Ciran nodded emphatically. “No doubt in my mind they would. Your cousins are lovely people, but they’re . . .” He was obviously struggling for the right word.
“Vulturelike?” Jake asked. “That’s what I was thinking when I was trying to decide how to handle their ridiculousness.”
“You know, I think that cuts it. Individually, I like all of your cousins. As a group, they’re scary!” Ciran shook his head.
Melinda laughed. “And here I always envy you your family.”
“Don’t,” Jake said with a grin.
His mother came over to the table then, his grandma Gertie right behind her. Grandma sat down and looked back and forth between Jake and Melinda. “Bobling, am I hearing wedding bells off in the distance?”
Jake got an alarmed look on his face. “I don’t know, Grandma. Have you checked your hearing aids? Are you maybe suffering from some strange disease that makes you hear wedding bells?”
“You know as well as I do what I mean.” Grandma swatted at Jake with her hand. “How serious are you and Melinda?”
Jake shrugged. “Well, we’ve known one another for approximately two weeks, so I guess according to family credo, it’s time for me to propose.” He looked at Melinda. “You wouldn’t mind marrying me and having five babies, would you?” He kept his voice casual, knowing it would make his grandmother crazy.
Melinda looked slightly panicked, but she played along. “Well, I’ve always wanted five kids, but I’m not sure I could be saddled with a man named Bobling. Now, if your name were Jake, the decision would be a lot easier.”
Jake grinned, admiring her a great deal more for her comeback. “Maybe I could change my name to Jake, then . . .”
Grandma Gertie shook her head at him. “Fine. I’ll do my best to remember to call you Jake, but you’ve been Bobling your whole life, and I’m your grandmother. I used to change your diapers. I would say that I hope you’ve grown in certain places since those days, but I wouldn’t want to be indelicate.” With those words, she wandered away from the table, leaving April Lynn laughing hysterically.
“Oh, man. I want to be just like her when I grow up. Do you think she gives lessons?” April Lynn watched her mother-in-law walk across the room, her eyes filling with unshed tears from laughing so hard.
Jake sighed. “Probably. Go away, Mom. I’m trying to be the perfect gentleman you taught me to be.”
“That was your father. I taught you to be perfectly you.” April Lynn winked at him and wandered away toward the newlywed couples, who were about to cut their separate cakes.
“Those cakes are beautiful,” Melinda said. “The bakery in town?”
“I actually have no idea. I just got back to town a little over a week ago, remember?” Jake shrugged. “I think you know more about the wedding food planning than I do.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged.
“Next Saturday my grandmother is having a big family thing to welcome me home. There will be ridiculously competitive games, food, and fun. You interested?” Jake asked.
“I’m not sure. Would it send the wrong message if I were to go to a family gathering?” she asked nervously.
“No, not at all. I think it would send the right message.” He was already thinking about a ring for her, but he wouldn’t admit it to any of his family members, who would ridicule him for the rest of his life.
That startled her a little, but she nodded. “Then I’ll be there.” She didn’t know why he wouldn’t take Felicia, but she would go. She loved his family.
They spent the rest of the day dancing and enjoying themselves. By the time the reception was over, Melinda was getting hungry again, and she was very peopled out. She wanted to be home.
“Do you want to go out for supper?” he asked.
Melinda shook her head. “Not tonight. I just want to go home.”
Jake frowned. He was disappointed in her answer. “I’m going to be moving all day tomorrow, so I can’t see you after church.” He wanted to, but it wasn’t feasible.
Melinda wondered if he’d made plans to spend the day with Felicia instead. But if he had, would he invite her to his family’s welcome home party? She had no idea.
He offered her a ride home, and she gladly accepted. Her feet were sorer than she’d like to admit after all the dancing they’d done.
When they reached her house, he walked her to the door, kissing her softly. “I hate we can’t spend the day together tomorrow.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Really. Why would I say something I don’t mean? I’m a pretty honest man.”
“I was going to cook myself something for supper. I don’t want to be around a lot of people tonight, because I spent enough time in a crowd today. Do you want to have supper with me?”
“That sounds great. What are you making?”
“I have no earthly idea.” She opened the door and led the way to the kitchen, digging in her fridge. “I have some ground beef thawed. I could make burgers? Or spaghetti with meat sauce?”
“Spaghetti sounds good, if it’s not too much trouble.” He pulled out one of the stools from her counter, sitting down. He knew she wouldn’t let him help, and he would enjoy watching her work.
“Not at all.” Melinda had spaghetti sauce she’d made herself in a jar, and she pulled it out and set it next to the stove.
“No Ragu?” Jake asked.
She laughed. “In a pinch, I’ve been known to use Ragu, but I prefer my homemade sauce.”
He eyed the jar. “Does it have mushrooms? I’m allergic to mushrooms.”
“No mushrooms. Any other food allergies I should be aware of?”
“Nope. Just mushrooms.” He watched as she browned the meat with a little onion that she had chopped previously and put into a baggie. “Do you always keep onion prechopped in your fridge?”
