I get why Ivy has concerns about me. I know I have a reputation for sleeping around and I'm sure she thinks that's all I want. I haven't bothered telling her I want more than that because she'd just think I was saying it to get her to sleep with me. So instead, I told her I want to get to know her, which is true. I've never been with a girl long enough to get to know her or her family or her background. But I want to know that stuff about Ivy, if she'll let me.
"So where do you want to go?" I ask. We're sitting in my SUV, still in the Hoedowns' parking lot.
"You can pick, since I picked last time."
"I would, but I really have no idea where to take a vegan." I pause. "Now that I think about it, what were you planning to eat at Hoedowns? The whole menu is meat."
She puts her seatbelt on. "I'm not vegan."
"Then why did you say you were?"
"Because I needed an excuse for why I couldn't go to Burger King with you the other day."
"Why didn't you just tell me you didn't want to go?"
"I did, but you wouldn't listen."
I chuckle. "Yeah, I can sometimes be a little persistent."
"Sometimes?" She smiles.
I shrug. "What can I say? I go after what I want."
Her expression suddenly turns angry and her body stiffens. She thought I was talking about sex. Shit. I need to watch what I say around her.
"Hey." I reach over for her hand. "I just meant that I really want to get to know you and I can't do that if you keep refusing to go out with me."
"I'm out with you right now," she says, yanking her hand from mine. She stares straight ahead. "You get one date. That's all I'm agreeing to, so you better make it a good one."
She's pissed. That one comment I made got her back to thinking about the Jake everyone talks about. The one who only wants sex and nothing more. If I'm going to convince her I'm not that guy anymore, I'm going to have to change how I do things. I'm used to flirting with a girl, then kissing her, touching her, and taking her back to my place. Those moves worked when the goal was sex, but if the goal is to get Ivy to go out with me again, I need to change my game. I can still flirt with her, but I need to withhold the kissing and touching and everything that comes after that. I need to leave her wanting more.
"Do you have cowboy boots?" I ask.
Her brows rise. "Cowboy boots? Are you serious?"
"So I'm guessing the answer is no." I pull out of the parking lot. "How about a hat?"
"A cowboy hat?" She laughs, and I feel her mood instantly lighten. "No, I don't have a cowboy hat. People in Chicago don't wear cowboy hats."
"Sure they do. My brothers and I all have one. But since you don't, you'll have to borrow one."
"Wait—what? Why? Where are we going?"
"Well, first we're going to find you some boots and a hat and then we're going to Rodeo Freddy's."
"We're going to a rodeo? In January?"
"It's a restaurant and dance hall. Obviously you've never been there. You're in for a treat." I find Nash's number and call him, putting it in hands-free mode.
He picks up right away, his voice filling the car. "Hey, what's up?"
"Are you at home?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm in the car with Ivy and we're heading over to Rodeo Freddy's." I didn't tell him I was going out with her tonight so I hope he doesn't say something stupid, like how shocked he is that she agreed to go out with me. I don't think he will. We all know the brother code. Don't interfere when your brother's trying to get a girl, even if you don't approve of that girl, which was the case with Marissa, Nash's ex. My brothers and I hated her, but we didn't say anything because Nash said he loved her and wanted to marry her. Thank God that relationship ended. "I called to see if Callie would loan Ivy some cowboy boots and a hat." I look over at Ivy. "What size shoe do you wear?"
"Seven and a half," she says, "but I don't think I—"
"What size does Callie wear?" I ask Nash.
"Same," he says, then holds the phone away and yells, "Callie, come here a minute." I hear them mumbling in the distance and then Nash talks into the phone again. "She's going to get them. You guys stopping by?"
"Yeah, we're on our way. You and Callie want to come with us?"
"I don't know. I'll ask her. I know she has homework but I don't know how much."
"Okay, we'll see you soon." I end the call and smile at Ivy. "Hope you like to dance."
She shakes her head. "I don't dance. Like not at all. I didn't even dance at prom."
