by Annie Rains
“Jake?” Trisha looked at him nervously, which in turn made Jake nervous. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like why you’re really here this summer?”
Jake had been expecting this conversation. He’d actually been shocked and relieved that Trisha hadn’t brought it up after what Des had said at the diner. Jake didn’t want to tell her the truth. But he wanted to lie even less. He exhaled slowly. “I came to Somerset Lake because my whole family is concerned about my grandmother, which I already told you. Vi is getting older. She’s a widow. And these cottages are a lot of responsibility.”
Trisha’s brow line dipped. “You told me all of that, yes, but Des said that your family wanted to convince Vi to sell. Is that what you’re doing here? Are you and your uncle Tim here to convince her to move to Florida to be with the rest of your family?”
Jake hesitated, but if anyone deserved the full truth, it was Trisha. She’d been lied to enough. He wasn’t going to deceive her in any way if he could help it. “Yes. That’s why I came back to Somerset Lake.”
Trisha’s lips parted as she pulled away from him just slightly. “I see. So all the work you’re doing on the cottages with me is just so you can get a better deal when you sell them?”
Reflexively, Jake reached for her hand. “No. Trisha, maybe that was my motivation on that first day, but I’ve changed my mind since then. This is Vi’s home. She doesn’t want to move to Florida. She doesn’t want to leave the place where she feels my grandfather’s presence the most. And who am I to ask her to? All I want now is to help her get what she wants, which is to stay and rent out all the cottages.”
Trisha narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“When you arrived, were you trying to find out more about me so that you could figure out a way to get me out of the picture?” she asked.
Jake was still holding her hand. He hadn’t let go, and he didn’t want to. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I didn’t even know you at the time. But now that I do…” He swallowed as he trailed off.
“Now that you do?” she repeated in a quiet voice, prompting him to continue.
“This isn’t just Vi’s home. It’s yours too. And Petey’s. Now that I know you, I want you to have what you’ve been missing since you lost your grandparents.”
Trisha’s eyes were shining now. She looked like she was fighting back tears. “What’s that?” she asked.
“A place to belong. Trisha, you deserve that, and you have that here in Somerset Lake. I’m not going to try to take that away. All I want to do while I’m here is help you find it.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her face expressionless. “Why?”
Jake wasn’t even sure of the answer to that question himself. “Sometimes you can know someone for years and not really know who they are. Then you can meet someone for the first time”—What am I doing?—“and feel like you’ve known them for a lifetime.”
He wanted to kiss her again, but he wasn’t going to. He’d agreed this morning that he wouldn’t cross that line. They both had good reasons not to want to be romantically involved.
She stepped closer. His gaze unwittingly fell to her lips. Good thing he had steel willpower.
“Mom!” The sound of heavy feet stomped up the steps. “Mom!”
Trisha stepped back, but Jake stayed rooted, wondering if she’d been considering kissing him.
Petey arrived on the deck and ran to throw his arms around Trisha’s waist. “Today was the best day ever!”
Trisha lit up from the inside out at the sight of her son. Prettier than a sunset in Jake’s mind. He was in so much trouble this summer. He wasn’t on his way to falling for her. Nope. This proverbial plane of his was on its way down, and he didn’t have a parachute handy to break his fall.
“I’m so glad,” she told Petey.
A man and a woman also reached the landing. Jake recognized them from this morning.
The man stuck out his hand to Jake. “Hi, I’m Chase Lewis, Trisha’s brother-in-law.”
Former brother-in-law, Jake knew, but he appreciated that the man didn’t see it that way. “I’m Jake Fletcher.” Jake shook his hand. “Trisha’s neighbor for the time being.” He pointed at Peony Cottage.
The woman outstretched her hand as well. “Sophie Lewis. I’m Trisha’s oldest friend. I’m also Petey’s new aunt.” She grinned at the boy before looking at Jake again. Suddenly, he felt like she was scrutinizing him. She gave Trisha a look that seemed to convey approval. Then she returned her gaze to Jake. “We’re having dinner with Trisha. I guess she told you.”
Jake nodded. “I was just on my way back to my cottage.”
Sophie shook her head. “Nonsense. Knowing my best friend, I’m sure she made more than enough food. Please stay. I need to know the man who is making sure my best friend is okay here in a new town.”
Jake turned to Trisha, looking for her to give him an excuse.
“Yes, please stay, Jake,” Trisha said instead. “There’s more than enough for all of us. And after your help today, a meal is the least I can do.”
“Help, huh?” Sophie grinned. “You two will have to give us more details over dinner. I’m starving.”
“Me too.” Petey ran to the door and opened it. He turned back before hurrying inside. “And I want to tell you all about the family reunion,” he called behind him.
Jake wasn’t sure he wanted to hear all about the family of the guy who’d broken Trisha’s heart. But he did want to spend more time with her. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. He wasn’t looking forward to saying those two words at all.
* * *
What was I thinking?
Trisha slunk lower in her chair as dinner progressed and Sophie and Chase took turns telling embarrassing stories about her growing up in Sweetwater Springs.
“What about that one time”—Sophie looked at Chase, barely containing her laughter—“when Trisha was the school’s newscaster for our homeroom period?”
