“No problem, Anna. Just give them my thanks, please,” Jake said walking out to his truck, holding her hand. “I had a lot of fun today and I enjoyed what Pastor Douglas shared this morning about forgiveness. I may come join you another Sunday if that would be acceptable?”
Anna smiled. And here she thought the pastor had preached about guilt. She’d have to go read the verses he mentioned. “I’d love to have you join us again, Jake. It was really nice to have you at church this morning and I so enjoyed this afternoon. I hope we can do it again sometime soon.”
“Me, too, Sugar,” Jake said with a teasing grin. He kissed her nose, climbed in his truck and left with a wave.
CHAPTER TEN
Anna wasn’t exactly sure why Jake wanted to attend this particular party. He’d been really busy with work and she’d been helping with haying between her hours at the library. They’d barely seen each other at all for the past several weeks. She’d gone with him out to the ranch riding with the Chandlers and Matthews when they rounded up cattle. Jake usually attended church with her on Sundays, even though he quite often had to leave right after the service.
When he called last night to see what she had planned for tonight, she was hoping he’d agree to a quiet dinner at home and hanging out to watch a movie. He mentioned a party and asked if she’d like to go. She really didn’t want to, but could tell he did, so she put on her fancy cocktail dress, climbed into shoes she thought may cause her to break an ankle and smiled when Jake picked her up after work.
The only person she knew was his friend Dave, who strolled around with a ditzy blond attached to his arm. Her main assets were not intelligence or the ability to carry on a stimulating conversation.
Jake was very attentive, as always, introducing her to a multitude of people. Their names were lost in the noise and after a while, their faces all started to blur. Fun was definitely not a word she would use to describe this evening. Especially when a group of girls cornered her and started asking questions about Jake she wasn’t willing to answer. She found their probing and gossiping completely appalling and wondered how Jake could stand to be around any of them. When the girls started talking quietly and whispering comments, Anna excused herself and went to find Jake.
She was now standing near the door where fresh air rolled in with each new attendee, hoping Jake would soon decide to leave. The room stunk of beer, salsa, and cheap perfume. Jake had gone to get them a cold soda and was stopped multiple times on his way back across the room. First, by the group of gossiping girls, then several guys waylaid him to talk.
Anna was pretty certain Grand Central Station had to be a quieter place than this party. Between the music and the hum of conversation, she couldn’t hear a thing. So she stood waiting, wishing she and Jake could leave and go for a drive, go for dinner or just go home. She looked over at Jake and saw him watching her while he talked. She smiled. He nodded his head and winked at her. His wink made her feel better than anything else had since they arrived.
Feeling completely out of place, Anna was wishing she was anywhere but here. She kept having the feeling that she was being stared at, but didn’t see anyone in particular looking her direction.
Anna was wearing the one cocktail dress she owned. It was simple, stylish and she loved it. But somehow, here in this room, it didn’t seem to fit in with the low cut tops and super-short skirts that left nothing to the imagination. Not that anyone would find her dressed that way – dead or alive. She looked back at Jake hoping to catch his eye and convey her desire to leave.
Jake turned his head to speak to someone, so she couldn’t read his lips. Turning his head toward her again he smiled and she tried to read what he was saying. When Anna could finally read his lips, she felt her heart fall to her feet.
“I knew from the start Anna was not my type at all. She was shy and quiet and a librarian…” Jake said, looking directly at her.
Anna sucked in a deep breath. If she wasn’t his type, then what was she doing here with him? What had they been doing together for the last several months? She might be shy, but she wasn’t stupid. Mr. Jake Chandler could consider himself free to find a girl who was more to his liking because she was finished with him.
As soon as he turned his head to answer a question, Anna slipped out the door. She started for her car before remembering Jake picked her up after work. If she judged correctly, they were only a mile or two from the library. The spiked heels she was wearing were definitely not made for a hike, but Anna was too mad to care. It never occurred to her to wait for Jake and question him, to see if Dave would give her a ride or to call a cab. Instead, she marched off, anger fueling each step.
The summer evening was warm and the sun had not yet set, so Anna was glad she wasn’t trudging back to her car in the dark. That Jake had a lot of nerve. Pretending to be interested in her, wooing her, making her feel cherished and important. How could she have been so wrong about him? He had acted like the nicest guy in the world. Now, she realized, it must have been all a big joke to him. Toying with the library mouse. Well, this was one mouse that wasn’t going to be had by the likes of Jake Chandler.
In her state of disillusionment and anger, Anna didn’t stop to wonder what motive Jake would have had to pretend he cared about her. All she knew was what she saw him say. “Not my type,” kept flashing through her mind. Well, good luck to him with his type. If the girl draped over Dave’s arm was any indication of his type, more power to him.
It took Anna nearly forty-five minutes to get to her car. By the time she unlocked it and climbed inside, she was sure her feet would never be the same. Sores were already oozing and causing fiery pain, but it was nothing compared to the agony shooting through her heart.
Anna put the car in reverse, whipped around and peeled out of the parking lot. Desperate to get home, she didn’t care if she was breaking any speed limits or traffic laws.
Racing through town and pulling onto the highway, she failed to see the navy blue pickup hot on her blistered heels.
