Love And Games: Taste The Heat Part 4

Colby wanted to stop and study the picture, but she kept on moving. She didn't want to upset Emma. And she didn't want to ruin the light-hearted mood that had fallen over the room. Stealing a final glance at the cozy family unit, she followed Jason into his rather large kitchen, outfitted with stainless steel appliances. She could imagine father and daughter working together in the roomy s.p.a.ce, laughing, cooking together, creating...much like she used to do with her dad.

Nope, not gonna happen. Colby shut down the thought before it could go any further. Thoughts of her past weren't going to ruin the night, either.

Jason stopped in front of the gas stove. "Emma, why don't you show Colby the way to the bathroom? Maybe change out of those wet clothes while you're at it."

"On it." She took Colby's hand and led her through a rounded door into another hallway lined with frames.

"Someone is certainly photogenic," Colby said, smiling at an eight-by-ten school photo of Emma, trademark ponytail in place.

"Yeah, Mom was a photo nut," Emma explained. "I think Dad's afraid to take anything down, like it's going to upset me or something. So he just keeps adding new pictures to the walls. Soon he's gonna have to hang them on the ceiling." She pushed open a door and pointed inside. "This is the bathroom. My dad's room is at the end of the hall, the laundry room is on the other, and here's my room," she said, indicating the closed door across from the bathroom. Turning the k.n.o.b exposed a sea of blue walls and a matching bedspread. "Just holler if you need anything." Then Emma ducked inside and closed the door.

Colby turned back to the bathroom. She needed to clean herself up, and try to get a handle on the wet mess otherwise known as her hair. But the large wedding photograph she just spied at the end of the hallway was calling her name. If she was quiet, she could slip down the hall now and get a good, unaccompanied stare at Ashleigh on her wedding day, and the look in Jason's eye she already knew she'd find when he gazed at her. With a quick glance in either direction, Colby sprinted across the plush carpet and toward the gilded frame.

Ashleigh had been tall, blond, and gorgeous. Basically everything Colby wasn't. In the picture, she stared up at her new husband, obviously head over heels in love. Like she did back in high school. Colby had only been a freshman when they were seniors, but she used to watch them from across the cafeteria. They were the golden couple, and Jason loved surprising his girl with a single flower or a box of candy. Little things that fueled Colby's fantasies. And every time he brought those gifts, Ashleigh would look up at him with the same expression of love she did in their wedding photo.

As for the groom, the Jason in the photograph was the Jason that Colby remembered from her childhood. Young and handsome, with that mischievous glint in his expressive eyes. His dark hair was longer then. Studying him closer, Colby decided he couldn't be older than early twenties; she'd say twenty-one or twenty-two at the most. A love-struck smile tugged at young Jason's lips, and an irrational sense of jealousy flared in her gut.

Turning back to Ashleigh, Colby glimpsed what Emma would look like in about ten years. While the girl had Jason's eyes, the rest was clearly all Mama. From her height, to her smile, to the color of her hair, Emma had to be a daily reminder of Jason's deceased wife.

How painful must that be?

Knowing her time was running short, she took another step closer to the picture, soaking up every detail in pathetic curiosity. The way Jason held her hand, the way he looked at his wife, the old-fashioned style of the bride's wedding dress...

Colby narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on how the gown flared at the bride's stomach.

Unless she was mistaken, that was a decided baby b.u.mp. Another piece fell into place.

A thump sounded from inside Emma's bedroom. Not wanting to be caught snooping, Colby flew down the hall and enclosed herself in the bathroom.

"I guess that judge knew what she was talking about after all," Colby declared, slapping her hands over her flat stomach. Jason averted his eyes from the s.e.xy flash of skin. What is wrong with me? "Because that pasta was positively delicious. Well done, Chef Landry. You'd give me a run for my money any day."

