Page 29 of Jasper

I'm amazed at everything I'm hearing, and looking up in his eyes, I see the truth there. At some point, he started doing work on himself. Maybe I didn't notice it, and neither did he, but somehow this beautifully complicated man is meeting me halfway. I put the hoodie on over my shirt before throwing myself at him. He catches me, making a noise in the back of his throat. "I love you, Jasper, and I know you probably can't say it. There's a lot of baggage that comes with those words for you. Just know I don't need the words. You show me every day. In the way you do things like this." I indicate the hoodie.

He pulls me into his arms, cradling the back of my head in his palm. "I care about you so much it hurts," he whispers.

"I know," I whisper back. "And that's good enough for me."

* * *

"Look at that line."

We're used to Let's Taco Bout It having fans, but we're usually able to get food from Kara and not having to wait at the food truck. Lately though, they've gotten more popular, especially with the way their social media has blown up. But this? This is super exciting. The better she's known, the more it helps the town.

"Hey!" Gabby is behind us, and her excited voice makes me smile.

"Hey." I reach out, hugging her tightly. "What's going on?"

"Just dropping off some new desserts for Kara. Didn't realize how big this line would be." She laughs. "Good for me, though. When she has days like this she sells out of dessert, which is a plus."

"What are you bringing today?" I ask, but Gabby's gaze is elsewhere. I follow where she's looking, and there's Barrett.

He's walking toward us, holding his hand out for Jasper to shake. He gives me and Gabby a nod, but it's cursory at best, before turning his back to the two of us. Her face falls. With my gaze, I'm trying to ask what the fuck has happened between the two of them.

She clears her throat. "Some chess squares, fudge brownies, and everything but the kitchen sink cookies." The tears she's blinking back break my heart, because I've been where she is. "He's pissed at me," she whispers. "I can't explain it right now, but it's not great."

I want to ask her all the questions, but it's obvious with the line moving now isn't the time. "Wanna have lunch with us?" I reach back, grabbing Jasper's hand in mine. "We were going to go get dessert at Get Baked, but since you brought it here, we can eat under the pavilion." It's the newest addition to Kara's growing empire on the spot where she's had her main food truck since she opened.

"Okay. If that's good with you all."

Jasper gives me a smile, and in a low voice he's saying the same thing to Barrett, even though we eat with him more often than we should. The line is moving quicker than I assumed it would, and suddenly we're already up to place our order.

Kara grins down at us. "I'm so glad y'all are here. I wish I could eat with you, but it's insane around here today. Mav, whatever they want is on the house."

We all try to argue with her, but it's no good. She does what she wants. Gabby looks over at Barrett, and he's covertly gazing back. I wish I knew what happened between the two of them, but if there's anything I've realized from my time feuding with Jasper? It's that not everything makes sense, and all's fair when love is involved.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Jasper

I'm drinking my coffee, waiting for Daisy to come into the kitchen. I'm going to ask her to do something with me. Something I've never asked of anyone else. My hand slightly shakes as I bring the cup to my lips. I'm beyond nervous.

She shuffles into the kitchen, hair a mess, and smile sleepy. This is my favorite way of seeing her. It's special because only I get to see her this way. "Morning." She yawns, wrapping her arms around herself. "How long have you been up?"

I push a cup of coffee across the table toward her. "Not long. That's still hot."

Glancing outside, she smiles. "It looks warm out there for the first time in months. Have you been out yet?"

"Yeah, went to go grab the mail, and it is warm. Which is good, because I have something I'd like for both of us to do today."

"Oh yeah?"

I gather all of my courage and forge ahead on asking what I've wanted to. "Do you think you'd like to come to The Hamilton Foundation with me today? On Saturday's that are nice, we like to get all the kids out onto the playground and get them some sun."

She smiles so wide, there's slight dimples in her cheeks. "I'd love to, but can you explain to me a bit more about what The Hamilton Foundation is? You've talked about it, and I know it means a lot to you, but I haven't learned much about it myself."

I tend to explain it in a way that shows how emotionally attached I am to this program, so I try to keep all of that out of my voice when I talk to her. "We tend to work with underserved youth and families, but the families have to be under a certain income limit. During the week and on Saturdays the foundation provides free childcare and activities to keep the kids occupied while the parents get things done. We can only service around twenty at a time, but I love going to spend time with them." I run my fingers through my hair. "I'm fully aware that my situation was completely different, but I was left alone a lot as a child, and I hated it. I wanted to be around children my own age and to be doing fun things. It was really important to me to be able to offer that."

"And that's what you did." She reaches across the table, grabbing hold of my hand.

"Damn straight. The kids who qualify don't pay anything. They count on these afternoons with their friends and the counselors that help them. Which is why I couldn't let this go away. It means too much to me, and them."