“Have a nice evening, Jake, and thanks again. I really had a great time,” Anna said, starting her car.
“Anytime, Sugar.” Jake stepped back and watched her drive away, counting the minutes until he could see her again.
Chapter Five
In the following weeks, Jake often waited for Anna after work. Sometimes they talked for a few minutes, sharing tidbits from their day. Other times, they went to a diner a few blocks over and enjoyed a cold soda before heading home.
On a few occasions, she joined Jake and Dave for pizza. Twice, she had dinner with Jake and his parents at a nice little restaurant with an outdoor patio that overlooked the river.
He’d also been out to her house for dinner. The first time, he delivered the test results for the soil samples and Ken convinced him to stay. The second time, her car wouldn’t start and he offered to drive her home.
They met in the parking lot after work and talked for a while. When she got into her car to leave, it wouldn’t start, again.
Jake insisted on driving her home. He didn’t mind spending the extra time with her and she didn’t seem to mind his company, either.
“You know, Anna, you might want to think about getting a more reliable set of wheels,” Jake said as he turned down her lane. “You’ve had a lot of problems with your car the past few months. It might save you money in the long run to get something that isn’t always in the shop.”
“I know. I just haven’t had time to think about getting something else.” Car shopping needed to become a top priority, but she wasn’t sorry her car wouldn’t start since it meant Jake drove her home.
Although he treated her like another buddy most of the time, she didn’t regret one minute they’d spent becoming friends. Jake was a good listener and sounding board when he wasn’t teasing her.
After parking the truck, he started to get out, but Anna grabbed his hand. Tingles raced up her arm. “Stay for dinner, Jake. We can at least feed you for your trouble of driving me home.”
“Are you sure?” He hoped she would ask him to stay and was glad that she did. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re never an imposition. Come on in. Sam enjoys visiting with you and so does Dad,” Anna said, trying to convince him.
Jake turned off the ignition and ran around to open her door. “If you insist,” he said, offering her a pleased grin.
As they strolled into the kitchen through the back door, delicious aromas greeted them. Sue turned from where she stood at the sink and smiled.
“Hello, Jake! Nice to see you,” she said, not attempting to hide her pleasure at seeing him again. “What brings you out this evening?”
“My stupid car wouldn’t start again.” Anna set her purse on a bench by the door and washed her hands at the sink. “Jake was kind enough to give me a ride.”
“Thank you for rescuing her. It’s a good thing you’ve been spending so much time with our baby girl or she might have found herself walking home.” Intently, Sue studied Jake.
“Anytime, Mrs. Zimmerman,” Jake replied with a smile, nervous under her observative eye.
“Now, Jake, I thought we agreed you are going to call me Sue.”
“We did, ma’am. Sorry, I forgot.”
“That’s perfectly fine,” Sue smiled and tipped her head toward front of the house. “The guys are watching the news if you want to hang out with them until dinner is ready.”
“Sure.” Jake followed the sounds of Sam and Ken arguing over the weather forecast to the living room.
“Hey, Jake, what do you think about the score of the ballgame last night?” Anna heard her dad ask as Jake entered the room.
Anna mashed potatoes then slathered butter over a pan of hot rolls while her mom made gravy. She’d forgotten her mom declared tonight a family night and planned a special dinner. Lisa arrived and went to work slicing the roast.
“This all looks great, Mom. I’m starving,” Anna said as she set a bowl of green salad on the table.
“You really outdid yourself, Sue.” Lisa carved the last piece of roast and placed it on a platter.
“I’m glad we aren’t having sandwiches or pancakes for dinner since we’ve got company,” Sue said as she set a pitcher of sweet tea on the table.
“Lisa isn’t company, she’s family.” Anna collected the silverware and placed it around each place setting. “Jake isn’t company, is he, Mom? He’s just a friend.”
“Sure, Anna. Whatever you say.” Sue winked at Lisa.
“Mother…” Anna stretched the word into multiple syllables. “Would you please…?”