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Jake realized the party was a mistake as soon as they walked in the door. He should have taken Anna and left immediately. It was loud and obnoxious and other than a few friends, there really wasn’t anyone here he wanted to see. What used to be a fun night out was now only annoying to him. He felt a sense of self-loathing to think he used to be a part of this crowd, used to think this was what life was all about. That was all before Anna.
She looked amazing in a sleeveless deep purple dress, elegant in cut and design. Simple yet attractive, it was perfect for her. The only accents she wore were black heels that made her look statuesque, a black necklace, and her glasses. Her hair hung in cascading waves over her shoulders, practically begging his hands to get lost in the silken mass. She was taller, more toned and honestly tanned than any of the other girls here tonight. He’d seen several of the jerks give her an approving glance, while a few were even bold enough to stare openly when Anna wasn’t looking. Anna may not know it, but she stood out in this crowd like a red flag, and it wasn’t just her height. Most of the girls attending the party were the regular groupies. They were cheap, easy or at least dressed the part. Anna, with her wholesome appeal, looked like a queen among paupers, there was no denying it.
It was obvious Anna wasn’t enjoying herself. The noise was too much for her, although she never said anything. He decided they’d stick it out a few more minutes then leave. Anna asked for something cold to drink so he’d gone in search of a soda. He kept getting stopped by groups of people he used to hang out with who wanted to know why he dropped completely off the radar. One look at Anna, and it wasn’t hard to explain. It was easy to see the change in Jake. Gone was the good-time guy looking for fun. In his place was a man in love.
Jake had nearly made it back to her with the bottle of pop when a group of catty girls, claws extended, prowled by.
“Jakester, where did you find that girl? The ice queen convention?” one asked as she laid her hand on
his arm. He pointedly removed it and shot her a cool glare. “You can’t even have a decent conversation with her. Is she kind of slow, Jakester? She acts like she can’t hear what you’re saying. And what kind of accent is that? She talks funny. Is she a foreigner?”
Jake’s irritation was quickly moving to disgust. He continued across the room, heading back to Anna to suggest they leave, when a group of his old buddies stopped him. Not wanting to be rude, especially since one was the host of this fine party, he stopped to chat. They congratulated him on making the “catch of the year” with Anna and asked how they met. He said they literally bumped into each other.
“I knew from the start Anna was not my type at all. She was shy and quiet and a librarian. You guys know me, loud and obnoxious. But it didn’t take long to realize that Anna is the perfect girl for me,” Jake explained to his friends.
They visited a few more minutes before Jake excused himself to find Anna. Only when he returned to where he’d last seen her standing, she was nowhere to be found. Jake looked all around the house, in the backyard, where the party had spilled over, and even made a loop around the perimeter outside with no luck.
He went back inside and finally found Dave with his date. “Dave, have you seen Anna? I can’t find her,” Jake asked, his worry beginning to give way to panic.
“She went out the front door a while ago,” Dave said, looking around the room. “She didn’t look like she was having a good time.”
“Thanks,” Jake said, as he hurried toward the door and out to his pickup. Maybe Anna decided to wait in the truck. When he opened the door, it was empty. Really starting to panic, he tried her cell phone and got her voice mail.
“Anna, where are you?” Jake asked, hoping some answer would present itself. Unsure what to do, he ran back inside and found Dave again.
“If you see Anna, would you please keep an eye on her and have her call me?”
“Sure, Jake,” Dave said, trying to remove himself from his date’s possessive clutch on his arm. “Is there anything wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said, running his hand through his hair. “But I plan to find out.”
Jake jumped in his pickup and drove to the library. Surely Anna wouldn’t walk back to her car. Not in those shoes. Not to mention that it was starting to get dark and it wasn’t smart or safe to walk alone.
Pulling into the parking lot, he saw Anna’s car was gone. Thumping his own steering wheel, he turned around and drove through town. He was almost to the highway when he thought he spied Anna’s car racing through lights up ahead. Speeding up, he hoped he could catch her. Maybe she had a family emergency come up, but surely if she had, she would have told him she needed to leave.
Anna turned onto the highway and was putting the car through its paces. She didn’t care at this point what kind of speeding ticket she got, she was so mad at Jake. The more she thought about being not his type of girl, the angrier she became.
Not bothering to signal and barely slowing down, Anna whipped the car off the highway onto the road that led to their lane. Gravel splayed in a wide arc and she felt the car start to slide. There was nothing she could do now but try to maintain control. Afraid at one point the car was going to roll, Anna held onto the wheel and prayed.
When the sliding stopped, she braked the car, killed the ignition and sat clenching the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. That was how Jake found her.
He’d tried to catch her on the highway, but driving as fast as he could he was still losing instead of gaining distance. Jake rued the day Anna bought that Camaro.
She barely slowed down when she whipped off the highway onto the gravel road that led to the farm lane. He could see right away the car was sliding. He’d watched the entire terrifying scene, like it was in slow motion, just waiting for the car to flip and Anna to be hurt or worse. Once the car stopped, he pulled alongside her, stopped the truck and ran to her door. When he pulled it open, the look she turned on him sent a warning chill racing down his spine. Her wide violet eyes weren’t looking at him with the warmth and adoration he’d come to expect. Instead there was a wild wounded look there.
