“Hey, you look nice,” he greeted me. “Are you ready to go?”
I looked nice? He was filling out his old faithful jeans and a white shirt in all the right places. I wanted to grab him by the belt and drag him back into my bedroom to see how the real life version of him sprawled naked on my bed compared to the dream version. Anyone who thought there was anything that needed changing about Jake Maxwell was deluded. He was perfect. And not meant for me. The hollow sadness in my chest returned and multiplied ten-fold.
In the car, I told him about the wine I’d bought. “So, if you’re free tonight, I thought we could try them out.”
He looked over with an expression I couldn’t read and said, “I’d like that.”
Involuntarily, an analysis of Jake’s expression and words began to tick over in my mind before I hit the mental brakes. I needed emotional distance. I focused on Kelly instead. A realistic relationship.
By the time we arrived, my earlier sadness had seeped away and been replaced by excitement. Kelly came running out of the house and hugged me as soon as I stepped out of the car.
I returned the hug as tightly as I could. “I’ve missed you!”
“Not half as much as I’ve missed you.” She pulled back a little to wipe her face with her hand. “Oh, look, you’ve made me cry.”
“Do I get a hug?” An amused voice interrupted us, and I looked over to see Jake leaning a hip against the hood of his Jeep.
Kelly obliged, admiring his new haircut, then turned to look back at me, still with her arms around Jake. “Jake, I’m so happy for you both. I can’t imagine anything more perfect. Lisey, who’d have thought all those years ago your crush on my silly brother would turn out like this? Especially with me married to Adam.”
It took a moment for me to comprehend what was being said—and that it wasn’t a dream—before I could interrupt. Damage control required, my brain screamed. “We’re not—”
But Kelly was too excited to be interrupted. “All that time we spent mooning over these two and here we are. Didn’t everything work out beautifully?”
My eyes shot to Jake as I snapped, “Kelly!”
Kelly stopped, and I noticed two things. First, Jake was surprised by the information. Second, he was pleased by it. His grin was from ear to ear.
“Kelly, Jake and I are not together.”
“Oh. Then what are you doing here with him?” She looked from me to her brother, forehead creased in confusion.
Jake finally found his voice. “Annalise has been helping me with something, and I suggested she come to catch up with you and Mum.”
Kelly’s face drained of color as we all turned toward a voice from the house. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Um, that’s Adam calling me, I’ll see you in there.”
I watched Kelly’s retreating back, trying to make my lungs work. Now the initial crisis of gagging Kelly was over, my body had fallen into a strangely familiar state of shock. Third time in a week. Apparently, Jake Maxwell was not only bad for my emotional well-being, but also bad for my health.
Maybe I should leave? Yes, I’d leave. Except I’d come with Jake. Hmmm. I could walk. Yes, I’d walk home. Except my body had stopped obeying my commands. Hmmm. I could melt into the ground, in the fashion of the witch from The Wizard of Oz. Yes, melt. Good idea.
“You had a crush on me?” Dark eyes dancing, Jake was clearly trying to restrain a laugh.
He was laughing at me! All vestiges of shock instantly evaporated, and I was suffused with an anger born of humiliation.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Jake. I was sixteen. A lot has changed since then, including both you and me. I am definitely over you.” I turned and followed Kelly, trying to look composed and confident as I did, because that was one of the biggest lies I’d ever told.
…
Jake
I stood, leaning against the Jeep for several minutes after Annalise left. How much more stupid could I have been? Normally I was good around women, but laughing and teasing when she was emotional? Giant fail, Maxwell.
Then she’d left before I could make things right again. Though, in all honesty, I didn’t have the first clue about how to do that.
Hell.
I scrubbed my hands over my face. She’d had a crush on me.
Let’s get one thing straight, Jake. I was sixteen. A lot has changed since then, including both you and me. I am definitely over you.
But she’d seemed pretty upset as she’d said it, which had made it seem like she was protesting a little too much.