Chase covered his mouth as he started chuckling too. “You’re going to love this story,” he told Jake, who seemed to be having a great time at Trisha’s expense. It was all in fun, but Trisha was growing tired of the endless dredging up of her less-than-finer moments.
“No, he won’t,” Trisha protested, but also laughing at the memory. “Why are you guys boring Jake with all of these stories?”
“Mom, I’ve never heard these stories about you either. You were pretty funny when you were young,” he said, as if she were old now. “I had no idea.”
Trisha shook her head. “Last story, okay? But I’ll be the one to tell it.” She inhaled and looked at Jake. “I was the homeroom newscaster. The camera was on, and I wasn’t aware. So I complained about how mean my homeroom teacher was before giving my report on the lunch menu and the weather for that day.” She covered her eyes momentarily, remembering how horrified she’d been when she’d realized what she’d done. “Mrs. Tawny didn’t like me for the rest of the school year. I got a low B in that class when I deserved an A. End of story.”
Sophie pointed at her across the table, another comment on the tip of her tongue. They’d all finished eating ten minutes ago, but no one was moving to get up. “This was funnier, Jake, because Trisha never spoke bad about anyone. She rarely ever has. Trisha is so forgiving and protective of everyone’s feelings. But that day…” Sophie held a hand to her chest as she giggled to herself. “I don’t know what Mrs. Tawny did to make you so mad, but you were going on and on in front of the entire school.” Sophie looked at Jake. “And by on and on, I mean a full monologue worthy of a Shakespearian play. She was waving her arms in the air and ranting about how unjust Mrs. Tawny had been to her.”
Trisha couldn’t help but laugh too. “Not my finest moment. None of those are. I’m never inviting you two to dinner again,” she told Sophie and Chase.
“Well, they were the guests,” Jake
said. “I’m not even supposed to be here.”
Trisha looked at him. In her mind, this was exactly where he belonged. It’d felt good having him balance things out. Trisha was usually with Petey, but she still usually felt like the third wheel with Sophie and Chase.
Not tonight. It seemed Jake was good at making her feel like she belonged.
“Well, we better get back on the road.” Chase pushed back from the table. “It’s another two-hour drive, and I need to be at the clinic early in the morning.”
“You’re right.” Sophie pushed back and stood as well. “Plus Comet is probably wondering where we are.”
“I miss Comet,” Petey half whined. “Mom, can we go home soon so I can see him?”
Trisha swallowed at the mention of the h-word. She looked down at her hands for just a moment and hoped no one else noticed. She was working so hard to make Somerset Lake their home. It was starting to feel that way to her, but maybe Petey wasn’t quite as settled yet.
After collecting herself, Trisha looked up. “We can go visit your aunt Sophie and uncle Chase very soon. And Comet too.”
“Yes!” Petey got up from the table and followed his aunt and uncle to the door. “Thank you for taking me to the reunion today. I wish we didn’t have to wait a whole ’nother year to see everyone again.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Sophie bent to hug him. She moved stiffly. No doubt she’d physically outdone herself today. In high school, she’d gotten in a bad climbing accident and had injured her leg. Sometimes when she did too much or sat too long, such as for a long car ride, she limped.
Trisha hugged her next. “You’re the best friend ever.”
Sophie pulled back from the embrace and pointed at her. “And don’t you forget that. You’re not allowed to replace me here in your new home.” She gave Trisha a serious look.
“I could never replace you,” Trisha said.
“But”—Sophie cocked her head—“you are allowed to have friends. Just not another best friend.”
Trisha laughed for the hundredth time tonight. Her ribs were already aching from too much fun. This whole weekend had been amazing from start to finish. “The same applies to you,” she told Sophie.
They hugged again, and Trisha did her best not to cry as she watched Sophie step onto the deck to leave. She hugged Chase next.
“Hey,” he said, “you’ll see us again soon.”
She punched his shoulder softly. “Thanks for the warning.”
Chase turned to Jake. “Trisha is a lot like Sophie. Neither of them asks for help easily. Will you make sure to let me know if there’s something Trisha needs?”
Trisha felt her mouth fall open. “That’s not necessary.”
Chase gave her a meaningful look. “I just want to know you’re not alone here.”
“Of course I’m not. I have Petey, and I have Vi next door.”
“Petey is seven, and Vi is eighty,” Chase said, as if age made any difference in their ability to help her.
Trisha scoffed. “Vi isn’t eighty. She’s in her late seventies.”
Jake stepped up beside Trisha. “She’s not alone here,” he told Chase. “I’m right next door, and she knows I can be here in a flat second.”
Trisha felt her body warm.
“That’s a relief.” Chase reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Jake. “That number is for the vet clinic. It has my cell on there too.”
Trisha tried to snatch it away, but Jake pulled it to his chest. She gave Chase a frustrated growl. “I miss you two, but the overprotective brother-in-law routine is getting old.”
Chase chuckled. Then he joined Sophie on the deck. “We’ll be going now.”
“Bye, Uncle Chase. Bye, Aunt Sophie!” Petey followed them to the steps for one more long goodbye. Trisha stayed inside though. She turned to Jake and held out her open palm. “You don’t need that card.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s mine. Chase gave it to me.”