“Hey, you girls have something for us to eat?” Ken led the men into the kitchen.
Sam surprised them all earlier in the week when shuffled in the door with a walker. Lisa ran over to him now and pulled his head down to plant a kiss on his lips.
“I just can’t get over how good it is to see you upright.” She gave Sam a watery smile and brushed away her tears.
“I can’t tell you how much I like it myself.” Sam eased into a chair at the table, thrilled with his progress. “But it may be awhile before I can beat you in a footrace.”
After dinner, Anna walked with Jake out to his pickup. She scrambled to think of some reason for him to stay longer, but they both had work tomorrow and he needed to go home.
He opened the pickup door and climbed in but instead of shutting it he turned sideways and hung his hands out the open window, his feet on the edge of the frame.
Anna wished, not for the first time, that Jake would kiss her. She knew they were just friends, but she dreamed of something more. She’d seen the girls that caught Jake’s interest and she would never be one of them. Despite that, she couldn’t help thinking their friendship was special.
Maybe it was all one-sided on her part, though. Bothered by the direction of her thoughts, she dropped her gaze and swirled her foot around in the gravel of the driveway.
Frantic to invent some excuse to linger with Anna, Jake couldn’t come up with a single reason to stay.
The ebbing sunlight shot golden highlights through her long braid and cast a warm glow on her shoulders. He’d like nothing better than to take her in his arms and kiss her, but he knew it would frighten the shy girl half to death.
At the very least, he’d love to see all that hair down instead of in a braid or a bun.
“Say, Anna.” Jake concocted a way to get one thing he wanted before he left. “If Dave and I happened to make a bet about something, would you help me win it?”
Anna laughed, leaning over to pet the farm dog as she wandered over for some attention. “You know I don’t believe in betting. Besides, it would depend on the bet.”
“What if we only bet a dollar and you were the only person who could help with it,” Jake asked, laying on his charm.
“Tell me what the bet is and then I’ll decide.” Anna was pleased by Jake’s teasing. Anything that kept him close and smiling was fine in her book. She stood on the other side of the open pickup door, scratching the dog’s head and enjoying their easy banter.
“Dave may or may not be convinced you have really short hair and just put on a braid extension. I told him he was wrong, but I really don’t have any proof since I’ve never seen your hair down,” Jake said innocently. “The only way to prove him wrong is to see it myself.”
Anna’s deep, throaty laugh made Jake’s toes tingle. “You can see perfectly well that I have hair, Jake Chandler, and that it’s firmly attached to my head. I can’t believe the inane things you two discuss.”
“Well, how do I know you don’t just have a braid attached to a really short ponytail or something? I need proof, Anna, really I do.” Jake coaxed her with a wicked gleam in his eye. His impromptu plan of somewhat devious intent went even better than he’d hoped. “Can’t you let me see for myself so I can gloat to Dave?” Jake feigned a shocked expression. “Maybe you’re really bald and hiding it with a wig.”
Anna raised an eyebrow at him and sw
ung around like she was going to go back in the house. Jake jumped out of the truck and caught the end of her braid, pulling it gently. She stopped and turned back toward him. “You are impossible, Jake. You do know that, don’t you?”
“So I’ve been told.” Maintaining his hold on her braid, he relished the feel of the silky strands in his hand. “Are you going to give me proof or not?”
“Not.” Anna took immense pleasure in this banter with Jake. She wondered what inspired his sudden interest in the length of her hair. It certainly wasn’t about winning a bet with Dave.
“What if I beg, would that help?” Jake tugged ever so slightly on her braid and drew her closer.
“Nope.”
“What if the band accidentally came off and a sudden wind whipped your hair loose?” Jake slipped off the hair band and stuck it in his pocket.
“There isn’t a wind blowing,” Anna stated matter-of-factly.
“Could we pretend there was?” Jake worked his fingers into the end of her braid, unwinding the strands. Obsessed with seeing her hair down, he could think of nothing else.
