Free You're Not Broken by Gemma Hart Page A

Jason’s lips twitched. My god, how could a lip twitch look so sexy? Kat covertly pinched her thigh under her apron. Get a grip! she chastised herself. Remember who that man is.
     
    And Kat remembered. He was the man who had let her go.
     
                  “How about some coffee then?” Jason asked, never breaking his gaze with Kat.
     
                  Janelle moved for the coffee pot when Malcolm suddenly spat out, “We don’t have any coffee!”
     
                  Janelle, Jason, and Kat both eyed the completely full coffee pot, standing piping hot on its hot plate.
     
                  Malcolm made a grumbling noise. “No mugs,” he said petulantly.
     
                  “Malcolm, stop,” Kat said in a voice that brooked no argument. She pulled out a thick mug and poured Jason a cup of coffee.
     
                  A noise of annoyance and frustration was heard through the window as Malcolm returned to his grill, smacking his spatula unnecessarily hard onto the grill.
     
                  As Kat put the mug in front of Jason, she left a track of flour on the countertop. “Sorry about that,” she said as she took a washcloth to wipe away the flour but wasn’t very successful since her hands were covered in flour.
     
                  Jason took a sip of his coffee. “Seeing all that flour makes me think of your blueberry pie,” he said in a low voice that brought back too many memories for Kat. “I’d love a slice.”
     
                  Kat looked up at him. This was the same man that had ignored her letters and had roughly pulled her out from a biker bar, telling her casually that her only hope for survival was dead. She couldn’t let her heart falter.
     
                  And yet….
     
                  “We don’t have any blueberry today,” she said. “But I have lemon meringue, if you still want pie.”
     
                  Jason nodded, a small smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “That sounds perfect.”
     
                  Janelle jumped past them. “I’ll get it!” she said cheerily as she hopped off to fetch the pie.
     
                  A beat passed between them.
     
                  “What are you doing here?” Kat blurted suddenly. This was a long way from Fayetteville. And after so much time had passed.
     
                  “If I recall, you had asked that I come back to Peytonville someday,” he said, his gaze never wavering.
     
                  Kat felt a sudden shyness and surprise at the mention of her letters. Yes, she had asked him to come back one day. But she had asked him that two years ago. She had asked him before he had decided to forget her.
     
                  “So is that what you’re doing? Here for a visit?” she asked, trying to infuse her voice with as much casualness as possible.
     
                  Janelle returned and placed the pie in front of Jason. He took a huge forkful and then closed his eyes as he gave a low hum of pleasure. “It’s hard to believe anything could taste as good as your blueberry pie but this sure does come close,” he said, taking another heaping bite.
     
                  Kat tried to ignore the pleasure she felt at his words. She always loved seeing people enjoy her baking.
     
                  After finishing the entire slice, Jason sat back and took another sip of his coffee. “I’m here for more than a visit,” he finally answered. “I’m looking for some work.” He paused, his coffee cup nearly to his lips, his eyes pinned on Kat. “And maybe a home.”
     
                  Kat swallowed. Was the man purposely trying to seduce her? She could feel the heat of him from all the way over the counter.
     
                  “Well,” she said, tossing her