“Nope, I’m tired. I’m headin’ home.” Jake pulled on his North Face down jacket as they were all booing.
“You’re no fun now that you’re a white shirt,” Chris yelled out.
Jake agreed that he had been different ever since his promotion to Fire Chief but only because it coincided with his purchase of the Shady Creek Lane house, which he knew had been the true catalyst for his change in behavior.
“Old Jake just can’t hang anymore,” Peter goaded him loudly.
Jake smiled, shaking his head while lifting both his hands and flipping both Chris and Peter the double bird as he turned to leave. Before he’d even made it a step, he was stopped short by what he saw.
His brother Eric was headed his way, and he was in uniform, which meant he must have been covering someone’s shift. Now that he was the Chief of Police, he normally dressed in a suit and tie. The stone-faced expression he wore made Jake’s chest tighten.
“What’s wrong? Are the girls okay? Mom and Dad?”
“Everyone’s fine.” Eric moved closer to him and lowered his voice, his tone in full “cop” mode. “Dispatch received several calls about a car swerving on the highway. One caller said that the vehicle turned into JT’s parking lot. I arrived and found the vehicle that matched the caller’s description parked in front, and I ran the plate…” Eric paused.
Jake waited, but Eric didn’t say anything else. Maybe working all these doubles and planning his and Lily’s wedding had fried Eric’s brain. Slapping him on his shoulder, Jake cleared his throat. “That’s a great story, bro. You feelin’ all right? How much longer you got on your shift?”
Eric narrowed his eyes and sighed, “The vehicle is registered to—”
“Did you find the bathroom okay?” Jake heard Courtney’s annoyingly high-pitched voice from behind him and felt her fingers wrap tightly around his bicep.
What the hell?
He turned to see what Courtney could possibly be talking about and why she was touching him, and when he did, he came face to face with…
“Tessa Hayes,” Eric said quietly.
Jake’s heart slammed into his chest and his body went completely numb. He stood perfectly still, not moving a muscle. He didn’t even blink out of fear that if he did she would disappear. Again.
She didn’t, but in that moment, the entire bar disappeared. The entire world disappeared. All he could see, all that existed, was Tessa.
She hadn’t changed much in the thirteen years, seven months, two weeks, three days, and about ten hours since he’d seen her last. Not that he was counting.
Her hair was a little shorter now, falling right at her shoulders, where it used to flow down to the middle of her back. Her cheekbones stood a little more pronounced on her rounded cheeks. She still had crystal blue eyes outlined with long, dark lashes, a button nose, and full lips that his body instantly responded to without getting permission from his brain.
“Hi, Jake,” Tessa spoke softly, the way she had when they’d gone camping and she’d woken him up inside their tent to tell him that she wanted him to be her first. And then after when she’d asked him never to let her go.
Her voice washed over him like the heated flames from a structural fire. Hot and consuming. Jake couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe.
“Hey, Tessa.” Eric moved beside Jake.
Tessa blinked, as if his brother’s words had snapped her out of a trance. “Oh, Eric. Hi,” she said, shaking her head as the corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile, the way it always did when she was embarrassed or feeling uncomfortable. Her eyes widened and she asked, “Wow, so you’re a police officer?”
“He’s the Chief of Police,” Courtney chimed in. Even through his jacket, Jake could feel her nails dig into his bicep. She gripped his arm tighter as she extended her free hand and, in a not-so-friendly tone, introduced herself. “I’m Courtney, by the way.”
“Oh, hi. I’m Tessa.” She lifted her hand in a little wave then turned to Eric. Jake watched, captivated, as her face lit up the same way it had when he’d scored the winning touchdown at Homecoming or when his little sister Nikki had learned to French braid her own hair. Tessa genuinely cared no matter how small or big the accomplishment. “Police Chief. Wow, that’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. How have you been, Tessa?” Eric asked warmly.
The light that had just sparkled in her eyes dimmed slightly. Maybe no one else would even notice. But Jake had.
