I need to know. I’ll come back day after day until I convince her that she and I are meant to be.
Chapter 4
Tara
It's been two days since I last saw Jason here at the bakery. Ever since I turned down his request to go out with him, I've regretted it. The truth is, it's not like he was asking for my hand in marriage or anything serious. He was asking for a date. It's something simple, and surely I can go on one date without getting completely attached to him. Our morning rush just ended, and Becca and I are working. She comes from the kitchen carrying a tray of cookies. She smiles at me when I turn around to look at her. I'm standing by the front windows, looking up and down Main Street, and she caught me.
"Where's your biker boy? This is about the time he usually shows up, huh?"
There's no hiding anything from Becca. I roll my eyes at her. "Yeah. This is usually about the time he shows up. But I doubt he or his friends will be coming in anymore."
She stops mid-stride. "Did something happen? Did I miss something?"
I clench my eyes and open them again. "Yeah. Jason was in here the other day and asked me out."
She sets the tray down on the counter with a big thud. "Finally. It took him long enough."
I bite on to my lower lip with regret. "I turned him down."
"You what?" she asks.
I shrug my shoulders and walk over to where she is. I grab a spatula and start taking the cookies off the tray and setting them in the display case. I start to ramble as I work. "I don't know anything about him, besides he's a biker and part of a club." I point the spatula at Becca with a smirk. "And don't call it a gang because I already figured out he doesn't like that."
Using her gloved hands to help move the cookies over, she nods. "Right. Hear me out. I know it's crazy. I know that he's only been in town a few weeks, but he seems like a nice enough guy. I think you should go out with him."
I frown in concentration. "I told him no. There's really nothing I can do about it now, especially if he doesn't come back in again."
She nudges my shoulder. "Look, I may not know him well, but I know he's nothing like Mark."
I take a deep breath and shrug my shoulders. "How do you know? He could be exactly like Mark. And I'll be honest with you: Breaking up with Mark wasn't hard. It was fun while it lasted, but it didn't break my heart or anything when it was over. Just made me more aware of how men can be. And I'll be honest with you. If Jason did to me what Mark did, it would hurt."