What if she was still into me, even a little…? Sure, my genes were stacked against me, but there was something about Annalise. Maybe we could be good together? A slow smile spread across my face, and I took my first real breath since Annalise had left.
I pushed off the Jeep and made my way into my mother’s house to see Annalise engulfed by my family. My mother had her in a tight hug, and Kelly had arms around them both.
Adam was hovering nearby as if not sure whether to join in or not. Seeing me in the doorway seemed to make up his mind, and he moved quickly to my side.
“Hi, Jake. Annalise, hey?”
Adam’s raised eyebrows annoyed me. I’d hurt her outside and still had to somehow make things right. The last thing I needed was Adam having a similar reaction to the first one I’d had outside.
“There’s nothing there,” I told him. “Just doing a good deed and reuniting people who’ve drifted.”
Adam looked me over and nodded once. “Good.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, outraged. Was he saying there was something wrong with Annalise? She was gorgeous and sweet and fun. Any guy would be lucky to have her by his side.
He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the reunion going on in front of us as he spoke. “Kel and your mum would kill you when you broke her heart.”
Oh. Good.
But…he’d said when. When you broke her heart. It was the same thing I’d been telling myself, but hearing it from someone else stung. Especially from someone who’d known me fifteen years and whom I respected.
I rounded on him, wanting his full attention on this subject. “What makes you think I would?”
“We’re different when it comes to women.” He shrugged. “I was always a one woman man—it’s never been anyone but Kel for me. You like playing the field.”
His tone was matter of fact, not seeing this as an insult, but still I winced. Adam didn’t know that I’d tried once and had been turned down flat. Much as it had burned at the time, though, she’d been right to do it…which, I guess, just proved Adam’s point.
I shifted my weight to my other leg. “I wouldn’t say I like it.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Well, how about we say Annalise is the settling down kind, and you’re not.”
“Maybe.” For a few sweet minutes, I’d let myself entertain the thought that Annalise and I could be good together. But I knew he was right, that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
You’re no better than me.
And now it seemed there was consensus from everyone who knew me well—I wasn’t the settling down kind.
Getting involved with Annalise was a bad idea. The worst idea. Even if the jerk living inside me still wanted to explore it. I rubbed a hand around the tense muscles at the back of my neck.
“Jake, come here.” My mother was beaming so brightly I almost needed sunglasses—at least it was a good day for someone.
Joining them, I hugged her, careful to avoid touching Annalise.
“Thank you, Jake, for bringing Annalise over.” Mum flashed a watery smile. “Although she should’ve brought herself sooner.” She waggled a finger at Annalise, who giggled.
My breath caught in my throat. She’d giggled! At that moment, Annalise looked sixteen again. If only I could go back to nineteen. Had I known then about her crush? If I was honest, I’d suspected it. But she’d just been Kelly’s little friend.
Stupid.
I’d been monumentally stupid. If I could go back to nineteen right now, I’d whisk sixteen-year-old Annalise outside for a heavy make-out session in the back of my old van. A grin spread across my face. Oh, yeah, that wasn’t a bad idea at all.
At that moment, Annalise looked up. Far from appearing a willing participant in my old van fantasy, she turned away, blushing. She must still be embarrassed. Crap.
“Now let me have a look at this new hairstyle.” Mum pushed gently on my chest. “Mmm, I like it. Much more grown up. What do you think, Annalise?”
Annalise’s gaze flicked to meet mine, then dropped to the floor. We both knew my mother wouldn’t let her get away without some sort of comment. “Definitely more grown up,” she murmured.
Kelly moved closer and ruffled my hair. “I love it,” she pronounced.
“Thanks, kiddo.” Draping an arm around her shoulders, I watched Mum march Annalise into the kitchen, demanding to know all her news.
“Jake…” Kelly’s voice wavered slightly.
“Mmm?”
“I’m sorry about what I said outside.”