“Oh, you know. Hangin’ in there,” she said with a tight smile, glancing between the three of them. Jake wasn’t sure if she was just uncomfortable with the current situation or if it was more than that.
As she continued talking to his brother, Jake’s eyes traveled down her body. A loose, long-sleeved white cotton shirt that was wet clung to her body, showcasing the curves that his body still ached for. She wore light blue jeans with a hole in the knee and pink sandals. Her delicate toes were painted a deep shade of purple.
Purple. That meant she was sad.
Jake’s eyes flew to hers and he noticed things he hadn’t at first glance. Dark circles under her eyes. A small wrinkle in between her perfectly arched brows. Her skin was paler than usual—or at least what he remembered as usual.
“I’m sorry for your loss. When did she pass?” His brother’s question cut through the Tessa-induced fog that had taken up residence in Jake’s brain.
“Almost nine months ago,” Tessa’s voice wavered and her eyes filled with moisture.
“Adeline passed?” The words came out of Jake’s mouth before he could stop them.
Tessa sucked in a barely audible breath as her head jerked up to meet his gaze. Her vivid blue eyes wide and mouth open, she stared up at him silently.
Shit. He couldn’t believe that, after all this time, those were the first words he’d spoken to her. Before he had a chance to say anything else, Tessa swallowed hard and confirmed, “Yes.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake’s hands fisted at his sides. His first instinct was to pull her into his arms. To hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. That he would make sure of it. But the last time he’d done that, she’d left and hadn’t come back until today. His need to touch her, to comfort her, was so strong he had to actively not reach out to hold her.
Her bright baby blues bounced between Eric, Courtney, and Jake. “Well, it was great seeing you guys and nice meeting you Courtney. Um, Sue Ann is waiting for me so… Bye.” She started to step around them but Eric stopped her.
“Listen, we got some calls down at the station reporting a white PT Cruiser swerving on the highway.” Eric’s tone wasn’t quite in full on-the-job mode but it wasn’t merely conversational anymore.
“Oh.” Tessa’s hands flew to her chest and she let out a forced laugh. “I probably was. But not because I’d been drinking,” she quickly stated then laughed again nervously. “I mean…yes…I guess… Well…it was…technically because I was ‘drinking.’ But not alcohol, just energy drinks.”
Eric stared at her with a blank expression, and Jake knew that he had no idea what she was talking about.
Tessa had always had a tendency to ramble and not finish thoughts when she was nervous. The first time he’d kissed her, Tessa had spent five minutes talking about the gum she had been chewing—if he’d tasted it, how she would have spit it out if she’d known he was going to kiss her, even asking him if he wanted a piece. So he’d kissed her again until her Bubblicious bubble gum was the last thing on her mind.
Eric continued staring at her, probably trying to determine if her odd explanation was due to intoxication.
“She has a small bladder,” Jake explained.
Tessa lifted her small shoulder in a shrug as a light blush crept up her cheeks. Her eyes darted to Jake’s. “Yeah, that.”
“Oh,” Eric said as understanding dawned on his face.
“Ew gross,” Courtney said with disdain as she somehow managed to plaster herself ev
en closer to Jake. “She did ask me where the bathroom was when she came in. She looked panicked,”
“Okay, soooo…” Tessa’s plump lips made a perfect O shape and Jake’s body immediately took notice. His gut clenched and his pants were growing tighter by the second.
Damn, he’d missed her mouth.
Seemingly unaware of his body’s response to her, she pursed her lips together and her brows lifted as she rocked back on her heels then onto the balls of her feet and clapped her hands together before she pointed towards the door.
“I’m gonna go.”
He watched the sway of her hips as she navigated through the crowded bar. Her damp jeans had molded to her perfect ass. They didn’t just showcase it, they advertised it. His palms tingled with desire to fill his hands with her firm backside. Thirteen years had not done anything to lessen his insatiable hunger for her.
The next thing Jake knew, his feet were moving quickly in her direction. He was vaguely aware of Courtney protesting his leaving but he ignored it.