"Then why'd you go?"
She hesitates. "This sounds really bad, but I went so I could make out with my boyfriend and have my dad think I was at the dance."
"So you didn't go?"
"We went for like an hour, in case my dad asked one of the chaperones if I was there. But then my boyfriend and I snuck out and went to his parents' cabin."
For some reason, the thought of her doing shit with this idiot from her high school irritates me. Why would that bother me? It was years ago, and besides, she's not mine. I've been on one date with her.
"How long did you date him?"
"A couple months. He still lives in Chicago. Works downtown at a bank."
"You ever see him?"
"We've met for a coffee a couple times, but not recently. Why do you care?" She asks in a tone that says she thinks I'm jealous. I'm not jealous. There's nothing to be jealous about. Just because I never want this guy near her ever again doesn't make me jealous.
"I was just making conversation." I turn down the road that goes to Nash's apartment. He lives in a new complex that just opened last summer. The rent is high but he didn't care about the price. He wanted a safe neighborhood and a building with good security so that Callie feels safe when he has to work late.
I live a few miles away in an old building that was converted into lofts. It has an industrial feel, which is what I like. The exposed pipes and beams make me feel like I'm on a construction site, which some people might find cold and stark, but to me it's comforting. I grew up hanging out at construction sites with my dad and brothers. Whenever my mom needed a break from us boys, she'd send us to work with Dad.
"This is it," I say as I pull into the parking lot. "Wait there." I get out and go around and open her door.
"Thanks," she says as I help her out. "Do I really need to wear cowboy boots to this place?"
"If you don't, people will stare. You'll look out of place."
"I'm not someone who cares what people think."
"Then wear them for me." I take her hand and walk her to the door. "I love a girl who isn't afraid to let her inner cowgirl come out."
"I'm pretty sure I don't have an inner cowgirl."
"You do. Every girl does. You just gotta let her out." I open the door for her.
"I didn't know you turned into a cowboy at night."
"I don't every night. Depends on the night. My cowboy side tends to come out more when I'm around Nash. He's the one who got me interested in country music. When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like Nash because he was older and I wanted to do everything he did. So when he started wearing cowboy boots and listening to country music, so did I."
We take the elevator up to the fourth floor.
"That's cool that you and your brothers get along so well."
"As kids, we used to fight all the time, but now that we're older, we get along really well."
As I knock on Nash's door, Ivy pulls her hand from mine.
"Something wrong?" I ask.
"I don't want Nash seeing us holding hands. He's my boss."
"He's also my brother. And he knows we're on a date."
"I know, but still. It's weird."
The door swings open and Nash is there. "Hey, Ivy. Jake. Come on in."
I wait for Ivy to walk in, then give Nash a look that says I'll punch him if he makes any jokes about my being with Ivy. He gives me a grin that tells me we'll be talking about this later.
"So Rodeo Freddy's," Nash says
to Ivy. "You ever been there?"
"No. This will be the first time."
Callie comes into the room, holding a pair of black cowboy boots. "Hi, Ivy." She hands her the boots. "Try them on. Make sure they fit." She takes her to a chair in the living room to sit down.
"Are you sure you're okay with me wearing these?"
"Totally. Nash bought me several pairs. Before that, I'd never had a pair. I wasn't into country music or anything country until I met Nash."
"And now she's my little cowgirl," Nash says coming up behind her and hugging her into his chest.
"Rodeo Freddy's is awesome," Callie says. "The people there are really friendly, and if you don't know how to do the dances, they'll show you how. When I first went there, I was totally lost but you pick it up quickly."
"Are you guys coming with us?" I ask.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to ask," Nash says to Callie. "Jake invited us to go with him but I wasn't sure if you had to do homework."
"I already did it. I'd be up for going if you are."
"I'm always up for it." He kisses her head and pats her ass. "Go change into your cowgirl gear."