He nodded his thanks, grateful for the compliment, as unlikely as it may be. He'd cooked many meals in his life. Even before Ashleigh died, he'd enjoyed tooling around in the kitchen. Focusing on the tasks of chopping, stirring, and adding the occasional random spice to the recipe he was using quieted his overactive mind. And after becoming a widower and the sole provider for his daughter's daily nutrition, well, that enjoyment turned into more than just a hobby. As Emma grew older, sharing that time with her, watching cooking shows and inventing new recipes, brought them closer. Jason had definitely learned a lot about food in the last few years...but a restaurant quality chef he'd never be.

"Coming from you, that is high praise indeed. But had I remembered your restaurant in Vegas was Italian, I might've been too intimidated to ask you to stay."

Colby laughed, a soft, musical sound that made him smile. And tonight, he'd heard it a lot. Between her jabs at him for his Zack Morris fade haircut, his digs at her about her metal mouth years, and Emma teasing them both for their "weird" taste in music, the night had been comfortable and fun. Dinner had always been a special time for him and Emma, a natural extension of their mutual love of cooking. Whenever he was off-duty, they would eat together at the table, catching up on the highs and lows of each other's days. Truth be told, it was his favorite part of the day. He hadn't thought it could get any better. Tonight, Colby proved him wrong.

In so many ways, she was exactly what he was looking for.

But Colby wasn't for him.

That was what he had to keep reminding himself. If Cane's obvious opposition wasn't enough, during dinner Colby had revealed her plan to leave at the end of the summer. Regardless of how well she seemed to fit, pursuing her to become Emma's stepmother was not an option.

"Emma told me earlier that she makes a mean lasagna, too," Colby said, tossing his daughter a smile. "I told her I could use a good set of helping hands in the kitchen. I was thinking she could maybe come by the restaurant after school on Friday and be my junior sous-chef."

Emma squealed, and they both laughed.

"Clearly, she has no interest whatsoever," Jason said, giving her ponytail a playful yank. It was obvious she wanted to spend as much time with Colby as she could. Part of him worried about her getting too attached, knowing Colby would be leaving in three short months. But spending time inside a real restaurant kitchen beside a real chef would be an amazing opportunity for his daughter. One that he couldn't keep her from experiencing. "I'm at the station that day," he said, "but I'm sure my mom can drop her by after school."

"Oh, how is your mom?" Colby leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table with genuine interest.

Jason grinned. "Mom's good. She's retired now, her and my dad both. She still helps at the school as a subst.i.tute now and then, but mostly she spends her days reading romance novels and helping with Emma when I'm working a shift."

"Emma, your grandmother is the reason I started reading anything other than recipes. She was hands down the best teacher at Magnolia Springs Elementary." Looking back at Jason, she said, "But while I'd love to see your mom again, Emma could always come by on Sat.u.r.day if it's easier."

"I can't," Emma broke in, setting down her gla.s.s of milk. "That's my birthday camping trip. Actually, my birthday isn't until next Thursday, but this year it's a golden one-you know, when your birth date and age match? So Dad said that I could pick anything I wanted to do-"

"Anything within reason," Jason amended with a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes, as if she wouldn't have asked for a trip to New York had he not added that stipulation, and continued. "Anything I wanted, and I've never been camping before." Then a strange expression crossed over her face and her lips twitched. Colby shot Jason a look.

"You just said anything within reason, right, Dad?" Emma asked. Jason slowly nodded, curious as to why she kept emphasizing that word, and Emma slid their dinner guest an innocent, wide-eyed grin. "Then could you join us, Colby?"

Jason hadn't been expecting that. And from the panicked look on Colby's face, neither had she.

"U-Uh," she stammered, taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the plate in front of her. She licked her lips and sent him an unidentifiable look. "Well, Emma, I'm honored you want me to be a part of your special day," she said carefully. "But wouldn't I be intruding?"

Jason couldn't tell by the look on her face if she wanted an out or not. And he still wasn't sure if he should encourage Emma's hero worship. But the more Jason thought about it, the more he realized that he wanted Colby there. Emma deserved a special birthday. She deserved a dozen of them. And within reason, he wanted to give her everything she asked for. If Colby's presence made her day that much better, that was what he wanted to give her. Plus, he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the idea of spending more time with the enchanting chef himself.

