Lake gestured to Cage's coat pocket. "Have you two had dinner? If not, I think my captor just paid for delivery."

Cage smiled, flaunting those d.a.m.n dimples. Emily was one lucky girl. Lake's quest to add more images of Cage to her fantasy collection took a turn for the weird and a bit creepy in the presence of Emily.

Cage ordered pizza while Lake shot off a quick text to Luke informing him of her temporary house arrest. He replied with one word: figures.

With a prolonged stare, Emily noticed Lake's leg the moment she pulled off her boots, but she didn't say anything so Lake decided to not address it either. Cage deserved a break from talking about her leg, b.o.o.bs, or the death of her boyfriend.

"Pizza will be here in forty minutes." Cage tossed his phone on the sofa and sat next to Lake.

Emily took a seat in the black leather recliner.

"So did the Housby's know where Jillian is?"

"Oh, well ..."

His quick observation as to why she had been roaming their neighborhood caught her off guard.

"Greta was taking a bath and Marvin didn't seem to know anything. I'll check back with her."

"Who's Jillian?" Emily asked, focused on her phone as her thumbs tapped the screen.

"She was my dad's girlfriend. I told you that."

Emily nodded, still not deeming his response worthy of her undivided attention. "I just didn't remember her name. The one who got the mail in her panties and red rain boots?"

Cage grinned, looking at Lake. "Yes."

Lake laughed. She missed Jessica and the thought of her being alive and infiltrating the lives of Cage and his father was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It was obvious Cage and AJ cared about her, but she belonged in San Francisco with Luke and Jones and the entire Jones family.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your evening."

"No. I just picked Emily up from the airport. Her boyfriend is a buddy of mine and his flight into Omaha got delayed, so I picked her up so she didn't have to wait there."

Best news of the night for Lake. Football player fantasy was officially back on.

"You both live in Omaha?"

Emily looked up. "No. I'm from Minneapolis. Eddie and I attend Texas A&M. His family lives here, so we're spending part of our break with his family then we'll spend the second half with my family. I haven't officially met his parents, so I wanted to wait for Eddie before going to his house."

Lake nodded.

"Eddie was my running back last year and my roommate. He was injured in the last game of the season. He's done playing football. Emily wanted to transfer to Texas so he followed her."

"Romantic, huh?" Emily winked at Cage.

"No comment."

"He felt bad you know?" Emily gave Cage a sad smile.

"He should have. My new roommate has a weird obsession with Minecraft."

"No. I'm talking about your dad. Eddie really wanted to be at the funeral, he just couldn't get the travel arrangements made with the busy holiday weekend."

Lake sank back into the couch. Emily had breached a subject that was not up for discussion, at least it hadn't been earlier that day.

"It's fine. The whole thing was kind of a blur. I couldn't even tell you who was or wasn't there. Except-" Cage hopped up when the doorbell rang. He paid for the pizzas then set them on the counter.

"I think there may be a few cans of beer still in the refrigerator and maybe a can or two of c.o.ke. Help yourself, ladies."

Emily grabbed a beer and slice of pizza before planting herself back in the chair, giving her phone more attention.

"We can eat at the dining room table if it's easier."

Lake shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

He grabbed his gla.s.s of water and one of the pizza boxes then motioned toward the dining room. Lake followed, not questioning why they didn't just sit at the small table in the kitchen.

"So you are definitely a pleasant surprise tonight."

Lake felt her skin heat from his compliment that took her by equal surprise.

"Thank you. I haven't been anyone's pleasant surprise in a long time. Probably not since my mom found out she was pregnant with me." She gave him a small smirk. "I wasn't exactly planned. I honestly don't think any of my siblings were either. Our parents just can't seem to keep their hands off each other. Even now, after five kids, they embarra.s.s us with their excessive PDAs."

Cage laughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "What do they do? Are they retired?"

"No. They own a bed and breakfast in T-" She grimaced. "Times Square."

"In Times Square?"

"Uh ... yeah, that's in New York."

"Yeah, I know."

Lake blushed from her own crazy statement.

"I just didn't realize there's a bed and breakfast in Times Square."

There probably wasn't.

"I meant in walking distance." She looked for confirmation on his face that a walking distance bed and breakfast was feasible.

His forehead still held lines of confusion.

"Or driving distance." She nodded. Surely that would pa.s.s as a plausible explanation.

"So basically they have a bed and breakfast within the state of New York?"