“I don’t think so.”
“Anna, please, let me see your hair. Please?” Jake asked earnestly. Determined, he wouldn’t rest until he saw her hair and couldn’t leave until she’d given him a glimpse.
Dang it all, Anna wasn’t being the least bit cooperative. Of all the times for her decide to tease him, now wasn’t it.
Anna blushed and shook her head.
“Please, Anna?” A groan from deep in his chest made warmth pool in her belly and she lifted her gaze to his.
Anna didn’t say anything for a several long moments as she studied his face. What Jake asked struck her as oddly intimate. Although she had no problem wearing her hair down, unbraiding it in front of him seemed very personal. It smacked of a closeness they didn’t yet share.
Finally, she released a sigh. “Okay. If it means that much to you and Dave, I’ll show you. But you have to turn around. I’ll tell you when you can look.”
Still unconvinced it was a good idea, Anna couldn’t undo her braid with Jake attentively staring at her. His proximity combined with the intense gleam in his eyes unnerved her enough without the added pressure of him watching her every move.
Painfully aware of her family’s nosy tendencies, if Jake didn’t leave soon, they’d all stare out the window to see what they were doing, further embarrassing her.
She quickly unwound her golden-brown tresses and shook them free. Bending over, she gave her hair a shake to loosen the strands, then straightened again.
As she flipped her head back up and her hair floated down like a golden curtain, Jake turned around, gaping in awe.
“There, now you can claim your dollar from Dave.” Anna smiled nervously and shoved her hands into her pockets at the look on Jake’s face. She didn’t know what to make of it.
“Anna…” The vision of her waist-length hair, rippling in long waves, entranced Jake. Caught from behind by the setting summer sun, golden and fiery strands danced all around her.
Aware of his scrutiny, Anna turned around in a circle, setting the shimmering mass to swaying.
“Your hair is beautiful,” he finally managed to whisper but Anna gazed at him uncertainly. Once again, he forgot he was with a woman he could never speak to in whispers.
He stepped closer, intent on keeping his hands to himself, but found the temptation impossible to resist. Burying his fingers deep into her hair, he breathed in her tropical fragrance and resisted the urge to bury his face in the shining locks.
He looked into her face and smiled with both his eyes and heart. “Anna, your hair is so beautiful, like you.”
A blush seared her cheeks. She couldn’t think much less respond with Jake’s hands in her hair. The mesmerizing aura of his presence along with his masculine scent enveloped her as they stood close together.
Desperate for his kiss, she experienced acute disappointment when he dropped his hands like they’d been singed and stepped back. He slid behind the wheel of his truck.
“I guess I better get home.” Jake started the pickup without saying another word.
Anna gave him a nervous wave and hurried toward the house, braiding her hair as she went. She was nearly at the door when she heard Jake call to her. She turned around and held her breath when he leaned across the pickup seat and yelled, “You’re gorgeous, Anna Zimmerman!”
Chapter Six
Jake’s words wrapped around Anna like a tender embrace. She walked into the kitchen to find her mother and Lisa hovering at the kitchen sink. From their guilty grins, she knew they’d watched out the window.
“So, Anna, things seem to be going along well with Jake.” Sue acted nonchalant as she sat down with a stack of fashion catalogs at the table.
“I guess.” Anna took a seat by her mom, distracted. Jake was such a tease, she was never sure if he was serious or kidding when he said things like, “You’re gorgeous.”
“What’s up, Anna?” Lisa sat beside her and playfully bumped her shoulder. Even though she was engaged to Sam, Lisa was also a good friend to Anna. She knew by the look on the girl’s face something spun around in that quiet head. “Come on, you might as well tell us what you’re thinking. We can see the wheels turning.”
“It’s time for me to go shopping.” Since both her mom and Lisa had been trying to talk her into a makeover for months, she knew they would be overjoyed with her decision. “Do you have plans Saturday?”
