by King, Sarah
Chuckling, Jake glanced at her. “Let’s just call it a little too much liquid courage.”
Suddenly, every facet of their conversation came rushing back in crystal clarity. Covering her face, Lisa willed herself to melt into the seat. “Oh God, I’m so embarrassed.”
After pulling into the parking lot, Jake killed the ignition and turned to face Lisa before tugging her hands away. “Don’t be. I promise you didn’t do anything you’ll regret later.” He cleared his throat before asking, “So, do you remember anything?”
Before she could answer, Lisa noticed Debra standing at the back door staring at them. “I have to go,” she said quietly. “Thanks for the ride. I can walk home later.”
Grabbing her hand, Jake quickly linked his fingers with hers. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll be here at noon to pick you up.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” she started before noticing Jake’s annoyed expression. “Okay, okay, I’ll see you later then. Thank you.” Before opening her door, she squeezed his hand. “I remember,” she said and kissed his cheek before jumping out of the truck. Strolling past Debra, she said “Good Morning,” before she put her things away and grabbed her apron.
***
Wearing a huge smile, Jake sat in the parking lot until he noticed Debra was still glaring at him. He definitely wanted to avoid that conversation, so he gave her a quick wave before sliding the truck into reverse and heading home. It was four a.m., he was exhausted, but he was happy. Really, truly happy. How crazy was that? It had been a long time since he’d felt this way, and he realized then that he’d do anything to continue feeling it. Lisa was getting under his skin, and he didn’t mind one bit. Catching a glance of his reflection in the rearview mirror, he realized he was still smiling. He drummed his hands on the steering wheel and drove on, wondering what else he could turn his smile into.
***
Lisa felt like she could finally catch her breath once the breakfast rush was over. The combination of coffee, aspirin, and pleasant conversation had chased her headache away, for which she was extremely grateful. Wiping her hands on her apron, she grabbed a rag to clean the counter. “It was busier this morning than yesterday,” she remarked to Debra.
“It’s supposed to be a beautiful day today. A lot of people probably wanted to grab something to eat outside. I think lunchtime is going to be insane,” Deb said as she wrote the lunch specials down.
“Do you want me to hang around a bit longer? I would just have to call Jake to give him a heads-up since he’s my ride.” Lisa couldn’t help but notice the way Debra’s shoulders tensed. In fact, she had seemed preoccupied all morning. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just fine. And no, we can handle the rush, so don’t you worry.” Debra wiped her hands off before putting the chalk away. “So, you and Jake seem to be getting along well,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Blushing, Lisa realized what it must have looked like when Jake dropped her off this morning. “He’s sweet,” she finally said. “I had a bit too much to drink last night, so he came back this morning to drive me to work.” Embarrassed, she continued in a rush, “I’m so sorry, I almost never drink, and I certainly would never show up to work drunk…”
Debra laughed. “Oh, honey, I was young once. I understand, and just the look on your face tells me that you are not the type of person who does this on a regular basis. I just wanted to make sure Jake was treating you right.”
Lisa smiled as she thought back to the previous evening. He hadn’t run screaming for the hills when she’d told him about her past. And that kiss…
Waving a hand in front of her face, Debra said, “Earth to Lisa…”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry,” she blushed again. “Yes, he’s treating me right.”
Debra nodded before turning to place the chalkboard by the register. “All done. Okay, let’s get started on my Reuben sandwiches.”
Lisa threw another glance toward the clock before turning her thoughts back to work.
The rest of the morning flew by, and the lunch rush started earlier than usual. Debra was right, the nice weather was bringing people out in droves. Jake arrived as Lisa was still dealing with a line of people five deep. Giving him a small smile, she gestured that she’d still be another few minutes.
***
Jake recognized a few people and stopped to chat before heading in back to find Debra. He found her stirring a large pot of sauerkraut as she gave instructions to her afternoon staff. Sneaking up behind her, he covered her eyes. “Hey, good lookin’,” he said with a kiss to her cheek.
“Hey yourself,” she said wiping her hands on her apron before turning and smacking him on the back of the head.
“Ow! Hey, what the hell was that for?” he asked, rubbing the sore spot.
“That girl has been walking around all morning with stars in her eyes,” she fumed.
“Really?” he asked with a wistful smile. He couldn’t help it, his male pride swelled.
“Oh Good Lord, you’re half gone too!” Lowering her voice, Debra continued. “What did I tell you, Jake?”
He gestured with his hands as he responded. “I know, Deb, but she’s different. I can’t explain it. There’s just something about her…”
Debra cut him off with a glare. “Yeah, and I’ve heard that before.”
Jake’s eyes darkened. “This is different. Lisa is different.”
She squeezed his arm. “I believe you, honey, I really do. But for your sake as well as hers, you know it can’t go on like this.”
Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath. “I know.”
The rest of their conversation was cut short as Lisa appeared in the backroom. “Hey, Debra, Ginny just took over on the register and… Is everything okay back here?”
“Right as rain,” said Debra with a bright smile. “Now you get on out of here and enjoy this beautiful day. Grab some lunch, if you like, my treat.” And with that, she hurried out to the front.