“Tessa,” Jake spoke just as she reached the door.
She froze, and he wasn’t sure if she was going to turn around or just keep going. After several beats, she slowly turned her head and looked up at him.
When their eyes met, he realized he had no idea what he wanted to say to her. So many questions were clogging up his brain that he couldn’t think straight. So he went with the first one he could clearly make out.
“Where’s your jacket?”
“What?” she looked at him like he had just grown another head.
He nodded his head down towards her wet clothing.
“Oh,” she said, gesturing outside, “it’s in the car.”
He continued staring at her, mainly because he just couldn’t make himself look away.
Perhaps mistaking his silence for judgment, she explained in a defensive tone, “What? I really had to go.”
Jake pulled one arm out of his jacket.
As soon as she saw what he was doing, her hands flew up in protest. “No, Jake, I’m fine. Really. My car is in the first row.”
Ignoring her, he took it off and wrapped it around her small frame. He was careful not to touch her as he placed the coat around her shoulders.
“Seriously, I don’t need this. I have a jacket in the car,” she protested as she tried to shrug it off and move towards the door.
“Take the coat.” His authoritative tone must have taken her by surprise because she stopped, looked back up at him, and then slowly slid her arms through the sleeves.
Jake’s heart clenched as he looked down at her standing in front of him, drowning in his jacket, her purple toenails peeking out beneath her jeans. She looked so small and vulnerable. So many emotions flooded his system that he felt himself begin to shake from the power of it. Jake didn’t shake. Not on the job and definitely not in his personal life.
Even under his large down jacket he could see her chest moving up and down with her shallow breaths, her clear blue eyes brimming with emotion. “Jake,” she whispered hoarsely. His name sounded so good on her perfect lips. Too good. It made him begin to forget the last thirteen years.
That couldn’t happen.
“Sue Ann’s waiting for you,” he snapped harshly as he reached above her and pushed open the door.
She flinched, either from the cold air that gushed in or the tone of his voice, but she quickly recovered. Her jaw tensed and she nodded her head once before turning and rushing to her car.
He stepped outside, drawn to her like a magnet, and watched as she glided across the gravel in her sandals. A small smile tugged at Jake’s mouth. It looked more like she was ice skating than walking. Just as she slid into her car, Eric stepped outside.
“So Tessa’s back,” his brother said, stating the obvious.
“Yep.” Jake almost felt like the last five minutes had been a dream, and he still wasn’t sure if it was a nightmare.
“And she has your coat.” Eric again had pointed out a fact that Jake was well aware of.
Yep. Tessa was back. And she had his coat.
Chapter Three
‡
Tessa was slipping and sliding across the parking lot—Ice Capades style!—as fast as she could. She had a lump in her throat so big she couldn’t swallow. Her chest felt like a two-ton elephant was sitting on it and her stomach was so upset she thought that there was a very real possibility that she would actually throw up before she made it to her car.
Of course she’d known that if Jake still lived here she would inevitably run into him. In a town the size of Hope Falls, it was bound to happen. But why, why, did it have to be the second she’d crossed the city limits while she looked like a drowned rat and had just driven for twelve hours straight with an audience of not only his brother but his girlfriend too?!
Over the last thirteen years, she’d imagined what it would be like if she ever got to see Jake again. She’d probably come up with close to a thousand different scenarios. She even had favorites.
The one that got the most repeat play in her mind was one where she imagined being in an airport, waiting for her flight. She would picture herself walking through crowds of people when suddenly she’d bump into a strong solid wall of a chest. Large protective hands would wrap around her shoulders to steady her. Her head would lift—in slow motion, of course!—to find that it was Jake she’d randomly run into. The electricity between them would be so palpable that neither of them could speak. So without saying “Hello,” “Hi,” or “How ya’ doin?” he would just lean down and kiss her senseless. Then, after kissing her until she couldn’t even remember her own name, Jake would tell her that he’d never stopped loving her and they would live happily ever after.
