What kind of boyfriend would let his girlfriend face a challenge on her own? It suddenly seemed ridiculous, so he grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter and rushed out the door. He figured he could still catch her before she left her condo and drive her to her parents himself.
Instead, he hit every red light and was disappointed to see her car wasn’t out in front of her condo. He jogged to the door anyway, hoping Christa would be home.
Christa opened the door, her expression confused. “Libby isn’t here.”
“I know. She’s having dinner with her parents. I should have gone with her. Do you have their address?”
Christa’s mouth fell open and then she closed it. “You think that’s a good idea? I’ve met her parents. They’re not very…”
He nodded. “I know. I’m aware. But I’m the one who insisted she tell them about me. I should have gone with her.”
Christa licked her lips. “I agree, and that’s incredibly nice of you. I’ll go grab the address. Come on in.”
She spun around and headed for the kitchen area as Jason stepped inside.
A minute later she returned, holding out a piece of paper. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Libby. She’s head over heels for you.” She handed him the address. “If you have any brothers or friends who are as doting as you are, give them my number.” Her pale cheeks turned red and she glanced away after she spoke, embarrassed.
“I do in fact. Not brothers, but friends. If you don’t mind, I’ll give my friend Mack your number.”
She pursed her lips and nodded, her face turning redder. Finally, she smiled at him. “Go. Hunt down Libby and show her how much you care.”
“Thank you.” He turned and rushed back to his SUV at a jog.
His hands were shaking as he fumbled with the door and then headed toward the address on the paper. He could have used the GPS tracker on her phone to locate her, but she’d be moving right now. He didn’t want to wait until she arrived to leave her condo.
When he pulled up to the house ten minutes later, he didn’t see Libby’s car. He checked the house number again and then decided to go to the door. The worst thing that could happen was he would find out he was at the wrong place.
He could hear several voices inside when he knocked on the door, and a few moments later a woman who looked exactly like an older version of Libby answered. “Can I help you?” she asked curtly.
“Are you Mrs. Garcia? Libby’s mom?”
She straightened her shoulders, rising to her full height of barely five feet in the same way he’d seen Libby do many times. “I am. Who are you?”
“I’m…a friend of Libby’s. I thought she was here. Is she not?”
Maria Garcia shook her head, a smile forming on her lips. “No. She’s on a date. They went to Don Juan’s, the Mexican restaurant a few blocks south of here.”
Jason stared at Maria for several seconds. “A date?”
“Yes, of course. Javier is a lovely man. Just moved here. She took him to dinner and then she’s going to show him around the area. I wouldn’t expect them back until late.” She looked so proud of herself for divulging her daughter’s whereabouts. In great detail.
Maybe she sensed that Jason was interested in her daughter and thought she could steer him away with her information.
Maybe she was right.
Jason nodded slowly, dumbfounded. “Thank you.” He turned around and headed back toward his SUV, reminding himself it was possible Mrs. Garcia had exaggerated the story.
Jason settled in his seat, slowly pulled his seatbelt on, and then stared out the windshield. Was it possible Libby was seriously on a date with some guy named Javier? Had she been dating her mother’s preferential men all this time on the side?
He shook that last part out of his head. There was no way Libby was courting multiple men. She didn’t have time. She was with Jason nearly every night she wasn’t working. Unless she was also lying about even having a job as a flight attendant, she couldn’t be seeing other people.
But what about tonight? Who the hell is Javier?
There was only one way to find out.
Jason opened his phone and used the app to locate Libby. Sure enough, Libby was indeed at Don Juan’s. Jason started the engine, and pulled away from the house. It took less than three minutes to reach the restaurant, and Jason immediately spotted Libby’s Honda in the parking lot. At least that part was true. She was undoubtedly eating at Don Juan’s.
Jason’s heart pounded as he stepped down from his car and headed for the entrance. The place was crowded. Not surprising. As he pushed through the front door, he reminded himself to calm down. He scanned the restaurant and immediately found her.
Libby. His Libby. The woman he’d fallen in love with in less than a month. The woman who was everything he’d ever wanted in a partner. The spunky woman who managed everything on her own to prove she could do anything she set her mind to. The one who turned that power over to him as soon as he shut the bedroom door.
She looked as gorgeous as ever, and she was smiling genuinely at the man across from her.
For a minute, Jason simply stood there staring, unsure how the hell he wanted to proceed.
And then Libby’s face turned his way. The moment she spotted him, her expression fell and she jumped to her feet.
Jason glanced from her shocked expression to her date and back. He didn’t need an explanation. He could see perfectly well with his own eyes that indeed Libby had gone out with another man while she was supposed to be at her parents’ house telling them she had a boyfriend.
He turned around and
