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“I’m going to ask her out.”

Bald. But maybe more effective?

Jimmy’s brows arched. “It’s a free country, I can’t stop you. Lord knows, I can’t stop Andi. But are you sure you can date when you’re on the same jury? Aren’t there you know, rules?”

I was so relieved that he seemed okay with it, the second part of his answer took a moment to sink in.

Shit.

I had no idea.

Pushing the problem away momentarily, I focused on Jimmy.

“You’d be okay with it? Last time we talked, you warned me off.”

His nonchalant shoulder raise had me narrowing my eyes. “I warn everyone off. If that’s all it takes, she’s not the woman for you. Anyone who wants to date my sister has to be strong. If you can’t make it through li’l old me, you don’t have a chance with her.”

Huh.

This wasn’t the Jimmy I remembered. He’d been more intense in high school. Nothing in the way he talked about Andi when we hung out since then made me believe he’d relaxed when it came to his sister. I searched his face, wondering what had changed. His eyes tracked something, no,someoneapproaching from across the room before his gaze met mine.

“If you’re brave enough to go after what you want, put it out there, then maybe there’s hope for you yet, Sheldon.”

“You’ve changed,” I accused, watching the warmth bloom in his expression as Melena reached our table.

“You bet I have,” he claimed cheerfully as he grinned at his wife. “Life is precious. Don’t waste it.”

I shook myself, hearing his words echo over and over. Had I wasted another opportunity with Andi, worried about Jimmy? Letting small roadblocks keep me from moving forward instead of going after what I wanted? What did that say about me?

An image of Jess and Dean bloomed in my mind, arms thrown around each other as they explained that she was breaking off her engagement to me for my teammate.

Right.

Losing the woman you thought you were going to marry in the most public and humiliating way possible would make anyone shy.

Remembered heat from kissing Andi rushed through me, washing away the shame of being dumped. Jess was the past. If I missed this opportunity with Andi, I’d have no one but myself to blame for my future. And that really would be a shame.

With new determination, I glanced between Jimmy and Melena, snuggled up in the booth.

“Thanks for the pep talk, Jimmy.”

His dancing eyes should have warned me.

“Oh, I’ll be cheering for you. It’s Andi who might have issues with this free kick conversation. You’d better make it count.”

***

The next day’s testimony droned on. It was difficult to focus with Andi sitting close.

Our kiss and Jimmy’s metaphor kept winding through my mind.

How to make my shot count? Would Andi block any attempts to take our relationship to the next beyond friendly rivals?

I glanced toward Ramon, seated at the back of the courtroom, ready to lead us away for lunch. I’d scoured the internet looking for rules on juror relationships and couldn’t find much. Jeopardizing the time and effort everyone had put into the last week of the trial seemed wrong. Getting answers before I picked my approach seemed the wisest course, but wisdom and lusting after Andi didn’t exactly go together.

She’d been giving me the cold shoulder all morning. I’d tried to make small talk before we were called into court, and she’d kept her impassive mask in place. No sign of the real Andi I knew on display, just the professional shellac used to keep people at arms’ length. The woman who’d kissed me passionately in the hall at Haven had disappeared. I worried that in my hesitation the night before, I’d already lost. Had waiting to talk with Jimmy killed my last chance? I’d already squandered one the night she’d approached me.

Were we all bad timing and doubts?