Loving Jake

by Madeline Baker

  Gathering every ounce of willpower she possessed, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Kissing Jake was like touching a match to gunpowder. Sooner or later, there was always an explosion.

  The bed shifted as he moved to sit beside her. “Guess I’d better go.”

  “I think that would be wise.”

  “Yeah, wise,” he muttered ruefully. Kissing her on the cheek, he stood and headed for the door. “Sweet dreams, Ginny.”

  “You, too.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he threw her a cocky grin. “I know what I’ll be dreaming about, pretty lady. Good night.”

  * * * *

  They slept late the next morning, had a leisurely breakfast, then stopped for gas before getting on the freeway. Now that they were on the home stretch, Ginny could tell that Jake was anxious to get the car in the shop so he could get to work on it. She thought it was kind of cute, the way he was so excited about restoring that old Volkswagen. She wondered what Anita would say when she told her she was taking another week off. Ginny knew she should get back home. She was the boss, after all, she should be more responsible, but she hadn’t had a vacation in the last three years and besides, she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Jake and never seeing him again.

  It was a little after eight when Jake pulled up in front of Deb’s house. Putting the car in Park, he climbed out of the truck and walked around to Ginny’s side. He helped her out of the cab, grabbed her suitcase, and walked her to the door.

  “Thanks for going with me,” he said.

  “I had a good time, all things considered.”

  “Do I know how to show a girl a good time or don’t I?” he said with a wry grin.

  “Just think, you could have stayed here and missed all the excitement.”

  “It really was fun, Jake. Thanks for asking me.”

  Dropping the suitcase on the porch, Jake drew her into his arms. “Don’t forget to make that call.”

  “I won’t. I’ll call Anita first thing in the morning.”

  “Let me know as soon as you know, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  “Night, Jake.”

  Drawing her closer, he kissed her, a long, drawn out kiss that left her breathless and yearning for more.

  “Sweet dreams, pretty lady.”

  Smiling, she watched him climb into the cab and pull out of the driveway. Another week with Jake. The Lord had created the heavens and the earth in that time. Would she be able to coax a proposal out of Jake?

  * * * *

  Climbing out of the truck, Jake stretched his back and shoulders. Ranger whinnied softly as he approached the corral.

  “Hey, boy, did ya miss me?” Jake asked, scratching between the stud’s ears.

  Ranger snorted softly, then pushed his nose against Jake’s chest.

  “Yeah,” Jake muttered, “I missed you, too.”

  He glanced over his shoulder as the patio light came on; a moment later, Lori Beth opened the door.

  “You’re back,” she said. “I thought I heard the truck. How was your trip?”

  “Good, all things considered,” he replied, echoing Ginny’s words. He canted his head to one side. “What’s up?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.”

  “Do I?”

  “Come on, spill it, what’s happened? You win the lottery while I was gone?”

  “Better than that,” she said, her smile growing even wider. “I’m thinking about getting married.”

  “Married!” Jake stared at her. “To who?”

  “You won’t believe me when I tell you.”

  Jake swore. “It’s not Dutton? Please, tell me it’s not Dutton!”

  “It’s not. It’s Carter Hastings.”

  Jake frowned. “Who?” And then he swore again. “Isn’t that…?”

  Lori Beth nodded. “Ginny’s boyfriend.”

  “How the hell did that happen?”

  Lori Beth folded her arms over her belly. “He stopped by Deb’s place, to surprise Ginny, only I was there, feeding the animals. We got to talking and…” She shrugged. “We went out a couple of times and it was like I’d known him all my life.”

  “And you said yes? To a man you’ve known for what? Three days?”

  “Not yet, but I’m thinking about it. Jake, I know it’s sudden, but it feels right.”

  Jake shook his head, wondering what Ginny would think when she found out.

  Apparently Lori Beth was thinking the same thing. “Do you think she’ll be upset?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. But he doubted it. She wouldn’t have spent so much time with him, or agreed to stay another week, if she head-over-heels in love with Carter Hastings. “He doesn’t mind, about the baby?”

  She shook her head. “He said he didn’t. Am I making a mistake?”

  “You’re the only one who can answer that.” He didn’t know if you could fall in love in three days, but who was he to judge? He’d only know Ginny three weeks but, like Lori Beth had said, it felt right.

  Jake was tempted to call Ginny to get her reaction, but it wasn’t his place to break news like this. This was something she should hear from Hastings. He just wished he could be a fly on the wall when Carter broke the news.

  * * * *

  Ginny unpacked her suitcase and then took a long hot bubble bath. It was good to be in familiar surroundings again. She checked on the animals, fixed a light dinner, spent an hour on the phone with Jake. Before saying goodnight, he reminded her again to call Anita first thing in the morning.

  Ginny spent the rest of the evening washing her clothes and packing, just in case Anita threw a monkey wrench in her plans to stay in Norco another week.

  It was after midnight when she finally went to bed, only to be awakened two hours later when the phone rang. Thinking it was Jake, she smiled as she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Ginny? It’s Mom.”

