“Oh. Um.” I had to do some quick thinking. “That’s ok. I actually don’t even need help at the moment.” Ok, maybe that was a dumb thing to say. All my friends knew I always needed help.

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me with a puzzled look. “Yeah, okay,” he said, his tone implying anything but. “I’ll see you at twelve thirty.”

“No, really. It’s just that I was going to take a break from the house on Sunday. I’m really tired. It’s been a long week.”

“Keri Ann, it’s ok, you know. I know you don’t like to ask for help, but I don’t mind helping you. Besides, even if you want to take a break from the house, you’ve still got to eat. Like I said, I’ll bring lunch. Anyway, I wont be able to stay long, I have to head back up to Charleston.”

I nodded. There wasn’t really much else I could say. Jasper was a good friend, but I was careful not to take advantage of him. Sometimes, not accepting help was more hurtful to the person offering. I grabbed at the topic change.

“Your parents must be happy you are closer.” Jasper had been looking at going further away, but I sensed things at home, namely his father, had caused him to make the last minute decision to stay near Butler Cove.

“They are.” There was something amiss with Jasper though. He seemed more introspective and thoughtful than usual. “So, how’s Liz doing? I haven’t seen her lately.”

I smiled. “She’s good, still working at The Pig. Brady keeps her busy, but he’s doing great, getting big. Apparently he’s super smart and way ahead of the curve.”

He nodded. “That’s great. It must be tough doing that all on her own.”

Thinking back to Liz asking after Jasper at the store, I looked at him carefully. We were all friends, it was natural for us to inquire after each other, and I was pretty sure Jasper was not the father of Liz’s baby. I’d never noticed any awkwardness between them that would signify something that big, but stranger things had happened.

We chatted some more before he headed out. I should talk it over with Jazz and see if she had any vibes about what was going on with him. I also needed to tell Jack not to come over on Sunday, a thought that was ridiculously depressing since I had the day off.

I knew I couldn’t tell Jazz about Jack, but I really needed to talk to someone. She offered to stay and help me close up, so I waited until we were alone and almost done before bringing it up.

“Hey, sooo remember Hoodie Guy from last night, who left right after ordering a burger?”

“Yeah?” Jazz was straightening up the piles of coasters, the one job we really didn’t need to do, but it was good to have company.

“So he came back for his burger after you left.” I grant you, that sentence, in and of itself didn’t say much, but this was me and she was Jazz. Her head whipped around, her eyes suddenly laser sharp and focused on me.

“And?”

“And ... he came in, he ate, we talked. I saw him today—”

“You saw him today? Oh my God. Is he nice? Was he hot? This is fantastic, so was it like a date? Did he ask you to meet him today?”

This was so not going according to plan. “No, Jazz. Slow down with the questions already. It wasn’t like that.”

“Sorry, I was just excited that you might actually be interested in someone. Are you?”

I stayed her with my hand. “I mean he’s nice and not from here, but he’s going through a break up. Well, it may not be a break up, just a break, but basically he’s not free.”

“What do you mean he’s not free? If he’s here and going through a break up, he’s totally up for grabs. I mean, he wouldn’t have seen you today if he wasn’t interested, right?”

“It wasn’t like that. It was just friendly. Look never–”

“Well, wait. Did he say the words break up? Because if he did, that means it’s a break up, not a break.”

“He didn’t use either.” I sighed. This wasn’t going well. “Look, it was just friendly.”

“If it was just friendly, why are you telling me like that and looking like that?”

“Like what?” Now I was confused.

She rolled her eyes. “You are bright red and flustered. The only other time I saw you like that was when Colton Graves asked you to dance in front of the entire senior class at prom. You liked him and you like this guy.” Trust Jazz to bring that up.

When I was fifteen, Joey invited Jazz and me to his senior prom. It was just after our parents had died and he thought it would be a fun thing for us to do to take our minds off stuff. Colton Graves was on the football team with Joey and he was, without a doubt, the hottest boy there, with Joey supposedly being a near second. Colton and Joey floated down school hallways on a waft of sighs and dreamy eyes. It wasn’t that I ‘liked’ Colton Graves as much as I’d probably needed to let off some teenage emotional steam and he happened to be the target. I was so embarrassed and flustered while we danced I hardly remember the experience. I did a lot of staring at his bowtie. That part I do remember. It was red. Ok, so I had ‘liked’ him a bit. And remembering the experience definitely put my feelings for Jack in perspective.

I was in serious trouble.

“Ok, look. I do like him. But the problem is he’s really attractive, and I guess I am not sure if I like him for him or just because he’s hot.”

Jazz looked exasperated at my lame explanation, but I pressed on. “Also, he’s only been friendly to me, no come-ons at all.”

“Can I meet him? Maybe I’ll be able to tell if he’s interested or not.”

No.

“Well, he says he’s hiding out here, in case his girlfriend finds him, so he doesn’t want to be seen out and about.” Even to my ears that sounded weird.

Jazz narrowed her eyes. “Do you think he might be married and is worried someone will think he’s cheating? Where’s he live?”

“California.” It was out of my mouth before I could think.

“Okaaaaay.” Jazz looked at me with concern.

I didn’t say anything. How could I respond? No it’s ok, Jazz. It’s just that he’s super famous and despite the fact you and I tell each other everything, and I am forever in your debt for helping me through all the deaths in my family, I am going to keep this huge whopper of a secret from you, even though he’s actually someone you’ve had a crush on for, like, five years.

I wished I had never brought it up.

I knew part of me looked at Jack and saw Max. The situation was a little surreal. Big time Hollywood actor at the mercy of small town girl. I mean technically he needed me, he’d either starve or blow his cover. It was probably pretty natural to project a sappy ‘romcom’ outcome of that particular scenario. I wasn’t letting myself go there though. The fact of the matter was, whatever I thought of Jack or why, it was on my side entirely and it would be me who dealt with it when he left, as he surely would in exactly three weeks time. In the meantime, I would have to steel myself against his obvious charm.

I was just so inexperienced with men.

I had been kissed approximately once, two years ago by Jasper. It was fine. A bit awkward, but over quickly and had not, thank the stars, ever happened again after I told him I didn’t feel that way about him. I understood this was a little unusual for a girl my age in this century—to have only kissed one boy. The truth of the matter was no boy I knew lived up to the fantasy I’d created from the many books I’d read, and I wasn’t going to settle. And I for sure wasn’t going to have sex with any of them.