So he answered honestly. "You wouldn't be intruding at all. We're just going down the street to LeBeaux Park for the night. Walk a few trails, roast a few hot dogs, and eat a few dozen s'mores. We'd love to have you join us," he said. Then he realized the one flaw in the plan. "That is, if you can take off on a weekend."

Colby bit the corner of her pouty lip. "Normally, I can't," she admitted. "Fridays and Sat.u.r.days are super busy at the restaurant, at any restaurant really. The earliest I'd usually get off is eight, and that's rare. But I guess family businesses do have some perks..." She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled at Emma. "Golden birthday, huh? The big one-two?"

Emma nodded. "Only one year left before I'm officially a teenager."

"And Dad officially has a coronary," Colby added with a grin. She slid her phone out of her pocket and her fingers began flying across the screen. "Man, I haven't taken a weekend shift off in years."

His precocious daughter sent him a private wink. He knew she was playing matchmaker. Between her and Sherry, they'd have him married to Colby by Labor Day. And therein lay the problem, since by her own admitted timetable, Colby would have already returned to Vegas by then. Maybe asking her to come with them wasn't such a good idea after all.

But before he could say so, Colby lifted her head. "Rhonda says she can handle the shifts on her own." She leaned up to pocket the phone and tousled Emma's hair. She slid Jason a smile. "Any chance your tent has room for three?"

Chapter Six.

Jason set down the last of the camping equipment and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of fresh pine, wet mud, and wood smoke. Across the campground, metal clanged near the horseshoe pit. And near the edge of the bayou, standing beside her idol, Emma plunged her hand into a bag of stale bread and chucked a handful of torn pieces into the water. Mayhem instantly ensued. Dozens of paddling ducks honked and fought, diving for the same soggy piece, as birds flew from the trees, squawking their disapproval. Colby bent her head close to his daughter's ear. Emma's ponytail bounced with her laughter. And Jason's chest constricted.

How different would it be if Ashleigh were here today?

Listening to his daughter's animated laughter and glancing at the array of supplies at his feet, Jason figured probably not much. Ashleigh had been a girly-girl-she didn't do camping. But for Emma, he knew she would've done anything to make this the best camping trip a soon-to-be twelve-year-old could have. The same thing he and Colby were trying to do. Which led to the question he really wanted answered: what would Ashleigh think of Colby?

His wife had died way too young. They never thought to talk about the future or what they should do if tragedy struck. In Hollywood, dying heroes and heroines always encourage left-behind spouses to find love again, but Jason didn't want love. He'd been there, done that, and had the deep gash in his heart to prove it. But would Ashleigh have wanted him to remarry for Emma? Honestly, he didn't think he was selfless enough to want another man to raise his daughter, to have her call someone else Dad. But without a doubt, he'd want Emma to have the best life possible. If Ashleigh felt as he did-that having a two-parent household would ensure Emma's happiness-then she'd have had his blessing. Jason believed he had Ashleigh's. But Colby was not the woman for the job.

That became obvious at dinner three days ago. She was leaving at the end of summer. No amount of wishful thinking on his part would change that. He had to get back out there and start dating again. But for the last few days, he saw smoky gray eyes everywhere he looked.

Jason shook his head. He needed to keep his focus on Emma. This was her day. That's why Colby was there, not for him. With that thought firmly in mind, he squatted down and began putting up the familiar red tent.

When he and Cane had been in Cub Scouts, they'd spent a week each summer at Camp LeBeaux, learning about knots, compa.s.ses, and canoeing. Young Jason had putting up this thing down to a science, able to a.s.semble his tent before anyone else in the troop-an important achievement when you're a growing boy and the reward was an extra hot dog. Later when he was a teenager, he and Cane's trips morphed into ones with smuggled alcohol and an excess of bad choices. But the big red tent always remained.

