Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) (27 page)

His mouth dropped open, so Kit continued, “You told me, you
take
what you want now.
 
Well, what do you
want
from me?” she prodded.

All of sudden, in her eyes, Barnaby looked nine years old again.
  
He used to get the same look on his face when his mom gave him what for.
 
She didn’t want to hurt him, but this needed to be settled one way or another.
 
Kit decided, then and there, to throw caution to the wind.
 
If there was something of a spark between them, then she would try and ignite it further.
 
This tension was getting them nowhere.

“Kit, I …”

“Kiss me Barnaby” she demanded roughly.

“What?” he said in amazement, stepping back and almost tripping in his surprise.

“I said kiss me” Kit repeated, moving forward, putting her arms around his neck and whispering into his face. “If this was meant to be, then kissing me will tell us everything we need to know”

When he hesitated for a moment, Kit went in with determined passion.
 
Moving her mouth over his, she felt him respond in like.
 
Barnaby pulled her more thoroughly against him and Kit sighed, he was a great kisser.
 
They mutually gave it everything they had.
 

As their lips parted, they were both breathing heavily.
 
Barnaby grinned like a madman.
 
“
Oh my God. I can’t believe it!
” he exclaimed, then began laughing uncontrollably, “You’re
my
Jeremy Atwell.”
 

Kit blinked at him for a moment and then started giggling herself.
 

“Good grief Kit! I just don’t get it.
 
All this time,
you
were better in
my
head.” he added with an amazed smile.

“Gee thanks” she said jokingly.
 

Barnaby shook his head in shame and sat down on one of the courtyard benches; Kit parked herself beside him.
 
“Boy, do I feel like an idiot; all these years I was
so
certain you were the girl for me.
 
When all I needed to do was kiss you to find out that …,”

Kit patted him on the back; no need to hear how woefully underwhelming she was in the sexy femme fatale department.
 
“I know how you feel Barn” she answered.
 
And it was true, she knew exactly how he felt.
 
“Don’t beat yourself up about it.
 
Believe me, it doesn’t do any good.”

“When did you get all mature and grown up?” he asked punching her in the arm.
 

“It only happened very recently, I assure you” Kit responded, amazed at how quickly they had reverted back to old pals.

“Kit!”
 
Jasmine came running out of the pub and stopped dead at the sight of her and Barnaby in the moonlight.
  
“Am I
interrupting
something?”

“No Jas.
 
What’s up?”

“I was concerned about what was happening out here; after seeing Jeremy, then Barnaby, then J.J. follow you.
 
Are you okay?”

“J.J.?” Kit said in surprise.
 
Glancing around, she saw no-one else in the vicinity, or even hidden in the shadows.

“Yeah.
 
Didn’t you see him?”

“No” she replied with a frown, remembering the kiss she and Barnaby had just shared.
 
“I guess the question is,” Kit thought aloud, “did he see
me
?”

******

The next morning Kit was passing Fred’s diner and saw that J.J. was once again sitting having coffee.
 
She hesitated going in to get a cup, but then decided, what the hell; he wasn’t going to drive her out of her own hometown.
 
Unlike a western, Brandon Bay was certainly big enough for the both of them to co-exist.
 

As she passed his table, she thought twice about taking a seat and decided to have her coffee
to go
.
 
The tension was palpable, and it could snap at any moment.
 
Kit desperately wanted to talk to him and get back to where they were before her calamitous visit to the city, but she was positive she’d blown it with him, and that there was no way, short of a time machine, to visit that place again.

After getting her latte, she turned and her eyes immediately met his stony glare.
 
Her heart clenched at the look on his face.
 
If there was any doubt that he’d seen her and Barnaby lock lips the night before; it evaporated in that instant.

“Hi” she said with a small voice.

“Hi” he said coldly, forgoing his usual “Kit Kat” on the end.
 
Oh God
how she wanted to hear him call her that again!

Perhaps they could get past this?
 
Possibly be, if not friends or lovers, at least pleasant strangers?
 
What a depressing thought; but it was worth a shot.

“Can we talk?” she asked somberly.

Jeff looked at her blankly, but indicated for her to take the seat across from him.

