Plain Jane's Plan by Kara Lennox

Author:Kara Lennox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Jeff felt as if some alien being had invaded his body. First he’d attacked his brother, and now he wanted to make some major sort of declaration to Allison, to lay claim to her like some caveman.

Come to think of it, dragging her away to his cave didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

She stood there staring at him, expecting him to say something. To choose.

“You don’t have to look like a deer in the sights of a rifle,” she said. “I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m not even asking for undying devotion. Shoot, I’m not sure I even want to go steady with you,” she said on a laugh.

“Then what?”

“I can tell you what I don’t want. I don’t want to be just friends. Maybe we never should have made love. Maybe we shouldn’t have crossed that line. But we did, and I can’t go backward.”

“I know. I feel the same way. But, Allie, I am your friend, and because I care about you, I don’t want you to date a guy like me. I wouldn’t be good for you.”

“Why not? Anyway,” she added wryly, “after tonight, who else in Cottonwood would dare even ask me out?”

“I’m not good boyfriend material. It’s that commitment thing.”

“Did I ask for a commitment? Truth is, I’m in no position to make a commitment, either. Does this have to be so complicated? Can’t we just…be together? For as long as it works for both of us?”

Jeff should have been jumping for joy. It’s what he always wanted in a relationship—no strings attached. When it was over, he walked away, guilt-free, knowing he wasn’t breaking any promises.

But this was Allison. “You’d settle for that?”

“It’s not settling. It’s exactly what I want. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

“Always?” That reminded Jeff of something he wanted to get cleared up. “I’ve heard from two different people recently that you’ve been carrying some sort of torch for me. For a long time, I mean. That’s not true, is it?”

She laughed. “Only since seventh grade.”

Jeff felt as if he’d been hit in the head with a sack of cement. “How come I never knew?”

“I took great pains to make sure you never knew. Apparently, I wasn’t as good an actress as I thought. Other people figured it out.”

“But why not me? Am I blind and deaf?”

She made a great show of pondering that question. “Ummmm…that would be a yes.”

“Allison, why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I did! I asked you to the Christmas dance at the country club, and your eyes bugged out like you were horrified and you turned me down flat.”

He stared blankly at her. “You never asked me to any dance.”

“I did so. In seventh grade.”

“Seventh grade! Allison, for God’s sake, in seventh grade I hadn’t even discovered girls. I was still interested in digging up worms. Suggesting I attend a country club dance was tantamount to inviting me to hell.”

“Oh, never mind the stupid dance. I’ve never said anything to you in more recent times because I knew you would reject me, and no girl wants to set herself up for that.

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