He stood. “I’m going to leave the wine. If you cork it, it will keep. You might develop a real taste for it.”
“Jase, you understand why I stopped, don’t you?”
He did, and he didn’t. “I understand that sex can be different for a man and a woman, especially when there’s a child involved. But I also think you need to admit your needs and not deny them.”
“It’s never just sex, Jase. Not for me. Is it for you?”
“Sometimes it is.”
She looked disappointed at that, but what he said was the truth. It was the difference between them, and their lives—a difference that urged him toward the door. Although Sara followed him, he opened the screen door and stepped outside.
“Thanks for coming over tonight, Jase, and letting me know you believe me. That means a lot.”
He gave her a smile that was hard to dredge up, nodded and left. Maybe avoidance was a virtue, after all.
* * *
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Marissa asked Sara late one afternoon as they stood in her office.
Sara had seen Marissa’s car was still here and decided she could start paying back The Mommy Club one member at a time. She just didn’t know if Marissa would go for it.
“Do what?” Jase asked, striding up the hall.
Sara had seen him go up to the house earlier and she was hoping he was still there. He must have gotten a bite to eat and come back to work.
Amy tugged on her hand. “I’m hungry, Mommy.”
“I know, baby, just a couple of minutes.”
Moving over to Amy, Jase waved a hand behind her ear and pulled out a coin. “Look what I found.”
Amy’s eyes lit up as if he’d done the most magical thing on earth. He handed it to her. “You can put it in your piggy bank. Do you have a piggy bank?”
“I have a doggy bank Miss Marissa gave me.”
“That will do. If your mom stands here too long talking, maybe I can find another coin.” He looked at Sara again. “So what are you two discussing? Or is it none of my business?”
“She wants to help me,” Marissa said with a frown. “And she doesn’t have to.”
Jase’s brows arched.
“I offered to pick up Jordan for her, that’s all,” Sara explained. “I’m already in town and I have to pick up Amy. I could bring Jordan here so she doesn’t have to run in.”
“Sounds like a good deal to me,” Jase agreed, but Marissa was still frowning.
“If I let you do that for me, then you have to let me watch Amy if you need a babysitter. That would only be fair. And if I want to work late, I could just give you a call and tell you to leave Jordan at day care.”
“Perfect.” Sara was so mired in debt, she didn’t want to be indebted any more, to anyone.
“And speaking of babysitters, you’re both going to need one Saturday evening.” Jase’s smile was wide and did funny things to Sara’s equilibrium.
Marissa snapped her fingers. “The Raintree Soiree.”
“Yep. All the staff are invited, of course. But, Sara, I’d like you to come, too.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what kind of invitation this was. Was Jase asking her because she lived on the property? Or was he asking her because this was sort of a date?
“It’s a glamorous event,” Marissa said as if that would convince her.
But that just caused anxiety. “My wardrobe got wiped out.”
“I know how to fix that,” Marissa told her. “We’ll talk.”
Sara wasn’t sure what Marissa had in mind, but she already knew she could trust her.
“It’s settled, then.” Jase waved his hand behind Amy’s other ear. “Here you go. Thanks for being so patient while we talked.”
Amy held a coin in each hand. “Look, Mommy, doggy-bank food.”
They all laughed, but Sara was already nervous about Saturday night. She wished Jase’s magic trick included an answer to the question of what she should do about him.
Chapter Five
Sara was watching Amy plop a spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough onto a baking sheet the following evening when there was a rap at the door.
“Anyone home?” Jase called.
“Come on in. We’re baking our bedtime snack.”
The aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies filled the small cottage as Jase came in and sniffed appreciatively. “I thought I smelled cookies when I was walking over here. If he gets a whiff, you’ll soon have Liam here, too.”
“That’s fine. I haven’t met him yet,” Sara said as she put a tray of cookies in the oven. She patted Amy on the head. “That’s the last tray. Can you get ready for bed now?”