Her Blind Date Cowboy - Taylor Hart Page 0,3
look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. It seems like those are the only days you have time for me lately.”
The guilt, then the slight resentment. “I don’t need counseling anymore, okay?” He’d been there for her during a really, really hard time. A time she didn’t like to think about.
“I’ve seen this cycle before. Can I help?” ‘This cycle’ referred to her moodiness when she thought about the past and her life and the hopelessness of it all. “If you don’t have the kids at the preschool to tend to, then what are you going to do?”
Evie looked down at his hand, which had traveled up to her shoulder. “I told you, I have the gallery a couple of nights a week,” she said, moving toward Henry with the food. “I’m fine.”
Jason followed. “So you don’t have Christmas plans with your father.”
She paused, bristling. “Why would you even ask that?”
Jason cursed. “Sorry,” he said quickly.
She glared at him, wishing he would back off. “Jason, you’ve been an amazing support to me the past couple of years. You have, and I appreciate that. But you need to find someone else to help.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, his brows furrowing with frustration. “You said we’re friends, aren’t we?”
If she’d learned anything the past three years, it was how to disappoint nearly everyone. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her mind from being swallowed whole. “I need time for the next few days, okay? I have time off at the preschool, and I just need time to myself.”
“Time you don’t want to spend with me?”
His dejection made her heart sink. She wished things were different. “Jason, please move on. I can’t give you what you deserve, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m fine,” he said a bit roughly.
They reached Henry, who stood with his hands open to receive the meal. “My friends, thank you.” Henry was older and had lived in the homeless center a long time when Evie met him. He had some mental issues and he’d let his drug usage become so out of control he couldn’t stay at the shelter any longer.
Evie gave Henry a small hug, ignoring his body odor. “How are you?”
“Grateful for the food you bring me.” Henry nodded and sat on the bench, digging into the food.
Jason sat on his other side. “No worries. How are the seagulls?”
The mention of seagulls sent her mind to Liam. It’d been three years, and she still thought about him every day. Randomly, she would think about their inside jokes. Her heart pumped harder. That stupid billboard.
Jason and Henry chatted amicably while Henry ate.
“Do you want me to try to get you back into the shelter?” Jason asked.
Henry shrugged. “Probably can’t.”
Henry’s addiction loomed over them like a cloud. Right now, he was clear-minded and easy to talk to, but sometimes they wouldn’t get that guy. They just kept on trying to help him. Everyone has demons, as Jason always told her.
Jason patted Henry’s shoulder before they parted ways with him. “See you Thursday.”
As was their custom, Jason walked her back through the main part of Sydney Harbor and past the gallery she worked at, to her parking lot. He usually parked there as well. When they got to her car and she unlocked it, he opened her door for her.
“Thank you.” She put her things in the back first, then opened the front door.
“Listen,” Jason said. “There’s clearly something going on with you today. You just have that look that the past is haunting you, but it’s Christmastime. I was thinking that maybe this year we could get together and do some fun things. Things that we’ve never done before. Like, my parents have a dinner they are hosting this weekend, and I’d like you to come with me as my date.”
“No.” It angered her that he wouldn’t stop. She slunk into her car, wishing she didn’t have to keep hurting him.
Jason caught the car door before she could shut it. He bent down, and his eyes were sad. He was one of the best people she knew. “I keep hoping you’ll realize that you deserve to move on from what happened with Trey and your father.”
A stray tear emerged, and she rapidly blinked it away. “I’m sorry, Jason. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to move on. Please just find someone and be happy. We’ll always be friends, and that’s all I can ever be.”
He held her gaze for a moment,