by Deanna Chase
He frowned and shook his head. What was he thinking? He wasn’t a part of their family. None of them would learn to count on him in a crisis. The only reason he was taking them to the healer at the moment was because he’d texted at just the right time. Sadness washed over him, and he wasn’t sure why. All he knew was in the moment, he liked that he felt needed.
Healer Gerry was waiting for them when they got to the clinic. She took Daisy and Yvette back into one of the patient rooms without even having them fill out any paperwork. Jacob took a seat and waited.
Forty-five minutes later, Yvette and Daisy reappeared. The little girl had stitches over her left eye and an angry discoloration that looked like it was going to be one heck of an impressive bruise.
“Jacob?” Yvette said. “You didn’t have to wait for us.”
He stood and set the magazine he’d been skimming aside. “Sure I did. I wasn’t going to let you two walk home.”
She gave him a grateful smile and took Daisy’s hand in hers. “Okay, thanks. We’re ready. We just need to stop and get a potion from Charming Herbals to help Daisy control the headache. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
After Yvette settled the bill with the healer, Jacob chauffeured them around and then took them back to the inn. Noel met them outside and wrapped her arms around Daisy, fussing and cooing and apologizing for not being there.
“Aunt Vette and Uncle Jacob took good care of me,” Daisy said, putting on her brave face.
Jacob met Yvette’s amused gaze. She shrugged as if to say, what can you do?
“They did, huh?” Noel tucked a lock of Daisy’s hair behind one ear. “That’s good. They must love you a lot.”
Daisy nodded and said, “Can I go inside now? My head still hurts.”
“Of course, baby,” Noel said and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “Go on and get into bed. I’ll be right in.”
Daisy disappeared through the backdoor of the inn’s residence. As soon as the door closed, Noel wrapped her arms around Yvette. “Thank you so much for taking care of her. If she’d had to wait for me—”
“But she didn’t,” Yvette said. “And she’s going to be fine. Gerry said to follow up with her about watching for a concussion and how to care for the stitches.”
“Oh, goddess. A concussion?” Noel asked.
“Gerry said she doesn’t think Daisy has one, but she wants you to watch for symptoms just in case.” Yvette handed her the bag she was still holding. “This is the headache potion. Gerry said for her to take it with a bit of food as needed.”
“Okay.” Noel nodded and wiped a lone tear from her cheek. “Sorry, I was just so worried when the school called and said she hit her head. It killed me to not be there.”
“I know,” Yvette said. “Call me later and let me know how she’s doing, okay?”
“I will.” Noel turned to Jacob. “Thank you for all your help. That was very kind of you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, trying not to feel like he’d intruded on a family moment.
Noel took a step closer and flung her arms around him, too. She hugged him tightly and said, “You’re good people, Jacob Burton. I think we’re lucky to have you here in Keating Hollow.”
He pulled back and gave her an awkward smile, not at all sure what to say.
“Daisy’s waiting for you,” Yvette said. “Go in and we’ll get out of your hair.”
“Right.” She waved and then hustled back into her house.
Jacob and Yvette were just getting in the truck when an SUV with the words Keating Hollow Sheriff’s Department scrawled across the doors pulled in right beside them. Drew jumped out and ran into the house. Jacob heard him call, “Daisy!” just before the door slammed shut.
“He’s really fallen for that little girl, hasn’t he?” Jacob asked Yvette.
“No doubt. She’s an easy child to love,” Yvette said. “She’s head over heels for him, too. My heart nearly explodes when I see the three of them together. Noel had such a hard time after her first husband left. It took her a while to let Drew in, but thank goodness she did. They’re perfect for each other.”
“They look like it,” Jacob said, recalling seeing them together at Clay and Abby’s wedding. The obvious love between them had been almost nauseating to the man who’d sworn off women. But now when he saw them together, he found himself longing for that kind of passion. It wasn’t something he’d ever had with Sienna. And now he was starting to wonder why he’d ever thought they were right for each other.
“I’m starving. Do you want to have some lunch?” Yvette asked him.
Her question startled him, but he recovered quickly and said, “Sure. Lunch would be great. Where do you want to go? Woodlines?”
She shook her head and pointed to her shirt. There were bloodstains from where Daisy had clutched her. “I need to change before we go back to the store. I figured we’d get lunch there. I have some leftover pasta I can heat up.”
“You got it.” Nervous energy filled Jacob as he pulled into her driveway five minutes later. The last time he’d been alone with her inside of her house, they’d spent the night together. He’d barely known her then and hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her. What was going to happen now that he was pretty sure he was half in love with her?
Yvette led the way into her home. The living room was decorated with a white couch and matching armchairs. Turquoise washed wood furniture brightened the room and made it look like something you’d see in a beach town. Funny, he hadn’t noticed the last time.
She waved for him to sit at the bar in the kitchen and went to work on reheating their lunch.
But instead of sitting, he rummaged through her fridge and found a bottle of white wine. Without asking, he poured her a glass and handed it to her. “You look like you could use a drink.”
She took the glass and let out a small laugh. “Do I look that bad?”