No. Tahoe.

"Yes." She nodded again. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit Jones!

"So you must do more than play football. What are you studying?" She needed a subject change, STAT.

"I'm in elementary education."

"Holy s.h.i.t, you're kidding?"

"Um ... nope. I'm not."

"You like kids?"

He chuckled. "I do. I think it's a requirement for my major."

Lake shoved a big bite into her mouth, chewing on it as well as thoughts of the perfect-no, beyond perfect-guy before her. Getting a job was no longer an option. She would go home and spend at least forty hours a week dreaming about Cage Monaghan.

"Girlfriend? Oh G.o.d..." she covered her mouth and finished chewing "...did I say that out loud?"

Cage had a cool persona. He never fumbled his words or acted nervous or awkward. Yet, he wasn't c.o.c.ky. He was the guy that was truly "all that" but had no idea.

"No girlfriend right now. Just casual dating."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Me too." Her nod shifted into a head shake. "Actually, that's a lie. I'm not casually dating or dating at all for that matter."

"Really? I'm surprised."

She returned the "come on, be serious" look. Her, look-at-my-leg-or-lack-there-of speech hung on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed it back down. "I'm a bit of a handful."

Cage laughed, the kind of laugh that felt like the warm sun on a bikini-clad body sprawled out on a beach in Southern California-not that she had done that since the accident. But she still remembered the feeling.

"I kind of gathered that from the two hundred dollars cash in my pocket. Babysitting you pays much better than teaching."

The doorbell rang again. Cage's brow furrowed. "It's too early for Eddie to be here." He excused himself from the table. Guys his age didn't do that. Lake quickly added manners to her He's Perfect list.

"I've posted bail, Sis. Time to go."

She narrowed her eyes a fraction at Luke, just enough that only he would detect her displeasure. "How did you get here? I have the rental car."

"They're called cabs, Lake. There's a ton of them in New York too."

She loved her brother, but that remark earned him her best f.u.c.k-you smile.

"Thanks for dinner." She stood and tossed her napkin on the table.

"Thank Jackson." Cage grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Emily."

"You too."

"I'll have to look up your parents' B&B in Times Square when I'm there next time."

She ignored the look she knew Luke gave her behind her back. "Yes, the one in driving distance of Times Square."

Cage chuckled. Luke did too, but his was condescending.

"Here." She tossed Luke the keys. "Go warm up the car. I'll be out in a minute."

"One minute."

"Go."

"Oh ... have you talked to Dodge and Lilith?" Cage asked.

Luke shook his head. "Who's that?"

"They live in the first unit of the development on the North side. Jillian does some odd jobs for them and watches Lilith several days a week. She has some health issues. She and Jillian are close. Maybe they might know more."

Luke nodded. "Thank you."

After the storm door shut behind Luke, Lake gave Cage her best apologetic look. "So I'd say I'll see ya around or I'll see you later, but I somehow think this is it." She tried to hide her disappointment behind a forced smile.

He stepped out the front door behind her, shoving his hands deep into his jeans pockets. "It's been fun. I needed you today." Cage grinned. "I know that sounds weird, but it's true. I felt pretty s.h.i.tty when I woke up, but now ..." He lifted his shoulders. "Not so s.h.i.tty."

"I've had a s.h.i.tty year, but after today ..." She mirrored his shrug. "Not so s.h.i.tty. Thank you."

He had a s.e.xy smile, the kind that she could feel. "Bye."

Lake nodded. "Bye." She turned, her heart begging with each pounding beat to say something-do something-anything to ease the disappointment of ending the best day of the entire year.

"Give me your phone number," he called.

She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment, wanting to just savor the feeling. Then she turned. "I can't."

Cage deflated. "You can't or you won't?"

"Both. No, really just ... I can't."

"So you're just going to leave me with nothing."

Her mind screamed "screw it." She walked back and grabbed his face with both of her gloved hands, pulling his cheek toward her lips. At the last second he turned and his lips pressed to hers. She wasn't going to kiss him on the lips. He did it. He turned into her kiss. Neither one of them moved. It wasn't a pa.s.sionate, open-mouthed kiss, but it wasn't a peck either. Their lips simply locked, idle like a statue, neither one wanting to end the feeling because it was The. Best. Feeling.

However, life was ... life. Time didn't really ever stand still. And just as quick as it happened, it ended with yet again, the honking of a car horn.

Dammit Jones!