Except now that he had it put together, it wasn't quite as big as Jason remembered. It wasn't a pup tent or anything. It would've been fine had it just been him and Emma sleeping inside. But it wasn't anymore. Now Colby would be sharing the small s.p.a.ce, making it smell like that floral perfume of hers. Filling it at night with her soft sighs. And lying an arm's reach away.

Jason groaned. It was going to be a long night.

Bending down, he took Emma's body pillow and shoved it right in the middle. His daughter would make an excellent buffer.

A mosquito buzzed near his ear and he slapped it. How did he get himself into this again? Oh, right, Emma. She was worth the midnight dip into the bayou he'd have to take to cool his raging libido. He was just glad he didn't have to work tomorrow. An exhausted firefighter was no good to anyone, and he sure as h.e.l.l wouldn't be getting any sleep.

"Cool, you got it set up!"

Jason turned back to the water, where Emma broke into a sprint, having spotted the a.s.sembled tent. Colby strolled behind her, content to take her time. She offered him a smile and shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, probably not realizing how the action made her shirt stretch across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He let his eyes linger for a moment, then looked away.

After grabbing an armful of her stuff, Emma slipped inside and began decorating the tent with the insane amount of pillows, blankets, and magazines she'd brought with her. When he'd noticed this morning how much stuff she was bringing, he almost told her it was ridiculous. The trip was for twenty-four hours, not twenty-four days. But he'd held his tongue. Ashleigh had been into the frilly stuff, but he'd never taken her camping. Maybe this was normal. Girls were different, he was learning. He cast a glance at his small duffel and basic sleeping bag. Very different.

"It's ah, a little cozier than I'd thought it would be," Colby said, sliding up beside him. He caught a whiff of her perfume and his teeth clenched. "Are you sure I'm not in the way here?"

"Not at all," he said, even as he watched Emma pull out more of her stuff and the limited available s.p.a.ce inside shrink. Then he realized where she was putting it all. "Hey, Bug, don't you want to sleep in the middle of the tent? You know, between Colby and me? That way you can be by both of us."

Emma stuck her head out of the entrance, looked at him strangely, and then shrugged. "Not really. I like the edge. Plus, I can shove more stuff in the corners," she added, pulling out a flashlight, a stack of books, and a torn-out poster of Justin Bieber.

Jason couldn't help it. He called out, "Honey, you do realize we're only here for one night, right?"

She scrunched her nose. "Of course."

"I was just checking."

Colby chuckled under her breath. "It's a woman's prerogative to pack a ton of c.r.a.p," she said with a grin when Emma resumed her unpacking. "It's important that you learn this now."

He smiled and held his palms up. "Hey, it's her weekend. I was just making a casual observation."

"You'll be happy to note that I, on the other hand, reined in my natural female tendencies and kept it to a change of clothes, two pairs of shoes, and a paperback."

Jason was tempted to ask what she could possibly need the other pair of shoes for, but he didn't. Again, he was learning. "Well as camp leader for this excursion, I appreciate your restraint."

"You should. It wasn't easy leaving behind my hair dryer, iPad, and NSYNC poster." She heaved a dramatic sigh and kicked a fallen pinecone with the side of her sneaker. It skittered across the uneven ground.

Without thinking he replied, "I'm sure I can think of something to make up for your sacrifice."

What the h.e.l.l am I doing?

Colby's gaze jerked to his. "Like an extra s'more?"

Her cheeks colored a soft pink, hinting that another possibility had crossed her mind. One that he'd much rather explore, disapproving best friends be d.a.m.ned. Which of course had him imagining a few choice options. Such as putting the flat surface of the nearby picnic table to good use.

"If that's all the lady wants."

Her eyes fell to his mouth. What he wouldn't give to know what was going on inside that gorgeous head of hers. After a charged moment, she gave a nervous laugh. "The lady does love her chocolate." Then, blowing out a breath, she ran her hands along the sides of her jeans and bent forward to peek inside the tent. The hem of her dark blue top slid up the smooth skin of her lower back. "Looks like we'll be getting to know each other a whole lot better."