“No,” he said, giving her a small smile. “You look beautiful. It’s your eyes that are giving you away. What’s wrong, Yvette?”
Tears instantly filled her pretty brown eyes and she shook her head.
Oh damn, he thought and instinctively moved to wrap his arms around her. “What is it, Yvette? Whatever it is, I’m here.”
“I just… I don’t know.” The tears spilled down her cheeks and she pulled away from him, wiping angrily at her face. “It’s stupid.”
“I doubt that,” he said, wishing he could do something, anything, to take her pain away. “Were you scared for Daisy?”
“Of course, but that’s not…” She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe it is why I’m upset. My adrenaline was running pretty high there for a while, and now my emotions are all over the place.”
“She’s okay, you know,” he said, wanting to pull her back into his arms, but he gave her the space she obviously needed and leaned against the counter.
“Yeah, I know. I just…” She closed her eyes. “I love that little girl so much.” Her eyes opened, and she met his gaze unflinchingly when she said, “I told Isaac almost a year ago that I was ready to start a family.”
“What did he say?” Jacob could see the longing all over her face now, and it wasn’t hard to figure out that taking care of her niece had brought her own broken dreams into focus.
She snorted. “That he wasn’t ready. He wanted to wait a year or two to have more time for just us before we started having kids. I guess the truth was he wanted more time with Jake before he was bogged down with baby duty.”
“Or he knew he was living a lie and didn’t have the courage to face it yet,” Jacob said.
Her face crumpled, and the tears came harder. “Don’t defend him, Jacob.”
He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stand there doing nothing while she was in such pain. “I’m not defending him. Not at all. Come here,” he said, holding his arms open again.
Without hesitation, she walked into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry
.”
“For what?” He stroked her back.
“For breaking down on you like this.” She sniffed. “I know this must be a nightmare situation, being forced to listen to me complain about how I’d hoped to be a mother by now.”
“It’s not a nightmare,” he said, truly meaning it. The realization surprised him, but he wanted to be there. Wanted to be the one she leaned on. He thought of Sienna and the baby girl he hadn’t yet met. Would he have been so willing to start a family if she’d asked?
Yes.
The answer was instantaneous. He’d always wanted kids, wanted a family of his own. He couldn’t imagine telling her no. But then he’d never told her no to anything else either. “I get it, Yvette. I had dreams too, before Sienna left.”
“You want kids?” she asked, her eyes dry now.
“Always have.” He stared down at her, everything inside of him aching to kiss her. There was no denying the attraction between them. That had been instantaneous. But there was also something else, a connection that made them understand each other, a connection he’d never felt before and knew was extremely rare. He couldn’t let that go, could he? If they were so perfect for each other, they’d find a way to make their circumstances work somehow, right? Before he could stop himself, he tilted his head down and brushed his lips over hers.
She hesitated as if she wasn’t sure she should be kissing him, but then her fingers curled into his shirt and she opened to him.
He tightened his hold on her and gave himself over to the emotion consuming him. They stood locked together, kissing, tasting, teasing for a long time, until finally, Yvette pulled back and smiled up at him.
“Well, that was certainly unexpected,” she said.
“I like surprises,” he said, lightly trailing his fingertips over her cheek. “Was it okay I did that?”
She chuckled softly. “I think I’d be lying if I said no.”
“Good.” He bent his head again and stole another kiss, not wanting the moment to end.
She melted into him, sinking into the kiss with a sigh, but just when he was ready to take things further, she placed her hand against his chest and pressed lightly. “I think lunch is ready.”
“I’m not hungry,” he said, staring at her lips.
She laughed. “Maybe not, but I am.” Yvette stepped back and pulled a casserole dish from the oven. The scent of garlic filled the air and his stomach rumbled. She glanced over her shoulder. “What was that you were saying about not being hungry?”
“I wasn’t when I had you in my arms. But now that you’ve left me high and dry, it appears I could eat.”
Yvette rolled her eyes and placed two plates of pasta on the kitchen bar. “We’re gonna need a refill on the wine.”
He obliged and after she was seated, he joined her. As they dug into the fettuccini alfredo, peace settled over Jacob, and he decided that if he could do this with her for the rest of his life, he was certain he’d die a contented and happy man.
Chapter Twenty
Yvette floated into work on Friday morning. After lunch the day before, despite the garlic, she and Jacob had engaged in an epic make-out session. And while they’d been together before, she hadn’t been ready to invite him into her bed just yet. This time was different. She had a whole lot of emotions swirling around, and she wanted to be sure they weren’t just caught up in the moment.
When she’d told Jacob she wanted to wait, she’d expected him to protest, but to her surprise, he’d wholeheartedly agreed and kissed her one last time before reluctantly saying goodbye. Then he’d surprised her by picking up her bike from the school and delivering it to her garage. She hadn’t even known he’d done it until he’d texted later to let her know where to find it.
Her heart had melted right on the spot.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” Jacob said.
She turned and found him at the café bar, making a latte. “Do you think you can make one of those for me?”