She laughs as she hurries off to their bedroom. When I first met Callie last summer, she seemed really quiet and sad and depressed. Found out later it was because her whole family died in a car crash the year before and she'd told almost no one. Nash helped her move on and get better, and now it's like she's a different person. I gotta hand it to my brother. He changed her life. He stuck by her side as she finally dealt with her grief. If it weren't for him, she'd probably still be struggling, not moving forward, not going to school. And Callie helped Nash as well. She was there when he found out his real mom was no longer alive, and she's helped him get over the fact that his mom never wanted him. His whole life, she lived just a few hours away but never even came to see him.
It's no wonder Nash and Callie are so close. They've been through real shit together. They have a real relationship, like my dad had with my mom when she was alive. As for me? I've never had that. I didn't want it. Part of me still doesn't. Honestly, I'm scared shitless to get that close to someone. So what am I doing with Ivy? Why am I trying so hard with her?
"Okay, I'm ready." Callie comes out wearing dark jeans, a red cowboy shirt, brown boots, and a brown cowboy hat. She's holding a black cowboy hat and brings it over to Ivy.
"I really have to wear this?" she asks, then sees Callie wearing hers and looks like she regrets what she said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it was a bad thing. I've just never worn one. I'm not used to it."
"Let your hair down," I say, taking the hat from her. She slides the elastic band out of her hair and shakes it out, her long, dark, silky strands falling down past her shoulders. Damn, she's beautiful. I've never seen her with her hair down like this.
I place the hat on her head, adjusting it to sit right, and holy shit, she might've just got even hotter. The black cowboy hat combined with that gorgeous face of hers, that olive skin, those soft pink lips, her dark hair.
"Jake." I feel Nash elbowing me and look up to see the three of them watching me. I wonder how long I was staring at Ivy. Long enough for Nash to intervene. Well, shit, that's embarrassing. I normally don't stare like that.
"Ready to go?" Nash asks.
"Yeah." I notice he has on his boots and hat. When did he put those on? Now I'm really wondering how long I was staring at Ivy. I help her up. "Try walking in the boots."
She takes a few steps. "They feel fine." She points to me. "What about you? Where's your stuff?"
"I keep boots and a hat in the back of my SUV."
"Just in case you want to stop somewhere and do the two-step?" she kids.
"Exactly. Gotta be prepared." I hold my arm out for her since she's not comfortable holding my hand in front of Nash. She takes my arm and the four of us walk out the door and go out to the parking lot. "We'll meet you there," I say to Nash.
"I like those two," Ivy says as we're driving to the restaurant. "Callie seems like someone I could be friends with."
"Why don't you two go do something together sometime?"
"I don't know. I guess because she's Nash's girlfriend. They always say not to mix work with your personal life."
"Callie doesn't work for us, and it doesn't matter if she's dating Nash. You can still be friends with her. If you asked her to lunch, I know she'd say yes. Or you could go out with her and Jen. The two of them are good friends, and I think you'd like Jen."
"Who's Jen?"
"A friend of the family. She's like a sister to me. She was always at our house growing up. My parents practically raised her because her mother didn't give a shit about her."
"Is that the girl Bryce likes?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I saw the two of them at the opening for the Victorian. The way he looked at her, I thought they were dating, but then some other guy came up and put his arm around her. I assume that was her boyfriend?"
"It was her date. She only went on a few dates with that guy."
"So Bryce doesn't want to date her?"
"He does. He's just too afraid to go out with her. He thinks it'll ruin their friendship. It's completely stupid. I know for a fact Jen wants to go out with him but he refuses to ask her. We've tried to knock some sense into him but he never listens."
I pull into the lot and park in front of the long brown building, next to the sign that's shaped like a giant cowboy hat.
"It doesn't look like much from the outside," I say, "but the inside is better."
Ivy gets out before I can help her. I quickly change into my boots and grab my hat and meet her on the sidewalk just as Callie and Nash show up.
"Ivy and I haven't eaten," I say to Nash. "We'll go in the restaurant and meet you guys later in the bar."