“Because he wanted to make sure I’m okay. And I am.” She wriggled her fingers in a gimme gesture.
Jake tucked the card into the pocket of his jeans. “There’s a man code I have to adhere to.”
She lifted a brow. “What does that mean?”
“If a man asks another man to look after a woman in his life and he agrees, he has to do it. It’s part of having integrity, and I happen to take it seriously.”
Trisha lowered her hand. “A woman can look after herself, you know.”
Jake grinned. “And you’ve been doing that for a while. It’s not a bad thing to have others look after you too. It just means you have people in your life who care.” He gave her a look that made her want to step away or step closer. There was a little war going on inside her chest, with different emotions tugging at her heart.
“Fine,” she finally said. Their gazes locked for an intense moment. Then Petey walked inside the room, his mood appearing suddenly deflated.
“What’s wrong?” Trisha asked.
“Now I won’t see Aunt Sophie or Uncle Chase for weeks. Maybe months.” Tears shimmered in his eyes. “Or Comet. I’m going to bed.”
“I’ll come tuck you in.” Trisha started to follow him.
Petey turned and shook his head. “No thanks, Mom.”
Jake cleared his throat. “How about Bailey and I get you settled, bud? You’re too old for bedtime stories, and I don’t do those anyway. But pick your topic. I’m pretty sure I can get you halfway to dreamland by talking about it.”
Petey’s mouth curled just enough to make Trisha exhale. “I want to know about camping,” he said.
“You’re in luck.” Jake started walking toward Petey’s bedroom, glancing back at Trisha over his shoulder. “I happen to be an expert on camping.”
* * *
Trisha waited a solid five minutes before creeping up to Petey’s bedroom door to eavesdrop. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor and turned her ear in the direction of Jake’s voice. It was low and soothing as he discussed Camping 101 skills.
Trisha instinctively knew that Petey wanted to know about camping because it was something that a kid did with their dad.
Jake rattled on about selecting the perfect camping spot first and knowing your surroundings. A camper needed to research which wildlife to look out for. “In Somerset Lake, for example…”
Trisha closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of Jake’s voice. It was low and deep—calming. Petey was no doubt eating this information up. Tomorrow, she suspected, Petey would ask her when they could pitch a tent of their own in the woods. Being a single mother was hard. She always felt like she was letting Petey down in some way. She’d never been camping a day in her life. She wouldn’t know where to even begin, and she certainly didn’t have the necessary equipment.
Petey’s tiny voice interrupted Jake. “Will you take me camping sometime?”
Trisha’s eyes opened.
“Well, you’ll have to talk to your mom about that, Copilot. But if she says yes, I’d be happy to take you.”
“Where will we go?” Petey asked next.
Trisha closed her eyes again.
“What kind of animals do we need to look out for?” her son’s little voice asked. More questions and answers followed until Trisha barely heard them because she was falling asleep. The next thing she knew, a hand touched her shoulder. She startled awake and met Jake’s gaze as he squatted in front of her in the dimly lit hallway.
“Looks like I put you to sleep too.”
“Petey’s asleep?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Jake watched Bailey stroll past them, heading toward the living room. Then he returned his attention to Trisha.
“Thank you for that,” she whispered.
“Sometimes it helps to give someone something to look forward to instead of something to miss.”
“Have you read a manual on child-rearing too?”
Jake shook his head and grinned. “No. But it’s
not just kids who need that. Everyone does.”
She swallowed as she peered at him in the dark. “If we kiss again, it’s going to change things between us,” she finally said.
His gaze was steady. “I think things are changing between us regardless of whether we kiss again, Trisha.”
Her heart kicked. “What if I’m not ready for that? I mean, this can get messy, and I’m tired of messy things.”
“I don’t have all the answers. I just know how I feel when I’m with you.”
“How is that?” she asked, a little breathless. “Because I’m not really sure what I’m feeling right now.”
Jake reached for her hand. “Every time I look at you, my heart skips a beat. You make me feel a little nervous, but in a good way. I feel at ease and energized at the same time.”
Trisha swallowed. “I can relate to all of that.”
“Every time I learn something new about you, it only makes me want to know something more,” Jake continued. “I feel insatiable.”
“That’s a good word for it,” she agreed. She also felt breathless. “What else do you want to know about me?” she asked. “Since you’re insatiable.”
Jake’s gaze finally broke from her eyes, glancing down at her lips. “Well, if you want the truth…”
“Preferably.”
“Right now I want to know what a second kiss with you would be like.”
Trisha looked at his lips too. “I want to know the same thing.”
“There’s only one way to find out.” He didn’t lean in though. She understood that this was her decision. Crossing the space, and the invisible line, was completely her choice, and he wasn’t going to make it for her. She was in control.
Only, it didn’t feel like she had a choice at the moment. It felt like this attraction between them had gained so much momentum that she couldn’t stop what was about to happen even if she wanted to. Which she didn’t. No, she’d been halfway asleep when he’d stepped out, and it felt like she was still in some sort of dream. The good kind that you wanted to keep going.