“Everyone gets nervous. It will go away once you start singing. I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option. But I don’t. I do all the vocals. And I can’t sing at all tonight.” She was quiet and Jess stayed silent. Jake walked up beside them and Jess knew he had overheard.
“I didn’t know you could sing, Jess.” He sounded surprised. Lily turned to him and in her whispery voice continued to press her case.
“She’s wonderful and she knows all the words to every song that we do. She helped to write the lyrics on some of them. Say you’ll do it.”
Jess swallowed hard. She knew that she really didn’t have a choice. Nervous or not, she had to try. If it was any other gig she would have stuck firm with her refusal. But she couldn’t very well not do it tonight, since it was to help her best friend and to benefit the two charities that she cared the most about.
“All right, I’ll do it. But if goes terribly, I won’t go back up for the second set.”
Lily beamed. “I have no doubt that you’ll crush it.”
Much to her surprise and everyone else that knew her, Jess did indeed ‘crush it’ as Lily predicted. She was so nervous that she was almost shaking when she started the first song, but after a wobbly start, once she focused on the music and pretended she was alone with Lily, she found her rhythm. Lily sat close to the stage and Jess glanced her way a few times for reassurance. It helped to know that she was right there.
After the initial shock wore off, her friends and everyone else started piling onto the dance floor. Even Simon and Jaclyn were dancing up a storm. Jake danced with Dani and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Kelsi and Shane danced almost every song. Once she settled in, Jess was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed herself. Until her last song of the night. It was the gorgeous new one that she’d helped Lily with and she lost herself in the song completely. But as she sang the last notes something made her look toward the Christmas tree in the corner and she almost dropped the microphone.
Ed was standing there, staring at her like the cat that ate the canary. She felt like she needed to step outside and get some air. Just for a minute. As soon as the music stopped playing, she slipped out a side door and leaned against the building. She didn’t think that Ed had seen her go. It was crowded inside and he was on the opposite side of the room. She closed her eyes and let the cool evening air wash over her. She was about to walk back inside when her senses went on alert and she opened her eyes. She hadn’t heard his footsteps coming, but suddenly Ed was standing in front of her, alcohol fumes pouring off of him and he was wearing an unsettling grin.
“I saw you come out this side door and figured it was a signal for me to follow.”
Jess cringed. Was he really that clueless?
“I just needed some air,” she said.
“Well, you were pretty hot in there, I have to agree. I didn’t know you could sing like that.” He took a step closer and Jess pressed herself against the wall, willing it to go back. She looked to her left and to her right and wondered if she could make a break for it. Maybe he was too drunk to catch her. He was strong, though, and fast. He grabbed both of her arms and lifted them up and against the wall so that she couldn’t escape, and leaned in closer. She struggled and got nowhere. He tightened his grip and laughed. “I like a challenge, but it’s time for you to give up.” He winked at her and smirked. “You know you want this.”
Jess screamed then, a blood-curdling howl that took Ed by surprise and made him hesitate.
“What the? This will shut you up…” He came toward her then, and just as she was bracing herself for his repulsive kiss, she heard shouting and he was ripped off of her by both Shane and Jake. Jake swung hard and hit him in the jaw while Shane slapped cuffs on him and called for backup.
“Unacceptable, Ed.” Jess had never heard this tone from Shane before. He was furious. Kelsi came up beside him and gave Ed a firm kick in the shins.
“You’re a real piece of work, Ed Thompson. Who do you think you are?”
“I don’t ever want to see you again,” Jess told him.
He nodded, finally seeming to understand that he had crossed a line. Shane led him away as Jake came over and wrapped her in his arms.
“Did he hurt you?” His tone of voice was similar to Shane’s and Jess knew his anger was directed at Ed.
“No, he didn’t. I think he was just going to try to kiss me, but it wasn’t welcome.”
“He’s an idiot. Do you want to go home?”
“No, not yet. Let’s go back inside. I’m fine, just shaken up a little. I refuse to let him ruin this night.”
Jake smiled. “It was an amazing night. You were great, you know. You had nothing to be nervous about. You could do that too if you wanted to.”
“Sing in a band?” Jess laughed. “No, thank you. It was fun, actually, and I love singing, but that’s Lily’s thing, not mine. I much prefer to watch and cheer her on.”
“Well, you can sing in the clinic any time you like. The animals and I will cheer you on.”
Jess smiled. “Thank you. I’m ready to go back inside now.”
They stayed for another hour or so, visiting with everyone, and then they walked back to the cottages. Jess tried not to think about the fact that Jake was moving out the next day. He walked her to her door and pulled her in for a good night hug.
“You were great tonight. Make sure you lock all your doors before you go to bed. That guy makes me nervous.”
Jess smiled. “I don’t think I’ll have any more trouble with him. He’ll move on to someone else now. Besides, I think Shane is probably keeping him locked up for the night.”
“I hope so. He deserves it,” Jake said. He leaned in and kissed her gently on her forehead. It was a sweet and tender gesture that only confused Jess even more. Were they just friends?
“Good night, Jess.”
