Interference by Sophia Henry Read Free Book Online Page B

morning sickness came on, and how there was no working around it some days.
    I’d been so busy filling drink orders and waiting on my customers at the bar that I hadn’t even had a chance to check on Jason and his mom. Thankfully, a porter had brought out their meals. At my first free moment, I wandered over to Jason.
    “You scared off your own mom?” I asked, nodding to the empty chair next to him.
    “She’s using the restroom.” Jason took a sip of his beer. “Are you gonna throw sarcastic comments at me all night, or talk to me?”
    “What do you want to talk about?” I asked, filling a pint glass with red ale.
    “Do you have a boyfriend?”
    Not a question I’d expected.
    “How is that your business?”
    “You smell like a dude,” he blurted out.
    I curled my fingers around the glass, which had almost slipped out of my hand. “Excuse me?”
    “Shit. I meant you smell like men’s cologne,” Jason said, backtracking. “It wasn’t an insult.”
    “I like the smell of men’s cologne better than perfume.” I set the first pint aside and began filling a second.
    “Why’d you skip the boyfriend question?”
    “Because it’s not your business.”
    Jason leaned in, his voice low. “It is if I want to ask you out.”
    “You what?” I readjusted my grip on the glass and pushed the handle of the tap back to stop the flow of beer.
    “I think we should hang out.” Jason wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it onto his empty plate.
    “That’s the best you can do, copper? I thought you were smoother than that.” I winked and walked away, carrying the beers I’d filled to the end of the bar for a server to pick up. Then I made a Moscow Mule and checked on a few other customers sitting at the bar before printing Jason’s check and placing it in front of him.
    “Will you please go on a date with me?” Jason asked, not missing a beat.
    My heart pounded against my chest. I was both flattered and frustrated by his persistence. “You expect me to say yes, don’t you?”
    “It’s obvious that you like me.” Jason’s blue eyes twinkled, catching light from the pendulum fixture hanging over the bar.
    “I like looking at you,” I countered, “but your personality leaves a bit to be desired.”
    “Really?” The skin around his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
    “Let’s pretend I’d ever say yes. Where would a cocky cop take someone on a first date?” I couldn’t wait to hear what he thought was fun.
    “It’s a surprise.”
    “You ask me on a date and you don’t even know where you’re going to take me?” I lifted his plate and wiped crumbs and condensation off the bar with a towel. “That’s sad, copper.”
    “Why would you assume that?” he asked, his tone indignant.
    “Can I be honest?” I asked. Time to strike the final blow. Though Jason had my insides flipping like no one ever had before, now wasn’t the right time to start dating. I had a million things to worry about before opening up my heart again.
    “Please.” He nodded.
    “You moved to a small town to be a cop and coach hockey.” I paused. “You sound like a total bore.”
    Jason didn’t have a snappy comeback and I wondered if I’d taken it too far. It was meant to be a joke, but maybe I’d hurt his pride by pointing out the obvious. Bridgeland wasn’t a hotbed of crime. Seemed like an easy gig.
    His silence persisted as he reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. Finally, he caught my eyes, though the spark from before had dimmed. “Then you shouldn’t be afraid to say yes.”
    He had a point.
    Before waiting for me to respond, he continued. “Do you work on Monday night?”
    “I’m off, but—” I paused to mentally check my schedule. And Mom’s schedule. And D’s schedule. Someone had to be home with Holden.
    “I’ll pick you up at seven thirty,” he said.
    “I didn’t say yes.” I spun around, flustered by his presumption. My grip tightened on the plates I’d picked up off the