Forgiving Patience by Jennifer Simpkins Read Free Book Online Page B

handing
over to her. Anna didn’t look like a woman who drank much or who could hold
much alcohol. Jesse should’ve known Anna wasn’t like her. Jesse was one of the
guys—sort of—though she didn’t look like one of the guys. She was tall, slim,
could drink any guy under the table, and beat ‘em at a game of pool at the same
time.
    “You’re still staring at her, I see.”
    “What?” Jake had forgotten Tex was
still around. Damn.
    “Anna. You’re still watching her. If
you want it that bad, why don’t you go over and interrupt the dance?” Tex gave
him a wink and small push. “If you don’t, I just might.”
    Yeah—that wasn’t happening, but while
Jake would love to walk over there and send the geezer back to the stage to do
what he was hired for, he wasn’t sure how Anna would take it. She wouldn’t want
to cause a scene at Em and Tommy’s party. Maybe that gave him an advantage. She knew
all eyes would be on them—the two high school lovers dancing. She wouldn’t want
to embarrass herself, or Em.
    Maybe Tex’s idea wasn’t so bad. “You
know, Tex, that might be the best thing to come out of your mouth tonight.”
Jake picked up his beer up from the table next to him and took a long gulp
before sitting it back down again.
    He left Tex, his beer, and the wall
he had propped himself up on for the night, behind. He walked around a couple
of older folks slow dancing before he crept up on Anna and her dance partner.
    “Can I cut in?” He didn’t give Anna
much of a choice because he put one arm around her back and his other one cut
in between the couple, letting them know he was indeed interrupting their
dance.
    “What are you doing, Jake?” Anna
asked from the corner of her mouth, giving him a pointed stare.
    “We’ve got some unfinished business
to talk about. I’m sure gee—I mean the guitar player wouldn’t mind cutting the
dance a little short.”
    “I mind, so move your arm,” she
protested through gritted teeth.
    “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Ignoring the guitar player, Jake narrowed his gaze on Anna. “We need to talk.
Now.”
    Geezer interjected, “I’ve got to get
back to work anyway. Ms. Kelly, it was nice to meet you.” He leaned across
Jake’s arm and was barely able to lay a kiss on Anna’s cheek.
    Jake tensed at the kiss, but he was
satisfied to be sending the guy packing. What a wimp. He would never let some
guy cut in while he was dancing with a woman—a hot woman, at that. The guy
didn’t deserve to be dancing with Anna if he couldn’t even defend his right to
be with her.
    “ Uughhh …”
Anna stomped one of her crimson heels. “What is your deal, Jake?”
    “Did you really just stomp your foot
at me?”

 
 
 
    Chapter Four

 
 
    Anna couldn’t believe what Jake had
just done. She was having a perfectly normal time with Kevin Costner—normal
being the key word. He was very sweet and interesting. It had been a long time
since she’d enjoyed another man’s company and didn’t mind sharing a dance or
two with him. And good grief, he looked just like the man she watched in the
movies. She wondered if he knew of his strong resemblance to Kevin Costner. He
had to. No man could go through life and not know he strongly looked like the
man who played in Bull Durham and her personal favorite, For
the Love of the Game. Which brought her full circle to the man now standing in front of her.
    “Yes, I just stomped my foot at you.
Why did you run Kev —I mean Cam off like that?”
    “Cam? You’re already on a short name
basis?” he asked. “You never gave me any nickname.”
    “His name is Cameron, and we were
talking about his music, at least we were until you rudely interrupted. And I
have plenty of names for you, but for the sake of Em and Jill, I will refrain
from using them.”
    A smile split his face. She couldn’t
stop her heart from skipping a beat or two. Her stomach fluttered, and she
hoped he couldn’t see her uneasiness with him.