Chapter 20
Jess woke the next day, feeling sure of one thing. She was falling in love with Jake. She’d been kidding herself to think that she wasn’t heading in that direction or that she could somehow prevent her feelings from going there. She’d been teetering on the friendship cliff and his actions the night before, coming to her defense the way he had with Shane, had pushed her off the ledge. She’d welcomed his protective arms around her and the main reason she hadn’t wanted to go home at that point was because she didn’t want her time with him to end. But now she didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure of his feelings. For all she knew he only thought of her as a friend and was being chivalrous and coming to her rescue as he would for any friend who was in trouble.
It was hard to watch him leave later that afternoon. He started packing up his truck after lunch. She went over to offer to help and he smiled gratefully.
“I don’t have all that much, fortunately. But, I won’t say no if you want to carry out a few bags.”
He had everything neatly stacked up by the door, and had Oliver in his carrier so that he wouldn’t get in the way or run outside as he left the door open. Jess picked up a few bags and put them in the back of his truck. He followed her with several large suitcases and boxes. Once they had everything in, he went back for Oliver and set the carrier on the passenger seat, facing him.
“I guess this is it. I will miss you, neighbor,” he said softly. He opened his arms and pulled her in for a goodbye hug. Jess hugged him back and rested her cheek against his chest for just a moment, before stepping back and forcing a cheery smile.
“I’ll miss you, too. I guess I’ll see you on Tuesday?”
“I’ll see you then.” He smiled as he climbed into the truck and then waved as he backed up and drove off.
Jess watched him go. The Copper Cottage looked so empty and sad. But not as sad as she felt. What was she going to do about Jake? Even if he did make her a permanent job offer, how was she going to be able to work side by side with him, feeling the way that she did? She knew that the more time she spent with him, the deeper her feelings would grow. And she
couldn’t think of anything worse than working side by side with someone that you felt that way about if they didn’t feel the same. As painful as it had been as a thirteen-year-old to have an unrequited crush, it was so much worse as an adult when those feelings were more mature.
She got her mind off Jake temporarily later that day when she joined the rest of the family at the Kafe for their family dinner. It was Wade’s turn to cook, which meant grilled hot dogs and burgers, potato salad, coleslaw and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Everyone paid her compliments again for her performance the night before and she spent several hours laughing and enjoying their company.
When she made her way back to her cottage, just as the sun was starting to set, and saw the Copper Cottage without Jake’s truck in front of it, she felt sad and empty again and very much alone. She went inside her cottage and welcomed the attention of Maya and Rudolph as they fought over who would get to sit next to her on the sofa. She snuggled with both of them as she clicked the remote to find the Hallmark channel. She was in desperate need of a happy ending, even if it was in the form of a two-hour, made-for-TV movie.
Jake’s week was not off to a good start. It had felt so wrong when he drove away from the cottage and saw her waving goodbye in his rear view mirror. He and Oliver had settled into the camper on Sunday and it was fine, as a temporary measure. But he was already missing Jess. He’d gotten very used to knowing she was right next door. It was natural to share a meal together or relax and watch a movie.
He missed her company and he missed the feeling of her in his arms. He also realized that his feelings for her were much more than friendly. When he saw that drunk idiot trying to kiss her at the Christmas event, it had infuriated him. He’d realized at that moment that he didn’t want anyone else to kiss Jess, except him. But he knew that presented a problem, because he wasn’t sure of her feelings. And because he’d been planning to formally offer her a position when she came into the office on Tuesday.
His mood darkened on Monday when the call from Lewiston came into the office. It was from a woman named Ellen who worked in human resources at the biggest vet clinic in the city. She asked for Dr. Henery and explained that she was calling to verify that Jess was employed there. He confirmed it and also let her know that Dr. Henery had retired and that he was the new owner, and of course he gave her a glowing reference. But it made him sad to think that she was seriously considering going out of town to work. He’d thought that her preference was to live and work in Riston.
Jess was quieter than usual and looked tired when she came into the office Tuesday morning. She still looked beautiful to him, though, and with that came a realization that stopped him in his tracks. His feelings ran much deeper than friendship. He’d fallen in love with Jess. He didn’t want her to go to Lewiston either. He wanted her to stay, with him. An idea came to him, a fun way to test her feelings, and to see if she felt the same.
Jake was acting strangely. He’d been quiet when she first arrived Tuesday morning and she’d been tired herself from not sleeping well the past few nights. Their schedule was packed as usual so they didn’t really have a spare moment to chat until their lunch break and Jake’s mood had improved considerably by then. He seemed to have a spring in his step that had been missing earlier. Jess’s mood was also heavy because she’d received an email at the end of the day on Monday from the clinic in Lewiston.
It was a formal job offer with an impressive salary. But instead of feeling excited, it made her sad. Because she knew she should accept the offer. The letter said that she had a week to decide. And she would take that week because accepting that job was going to be the hardest decision she had ever made, even if she knew it was the right one.
Jake showed her around his camper on their lunch break and checked on Oliver. He was doing fine, and was sound asleep on the small sofa.
