It was time for a stern conversation with her heart. She could not give Jaxon a second chance. What was she thinking? Oh yeah, nothing, because her brain was out to lunch. He wasn’t her Daddy anymore, and never would be again. Not after what he did.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Unfortunately, that hitch in her breath said something different. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, no use denying it. But it was totally unrelated, she told herself. It could be nerves. But the prickle of awareness? The one she hadn’t felt in eight years that was fast becoming a daily need? Affecting her that way made her hate him, that is, when it wasn’t lighting her up with excitement.
She was walking over to hand him his coffee when he looked at his phone. It must have been something bad because he frowned at his phone. She headed back to the counter, not wanting to disturb him, but he followed her.
“You’re one lucky Little sprite. I have to take care of something, but we’ll be going to the alley as soon as I’m done.” Taking his coffee from her hand, he reached over the counter and cupped her chin in his hand. She braced herself for a curt warning to behave, but instead, he kissed the top of her head. She stood there dumbfounded while he picked up his coffee, held it up in an imaginary toast, and returned to the mantle to deal with whatever was more important than her at the moment. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or insulted.
He leaned against the mantle, texting, his coffee on the shelf beside him. With nothing else to do, Tazzy returned to work, grumpier thanshe’d been all day. She should be happy that he was distracted. Hell, she should be ecstatic.
That’s what her brain was telling her. So why was her heart sending pulses to her sex, telling her something very different?
The late lunch rush ended over half an hour ago, so all the customers had left. She wiped the tables, stealing clandestine glances at Jaxon. Argh! She was such an idiot.
How could one man make her feel both so comforted and so irritated at the same time?
When Tazzy made it back behind the counter, Georgia was waiting for her. Bumping Tazzy’s hip, she grinned. “Girl! You can no longer talk about how dangerous my bucket list is. First, you dump a drink in Jaxon’s lap. And now you’re arguing with him andsmoking a cigarette? Talk about taking your life into your own hands.” Georgia’s face lit with mischievous glee.
Tazzy froze, mid-wipe. “Don’t be so loud. He’ll hear you.”
Georgia cocked an eye at her. “Lap Frap. That’s all I’m saying.”
Tazzy groaned. “I’m never living the lap frap down, am I?”
“Nope,” Georgia said. eyes sparkling. “And…speaking of danger that’s fun, I found the perfect thing for our next bucket list adventure.”
Tazzy wasn’t sure why Georgia automatically included her in these adventures. She’d never joined in before.
But Georgia was on a roll. “Nighttime cave rappelling! We can use glow sticks for light. I did my research this time, and Mammoth Cave will be perfect. It’s only a five-hour drive. I mean, come on. It’s practically begging us to do it.”
Tazzy’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, what? Never mind, let me get this straight. You want to slide down a rope, into a deep cave, at night, using glow sticks?”
Georgia grinned wider. “Yep. I’ve already rented the gear. We even have time to practice before we go. Then, the fun will begin!”
Tazzy stared. “I feel like you’re not putting enough importance on the 'at night, in a cave, with glow sticks' part. Actually, I think you’re insane.”
“Insane is a valid life choice.” Georgia winked. “We’ll be fullyprepared before we go, okay? Besides, we have the perfect place to practice.”
Tazzy hesitated. Jaxon would kill her if he knew she was even considering Georgia’s crazy scheme. That settled it.
“Okay. I’m in.”
Georgia looked stunned. She squealed out, “Really? That’s great.” Grabbing Tazzy’s hands, she began to do a move Tazzy had come to call Georgia’s happy dance.
“What’s going on, Sprite?” Jaxon called out from the fireplace.
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just… excited about—” She held up the towel she had used to wipe the counter— “these… these fantastic rags. The counter is so shiny. Like so, so shiny.”
Just kill her now. Did they make online classes for lying? He didn’t believe her, obviously. Luckily, his phone buzzed again, and he looked away.
Tazzy pulled away from Georgia and glared. “Stop acting crazy. You’re going to give us away.”
“Me!” Georgia whispered back. “I’m not the one who’s telling him we’re excited about a dishrag.”
Tazzy looked at Jaxon again. He held up his phone with one hand and his pointer finger on the other. But he had that knowing Daddy look in his eyes. This was not going to go well.
But, hey, maybe he didn’t suspect anything. Old Tazzy would never have agreed to something as crazy as Georgia’s bucket list adventures.