  “Hi, Mom.” Sitting up, Ginny glanced at the clock, a feeling of apprehension spearing through her. It was too late for good news. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “Your Aunt Genevieve was taken to the hospital about an hour ago. Her heart, you know.”

  “How is she?” Ginny asked anxiously. Aunt Genevieve was her father’s oldest sister. Ginny had been named after her and they had always shared a special bond.

  “Not good. She’s asking for you.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Ginny said, her mind racing. “Have you talked to Deb?”

  “Yes, she’s flying here instead of going home. Steve will be there tomorrow night.”

  “All right. I’ll call the airport and get back to you. Tell Steve I’ll call him from LAX and tell him where I left the VW.”

  “All right. Good night, dear.”

  As luck would have it, there was a single seat available on a flight leaving at eight a.m. Ginny booked the flight, then called her mother back to give her the details. Hanging up the phone, she looked at the clock again. It was almost three a.m., too late to call Jake. She would wait and call him before she left for the airport.

  Slipping back under the covers, Ginny closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, her mind filled with memories of her namesake. It had been Aunt Genevieve who had taught Ginny how to knit and crochet, how to make a perfect pie crust, how to play Jingle Bells on the piano. For her twelfth birthday, Aunt Genevieve had taken Ginny to Disney World for a week.

  With a sigh, Ginny turned onto her side and sent a prayer to heaven, pleading with the Lord to spare her aunt’s life. “But if You have to take her,” she whispered, “please let me get to say goodbye.”

  * * * *

  In the morning, Ginny walked through the house one last time, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything before she sat down to call Jake.

  She called his cell phone, but it went to voice mail. Instead of leaving a messag
e, she called the garage, but his answering machine picked up.

  “Hey, sorry I missed your call. I had to make an early run into L. A. Leave your number and I’ll call you back.”

  “Darn!” She called his house, hoping Lori Beth would answer the phone, but to no avail. With a sigh of exasperation, Ginny picked up her luggage and carried it out to the car.

  In spite of the fact that she was pressed for time, she drove by Jake’s garage, but it was closed up tight.

  She pulled her cell phone from her purse, intending to call his cell again and leave a message, only to discover that the battery was dead. Damn!

  Pulling onto the freeway, she blinked back her tears as she left Norco behind.

  Chapter 13

  Jake frowned as he pulled into the garage. He had been calling Ginny all morning. There was no answer on either her cell phone or the phone at her sister’s house. He had driven past the house earlier, thinking she might be out by the pool, but to no avail. Both horses were in the corral, so she wasn’t riding. So where the heck was she? He had even stopped by Stater Bros. to see if the VW was in the lot, but no luck.

  Going into his office, he called her sister’s place one more time, and then he called Lori to see if Ginny had called the house and left a message. Again, no luck.

  He sat at his desk for twenty minutes, willing the phone to ring. “Come on, pretty lady,” he muttered. “Call me and tell me you’ve been in the shower since eight a.m.”

  He never should have let himself fall for her, he thought glumly, but how could he help it? That smile, those eyes, the way she melted in his arms…

  With a shake of his head, he pulled Schmidt’s Bug into the garage. The bug needed a new transmission. It was the only job he had today, which would give him plenty of time to work on restoring Harrington’s VW. Ordinarily, he was happier than a cat with a bowl of cream when he was working, but not today. Today, all he could think about was Ginny. She’d said she would call him first thing in the morning to let him know if she was going to be able to stay another week.

  He muttered an oath as it occurred to him that she might have changed her mind about staying longer and lacked the nerve to tell him. Maybe he had been a fool to believe she cared for him. Dammit. Maybe all she had been interested in was a summer fling, slumming with an auto mechanic so she’d have something to talk about when she got back home. Hell, maybe she was on her way back home, even now.

  Jake snorted softly, and then he laughed, though there was no humor in it. Maybe she’d thought it over and decided Mr. Three Piece Suit was more to her liking. He laughed again. If that was the case, she was in for a rude awakening. He just wished he could be there to see the look on her face when she found out her boyfriend was going to marry Lori Beth.

  Chapter 14

  Ginny’s mother picked her up at the airport. Frances Whelan was a tall woman with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a figure that men still admired. After exchanging hugs, they collected Ginny’s luggage.

  “Where’s Dad?” Ginny asked as they drove toward the hospital.

  “He’s at Genevieve’s place, watering the plants and feeding the cats.”

  Ginny grinned. Aunt Gen loved cats and collected strays the way some people collected matchbook covers. At last count, her aunt had five cats and nine kittens.

  “Has there been any change in Aunt Gen’s condition?” Ginny asked anxiously.

  “No, but she seems to be resting quietly. She asked for you again.”

  Ginny glanced out the window. “She can’t die,” she said, sniffling. “She’s always been so strong.”

  Frances reached over and patted her daughter on the shoulder. “We’re all hoping for the best, but she’s in God’s good hands now.”

  Ginny nodded. Aunt Gen had always been very religious. She had once confided to Ginny that even though their family wasn’t Catholic, she had always had a secret yearning to be a nun. The thought of Aunt Genevieve wearing a black habit and living behind high walls made Ginny smile. She couldn’t imagine her aunt as a nun. Aunt Gen had buried three husbands. Even now, when she was in her seventies, there were always men eager to take her out.