“What do you think? It’s not too bad. It’s no Copper Cottage, but it’s fine,” Jake said.
“It’s very nice,” Jess said politely. It was clean and neat, but so small. She didn’t think she could stand living there for more than a few days. But Jake didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s a place to sleep,” he said as he shut the camper door. When they reached the office he turned to her looking eager and excited.
“Do you have plans for dinner tonight?”
“Tonight? No. I haven’t even thought about it.” She rarely went out on a Tuesday night.
An odd expression flashed across his face. “Good, I’ll be by at six thirty.”
“Where are we going?”
He smiled. “We can talk about it when I come over. It doesn’t really matter to me where we go.”
Chapter 21
There was a family staying in the Copper Cottage now. They’d moved in on Monday and came over to introduce themselves. They were a young couple with two small children and were very nice. But they weren’t Jake and it was his truck she missed seeing when she pulled up to the cottages. She still enjoyed working with him, even though it was bittersweet because she knew it would be ending soon.
He’d been in a great mood all day, but he still hadn’t offered her a permanent job, which both disappointed and relieved her because turning that offer down, if it came, would be the hardest thing she had ever done. And now he wanted to go out to dinner, on a Tuesday. Maybe he was going to offer her the job then?
She took a long, hot shower when she got home from the clinic. After blowing her hair dry, she dressed in her favorite, faded jeans and a soft, coral-colored cashmere sweater. She loved the way the thin, delicate material felt against her skin. And the peachy pink shade seemed to give her cheeks a glow. She was just slipping on a pair of socks when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to see Jake smiling somewhat nervously and holding something above them. It was a sprig of mistletoe. Mistletoe! She looked at him with a question in her eyes.
“I wanted to do this the other night. The idea came to me and I snipped a little piece of it. I was going to do it right after you finished singing.” His eyes grew stormy and Jess knew he was thinking about Ed.
“But after what happened with him, it didn’t feel right to do it then. I’m hoping that maybe my timing might be better tonight?” His tone was light and teasing, but the look in his eyes was anything but. What Jess saw there filled her with hope and joy. He leaned in and pulled her toward him, and gently touched his lips to hers. The touch was magical, as she’d always known it would be. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him happily. He deepened the kiss and then finally ended it and smiled at her.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time, you know,” he admitted.
“You have?”
He nodded. “Do you remember the first time we met under the mistletoe?”
“Yes.” She was surprised that he remembered.
“The only reason I didn’t kiss you was because you were thirteen. It didn’t feel right then, even though I really did want to. It does now, though.”
“It does?” She felt like she was in a daze and stepped back to let him inside.
“Can we sit for a minute?” he asked. She led him over to the sofa and they sat. He took her hand and seemed a bit nervous again.
“I had a phone call yesterday, from a woman named Ellen,” he began.
Her heart sank. She’d filled in that application online so long ago. She’d totally forgotten that they might call the clinic.
“I’m sorry about that. I should have mentioned it to you.”
“It’s fine. Of course they want to hire you. They’d be crazy not to. Are you seriously thinking of accepting their offer?”
Jess nodded. “I think it probably is for the best.”
Jake’s reaction to that announcement surprised her. He grinned from ear to ear and squeezed her hand.
“Are you taking that job because of your feelings for me?” he asked softly.
She said nothing but her emotions rose to the surface and her eyes welled up. S
he looked away, but not before he saw the tears. He touched her chin gently, and drew her face back to his and wiped a tear away. Then he leaned over and touched his lips to hers, just for a sweet, brief moment.
“I don’t ever want to cause you even a moment of pain or sadness.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out. Jess couldn’t see what it was because his hand was wrapped around it. He slid off the sofa and got down onto his knees.
“Jess, I have fallen completely and totally in love with you. I don’t want you to go to Lewiston. I want you to stay here, with me. In the clinic and in my life. And that’s a permanent offer for both, if you’ll accept it, and accept me.” He held up a small black velvet box, and opened it slowly.
Jess gasped when she saw the pretty diamond ring and its antique setting.
“It was my mother’s engagement ring. What do you think?”
“I love it! And I love you, Jake. So much.” Her tears spilled over, but they were happy ones now. Jake slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled her for a long, passionate kiss.
“So, can I assume it’s a yes?”
“Yes! Of course it’s yes,” she said.
Jake stood and extended his hand. “Shall we go to dinner? I talked to Wade on the way over here and told him what I wanted to do, and he gave us his blessing. He also made a reservation for us at the restaurant here for a private chef’s tasting, if that sounds good to you?”
Jess took his hand and let him pull her into his arms for yet another kiss.
“That sounds perfectly wonderful! Let’s go celebrate!”
Epilogue
Five weeks later…
Jess was snuggled comfortably on her sofa surrounded by three cats. They were in their usual positions—Maya by her side, Rudolph behind her on the back of the sofa and Oliver taking turns irritating both of them. He was getting big fast and was thoroughly enjoying himself swatting Rudolph’s tail as it twitched back and forth.
Veterinarian's Vacation (River's End Ranch Book 2) Page 10