Chapter 14
Once he’d asked Lisa how she was feeling, Jake took Debra up on her offer and grabbed some lunch. His eyes sparkled as he held out the bag containing their food. “Go for a ride with me?”
“Okay,” Lisa agreed as they walked to his truck. “Where are we going?”
“Ah, now that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?”
Lisa grumbled as he helped her inside.
Jake smiled and climbed in the truck. “It’s not far. I promise.”
Obviously still disgruntled, Lisa muttered what sounded like “fine”. She turned to stare out the window as they pulled away from the bakery.
Fiddling with the radio, he paused on a station he liked. “You like country music?”
Lisa turned to face him. Sighing dramatically, she said, “I guess now that I live in the south, I sort of have to, don’t I?”
Jake felt his breath leave in a giant whoosh. Shit. Now what?
She must have notice him tense as she quickly added, “Wow, you guys are really serious about your country music down here, huh? Well, you can rest easy. I actually do enjoy it. My mom listened to it all the time, so I grew up loving it.”
Relaxing, Jake released his death grip on the steering wheel. After that awkward exchange, he was comfortable to drive in silence for a while. He replayed his conversation with Debra, and heaviness settled into his heart. How could he ever make Lisa understand? Letting her go wasn’t an option. But he couldn’t predict how she would react, and it scared the hell out of him.
Jake heard a small sound and turned to look at Lisa. Her head had fallen to the side and her mouth hung open a little at the corner. He should be offended that five minutes with his company and she was already asleep, but all he could do was smile. He thought about what he’d worked on all morning after dropping her off at work. It still needed some fine tuning, but overall, he was pretty happy with it. He wondered what Lisa would think of it, and suddenly had an idea. Glancing over his shoulder, he quickly changed lan
es and took the exit for the interstate.
A half hour later they were sitting in front of a store. Stroking a finger down her cheek, he tried to wake her. “Lisa?” He noticed a small line of drool trailing from her mouth to her chin and chuckled. Leaning closer, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Time to wake up, angel.”
***
Blinking her eyes, Lisa saw Jake and gave him a sleepy smile. After a small stretch, she touched her drool-covered face. Way to be classy she thought as Jake laughed. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she wiped the spit away. “So, are we here?” Looking around, she noticed they were parked at a strip mall in front of a store called The Music Note.
“Slight change of plans,” said Jake opening his door. “I needed to run a quick errand before we have lunch. I hope that’s okay?”
“Sure,” said Lisa stretching again. “But where are we?”
Running around to open her door, he held out a hand. “Come and see,” he said simply as he helped her down.
A small bell announced their presence as they entered the small shop. “Be right with y’all,” a voice called from somewhere in back.
“Take your time, Charlie,” Jake shouted back.
Letting go of Jake’s hand, Lisa wandered around the store. It seemed to carry a vast array of musical items. Everything from second-hand instruments to music boxes. She found herself enchanted by one of the music boxes. A crescent moon sat on a cloud with a crystal star hanging from it. After cranking the small handle, When You Wish Upon a Star played softly. Running her finger over the delicate star, Lisa smiled as she hummed along.
“Jake, is that you?” asked an older man as he emerged from the back room.
Crossing the shop, Jake grabbed the man’s hand. “Hey, Charlie, how are you doing?”
“Getting by,” Charlie said smiling. “Hey I finished your—” he started. Jake quickly shook his head. “I finished that project for you,” he amended. “I got it in back.”
“I’ll pull around when we leave,” Jake said.
“That’ll be fine. Now, why don’t you introduce me to this pretty, young lady over here?”
Lisa watched their exchange in fascination. Why did it seem like they were speaking in code? She didn’t have time to consider it any further as Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her over to meet the shop owner.
“Charlie Wilkins, meet Lisa James. Lisa, this is Charlie.”
“Well now,” said Charlie shaking Lisa’s hand “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” said Lisa. “You have a beautiful store.”
Lisa chatted with him for a while and learned that Charlie had opened the shop fifteen years ago after his wife passed away. She was surprised to learn that Layla was a frequent visitor to The Music Note, but didn’t have a chance to ask any more about it.
Jake clapped Charlie on the back. “Hey, Charlie, I don’t mean to cut this short, but we’ve got lunch waiting out in the car.”
Charlie smiled and walked behind the register. “Not a problem, can’t keep this young lady waiting, after all,” he said with a wink in Lisa’s direction.
Lisa noticed the star music box she’d been admiring sitting on the counter. “What are you doing, Jake?”
“It’s called a gift. How much do I owe you, Charlie?” he asked as he pulled his wallet out.
“Now you put that away,” he said waving one hand at Jake as he grabbed some paper to wrap the music box with the other. “You paid me more than enough for your…project, and I’ll not have you pay me for this.” He finished wrapping Lisa’s music box and put it into a small bag before handing it to her. “For you, young lady. Now you come back and see me, alright?”
“Absolutely,” she said accepting the small bag with a smile. Leaning across the counter, she gave Charlie’s cheek a kiss. “Thank you.”
“I like this one,” Charlie said in Jake’s direction.
“So do I,” said Jake quietly.