“We do now.” Sue gave Anna a hug while enthusiastically bouncing up and down in her chair. “This will be fantastic!”
“Do you think Sam and Dad could come with us part of the day?” Anna had big plans for her shopping spree and the first part required the help of the men in her family.
“What on earth for?” Her mother stared at her as if she’d lost all her marbles. “They won’t go clothes shopping.”
Anna grinned. “Nope, but they will go car shopping.”
Lisa squealed excitedly. “Car shopping? You’re getting a new car, too? Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!”
“I’m tired of driving that undependable heap. If Daddy can drag it to the Chevy dealer, I’m trading it in. I know exactly the car I want.”
Early Saturday morning, Lisa drove out to the farm then the five of them headed into Tenacity. Ken towed Anna’s car from the library parking lot to the Chevrolet dealer where they offered her a trade-in value more generous than Anna expected.
Her brother dropped his jaw when Anna picked out the car she wanted – a dark gray metallic Chevy Camaro, complete with chrome wheels.
“Sugar, what are you going to do with a car like that?” Ken asked, shocked but not surprised his baby girl chose a fast performance car.
“Pretty much anything she wants,” Sam remarked as he hobbled around the car. “Are you sure this is what you want Anna? It’ll draw a lot of attention.”
Anna had considered the interest the car would draw her direction. The dark gray color wouldn’t stand out as much as others, and she wanted a car that was fun to drive. For the first time in her life, she felt ready to cut loose and enjoy herself. She thought she’d earned it.
“I don’t care. This is the car I want. Now, will you guys help me get a deal on it or not?” Anna squared off with her dad and brother.
While her mom and Lisa browsed the showroom, Ken and Sam joined her with a salesman more than willing to cut Anna a good discount when he found out she planned to pay with cash.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do payments, Miss Zimmerman? That’s a lot of money to spend in one day,” the salesperson asked for the third time.
“I’m sure, Mr. Gilley. In fact, I plan to spend more before the day is over,” Anna replied with a saucy grin.
While the salesman prepared the necessary paperwork, Ken smiled at Anna. His daughter had long ago learned the value of a dollar, saving and investing her money since she was sixteen.
He supposed it
helped that Sue worked for an investment firm and encouraged both their kids to save and invest rather than waste their hard-earned money. When Anna worked in the city, she put in long hours, tucking away a good portion of her earnings. Her thrifty living enabled her to walk into a car dealership and pay cash for the exact car she wanted.
Pride filled Ken’s heart as he watched her sign the papers, make the payment, and accept the car keys with a sparkle in her eye.
Anna offered to let the two men take the car for a spin before she headed off to Portland with Lisa and Sue. Although Sam and Ken would have liked nothing better, they knew the girls were anxious to leave.
“You girls go on ahead. We’ll take a ride when you get back.” Ken hugged Anna. “Have fun and drive safely, you hear?”
“We hear and thanks, Daddy!” Anna slid into the driver’s seat and reverently ran her hand over the steering wheel.
Lisa gave Sam one last kiss goodbye before climbing into the backseat. Anna started the car and took off toward Portland in a flurry of smiles and giggles.
Late that evening, the three women returned home, completely exhausted. After dragging in bag after bag of purchases, they piled them on the kitchen table and sank into chairs with tired sighs.
Sue begged Ken to bring them something cool to drink when he and Sam wandered in from the living room to see their purchases. Ken poured lemonade and brought over a plate with cookies, then sat down next to his wife.
“Is there anything left in any of the stores?” he teased.
“I don’t know, but I refuse to go back, even if there is.” Anna groaned from her chair in the corner. Sam and her dad couldn’t see her over pile of shopping bags on the table.
When Ken grabbed the bags and dropped them to the floor, Sam and Ken stopped short at the sight of Anna.
“Merciful stars, girl,” Ken exclaimed, surprised by her appearance. “That can’t be my sweet little Sugar!”
Heart of Love Page 6