A Daddy for Jacoby(44)
As for the beautiful lady in front of him…
She’d said she wanted them to be friends, but, hell, that wasn’t possible.
He wanted more than just friendship from Gina, except she wasn’t a one-time, good-time type of gal. And he wasn’t good for anything else.
So he’d stayed clear of her until Racy had arrived at his cabin tonight with this crazy idea. Spending the next couple of hours with Gina while keeping her at a distance was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.
“What are you doing here?”
Gina had managed to get her shoe on without his noticing. What he did notice was the surprise in her eyes had turned to suspicion.
“What does it— I’m here to take you to the dance.”
Her blue eyes grew wide. “You’re what?”
“Your date bailed on you, right?”
“He’s sick— Wait, how did you even know I had plans with Ric tonight?”
“You don’t think he mentioned your hot date at all this week?” Justin’s grip tightened on the plastic container, the crackling noise forcing him to relax. “I knew. Everyone at the bar knew. Ah, hello, ma’am.”
Gina’s mother smiled from behind her daughter, but Justin could read the surprise on her face at finding him at her front door. “Hello, Justin. My, don’t you look nice?”
He nudged the brim of his Stetson upward to look her in the eye. “Thank you, Mrs. Steele.”
“Gina, aren’t you going to invite him in?”
He could tell it was the last thing she wanted to do. Hell, it was the last thing he wanted, but she stepped aside and waved him in. He walked into the front hall of the Steele home and was immediately greeted by a wall of framed portraits showcasing the entire family, including Gina’s late father. Gent Steele had been the sheriff of Destiny for as long as Justin could remember and a thorn in the side of the Dillon family for years, or vice versa, until his death in a shoot-out a decade ago.
Yeah, Justin was officially out of his comfort zone.
He followed Gina into the living room, his eyes glued to the nape of her bare neck. She stopped in the middle of the room and turned to look at him, her eyes directed at his Stetson.
He used the moment to drop his gaze and look at anything but her. Their home was simple but cozy with more photos, and quilts and pillows in bright reds, greens and black on sturdy leather furniture. It even smelled good, like a mix of fresh flowers and a home-cooked meal.
He’d finally picked up a used living room set last week, but his cabin was far from a family home despite Jacoby’s drawings on the refrigerator.
It was then he noticed Gina’s mother watching him. Had he ever met a girl’s parents before a date? Not that this was a real date, but even as a teenager it wasn’t something he ever remembered doing. Not the kind of girls he and his brother Billy used to hang out with.
It seemed she was waiting for him to say something so he went for what he hoped would work. “Ah, you have a nice home.”
“Thank you. So, is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Sandy Steele asked as she pulled on a jacket.
“Justin thinks he’s a stand-in to keep me from being dateless tonight.”
Yeah, that was it in a nutshell, but damn if the way she put it didn’t sting a bit. He doubted Gina’s mother was going to let her precious daughter out the door with a loser like him anyway, no matter how nicely he polished up—as his sister had put it—on such a simple explanation.
“Oh, well that’s nice of you, Justin.” Sandy lifted a casserole dish from the nearby dining room table. “Hank called when I was in the back. He’s not feeling well either, so it’s a DVD and my chicken soup at his place. Oh, would you like me to take your picture before I go?”
Gina waved off her mother’s offer. “Mom, I don’t even know if I’m going.”
Well, that was plain enough. She’d been willing to go with Ric Murphy. Hell, she’d invited him as her date. Now that he’d shown up, all bets were off.
“You know how I feel about that, so I’ll just tell you both how lovely you look and say my good-nights.” Sandy gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, then headed around the oversize table. “I’ll be home in plenty of time to make sure the twins meet their curfew, so don’t feel you need to rush back here after the dance, sweetheart. Justin, please drive carefully.”