“Funny thing happened last night …,” she started, but stopped short when his eyebrows hit the ceiling.
 

Yep.
 
He’d definitely seen the kiss.
 
She tried again.
 
“Okay, maybe it wasn’t so funny, depending on where you were standing”

J.J. just kept staring at her; through her.

Kit looked away.
 
“Am I invisible to you now?”

“I wish you were invisible last night” he said with regret.
 
“Unfortunately its now burned right up here” he added, tapping his temple.

“But it’s not what you think …” Kit implored.

“I know what I saw Kit” he broke in, through gritted teeth.

Kit frowned. “Just how much
did
you see?”

“
Enough.
 
I left when you started giving Barnaby the tongue”

Kit gulped.
 
That wasn’t good.
 
If only he’d stuck around and heard the rest of the conversation.
 
Maybe she could explain …

“Tell me Kit, is it your intention to make out with every guy who looks your way, because if it is, I happen to know “Trucker Joe” is interested?”

“Excuse me?” she stammered.

J.J. looked away from her hurt expression.
 
“Sorry; that was a low blow” he said swallowing a gulp of coffee.

“You’re right, it was” she said softly.
 

They both looked at each other for a seemingly long moment.

“So, … are you in town for any particular reason?”
 
Please let him say me; please let him say me
, Kit repeated in her head.

“The truth is; I came because I owe you an apology.
  
I just really wanted you to know that when I suggested you to my uncle, I didn’t think it was a big deal.
 
I knew he liked your work and …,” he bit his lip.
 
“and I wanted to help.”

 
Kit internally did the happy dance; he
had
come to see her; maybe a time machine wouldn’t be necessary to return to the fourth of July.
 
“I’m sorry too J.J.
 
I overreacted.
 
I overreacted
badly
” she said, optimism shining in her eyes.

“I hope we can still be
friends
Kit?” he asked with a frown.

No!
The dreaded “F” word.
 
Kit swallowed hard.
 
She had indeed blown it –big time.
 
Whatever you do girl, she thought, don’t show him it matters.
 
Don’t let him know it bothers you at all.

“Sure” she said casually.

“Good” Jeff ran his hand through his hair.
 
“Well, I have to get back to the Inn and pack” he stated, getting up and gazing down at her.

Kit held it together, just.
 
“Bye J.J.
 
I guess I’ll see you when I see you”

A small smile hinted on his lips.
 
“Not if I see you-“

 
“Hi Kit” Barnaby cut in, from out of nowhere.
  
Kit did a double-take.
 
Barnaby’s timing was, as always, impeccable.

J.J. threw up his hands in frustration.
 
“Well, if it isn’t
Sparky,
what a surprise!”

“Just what is your problem?” Barnaby asked with a glower.

“I don’t have a problem –I’m leaving” Jeff replied stepping threateningly in Barnaby’s direction.

“Look Buddy …,” Barnaby started. Kit got in between the two of them, facing Jeff.
 
Hopefully she wouldn’t get a sock in the jaw for her trouble.

“I thought you said you were leaving” she said at J.J. with a pleading gaze.

Looking at her, then Barnaby, then back to her, Jeff coldly stated, “Yeah, I’m leaving.
 
I have no reason to stay.”

“No, don’t look!” Jasmine tore the newspaper from Kit’s hands.

“And why not?” she asked with an amused glare.
 

Jasmine screwed the paper into a ball and threw it towards the garbage bin beside their patio table at Miller’s Cafe.
 
“Score” she said as it sailed into the hole.
 
She turned to face Kit with a look of “yes, I’m stalling and thinking up an answer”.

“Jas?” Kit narrowed her eyes.

“Are you painting today?” she asked with a grin.

“I paint every day” Kit said seriously, getting up and retrieving a paper from another table that someone had left.
 
She sat back down and purposely made a show of rifling through the pages and scanning them thoroughly.
 
When Jasmine saw her getting towards the back pages, she let out a sigh.
 

“Kit” she said softly, “don’t believe everything you read”

Giving her a worried glance, Kit turned the page and her stomach fell.
 
“What about what you
see
?” she asked, dropping the paper on the table.
 
A society column photo showing a smiling J.J. with his arm around a beautiful brunette filled a quarter of the page.