"Huh?" he asked, mesmerized by that lickable strip of bare skin.

Colby stood and nodded toward the tent. "The sleeping arrangements? We're practically gonna be on top of each other."

Jason stared down at her and barely held back a groan. That was one tantalizing image his overactive mind really did not need.

Colby, apparently realizing how her words sounded, or maybe just seeing the pained look on his face, widened her eyes. "I mean, not in a bad way." The soft pink of her cheeks turned a bright crimson. "N-not to say that being on top of you would be bad, either. Because it wouldn't. I'm sure it would be fine. More than fine."

She placed her hand on his arm then jerked it back as if burned. He glanced where her hand had been, still feeling the brush of her fingertips.

"But that's just not what I meant," she continued, needlessly. "Obviously." Closing her eyes, she sighed. Head lowered and shoulders drooping she blurted, "I promise I don't snore."

Jason laughed at the attempt at misdirection. "Good to know. I do. Like a loud chainsaw right in your ear."

She lifted her head and after seeing his teasing smile, gave him a sweet one of her own. The tightness in his chest from earlier eased. Their gazes held.

Knowing that he shouldn't but doing it anyway, Jason bent his head and whispered, "Just so we're clear, being on top of me? It would definitely be better than fine."

Colby's breath caught audibly. Jason leaned back. It had been a stupid impulse. But as he watched the blush work its way up her slender throat, and saw hunger darken those smoky eyes as they lowered to his mouth again, he was very glad he'd acted on it.

The early-May Louisiana heat shot up another notch. Colby's tongue flicked across her lips, the same lips he'd wanted to taste since they were both here a week before. He swallowed. She inched closer.

"Done!" Emma declared, crawling out from the opening of the tent.

s.h.i.t. Colby's eyes shot to his, just as shocked as he was. How could he have forgotten that they weren't alone? This woman was like his kryptonite. Colby sprung back a few steps, and Jason buried his hands in his pockets, quickly adjusting himself within his jeans.

Emma scrunched her nose at the apparent tension. She tilted her head and shifted her gaze between them. Then, she grinned. "Is it lunch time yet?"

Approximately nine and a half hours, ten hot dogs, eight s'mores, a six-pack of c.o.ke, and a chocolate frosted birthday cake later, Emma was asleep. How she managed the feat with that much sugar in her system was anybody's guess, but Jason's daughter was out like a light.

Leaving Colby all alone with the girl's extremely attractive father.

The attractive father who was currently stooped in front of her, stirring the charred pieces of wood in the heart of the blazing campfire. Moonlight filtered through the lattice of branches overhead, causing shadows to dance across the rippling muscles in his back.

"I don't know about you," he said, pushing to his feet. The hem of his pajama bottoms brushed against pine needles as he walked past her on his way to the big blue cooler. "But I can use a beer. Do you want one, or maybe a daiquiri?"

"Daiquiri please," she answered, wetting her lips as if she could already taste the orange-flavored Dreamsicle they'd picked up on the way to the park. That was definitely one thing her hometown got right-drive-thru daiquiri and liquor stores.

As Jason dug in the cooler for their drinks, Colby sprawled out on the black and gold lawn chairs he'd set up, letting the warm breeze kiss the exposed skin of her legs. With the sun down and her favorite cotton T-shirt and shorts pajama set on, the temperature was almost bearable. Her eyelids lowered as she listened to the creak of the branches, the crackle and pop of the fire, and the rustle of leaves under Jason's feet.

Today had been fun. She'd expected there to be awkwardness, considering she was the odd person out, but it never felt like that. If anything, she fit into their family unit almost too easily-something she was trying hard not to freak about. Jason and Emma had included her in everything, explaining their inside jokes and sayings, asking her questions, and showing infinite patience with her decidedly poor horseshoe skills. The s.e.xual tension of earlier wasn't forgotten-more like kept on a warm simmer with the looks Jason sent her and his frequent excuses to touch her. But Emma never seemed to notice it and they never acted on it.