Page 36 of The Broken Road (Broken Love 4)

“He is rich,” Jake says, his eyes practically boring into me.

“Shame on you, Jake Ryan. There’s more to life than money. My Katie knows that.”

“Sorry, Miss Hazel,” he responds, but he doesn’t exactly sound contrite.

I smile at her—despite being pissed at Jake for assuming I’d even try to talk to Wiz or go out with him. He’s a thirty-year-old-man who acts like he’s still a teenager and is constantly cracking jokes—very few that are funny. He’s always flirting with any woman he comes across and usually uses the same lines on all ofthem. His laugh is annoying. It’s like fingernails being dragged down a chalkboard.

“I’ll fix your sink,” Jake volunteers, but I’m already shaking my head no.

“She wants to know how to fix it herself,” Reed answers before I get the chance to.

“Then, what are you doing down there?”

“I was offering to help—”

“By suggesting I hire a creep,” I interject, lips twitching when Reed scowls at me.

“To be fair, I didn’t know he was a creep,” Reed mutters.

“I’ll help Katie.”

“Katie doesn’t need help. I’m going to learn to do this on my own.”

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, how are you going to fix it?” Jake asks, trying to be logical but mostly irritating me.

“She’s been watching videos,” Mom provides helpfully.

Jake grins, and I have a moment where I’m left wondering how I ever thought that grin was sexy. Right now, it’s damn annoying.

“What if I teach you how to do it?”

“You and Lennon need to go out and have dinner,” I remind him stubbornly.

“Hey, Lennon?”

“Yeah, Jake?”

“What do you think about having pizza here with everyone instead of going out?”

“Cool!”

Jake looks at me and grins.

“Smooth,” I grumble.

“I try. Reed? You and Callie want to order pizza for everyone?”

“You got it,” Reed says, getting up and walking away.

I can hear him and Callie getting a pizza order together with Mom and Lennon, and I shake my head at Jake. “You think you’re smooth, don’t you?”

“Sometimes. You ready to learn how to fix a water leak?”

I sigh. “Wouldn’t you rather go out with Lennon alone?”

“Oddly enough, no. I’m right where I want to be, and Lennon is, too. He missed you.”

“I missed him, too. Though, he seems happy enough. I didn’t even get a hug.”