Lisa pretended not to hear even as her heart did somersaults. Waving at Charlie a final time, she followed Jake outside.
After placing her bag in the car, Jake quickly pulled Lisa into the next store.
A few minutes later, Lisa emerged with a new pair of sunglasses. “Jake, I could have bought these myself,” she fussed.
“I know that,” he said kissing her nose, “But I wanted to.”
Stopping on the sidewalk, Lisa grabbed his hand. “You don’t need to spoil me. First the music box, and now this…”
“Now hold on,” he said. “Charlie, as I recall, gave you the music box. I had nothing to do with it.”
“But you tried,” Lisa reasoned.
“That is true,” said Jake pulling her to the truck. Helping her inside, he continued. “And it’s the thought that counts, right?”
“I suppose,” she said suspiciously. “Why?”
“Well, it’s just…Charlie got a kiss…”
Laughing, she poked Jake in the chest. “You jealous?”
Jake did his best to pout. “Maybe a little.” He gave her a wink before shutting her door and climbing in.
“You big baby.” Lisa laughed. “Alright, fine.” Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. “Happy now?”
“Not quite,” he said. Pulling her close, he lowered his mouth to hers. By the time he sat back, they were both breathing hard, and Lisa’s eyes were slightly glazed. After another soft kiss he said, “Now I’m happy.” He whistled as he pulled the truck around to the back of The Music Note and hopped out to grab a package from Charlie.
Still reeling from the kiss, Lisa watched in the rearview mirror as Jake exchanged a few words with Charlie before shaking his hand and loading the large box into the back of the truck. He gave Charlie a final wave before climbing back in. “All set?” she asked Jake.
“Let’s go have lunch,” said Jake. He drove them back onto the interstate before taking an exit a few miles down the road.
“So, are you going to tell me,” Lisa finally asked.
Jake shot Lisa a panicked look. “Tell you what?”
“Umm, what’s in that big box in the back of your truck?” she said. Noticing the way Jake visibly relaxed, she wondered what he thought she was asking about.
“Patience,” he teased, slipping back into his easygoing self once more. He turned the radio up a bit louder and drummed his hands on the steering wheel as he drove.
Another surprise, she thought. Oh boy. She watched out the window as the Smoky Mountain skyline came into view. “Wow,” she breathed. Turning, she gave Jake a huge smile.
She continued to watch as they drove closer to the mountains. The deejay’s voice on the radio broke through her quiet wonder. “And here it is, folks. The most requested song of the hour, here’s Ryder with ‘Your Man’.”
“Oh, I love this song!” Lisa exclaimed as she turned the music up a little louder. Listening to the soulful voice that poured through the speakers, she knew that this was exactly what she wanted. Not to be a singer, of course, but to have someone like him sing her songs. Shutting her eyes, she let the music and her dreams carry her away.
***
Jake waited until the song was over to start speaking again. Clearing his throat, he said, “So, a big Ryder fan, huh?”
Lisa nodded. “He’s amazing. A little strange, but his voice is awesome.”
Tensing, he glanced at her quickly. “What do you mean, strange?”
She turned to face him and rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you’ve heard all the stories. He’s rarely photographed, if he tours, it’s only in super small venues, and no cameras are allowed. It’s like he’s a hermit, or something. It’s just not what you expect from someone who’s so popular. But I guess that’s what adds to his popularity, the mystery surrounding him. Don’t you think?”
“I suppose,” he said quietly. “But I’m sure there’s a reason for it. There’s a reason for everything.” He let her ponder that as he drove a little farther down and turned onto a dirt road that was barely v
isible.
“Umm, are we supposed to be driving here?” Lisa asked nervously.
“Relax,” said Jake. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’re almost there.”
***
Finally Jake stopped the truck. Lisa could no longer see the main road, but the Smoky Mountains were visible high above the trees that now surrounded them. The peaks seemed larger than life, and Lisa let out an awed breath.
“What do you think?” Jake asked as he grabbed their lunch from the truck.
“It’s amazing,” she breathed. “I feel like I’m in a fairy tale or something.”
Chuckling, Jake led them to a large Black Oak tree and spread a blanket he’d grabbed. “Well, don’t expect to be seeing Hansel and Gretel.”
They sat down and Lisa dug into her sandwich as she realized how hungry she was. “So how did you find this place?” she asked between bites.
“My dad used to bring me out here when I was little.” Jake took a bite of his own sandwich. “We’d hike or go fishing.” Pointing over her shoulder, he said, “There’s a stream about a mile down that path. I like to come here to think.”
“What do you think about?” Lisa asked quietly.
Jake shrugged and sipped his water. “Big decisions I have to make, work…you know… life. Did you have a place like that?”
Smiling, Lisa recalled her happy place. “The beach. When I was younger, Mom took me to Ocean City every summer. And, when I was old enough, I’d head down there for a weekend whenever I needed time to myself. I loved being there during off season. Most of the shops were closed and it was very peaceful.”
“That’s where a lot of your pictures are taken,” Jake said as he finished off his water and lay back.
Lisa nodded and lay down next to him. Reaching over, Jake took her hand as he told her some interesting facts about the area and some funny stories about his dad and their many fishing trips.