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I took the steps down to the sidewalk, my mind more focused on my jacket than my surroundings . . . which is probably why I didn’t see Jasper when he walked up.
“You leaving?”
I jumped, then turned to watch as he crossed over from Carter’s yard.
“You stalking me?”
“Grabbing my bags,” he said, nodding to the car parked in the street. “Perfect coincidence.”
“That we came outside at the very same moment?” I was doubtful that it really was all that coincidental. He could’ve seen me on my porch long before he stepped out of the house. Jasper seemed like the kind of guy who knew a golden opportunity when he saw one, and maybe now he was taking one last shot at making his case against Carter’s party.
He grinned, which only confirmed my suspicion that our run-in was a little more planned than he was letting on. I didn’t let my gaze linger on him for too long. I looked back down and zipped my jacket before I turned to walk in the opposite direction.
“You’re walking away from me now?” he asked, jogging to keep up. “That’s not nice.”
“I’m not trying to be nice.”
“Ally, come on.”
“You don’t really think I want to stand out here and talk to you, do you?” I kept walking, despite the fact that his eyes were burning on the side of my face.
I didn’t like the way Jasper looked at me—so intense, focused, interested . . . .
My stomach tightened. I took one look at his wide smile and my knees turned to water. Paired with the cold, the night, and the anger I’d felt since I’d met him only hours ago, it was all so disturbing.
“I don’t want to give you the wrong impression,” he said, taking my arm to stop me.
My gaze trailed down, studying the way his palm cupped my elbow. It was gentle. Soft. Not the least bit possessive or demanding. My eyes flittered back up to meet his, and his stare communicated everything he’d pled for earlier in Carter’s living room. Hear me out.
“I’m not the bad guy here.”
“You’re saying I am?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “No, I just . . . I want you to understand that I don’t normally go around ruining other people’s lives.”
“I’d hardly say you’re ruining my life.”
“Okay. I don’t normally go around ruining other people’s plans.”
“So this is an isolated event?”
“I suppose. If you need to look at it that way.”
“It’s the only way to look at it. You drove two hours from Cedar Lake just to threaten me.”
“I didn’t—”
“You did,” I said. “You threatened me. You threatened my friends, and then you promised to destroy something wonderful that we’re trying to do for Carter. Now, if you don’t mind—” I jerked my arm away from him. “I have somewhere I need to be.”
“Is that safe?”
“What?”
“You . . . walking alone, at night . . . in the cold? Alone.” He stressed that point again.
“No car, no choice,” I said, hugging myself.
“I can give you a ride.”
“Thank you, complete stranger.” I reminded him—and myself—that I didn’t really know him. Maybe he was a good guy. Maybe he wasn’t. But I had no reason to like him, hate him, trust him, or distrust him. I wanted to be completely indifferent to him.
I started walking again.
“Okay, I get it, you hate me,” he said, still following me. “But can I change your mind?”
“About?”
“Me.”
“Why does it matter?” I stopped again.
Each minute that I wasted on the street with Jasper was just another minute I lost toward my ultimate goal for the night—food. And as hungry as I was, Jasper was gambling that I wouldn’t snap any second. I checked my watch before looking back to him.
“Well?”
“Because . . . Carter and Nora love you. They couldn’t shut up about you. All through dinner, all I heard was how you’ve been the best thing that’s happened to them since they moved to town. You helped them settle in; you helped them unpack. You’ve shown them around town, gotten them acclimated to life here. They’ve made a home in Sutton Woods, and they attribute a lot of that to you.”
“They said those things?”
“Yes,” he said. “And naturally, I felt guilty after all the nice things they said. I could’ve been nicer. I should’ve been nicer, and I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “An apology doesn’t mean I’m canceling the party.”
He grinned. “I figured.”
“Good night, Jasper.” I walked backward, leaving him to stand alone under the street lamp. “Have a safe trip home . . . whenever you finally leave.”
“Finally? You’re in a hurry to get rid of me?”
“You have no idea.”
“That’s fair,” he said, his grin fading. “I deserve that. But hey, one more thing.”
“Yeah?” I was still walking backward, and he followed me.
“I want to help you.”
“Help me?”
“With the party.”
“Yeah, no.” I shook my head. “I have plenty of help without trusting the enemy.”
“We’re enemies now?”
“Well, we’re certainly not friends, and we clearly want different things. I think that qualifies.”
He smiled and stopped walking, and something compelled me to stop, too.
“Let’s compromise,” he said. “Meet in the middle.”
“Meaning?”
“You want to do something nice for your friend,” he said, and I nodded. “We want the same thing here, Ally—to see Carter happy. I don’t think a birthday party’s the way to do it, but if you do, I can trust that. She and Nora trust you, so . . . maybe I can, too.”
“Wait, what?”
“If Carter’s going to have a party, which you’ve made it perfectly clear will happen, then I want to help.” He pointed between the two of us. “Let’s call it a fifty-fifty partnership.”
“On what terms?”
“I’m in charge of the guest list.”
“Hate to break it to you, buddy, but the invitations are out. All of them. I can’t undo that.”
“I can take care of it,” he promised. “And I want the cake.”
“What do you mean you want the cake?”
“I want to bake the cake,” he said. “And all of the sweets. Actually, I want the whole menu. I want to do it all.”
“But Roz has already ordered the cake, and Mel is going to . . . ” I closed my eyes.
I could cancel all of that. That part would be easy. But getting rid of Jasper? Not so easy.
“Please?” he asked. “I won’t let you down.”
I didn’t like it. I didn’t care for this idea at all. But if getting him off my back was going to be as simple as giving him partial control, I could try to ease up.
He knew Carter’s friends and family better than I ever could—I had to admit that. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to put him in charge of the guest list.
All things considered, I didn’t want or need the help. I didn’t know that I could even trust him.
But the clock was ticking, and I couldn’t stand there all night weighing the options. I was down to forty-five minutes now to get to Roz’s house, rummage for food, and get back home.
If agreeing to his terms meant shutting him up and getting him off my back, then I would agree. I had to agree.
“The party’s in eleven days,” I said. “On Halloween. Next Friday night.”
“I can be ready.”
“I want your word that you won’t sabotage this,” I said, pointing at him. “Promise.”
“Does the promise of a stranger actually mean something to you?”
“Don’t be cute with me.”
“You think I’m cute?”
“And don’t change the s
ubject,” I said, fighting a grin. “I know where to find you. If you screw this up—”
“Now you’re threatening me?”
“It goes both ways,” I said, and he sobered.
“You have my word,” he promised. He held out his hand, offering to shake mine. “We’ll work together.”
“Deal,” I said, shaking his hand. “Partners.”