I looked down at her upturned face. “Doesn’t worry me, but I think Annalise is upset.”
“I know. I’ve apologized already, but I’ll tell her again.” She tried to move away, but I nudged her closer again.
“Kel…was it a big crush?” I used a deliberately casual tone.
Kelly’s gaze trailed to the kitchen before she answered. “The biggest. Same as mine on Adam. But please, Jake, don’t tease her about it.”
“I won’t.” On impulse, I hugged her and dropped a kiss on her head.
We wandered into the kitchen, and Kelly left to make coffee. Leaning against the doorframe, I watched Annalise and Mum talking intimately, still holding hands. I was so engrossed, I didn’t hear Adam behind me until he spoke.
“Jealous?”
I half-turned, but my eyes didn’t leave the scene. “Of which one?”
“You tell me.”
I held back a sigh. Adam might have been my best friend, but no way did I want to talk to him about this. “Nope,” I said, deciding that deflecting was the best form of defense. “They’ve always been close. I think Mum helped her through the teen years the way Gerry helped us. You know, we were pretty lucky with him for a coach.”
“Yep. They’re both good people, Gerry and your mother. I probably would’ve gone off the rails when my mum died if they hadn’t been around. They deserve a medal.”
“Mmm, or something.” Then a thought struck. “How about deserving each other?”
“Planning on a little matchmaking?”
“Why not? It’s been, what, five years since Gerry’s divorce? And they get along well.”
“You might be on to something, Jake, but matchmaking’s a tricky thing to do without upsetting people.”
“It worked fine when I set you up with my sister,” I pointed out.
“But you already knew we were crazy about each other. We don’t know anything about how Eden and Gerry feel.”
I shrugged. “That makes it all the more interesting.” I might not have worked out yet how to make things right with Annalise after embarrassing her outside, but I could do some good for someone else in the meantime.
Maybe then I wouldn’t feel like such a jerk.
…
Annalise
“Come on, Lisey.” Kelly grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Eden. “While the coffee’s percolating, we’ll go choose better music.”
Eden pretended to look offended. “I’ll have you know that singer is considered one of the best jazz artists to emerge in the last twenty years!”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “I won’t throw it out, just change it.”
Eden laughed while Kelly dragged me into the lounge room. As we passed through the arch where Jake and Adam stood, Adam leaned in and stole a kiss from Kelly.
Jake stood back to give us a respectful berth.
Still wishing I could melt into the floor, I kept my head down till I reached Eden’s music collection then flopped down on the carpet with Kelly.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jake and Adam move into the kitchen, and heard their voices mingle with Eden’s.
I picked out a random CD but couldn’t focus with my mind still replaying the scene outside. What was I doing here? Why put myself through this? I should leave and come back to visit Kelly and Eden some other time. On my own. Without a love god in the next room who’d been amused by my pain. The ratfink.
Kelly laid a hand on my arm. “I have to say it again. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t check with you first. I was just so excited, and my mouth ran away from me.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t worry. All that stuff was so long ago, it doesn’t bother me.” But I kept my gaze on the CD in front of me in case she guessed the truth. Perceptive girl, Kelly.
“Really? I feel so bad.” Her voice held a note of real misery.
I conjured a smile and looked up at her. “Seriously, Kel, that was years ago. I’m over Jake, so it doesn’t matter it came out.”
She crinkled her eyes and patted my arm. “Okay.”
Under cover of searching, I blew out a breath of relief that she believed me. I couldn’t let her suspect I still had feelings for her brother. If things worked out for Jake and he started dating Scarlett, Kelly would socialize with her at family functions. And the last thing I wanted was for Kelly to feel awkward in her own family because I was unhappy.
Kelly plucked a CD from the hundreds in front of us. “Hey, what about this one?”
I took it from her and was instantly transported back to those days—summer, fun, gossip, and Jake. Just what I needed. “I’m surprised it’s still here.”
