What He Never Knew (What He Doesn't Know, #3)(67)

“I would have told you if you would have taken me on that date we discussed,” she fired back, arching one manicured brow. The corner of her lips rose as her eyes flicked from me to Sarah. “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

I frowned, because there was absolutely no way Jennifer honestly believed Sarah was my daughter. We obviously looked nothing alike. The more her gaze shifted as she appraised Sarah, the more I realized she just wanted to point out the fact that I was hanging out with someone much, much younger than me — and she wanted to know why.

“This is Sarah Henderson,” I explained. “Randall’s niece. She’s taking piano lessons with me.”

“In the park?” Jennifer asked.

The question was innocent at its base, but the way she said it, the tone of her voice and arch in her brow as she appraised me again let me know it wasn’t a friendly question at all.

“It’s sort of a lesson on fear, combating it both in life and at the piano in order to play the more emotional pieces,” Sarah said from beside me, her voice surprisingly firm and confident. She held her chin high as a small smile graced her lips. “It’s hard to understand if you’re not a musician, I’m sure.”

Jennifer’s lip curled at that, but she smiled despite it, offering Sarah a little nod. “Well, I’m sure it’s a great lesson.” She turned to me again then. “After all, you’ve got the best teacher in town.”

Rojo tugged away from me, eager to sniff the tiny dog at Jennifer’s feet.

“Sarah, this is Jennifer Stinson. We met at a fundraiser a couple years ago.”

“Oh, don’t let him fool you,” Jennifer said, wicked smile climbing. “I asked him to dance, and he turned me down. He’s been playing hard to get ever since. But, I’m a patient woman. And I know a catch when I see one.”

Her boldness shouldn’t have surprised me — that was exactly how she’d always been. But for some reason, it made me feel uncomfortable that it was all taking place in front of Sarah this time.

Because she’s your student, I tried to convince myself.

I cleared my throat, forcing as much of a smile as I could manage. “We were actually just about to get going,” I said. “But it was nice seeing you.”

“Are you free this weekend?” Jennifer asked, ignoring my attempt to break free.

“Uh…”

“Come on,” she said, stepping a little closer. Bold as ever, she reached up and pulled a few blades of grass from my shirt, all the while staring at my lips in no effort to hide the thoughts that underlined her next sentence. “I’ve waited long enough, don’t you think?”

I stepped away from her, tight smile still in place. “You have. I’m sorry, I’m not avoiding you.” Lies. “I’ve just been really busy with lessons and work. But, let me check my schedule and I’ll give you a call.”

“This week,” she said.

It wasn’t a request.

“Um… sure. This week.”

“Great!” She seemed appeased, and she offered Sarah a big smile. “It was nice to meet you, sweetheart. Good luck with your studies.”

Jennifer’s eyes flicked to me quickly before she zeroed in on Sarah again, and without another word, she strutted off down the trail, her tiny dog following.





Sarah



The car ride back to Reese’s place was absolutely silent.

Reese hadn’t reached forward to turn on the radio, and neither of us had said a word since we climbed inside the car. Even Rojo was sound asleep in the back, tuckered out from the day at the park.

It didn’t matter that the car was completely quiet, because my thoughts were as loud as train whistles.

Jennifer Stinson had practically pissed on Reese in front of me, which shouldn’t have upset me as much as it did. She was his age. She was gorgeous, and clearly fit, and, apparently, they ran in the same circle. She’d be a great girlfriend for him, a great woman to get him over Charlie and moving forward.

All of that might have been true, but I still hated it.

I hated it because I wanted it to be me. I wanted it to be me who was strikingly gorgeous, fit and bold and confident enough to march right up to Reese in the park and demand a date. I wanted it to be me — in another world, another time, another place where I wasn’t his student and he wasn’t my teacher, where I wasn’t so fucked up from the first man who touched me that I couldn’t even let Reese try.

“I’m sorry about that,” Reese said once we were on the highway. “Jennifer can be… brash.”

I swallowed, stomach flipping around at the sound of her name on his lips. I had no right to be jealous, to care, but I did. It was something about the casual tone, the friendly way he referred to her — like he knew her, like she knew him.

I only wanted to hear my name on his lips like that.

“I think she’s refreshing,” I said, folding my hands over my stomach like I could soothe it with a sort of hug as that lie slipped through. “She knows what she wants, and she’s confident.” I turned to him, then. “You should go on a date with her.”

“What?” Reese’s brows pulled in so fast I thought he’d give himself a headache. He shook his head, shifting one hand off the wheel and replacing it with the other before he glanced at me. “You’re kidding, right?”