  Ginny smiled. Aunt Genevieve had once confessed that since she didn’t have any children of her own, she had often pretended that Ginny was her daughter.

  Tears welled in Ginny eyes. She simply couldn’t imagine her life without her favorite aunt.

  Ginny took a deep breath as her mother pulled into the hospital parking lot. She had always hated hospitals, always been afraid of doctors.

  Aunt Gen was on the third floor, in intensive care. The nurse informed them that they could only go in one at a time, and that they could only stay for fifteen minutes.

  “How is she?” Frances asked.

  “She seems a little stronger today,” the nurse said, smiling. “Remember, only fifteen minutes.”

  “You go on in,” Frances said. “After all, you’re the one she’s been asking for.”

  With a nod, Ginny stepped into the intensive care unit.

  Her aunt seemed to be sleeping. Ginny stood beside the narrow bed, thinking how frail her aunt looked. Her skin was pale, her cheeks hollow.

  Lifting her aunt’s hand, Ginny pressed it to her cheek. It was cool, the skin dry and wrinkled, like old paper. “Oh, auntie,” she murmured, “please don’t leave me.”

  “Ginny, girl, is that you?”

  “Yes.” Ginny forced a smile.

  “Well, it’s about time you came home,” her aunt scolded, her voice a dry rasp.

  “Is that why you got sick?” Ginny asked with mock consternation. “So that I’d come home?”

  A faint smile lit up her aunt’s face. “Caught me, did you?” she said, a hint of her old humor in her voice. “So, how are you and Carter getting along?”

  “Please don’t tell anyone,” Ginny said, “but we aren’t.”

  “Good! He’s not for you.”

  “Auntie!”

  “I would have said something sooner, but you seemed happy enough, and your parents were thrilled with him.”

  “Well, I was never thrilled with him,” Ginny admitted. “I tried to be, but…I’m going to break it off with him next time I see him.”

  “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

  “How did you know?”

  “There’s a sparkle in your eyes that I’ve never seen before. Who is he? Do I know him?”

  “His name is Jake. I met him in California. Oh, Auntie, I love him so.”

  “So, what are you doing here?”

  “What do you think?” Ginny asked. “Mom said you were asking for me. And even if you weren’t, I couldn’t stay in California when you’re in the hospital.”

  “Well, then, I’d better get out.”

  “Oh, Auntie,” Ginny said with a sigh. “I miss him so much. Do you think it’s possible to fall in love so quickly?”

  “Indeed, I do. I was engaged to my first husband for two years. The marriage lasted six months. I was engaged to my second husband for a year. That marriage lasted six weeks. And then I met Harold. We were never engaged.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  Her aunt nodded. “I met him on a Saturday. We were married two weeks later.”

  “And that marriage lasted over fifty years,” Ginny remarked.

  “And I miss him more every day,” Aunt Gen murmured. “But we’ll be together soon. But not too soon,” she said. “And don’t you dare go off and marry your young man until I meet him.”

  “I won’t.” Ginny looked up as a nurse entered the cubicle.

  “I’m sorry, but time’s up,” the nurse said. She moved closer to the bedside and smiled down at Aunt Gen. “Time for your medication, Mrs. Harper.”

  “I’ll see you later, Auntie,” Ginny said. Bending down, she pressed a kiss to her aunt’s forehead. “Mom will be in to see you in a few minutes.”

  Genevieve nodded and squeezed Ginny’s hand.

  “Bye,” Ginny said, a
nd left the room. Out in the hallway, she took a deep breath.

  Her aunt didn’t look well, but she seemed in good spirits. Maybe things weren’t as bad as everyone thought.

  “Did you get to talk to her?” Frances asked, coming up beside Ginny.

  “Yes. The nurse is giving Auntie her medication.”

  “Do you want to go get some coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  They took the elevator down to the cafeteria, paid for their coffee, and found a table.

  “Have you told Carter you’re back?” Frances asked.

  “No, not yet.” Ginny stirred some cream into her coffee. She hadn’t called Jake yet, either. She was anxious to talk to him, to hear his voice. Maybe she would call him while her mother was in with Aunt Gen.

  Frances looked thoughtful. “Madge said she was in Henderson’s yesterday and she saw Carter buying a new tux.”

  “Really? I wonder what the occasion is.”

  “I thought you might know.”

  Ginny shook her head. “I don’t have any idea.”

  Frances sipped her coffee. “I was hoping he’d finally popped the question and you were keeping it a secret.”

  “No.” Ginny glanced at her watch, suddenly eager to end the conversation. If there was one thing she didn’t want to do right now, it was talk about Carter and a wedding that was never going to take place. “Listen, Mom, I think I’m going to get a cab and go see how Anita’s making out.”

  “That’s silly, dear. I’ll be done here in a few minutes.”

  “I know, but I really need to talk to Anita. I’ll see you later, at home.”

  Her mother frowned but didn’t argue further.

  “Tell Aunt Gen I’ll be back later, okay?” Ginny kissed her mother’s cheek and left the cafeteria, taking her coffee with her.