Page 3 of Happily Ever Maybe

“It’s fine. Nobody was hurt. I just hope she’s okay.”

The man was so damn nice. Nicerthan I would’ve been. Then again, I was on the other side of the dividing line.The guy who was supposed to protect him. And I’d nearly failed.

“Can you take my spot?” I asked Kane, who gave me a look butnodded. I went to Daisy’s side to take the back of the building. Dylan wouldfinish the interview. And then we could regroup.

I would have to pretend that I hadn’t just fucked up.

Still, I couldn’t help but think about the one woman Ishouldn’t. My partner. Not my lover.

* * * *

When we got back, we were all exhausted, and Kane was on thephone with Ford. “Got it. Yeah, we’ll meet you tomorrow.” He hung up and lookedat us. “It’s late. We’ll go over everything later. But from what we can tell,there wasn’t anything we could have done differently. The auditorium allowswater bottles. And according to the authorities, it was just water. It happens.We’ll go through training again to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Don’tkick yourself. We got it done.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything. Jennifer frowned at myside. Daisy started limping to the door, and Kane cursed under his breath. “I’mgoing to make sure she gets home.”

I sighed and nodded at him. “We’ll close up.”

“Yeah, just make sure she didn’t overdo it today,” Jenniferadded.

And with that, it was just me and Jennifer alone in theoffice.

The one place I didn’t want to be.

“So, what the hell was that?” Jennifer snapped.

I whirled on her. “What the hell was what?”

“That expression. Why are you glaring at me? It’s not ourfault. Yes, we missed the woman rushing the stage, but we got her before shecould do any real damage. It could have been worse, but we got her. The clientis safe, everybody who needed to have fun at the event did, and they also havea story to tell.”

“Yeah? And if I wasn’t fucking distractedby you, then maybe I would’ve caught it earlier.” I hadn’t meant to say that,and I had a feeling I should have kept my mouth shut.

Her eyes narrowed, her chest rising and falling in a rapidrhythm that drew my gaze before I looked back up to her eyes. “Excuse me?You’re blaming me for this?”

I rubbed my hand over my face, knowing there was no way backfrom this particular conversation. I should have letit go. But I was a masochist with my emotions and didn’t care. “No. I don’tknow. Hell, Jennifer, you’re always a fuckingdistraction.”

“Are you calling me unprofessional?”

“Of course, not. I’m calling you a distraction.”

She sighed, meeting my gaze. “Explain. Tell me what the hellyou’re talking about because there’s no way what happened is my fault.”

“You know what you did. What you always do.” I cursed.“That’s not what I meant.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t keep my eyes off you, Jennifer. You know that. Youknow we flirt and joke around. Apparently, my dick couldn’t get in line becauseall I could do was think about you. Want to be near you. And I missed thewoman. So yes, it’s your fault. Just as it’s mine.”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s the problem. I’m not.”

She snorted. “If you wanted me, you could have had me whenwe first met. You’re the one who walked away.”

I staggered back, shocked. “What?”

“We went out the first night we met. I flirted hard, and youbacked down.”

I shook my head, not quite believing her. “I flirted rightback. But I wasn’t about to get in your pants the first day we met when we hadto work together.”