Not once, in all of the myriad possible Jake encounters she’d conjured up, had she been soaking wet and looking like death warmed over while his brother questioned her about drunk driving and his girlfriend dry humped his leg. Things playing out like they had, had never even entered into her realm of possibilities.
Reaching her car, finally, she opened the door and had to scoot and shimmy her way in because there was barely any room due to her horrendous parking job. The large jacket she was wearing, thanks to Jake, certainly was not helping the tight fit either. And the cherry on top of this embarrassment sundae was that, although Tessa hadn’t looked back, she knew that Jake was watching her awkwardly get into her vehicle. She could feel his eyes on her. Jake’s energy was so strong that she’d always been able to sense his attention.
It didn’t matter where they had been—in school, hanging out with friends, at his family’s Sunday dinners—when Jake looked at her, her entire body came alive. It was like his powerful gaze was set to a frequency that her body was subconsciously tuned to. And it was becoming glaringly obvious that all the years they’d spent apart had done nothing to dull his visual superpowers.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, Tessa quickly slammed her car door like the boogie man was after her. She needed to get out of here and try to process her Jake sighting, but as she attempted to start the car, her hands were shaking so uncontrollably that she couldn’t even manage to get the key in the ignition.
“Okay, okay, okay, okay,” she said aloud to herself, trying to settle her frazzled nerves. Tessa had attempted—several times!—to break the habit of talking to herself and for the most part had been successful. But it seemed that repeating “okay” to calm down was here to stay. It was the equivalent of a childhood security blanket.
As she sat in her car, a scent she hadn’t smelled for years but one that was as recognizable to her as chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven or newly cut grass surrounded her. It was Jake. Pulling the collar of the too-huge jacket she’d been forced to wear up to her nose, she inhaled deeply.
Oh God, that smelled good.
It smelled like safety. Like love. Like home. Like Jake.
Tessa realized now that she had not adequately prepared herself for what coming face to face
with Jake Maguire—The Man—would be like. In her mind’s eye, Jake was still seventeen. But—news flash, brain!—Jake was not seventeen anymore. He was an adult. A man. He must be at least an inch taller than the last time she’d seen him. His frame, while still lean, had some extra muscle added to it that made her lady parts quiver with awareness.
When Jake had taken off his jacket, his biceps had pulled taut against the cotton covering them and Tessa’s mouth had filled with saliva. She’d had to swallow quickly just so she hadn’t stood there and drooled over him.
His face still held its boyish charm but had matured into stronger lines and sharper features. He’d always been cute and handsome, but now he was so insanely sexy that, to use a phrase her Gran had always loved, “he could make a nun leave the habit.”
There was one thing that hadn’t changed though. Jake’s eyes. Those big brown eyes that, as a teen, Tessa had completely lost herself in were exactly the same. At seventeen, one look from Jake made every worry, every fear, every insecurity disappear. When she’d looked in his eyes, she’d known—known—that everything would be okay.
Well, until it hadn’t been.
Shaking off unwanted memories, she tried to pull herself together. That was a lifetime ago. She wasn’t here to drudge up the past. She just needed to get things in order with Grandma Adie’s home and then she could get back to her life.
Sure, it was a Jake-free life, but those were the cards she’d been dealt and she had played a decent game with them. Tessa had made the best out of every hand the dealer of life had dealt her. She hadn’t gone belly-up yet and she did not plan on leaving the table on this round.
With renewed strength, she put her key in the ignition and started the car. Glancing up—against her better judgment—she saw that not only was Jake watching her from under the awning of JT’s, but Eric had joined him. Both men stood stock-still, feet shoulder-width apart, Jake with his arms crossed and Eric with his clasped behind his back.
As she flipped on her windshield wipers Jake’s face came into focus. Their eyes met, and not knowing what else to do, she held up her hand and gave a little wave goodbye. He nodded stiffly.
Let It Snow (The Hope Falls Series) Page 2