back to the B&B and open the champagne,” Chaz said before leading Kenzi back down the aisle.
“I’m always up for champagne.” Joey’s phone was already in his hands.
Walking beside him, Jasmine whispered, “You are such a romantic.”
“I do my best.”
Chapter One
Two days later, thunder exploded above the Quay House Bed and Breakfast, rattling the windows. Jasmine jolted so hard she fell against Joey on the edge of his bed.
“Hey, watch it. You almost made me drop my phone.” Joey leaned into her, pushing her upright.
“As if I did it on purpose!”
Thunder crashed again and the lights flickered. She walked to the window, holding out her phone. “Come on, there has to be a signal somewhere. Do you have service?”
“No. Not on my phone or my tablet.”
“Perfect. How do we check in for our flight?” Jasmine had enjoyed the last week, but she was ready to go home. “We should have left yesterday with Chaz and Kenzi.”
“That would have defeated the purpose of Chaz and me not being seen together, to cut down on the paparazzi.”
“Seriously, who doesn’t recognize him?”
Joey raised one of those dark, expressive eyebrows at her. His deep brown eyes hinted at laughter behind that deadpan face.
She realized what she’d implied by leaving Joey out of her question. “Sorry. Who doesn’t recognize either of you?”
He laughed like he’d been teasing her. “I don’t have half the problems he does when traveling. Thank God.”
Sitting beside him on the bed again, she checked her phone once more for a signal. “So what do we do? Just go to the airport and check in there?”
“You crack me up.” Joey stretched and then rubbed his neck. “I never know if you’re for real or not. Yes, people who don’t have Internet have to check in in person.”
“We’ll have to leave early.” She looked at the time. “In an hour? We’ll need to add extra time for traffic in the rain, plus checking in.”
“Sounds about right. I’m all packed, so we can go whenever you’re ready.”
She gave him a blank look. “Of course you are. And you’re probably expecting me to run back to my room in a panic and throw everything in my suitcases. I’ll have you know I’m ready, too.”
“Then let’s hit the road.”
Walking out of his room as casually as she could, she shut the door behind her and rushed to her room. She was mostly packed. She hadn’t decided which pair of shoes she’d rather sacrifice to puddle jumping. Her runners would have to do.
Most of her makeup was already in the makeup case. Rolling the cord of the flat iron, she tossed it in, too. After a quick scan of the room, she grabbed her purse and suitcases and went downstairs.
Joey waited at the foot of the steps.
Marny O’Neal, the owner, joined them in the entry. “So you’ll be leaving, now?”
“Yes. We’re getting a head start because of the weather.” Joey shouldered the strap of his carry-on bag.
“You take care. The roads will be bad.”
“Thanks, we will.” Before following Joey out the door, Jasmine pulled up her hood.
The front of the B&B sparkled with colorful Christmas lights, and garlands of greenery draped the porch railing. If it weren’t for the downpour, she might be in the Christmas spirit.
Joey threw his bag in the trunk and left it open for her while he climbed behind the driver’s seat. After slamming the trunk closed, she jumped into the passenger side. “I hope the car rental company doesn’t charge us extra for water damage on the seats.”
Joey grunted. He drove silently, only the swishing of the wiper blades filling the car.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and tried again to get a signal. No luck. She had two or three hours ahead of her on the road with a guy sitting in his cone of silence, and no service on the phone to keep her entertained. Good thing she kept a good selection of books downloaded. Leaning back, she opened that app.
~*~
Joey followed the arrows
“I’m always up for champagne.” Joey’s phone was already in his hands.
Walking beside him, Jasmine whispered, “You are such a romantic.”
“I do my best.”
Chapter One
Two days later, thunder exploded above the Quay House Bed and Breakfast, rattling the windows. Jasmine jolted so hard she fell against Joey on the edge of his bed.
“Hey, watch it. You almost made me drop my phone.” Joey leaned into her, pushing her upright.
“As if I did it on purpose!”
Thunder crashed again and the lights flickered. She walked to the window, holding out her phone. “Come on, there has to be a signal somewhere. Do you have service?”
“No. Not on my phone or my tablet.”
“Perfect. How do we check in for our flight?” Jasmine had enjoyed the last week, but she was ready to go home. “We should have left yesterday with Chaz and Kenzi.”
“That would have defeated the purpose of Chaz and me not being seen together, to cut down on the paparazzi.”
“Seriously, who doesn’t recognize him?”
Joey raised one of those dark, expressive eyebrows at her. His deep brown eyes hinted at laughter behind that deadpan face.
She realized what she’d implied by leaving Joey out of her question. “Sorry. Who doesn’t recognize either of you?”
He laughed like he’d been teasing her. “I don’t have half the problems he does when traveling. Thank God.”
Sitting beside him on the bed again, she checked her phone once more for a signal. “So what do we do? Just go to the airport and check in there?”
“You crack me up.” Joey stretched and then rubbed his neck. “I never know if you’re for real or not. Yes, people who don’t have Internet have to check in in person.”
“We’ll have to leave early.” She looked at the time. “In an hour? We’ll need to add extra time for traffic in the rain, plus checking in.”
“Sounds about right. I’m all packed, so we can go whenever you’re ready.”
She gave him a blank look. “Of course you are. And you’re probably expecting me to run back to my room in a panic and throw everything in my suitcases. I’ll have you know I’m ready, too.”
“Then let’s hit the road.”
Walking out of his room as casually as she could, she shut the door behind her and rushed to her room. She was mostly packed. She hadn’t decided which pair of shoes she’d rather sacrifice to puddle jumping. Her runners would have to do.
Most of her makeup was already in the makeup case. Rolling the cord of the flat iron, she tossed it in, too. After a quick scan of the room, she grabbed her purse and suitcases and went downstairs.
Joey waited at the foot of the steps.
Marny O’Neal, the owner, joined them in the entry. “So you’ll be leaving, now?”
“Yes. We’re getting a head start because of the weather.” Joey shouldered the strap of his carry-on bag.
“You take care. The roads will be bad.”
“Thanks, we will.” Before following Joey out the door, Jasmine pulled up her hood.
The front of the B&B sparkled with colorful Christmas lights, and garlands of greenery draped the porch railing. If it weren’t for the downpour, she might be in the Christmas spirit.
Joey threw his bag in the trunk and left it open for her while he climbed behind the driver’s seat. After slamming the trunk closed, she jumped into the passenger side. “I hope the car rental company doesn’t charge us extra for water damage on the seats.”
Joey grunted. He drove silently, only the swishing of the wiper blades filling the car.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and tried again to get a signal. No luck. She had two or three hours ahead of her on the road with a guy sitting in his cone of silence, and no service on the phone to keep her entertained. Good thing she kept a good selection of books downloaded. Leaning back, she opened that app.
~*~
Joey followed the arrows
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