Squatting down, he reached inside to undo her seatbelt. “Baby, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Jake asked with a calm he was far from feeling. His heart was pounding and his legs felt wobbly.
Anna slapped at his hands before he touched her and turned on him with a cold fury he didn’t know she possessed. “You stay away from me, Jake Chandler. Just leave me alone.” Her chest was heaving and tears were forming in her eyes. “I don’t ever want to see you again!”
Reaching out to stroke her arm, Jake couldn’t think what would have happened to make her this upset. “Did someone say something to upset you, Anna? What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
The second he touched her, Anna shoved him hard enough he found himself sitting in the gravel. Starting the engine, Anna shifted the car into gear and yelled, “Leave me alone! Why don’t you go find a girl more your type?” With that she took off and left Jake sitting in a wake of dust and hurt.
He had no idea what he’d done to upset Anna. Not knowing if he should follow her or give her some space, he dusted himself off, watching her taillights turn down her lane and disappear behind the trees.
Taking a deep breath he dialed the Zimmerman’s number and was relieved when Sue answered.
“Sue, this is Jake. Anna’s pretty upset and I’m not sure why. She won’t talk to me and I wanted to make sure she got home safely.”
Sue heard the kitchen door slam. “I believe she just came in the door, Jake. Why don’t you try calling tomorrow? I’ll see if I can find out what’s wrong.”
Sue hung up the phone and looked at Ken, shaking her head. Anna rarely lost her temper, but when she did it was a force to be reckoned with. From the banging coming from the kitchen, she was in a fine fettle over something.
Ken started to get up and Sue quietly said, “Let me handle this one,” as she walked into the kitchen.
“Anna, what in the world is the matter?” Sue asked, as she watched Anna pour a glass of iced tea and drink it down in one long swallow. Slamming the glass on the counter, Anna limped over to a kitchen chair and sank down.
Turning on the light over the table, Sue gasped when she saw Anna’s feet. Multiple sores were oozing and bloody. Anna’s discarded shoes were left at the door. Kneeling in front of her daughter, Sue grabbed Anna’s hands. “Oh, sweetie, what happened?”
“Jake,” Anna finally whispered. “He…he said…he…”
“He said what, Anna? What did he say that got you this upset?” Sue asked, rubbing Anna’s back gently and wondering what in the world her daughter had done to her feet.
“We were at a party. Couldn’t hear, reading lips. Saw him tell his friends I wasn’t his type of girl. Got mad and left. Walked back to my car. Came home,” Anna said between tears.
“Did you give Jake a chance to explain? Maybe you missed part of the conversation. Maybe that wasn’t what he meant,” Sue said, not trying to defend Jake, but knowing how sensitive Anna could be. “He really cares for you, Anna. I don’t think he would intentionally hurt you like this.”
Anna stiffened and started to get up, then winced in pain. “Fine, Mom. Take his side.”
“I’m not taking sides, Anna. I’m just encouraging you to think things through before you do something you’ll regret. Now sit there and I’m going to get something for your feet.”
Sue grabbed a clean dishpan, filled it with warm water and left Anna soaking her feet while she gathered up some anti-bacterial ointment and bandages. By the time she got back to the kitchen, Ken was listening to Anna’s tirade about what a despicable skunk Jake had turned out to be.
Wisely, Ken refrained from making any comment. Instead, he sat across from Anna nodding his head and listening attentively.
When Sue had Anna’s sores treated, she encouraged her daughter to go get some rest and see how things looked in the morning.
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br /> After Anna hobbled out of the room, Sue and Ken sat together, wondering what exactly had taken place. One thing was perfectly clear. Their shy and timid daughter came alive when she was with Jake. Even when she wasn’t mad, she shot sparks the likes they’d never seen just talking about him.
“Well, Susie-Q, what has our little Sugar gotten herself into this time,” Ken asked with a smile. Anna had a stubborn streak a mile wide when she decided to use it and it appeared this may be one of the times when she was going to set her jaw and not listen to reason. Her sore feet were a perfect testament to the extent of her stubbornness.
Ken suddenly laughed out loud.
“What is so funny?” Sue asked looking mildly irritated at her husband. Anna was in pain, both physically and emotionally. Jake was upset. She couldn’t think of a single thing about the situation that was humorous.
“I bet ol’ Jake didn’t know what hit him when he got Sugar’s dander up,” Ken said, unable to stop the grin that spread across his face. “If I was a betting man, I’d wager that Jake had no idea his sweet little librarian could be so stubborn or had such a hot temper.”
Sue laughed in spite of herself. Picturing Anna in full fury and Jake not knowing what hit him did make for an amusing image. “We all know where she got those two particular traits, don’t we? They sure didn’t come from me.”
“Are you insinuating I’m the one with a temper and bullheaded?” Ken innocently asked his wife.
“Who’s insinuating? I’m telling you point blank,” Sue said, getting up from her chair and tugging on Ken’s hand. “Come on, let’s go to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow could be a long day.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Not His Type Page 12