“Although, notice that when Mum updated her music collection to MP3 files, she didn’t include these gems. We’ll have to make do with the CDs.”
“You’d think after the number of times we played it, the CD would be worn out by now.”
Kelly giggled. “Let’s play it. In fact, let’s only pick ones from then and put them on shuffle.”
I started to disagree then hesitated. Maybe it’d help—bring all the memories back together so I could purge them in one fell swoop. It was past time.
“You’re on.” We started sorting through Eden’s alphabetized collection, searching for our old favorites.
“Paydirt,” Kelly said. “Remember this one?”
I grabbed the CD she held out. “Remember it? I think it’s burned in my memory banks, unfortunately. Play it.”
She took the CD back but paused. “Are you sure you’re okay about my big mouth telling Jake that stuff?”
I should have known she wouldn’t let it drop. “I’m sure, Kel. In fact, it’s pretty funny now. Much like this CD.” I grabbed another one.
Kelly fell into a fit of laughter. “I can’t believe we ever liked that one. Look at their hair! I think we should throw it out.”
“Nope, it has to go with the others. Today is about trips down memory lane. The good, the bad, and the ear-piercing.”
“Okay,” she said as she put it in the state-of-the-art player, “but when the others are screaming murder, I’m telling them it was your choice.”
As the music started, there were two very loud, very male groans from the kitchen. We peeked around the corner to see Adam with his hands over his ears and Jake pretending to choke himself.
“Save me,” Jake said in a strangled voice. “I’m having a bad teenage flashback.”
“Humph,” Kelly said as she walked over to Adam and took his hands off his ears. “You’d think you guys would’ve learned some maturity of taste in the intervening years. Or at least some new moves.”
“Oh, baby, I’ve got moves.” Adam stopped struggling and waggled his eyebrows at her.
With an abrupt movement, Jake wrenched them apart. “Adam, don’t let down your guard. She’ll lure you over to the dark side.”
Adam didn’t seem to mind
the prospect and reached for Kelly again.
“C’mon,” Jake said, pushing Adam ahead of him. Then he called back over his shoulder, “Adam and I’ll go get a couple of pizzas. And we’ll pray the whole way the stereo breaks. Back soon.”
Kelly and Eden were laughing at their menfolk, but my belly churned. They weren’t my menfolk. And I couldn’t share my turmoil with the womenfolk. I looked from Kelly to Eden and back again.
Surrounded by people who loved me, I was alone.
Tears threatened to escape and make the situation even more embarrassing.
“Coffee’s ready,” Eden announced. “While I pour it, Annalise, tell me about that man you had at Kelly’s wedding.”
“Thomas,” Kelly supplied as she slid onto a barstool across from her mother.
“That’s him,” Eden said. “Is he still around?”
“Um, no.” Glad for the distraction, I took a deep breath. Shame about the actual subject of the distraction. “We broke up.”
Eden nodded and handed me a cup. “Probably for the best. There was something about you two together that didn’t seem right.”
“He was great,” I said, feeling the need to defend Thomas, because he really was a good guy.
Kelly nodded. “Yep, he was sweet. And totally into you.”
I winced. Part of me still felt guilty for leaving him, because I knew it had really hurt him.
“More into you than you were into him?” Eden asked gently.
I nodded without looking up.
“Oh!” Kelly said. “Listen to this song! You know what this reminds me of?”
I had so many memories associated with it, I shrugged.
“That afternoon we were at your place making those dream collages. Remember? We read about them in a magazine. We had glitter everywhere, and we put this song on and pressed repeat. I think we heard it for two solid hours.”
The memory came floating back. “Yeah, we did.”
“And I remember your mother finding us—she was so upset.”
“About the glitter?” Eden handed Kelly her cup.
“Thanks.” Kelly took the coffee and sipped. “She told us we were wasting our time. Romantic notions like dreams only bring disappointment,” she said in a prim voice.
The Summer of Jake Page 9