When I'm Gone (Rosemary Beach #11)(38)

He beamed at me. He loved the attention. “Yeah, I’m good. I had a few rough nights, but I’m better. I see they took the tape down.”

I nodded. I tried not to think about the shooting. From the little I had seen on the news, I knew that Jacob was being held without bail. He would be tried for murder. And Melanie’s parents had come to take her body back to Iowa to bury her.

“I’m glad you’re back.”

“Missed me, did ya? Good. I heard you broke Thad’s heart while I was gone. But since it was over Mase Manning, I’m gonna say that was a smart move, sugar. Thad might be pretty, and his ass might be the tightest thing I’ve ever seen, but he likes to dip his dick in a new woman every damn night. Not your type at all.”

I frowned, then laughed at his description of Thad. “More info than I needed, but OK.”

“Drink that cappuccino, darling, because you’re gonna need it. I heard that the wicked witch of the beach is back. She arrived from Paris late last night. Prepare yourself for this. Nannette is an evil, evil bitch. She’s also gonna take one look at you and get pissy. She doesn’t deal well when there’s a female hotter than she is, and baby, you are smoking.”

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about Nan. She was Mase’s sister. But I also had to tell her about her mirror. Mase hadn’t brought it up again, but I knew I had to tell Nan what had happened. Every time I cleaned that room, I saw that empty space and dreaded having to tell her what I had done.

There was a good chance Nan would fire me. I was preparing myself for that, too. But I was going to call Blaire Finlay this afternoon and see about cleaning her house. If I was fired from Nan’s, then at least I wouldn’t hurt from the pay cut.

I grabbed my backpack and slipped it up my arm and followed Jimmy out to his car. “How did you hear about Thad?” I asked.

Jimmy grinned like he knew the best secret in the world. “I got a call from Mase last night. He wanted to make sure I was home and I would be picking you up for work. He also explained that he’d need to know the next time I was out of town or couldn’t take you to work. He didn’t want Thad to be my first call. He said he would make arrangements.” Jimmy wiggled his eyebrows. “So naturally, after that very intimidating call, I called Blaire and asked her what the scoop was. She didn’t know the details, so she called Harlow, who, of course, knew. Then Blaire called me back and filled me in.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t believe you called Blaire Finlay and asked her what she knew.”

Jimmy laughed and cranked the car. “Blaire was my girl before she was a Finlay. Even married to hot, sexy-as-hell, dome-now Rush Finlay, she’s still my girl.”

The way Rush looked at his wife, I couldn’t imagine he would like anyone calling Blaire “my girl”—even Jimmy, who apparently lusted over Rush’s body regardless of his friend being married to him.

“Now, tell me, any yummy deets you can share about Mase?”

I thought about last night and how good he had made me feel. Even after I lost it and messed up the moment, he had been so gentle and sweet.

“I love him.” There, I’d said it. I had to say to it someone.

Jimmy slammed on the brakes and looked at me. Thank God, we weren’t out of the parking lot yet. “You did not just say that.”

I shrugged. “I can’t help it. I won’t tell him. But he makes it impossible not to love him. He’s just . . . just what every girl dreams of. He makes everything right when it all seems wrong.”

Jimmy laid his head back against the seat and groaned in frustration. “Baby girl, what are you thinking? You can’t fall in love with Mase Manning. He doesn’t even live here, for starters. Long-distance relationships don’t work. He’s a grown, very healthy man. He’s gonna need to get his groove on, and he’s gonna have women throwing themselves at him over in Texas. You can’t love him. He’s the kind you enjoy and appreciate. Not love.”

My good mood evaporated. A sick knot formed in my stomach.

Was Jimmy right? Probably. He knew so much more about relationships than I did.

Did Mase have to have sex? I hadn’t given him sex. Oh, God.

“He’s probably got a woman in Texas, maybe even a couple he gets his goodies from. You gotta know that, sweetie. And I’m betting you didn’t have sex with him, did you? Don’t answer that, I know you didn’t. I would have seen it all over your face if you had. So that means he went back to Texas horny. He’s gonna get it somewhere, Reese. Those are the facts, and I don’t want you hurt.”

Hurt? I was devastated. “But I love him,” was all I could say.

Jimmy reached over and squeezed my thigh. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to be upset. But you don’t need to be blind to this. Has he told you he loves you?”

I shook my head no.

Jimmy sighed. “Girl, what am I gonna do with you? Love is one of them things you gotta be careful with. Guard yourself. I still got that friend we can double-date with.”

Mase had said I was his. He didn’t want anyone else to see me in my swimsuit. I didn’t know if that meant we were exclusive, because apparently, I didn’t know a lot. But I didn’t want to go out with someone else. And I didn’t think Mase would want me to.

If I was his, he wouldn’t sleep with someone else . . . would he?