“I’m already on it.” He poured the steamed milk into two different cups and then handed her one. After doctoring his with a bit of sugar, he secured the top and moved out from behind the counter to stand next to her. “Do you have plans for lunch today?”
“Not that I know of. Why, what did you have in mind?” Her mind immediately flashed back to the day before, and heat crawled up her neck.
“Are you blushing?” he asked, eyeing her. “Yes, I think you are. Are you having impure thoughts, Ms. Townsend?”
“I was, um, just thinking about yesterday’s lunch and wondering if that’s what you were getting at.”
He chuckled then frowned. “Unfortunately, no. There’s something I need to talk to you about. I was hoping we could go somewhere less… tempting.”
“I see. Now I’m intrigued,” she said, dying to know what it was he wanted to say. Did he want to take their relationship to the next level now that he’d had time to get over his meeting with Sienna? Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about it. Even though she’d told herself numerous times to not get involved with him, she knew that she was kidding herself. She could no more resist him than she could a piece of flourless chocolate cake.
He ignored her comment and said, “Woodlines at one?”
“Sure. As long as Brinn is here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I’ll be here,” Brinn called from the checkout counter. “I’ll take my lunch early.”
“It’s a date then,” Jacob said and raised his latte in a mock toast. “Until then, you can find me in my office unpacking the latest shipment.”
Yvette watched him leave. His shoulders were hunched over, and she could’ve sworn she heard him muttering something to himself. Something was wrong. She could feel it. And it was then she knew that whatever he wanted to talk about at lunch was something she didn’t want to hear.
At a quarter to one, Yvette dragged herself out of her office and met Jacob at the front of the store.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded and followed him out onto the sidewalk. A foreboding had settled over her, and with each step, she had to fight to keep from turning around and running back into the bookstore. But then he placed his hand on the small of her back, and she started to relax. The familiarity calmed her.
Yvette smiled up at him. “Did you finish checking in the new inventory?”
“Yep. Everything is arranged by author and genre.”
“Good. I’ll start stocking when we get back,” she said.
“Oh, I should’ve told you sooner, but I’m going to have to take off after lunch. I have a friend coming into town for the weekend that I have to meet.” His tone was wooden, and he sounded strange.
“Jacob? Are you all right?” she asked.
He glanced down at her. “Sure. Why?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. You just didn’t sound like yourself.”
Jacob didn’t respond, and her stomach clenched, that worry settling over her again. She told herself she’d wait until after lunch to ask him anymore questions. It was certainly possible he was just nervous about whatever it was he needed to say.
The restaurant wasn’t all that busy, and they were seated right away.
“Wine?” Jacob asked.
“Sure.” She really wasn’t in the mood for wine, but she wanted to be prepared in case the talk went as badly as she feared.
The waiter took their orders. Yvette went with a salmon salad, and Jacob chose the crab cakes. Neither of them said a word until after the waiter brought their wine.
“Thank you,” Jacob said to Wyatt and then picked up his glass and downed nearly half of it.
Yvette couldn’t take it anymore and leaned forward, her elbows on the table. “Whatever it is you have to say, I think you better just tell me.”
“You’re right. I—” His gaze suddenly locked on something over her shoulder as his mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide.
“What is it, Jacob?” she asked, glancing behind her
. All she saw was a woman with long dark hair wearing a black dress that showed off every one of her perfect curves. And in her arms was a sweet baby girl with a mass of curly dark hair. She was dressed in a red wool jacket, black pants, and the most adorable little Mary Jane shoes. “Holy cow, that baby is cute.”
Yvette turned her attention back to Jacob only to find he was out of his chair, his eyes still locked on the woman. “Jacob, what’s going on?”
He glanced down at her, his mouth working but no sound coming out.
“There you are!” the woman said and strode over to Jacob. “I thought we’d never find you.”
Jacob stared awestruck at the child.
“Do you want to hold her?” the woman asked him, her lips curving into an adoring smile as she turned her attention to the child.
“Yes,” Jacob breathed.
The woman stroked the child’s hair and whispered, “Okay, Skye, it’s time to go to Daddy.”
Daddy? Had this woman just indicated that Jacob was the child’s father?
Jacob, who appeared to have forgotten that Yvette was even still in the restaurant, held out his hands and took the little girl in his arms. She snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes.
“We tried to find your place, but I couldn’t remember the road,” the woman was saying to him. “So I checked out that little bookstore… real quaint, Jacob. I can see why your father thinks you’ll be back at Bayside Books within the year. Not much of a challenge, huh?”
Yvette, fuming at the woman’s dismissal of her store, stood and stretched out her hand. “Hello, I’m Yvette Townsend, Jacob’s business partner.”
“Hello. I guess you figured out who I am,” the woman said as she nodded to her child. “It was a long trip from L.A., but I promised Jacob we’d come up so we could spend the weekend together. He and Skye have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Sienna,” Jacob said, finally finding his voice. “Do you mind giving us just a minute?” He still had the child in his arms and was stroking her back as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Well, I don’t—” Sienna started.