“I love onion for flavoring, but I hate chopping it up. So, I do a bunch all at once and baggie it. Works for me. I do that with a lot of things. I’m all about a quick prep meal, and I prep everything I can so I can do things fast.”
Jake grinned. “I have to wonder if my mother knew your tricks if she would cook more, or if she’d still have let us all starve as kids.”
“She let you starve?” Melinda asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, there was one night when I asked what was for supper. She said that I could make a sandwich as well as she could, and I ended up making sandwiches for both of us. I felt neglected.”
“Don’t you think you’re being just a little dramatic?”
He shrugged. “You sound like my mother. She always accuses me of being dramatic as well.”
Melinda decided not to feed into his drama. She was not a fan of drama, and she didn’t need to be around a drama llama. As she cooked, she hummed under her breath, and he watched her with a silly smile.
Finally, she looked at him. “What are you grinning at?”
“You look so cute when you cook.”
“Really? You’re losing your mind, Jake.”
“Probably. It’s not like that’s new information, though, is it?”
She grinned. “I guess it’s not. I mean, you did answer to Bobling for eighteen years.”
“Why do I like you so much?” he asked. “You do nothing but make fun of me.”
“I guess you’re just a masochist. And you love my cooking. What man doesn’t want to marry a chef?” She shrugged. Being a chef didn’t make her sought after by men, but it did make her happy.
Jake shook his head. “You know, I never thought about the kind of woman I wanted to marry before I met you.”
Her heart started beating faster. “Is that so? And now you wonder?”
“I guess I do. But being a chef definitely puts a positive spin on your chances.”
“You make yourself sound like a lottery prize.” She got out a teaspoon and tasted the sauce. “It’s perfect. We’ll let that cook while the spaghetti does its thing, and we’ll be eating in a few minutes.” She
moved to the stool beside him. “So, moving tomorrow, huh?”
He nodded. “Now that Riley’s made an honest man out of the good reverend, I’m going to move into her rent house. I will move immediately after church. I don’t have a whole lot of stuff, but I’m sure ready to not live with my parents anymore. I was on my own for way too long for that to work for more than a few days.”
“I can see that. Do you want help moving?” she asked.
He thought about it for a minute. “Dusty is going to help me, and I don’t have a lot to begin with. There’s nothing for you to help with. But maybe you could come over tomorrow evening and I’ll order pizza. We can christen the new house with pizza.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Why don’t I come over, and we’ll make pizza together? I can do the crust and the sauce, and then we’ll each add whatever toppings we want.”
“That sounds brilliant, and then you can’t tell me that you’re always the one to cook, because I’ll help.”
“I guess that’s true . . .” She got up and checked the spaghetti, draining it and putting a pile onto a plate, ladling some of the sauce over it. “More sauce or less?”
“A little more, if you don’t mind. I love lots of sauce.”
“Me too.” She did as he asked before handing him his plate. Then she made herself a plate of spaghetti the same way. “This is my go-to meal when I’m in a hurry. The sauce is made, so I can have everything done in under thirty minutes.”
He took a bite and smiled. “I like your spaghetti. Why do I only eat Italian food at your house?” he asked.
“Because that’s what I’ve happened to make while you’re here. I promise, I do make other things.”
“I know. I’ve eaten at your restaurant, and you made food for the reception today. That’s why I was surprised that you only feed me Italian at your house.”
“Well, someday soon, I’ll make you my shepherd’s pie. It’s to die for.”
Jake grinned. “Hey, you keep feeding me, and I’ll keep showing up.”
“Like a stray cat?”
“Sure.”
Melinda shook her head. “I’m not sure I’m ready to feed another cat all the time.”
“If you adopt me, I won’t be a stray anymore.”
“Are we still talking about me feeding you when you show up at my house?” Melinda asked. She was missing something in their conversation.
“You tell me.” Jake grinned at her.
“You’re helping with the dishes, because you’re making difficult mealtime conversation. That’s all there is to it.”
“Fine. I’ll help with the dishes. I’m good at dishes.”
“You are?”
“Not really, but we’ll pretend I am. How’s that?”
She sighed. “There are only a few things to handwash. You can dry them.”
“All right. I’m willing to learn.”
As he left for the evening, he caught her by the hips and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. “Tomorrow night. Pizza. My place.” He caressed her cheek. “I want to just stick you in my pocket and take you home with me.”
“I don’t think I’d fit in your pocket. Are you confusing me with someone else?” The girl he’d been dancing with had been no more than five feet tall, and she’d been slender. It made her want to poke the other woman’s eyes out. Melinda was tall, and she envied short women. Of course, she knew a lot of short women who envied her.
“I’m sure. You’re just perfect for my pocket, Melinda.” He kissed her once more and went to his truck. There was nothing about her that didn’t make him want to keep her.
Melinda watched him drive away, wondering again about Felicia. He hadn’t mentioned her, and she wished he would. Melinda needed to know where she stood, but she didn’t think it was time for the “Where are we going?” talk. She’d just have to wait and see.
She hated waiting.