"Does the bar serve food?" Ivy asks me.
"Just appetizers. Wings, nachos, that type of thing."
"That sounds good. I don't need a big dinner."
"You sure? Because the food in the restaurant is better."
"Let's just sit in the bar." She looks at Callie. "You guys good with that?"
"Works for me." Callie shivers from the cold wind. "We need to get inside. It's freezing out here."
Maybe I shouldn't have invited Nash and Callie. I did it to be polite. I didn't think they'd say yes to going out in the middle of the week when Callie has class in the morning. Now I won't have time alone to talk to Ivy, and I needed that time to convince her to go out with me again. I thought I'd at least have her alone for dinner, but it sounds like we're remaining as a foursome. Oh well, maybe it'll turn out to be a good thing. If Ivy and Callie get along, Ivy may want to do this double-date thing again. I'd prefer a date with just her and me, but if a double-date is all I can get, I'll take it.
We go in the bar and order appetizers and drinks, then the girls take off for the bathroom. I'll never understand why girls feel the need to go to the bathroom together and why they take so long. What the hell do they do in there?
"So how'd you get her to go out with you?" Nash asks, taking a swig of his beer. "You paying her?"
"Yeah, you're funny." I roll my eyes.
"Then what's the story?"
"I asked her to dinner and she said yes. Simple as that. I think she agreed to it so she could prove that I'm the asshole she thinks I am."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because she wanted to pick the restaurant, and she picked Hoedowns."
"She wanted to see if you'd check out the waitresses instead of her."
"Yeah."
"Did you?"
I shove his shoulder. "No! What the hell?"
"Well, you don't have much experience with dating, and zero experience with relationships."
"Yeah, well, I'm smart enough to know that you don't check out other girls while on a date."
"I thought you said you hadn't eaten. So you didn't go to Hoedowns?"
"We did. We had a drink and then we left. Turns out her sister works th
ere. Liza. Remember her?"
Nash used to go to Hoedowns with me before he met Callie.
He stops to think. "The blonde? They're sisters?"
"Ivy's adopted."
He nods. "Now it makes sense."
The girls return to the table. Callie's got this sly grin on her face. I look at Ivy and notice she has more makeup on, mostly stuff around her eyes that makes them stand out more. And her hair is brushed out from the ponytail and looks even silkier. God, she's gorgeous. I can't take my eyes off her.
Now I'm glad Nash and Callie are here. I need them to keep me from doing more with Ivy than I should. I'm trying to keep my distance, leave her wanting more. But seeing her now? That's going to be very hard to do.
CHAPTER SIX
Ivy
"We're not really going to dance, are we?" I ask.
We finished eating and have been sitting here talking, but then a song came on that Callie likes so she jumped up and dragged Nash to the dance floor.
"Hell yeah, we're gonna dance." Jake stands up and helps me off the barstool. "I'm gonna teach you how to two-step."
"I can't. I don't even know what that is."
"Which is why I'm going to teach you." He holds his hand out to me. "Come on. Once you get out there, you'll feel more comfortable."
"With everyone staring at me? I don't think so."
"Nobody's staring at you. And besides, you told me you don't care what people think."
"I just said that so I wouldn't have to dress like this."
He leans closer to me. "You look freaking hot dressed like that, so stop worrying about it." He backs away. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"
"What?"
"From now on, if I suggest something and you don't want to do it, just tell me. Don't make up some excuse. When it comes to my personal life, I don't like playing games and I don't like people lying to me. I get enough of that shit at my job, when I'm dealing with subs and vendors and even the guys on my crew. When I get home at night, I don't want to deal with that, which is why I'm always upfront with my friends, family, women I date. I'm asking you to do the same. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or pissing me off. Even when I'm mad, I get over it pretty quick. So go ahead and tell me no. Tell me you aren't interested. Tell me you don't like me. Just don't lie to me."
Give Us a Chance (Wheeler Brothers #2) Page 5