all.”
Which was exactly what she wanted from Leo. It was all they could have. Considering that his memory was returning, she couldn’t risk more. A sharp, dark dart of sadness landed in her heart, but she plucked it out. None of that.
She’d had hot sex with a guy who could be a friend, at best. Probably not even that. Once he remembered what mattered to him more than life—his work—he’d be out of here without a second glance. Back to wheeling and dealing on Wall Street and all of this would be gone.
Jasmine knew that. So when he looked at her like he could see through to her soul, when he stared into her eyes like she was the only thing in his universe, or kissed her like he wanted to eat her alive, she had to remember it.
Right now he was adrift and she was something to hang on to. A life raft. Once he had his memory back, she would be forgotten.
“Well, from the look on your face, I don’t think you believe that.”
Jasmine was shaken again from her thoughts. “I do. You know what I grew up with. What happened. This shouldn’t have happened, but it did. It was good with him. Really good.” She breathed a frustrated sigh. “He can be super sweet, but he’ll go back to that life, and he’ll change. It’s something I want no part of.”
Amanda stopped outside the ice cream store and faced Jasmine. “Don’t you think you’re being unfair? Letting your past color your opinion of him a little too much?”
“No, I don’t.”
Maybe , her conscience whispered.
Amanda wasn’t about to give up, either, apparently.
“You know, my cousin married a financial guy in Boston. I was in the wedding. He’s great. Rock solid. Changes diapers, home every night, and he has to work a lot, but they make it work. I look at what they have, and it’s what I want. It’s what I thought I could have with Tim, but obviously that was a mistake. It doesn’t mean I won’t try again. But maybe Leo truly is good, kind and caring, a good guy, even when he’s at the office. My cousin’s husband would drop anything at any moment for her or the kids.”
Jasmine shook her head, finding it hard to imagine, but not wanting to doubt Amanda or cast aspersions on her cousin.
“Sounds like she found the exception to the rule.”
“You seriously think that?”
“I think it’s not worth the risk finding out.”
Amanda nodded. “That’s a whole different cookie, cookie. But I think if you find a good guy who rocks your world, maybe it’s worth the risk.”
“Not when they risk your world.”
“Okay. We’ll talk more, but for now, there is ice cream to be rescued.” Amanda was perceptive enough to know when it was time to move on.
As they proceeded into Manny’s shop, talk of Leo was left behind. They donned aprons and settled into serving ice cream and eating a bit of it themselves. Others cleaned up the mess left behind by the thugs and painted over the slurs written on the back wall. Jasmine was bolstered by Manny’s boisterous attitude—the older man refused to let the situation get him down.
“Don’t worry, Manny. You’ll be back open in no time,” Jasmine told him with a hug as she dished out Caramel Surprise ice cream to kids lined up at the door. This was going to be particularly hard for Manny. Ice cream, more than the other two businesses, was a summer, seasonal business. His losses were bound to be worse.
“Open? I don’t plan on closing. I just needed to save some of this product that had started to melt overnight. We’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”
Jasmine didn’t hide her surprise. “I didn’t know that. I thought you had to wait for new freezers, the insurance, and the remodel.” She looked up at the busted sign over the store.
Manny shook his head. “No, no. That sign, that is a heartbreak—my father bought that sign, but it’s only a sign. I can get another one. Meryl and Kayla have painted me this new sign, here.” He gestured to the ice-cream-cone mural on the boards
Which was exactly what she wanted from Leo. It was all they could have. Considering that his memory was returning, she couldn’t risk more. A sharp, dark dart of sadness landed in her heart, but she plucked it out. None of that.
She’d had hot sex with a guy who could be a friend, at best. Probably not even that. Once he remembered what mattered to him more than life—his work—he’d be out of here without a second glance. Back to wheeling and dealing on Wall Street and all of this would be gone.
Jasmine knew that. So when he looked at her like he could see through to her soul, when he stared into her eyes like she was the only thing in his universe, or kissed her like he wanted to eat her alive, she had to remember it.
Right now he was adrift and she was something to hang on to. A life raft. Once he had his memory back, she would be forgotten.
“Well, from the look on your face, I don’t think you believe that.”
Jasmine was shaken again from her thoughts. “I do. You know what I grew up with. What happened. This shouldn’t have happened, but it did. It was good with him. Really good.” She breathed a frustrated sigh. “He can be super sweet, but he’ll go back to that life, and he’ll change. It’s something I want no part of.”
Amanda stopped outside the ice cream store and faced Jasmine. “Don’t you think you’re being unfair? Letting your past color your opinion of him a little too much?”
“No, I don’t.”
Maybe , her conscience whispered.
Amanda wasn’t about to give up, either, apparently.
“You know, my cousin married a financial guy in Boston. I was in the wedding. He’s great. Rock solid. Changes diapers, home every night, and he has to work a lot, but they make it work. I look at what they have, and it’s what I want. It’s what I thought I could have with Tim, but obviously that was a mistake. It doesn’t mean I won’t try again. But maybe Leo truly is good, kind and caring, a good guy, even when he’s at the office. My cousin’s husband would drop anything at any moment for her or the kids.”
Jasmine shook her head, finding it hard to imagine, but not wanting to doubt Amanda or cast aspersions on her cousin.
“Sounds like she found the exception to the rule.”
“You seriously think that?”
“I think it’s not worth the risk finding out.”
Amanda nodded. “That’s a whole different cookie, cookie. But I think if you find a good guy who rocks your world, maybe it’s worth the risk.”
“Not when they risk your world.”
“Okay. We’ll talk more, but for now, there is ice cream to be rescued.” Amanda was perceptive enough to know when it was time to move on.
As they proceeded into Manny’s shop, talk of Leo was left behind. They donned aprons and settled into serving ice cream and eating a bit of it themselves. Others cleaned up the mess left behind by the thugs and painted over the slurs written on the back wall. Jasmine was bolstered by Manny’s boisterous attitude—the older man refused to let the situation get him down.
“Don’t worry, Manny. You’ll be back open in no time,” Jasmine told him with a hug as she dished out Caramel Surprise ice cream to kids lined up at the door. This was going to be particularly hard for Manny. Ice cream, more than the other two businesses, was a summer, seasonal business. His losses were bound to be worse.
“Open? I don’t plan on closing. I just needed to save some of this product that had started to melt overnight. We’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”
Jasmine didn’t hide her surprise. “I didn’t know that. I thought you had to wait for new freezers, the insurance, and the remodel.” She looked up at the busted sign over the store.
Manny shook his head. “No, no. That sign, that is a heartbreak—my father bought that sign, but it’s only a sign. I can get another one. Meryl and Kayla have painted me this new sign, here.” He gestured to the ice-cream-cone mural on the boards
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