Ten
The following evening, Jake stood and looked around his house, satisfied with his choice. The house was furnished, and it was very easy for him to just bring in the few things he had and settle in.
It was small, only one bedroom and one bath, but it was certainly enough for one person. He was happy that he was transitioning back into civilian life so completely. He wasn’t sure he would be able to forget the regimented life he’d lived in the military and move on so quickly.
Melinda was there a short while later with the things she needed for the pizzas. “Do you cook at all?” she asked as she started mixing up the dough.
He shrugged. “I’ve been known to make simple things.”
“Can you brown ground beef?”
“That’s not too complicated for me. I won’t even burn it. Probably.”
“You are your mother’s son.”
“Well, since ground beef goes into lasagna, she’s really good at ground beef.”
Melinda laughed, shaking her head. “Your father must not have married her for her cooking skills.”
“If he did, he’d be awfully disappointed,” Jake told her. He got out a frying pan and started to work on the ground beef, while she finished the dough.
“We have to let it rise for a little while,” she said. “Then we’ll smoosh it out into dough. I brought a variety of toppings. I’m going to make up some more meat when I’m done.”
“What kinds?”
She listed the different things she’d brought. “I didn’t bring mushrooms, but I have onions, green peppers, red peppers, and several other pizza veggies. Then we’ll make some meats. We can each choose what we want on our own personal-sized pizza.”
“Sounds delicious.”
When they sat down to eat an hour later, he was thrilled. “This is really good. Thanks for the suggestion.”
“Happy to do it. I like the pizza place in town, but I always prefer my own cooking.”
“I don’t blame you. I prefer your cooking, too, so you may cook every meal for me for the rest of my life.”
Melinda felt like he was starting to talk about forever a lot. Did he mean it? Or did he just talk that way. She hadn’t noticed it before, but it was odd. “I’ll get right on that.”
She helped him with the dishes, and they watched another superhero movie together before she left. “Is the gym ready?” she asked.
“I’ll have everything in place and ready to go by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“Then can I come in for my first session on Tuesday morning?” Melinda asked, wanting to get started.
“Absolutely. What time?”
“Nine is good. I work at eleven.”
“All right. I’ll be there, and we’ll get it done.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “I think I’m addicted to your kisses.”
“I don’t think you could be. Because I’m addicted to yours.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.” He frowned. “Oh, wait. You didn’t bring a car, did you?”
“No, but I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“That’s true, but I will feel better driving you. I don’t like you walking alone at night.”
She shrugged. “All right.”
As he watched her go into her house and lock the door, he thought about how strong his feelings were and how quickly they were going. It wasn’t how he’d seen his life going as soon as he got home, but he couldn’t really complain. She was really special after all.
When Jake finished the gym the following afternoon, he was thrilled. He walked down to his father’s office. “Dad, you can put the gym on the website now, and you can offer my personal training.”
“You finished it?” Bob asked his only son.
“I did. When do you want to start working out with me?” Jake asked.
“Bobling, I know you love what you do, but working out has never been something I enjoy.”
“Whether you enjoy it or not, I’m going to insist you work with me a minimum of three times per week. You need to get your heart healthy again.”
&nbs
p; “You’re my son, not my doctor.”
“But your doctor told you the same thing, didn’t he?” Jake knew his father had been told that exercise would help his heart. That’s what doctors always told heart patients.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“I’ll make you an appointment for tomorrow at eight. Meet me in the gym.”
“I won’t be there.”
Jake smiled. “Don’t make me pull out the big guns.”
“You can’t threaten me. You’re my son.” Bob glared at Jake.
Jake just smiled, walking out of his father’s office. As soon as he was out, he called his mother. “Mom, I know you’re busy.”
“I am, but what’s up?” His mother’s voice was calm but concerned.
“Dad won’t agree to workout with me, and we both know it would be the best thing for his heart. I put him on the schedule for eight tomorrow morning. Will you make sure he keeps the appointment?”
“I will try. Call your grandmother as well. Between the three of us, we’ll make sure he’s there and does what he needs to do.”
Jake grinned. “Thanks, Mom.” The line went dead then, but he knew his mother was with a client, so he wasn’t worried about it.
A quick call to his grandmother had her promise that she would give her son a call that evening, and Jake felt as if his job was done. No one could convince his dad to do something like his mother and grandmother.
At eight the next morning, Jake met with his unhappy father at the gym. “I can’t believe you talked to your mother and my mother. What is wrong with you? We men have to stick together.”
“I am sticking with you. I’m keeping you alive so you can get to know your grandchildren.” Jake led his father to a treadmill. “We’re going to start with a walk on the treadmill.”
An hour later, his father was sweaty and grumpy, but he thanked Jake. “I don’t know that I ever would have agreed to this, but you’re right. It’s what I need for my heart.”
“I know it is. I’ll see you Friday at the same time.”
Bob groaned, but he nodded. “I’ll be here.”
Jake looked over at Melinda, who had arrived in the last five minutes of his father’s session. “I hope you’re not as difficult to work with as my father.” He eyed her in the tight leggings she was wearing, admiring her body.
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