The Winning Ticket (Circle of Friends #1)

30. Maybe You Can Explore It More With Me

brIANNA

30

Jake wakes me with his head buried between my legs, and after yet another round of mind-blowing sex that ended with us in the shower together, we head into the kitchen, where Jake sets about making us bacon and eggs.

I look around his super cute kitchen and marvel at how at home I feel.

“So, have you thought about what you want to do while you’re here this weekend?” he asks while cracking eggs into the frying pan.

The smell of cooking bacon makes my mouth water, and my stomach growls loudly, making him laugh.

“Sorry, I should have fed you earlier.”

“I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with how I woke up.”

He shoots me a grin while he slides a cup of coffee across the counter. “So, plans?”

I pick up the coffee, sipping it while I think about what I want to do. “I’d love to go out and find some places to take photos. And maybe we could check out a few wineries?”

“Sounds great. I’m on call this afternoon, so I can’t drink, but I will be your chauffeur.” He slides some bacon onto both plates before expertly flipping the eggs.

“Are you likely to get a call out?”

“Honestly, it’s pretty rare. Unless someone’s hot water system has an issue or something like that, most of our stuff gets done during the week. It’s how I’ve managed so many weekends to Brisbane lately cause Dad’s been covering, but I thought I’d better start pulling my weight again. Dad has a contract with a few real estates for their rentals, but we don’t have much to do on the weekends. But I need to be close to town after one cause Dad took the morning shift.”

I pause for a moment, my fork halfway to my mouth. “Does your Dad know I’m here?”

Jake cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. “I may have mentioned you coming. Is that a problem?” There’s an edge to his tone.

“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about me being here, seeing as he’s so against your Brisbane life.”

Jake’s shoulders relax a little. “No, he’s fine. He actually offered to cover any callouts this morning. Normally, I’d be on call all day.”

“Oh, good. Well, in that case, I’ll happily let you drive me around.”

“Happy to be of service, Little B.”

After devouring breakfast, we head to Jake’s ute to explore the area.

“So, I was looking up waterfalls and stuff to check out, and I found this place called Queen Mary Falls out at Killarney. Do you think we have time to go out there?” I ask, looking at the list I’d put together on my phone.

Jake pulls out his phone and connects it to the car before typing the details into his maps app. “It says here that driving out there takes just under an hour. We should have enough time to check it out for a bit before I need to back in town.”

This sounds perfect, and I smile at him. He grins back, leans across the centre console, and kisses me softly before placing his hand on the back of my headrest. He looks over his shoulder and backs the car out of the driveway.

A shiver runs down my spine that has nothing to do with the air conditioning inside the ute. Is there anything this man does that isn’t sexy as hell?

An hour later, we pull into the car park, and I know immediately that I will love this place. I’ve always enjoyed getting out in nature but haven’t had a chance to go bush walking in years. As soon as I open the car door, a sense of peace washes over me, and I can hear a chorus of birds and the distant rumble of the waterfall. A few other cars are in the car park, but we seem to have beaten any crowds. I know this place is popular, so I’m grateful we aren’t going to be stuck in a crowd of people.

Jake leads the way to the track, and I follow behind with my camera slung around my neck. The humidity is thick in the air as we enter the bush, and when we arrive at the waterfall, I stand and stare at it in awe.

“Wow… this is gorgeous. How did I not know about this place?” Jake asks quietly, standing beside me while he drinks from his water bottle.

“There is so much to look at out here, JJ. You just have to want to look.” I smile at him, and he shakes his head.

“Subtle, Little B.”

“Oh, you wanted me to be direct? You live in a gorgeous part of Australia. Maybe it’s time to explore it more. How’s that?” I give him a cheeky grin, and he smacks my butt lightly.

“Point taken. Maybe you can explore it more with me then?”

I regard him closely, hearing the unspoken question. Could I see myself out here with him? Absolutely. Does that scare me? Extremely.

“I’d like that,” I whisper, and the slow smile that spreads across his face makes my heart race.

Neither of us says anything more while we stare at the waterfall. But when Jake gently takes my hand, I squeeze his fingers tightly while I do my best not to let my imagination run away with me.

Because a large part of me wonders why I’m fighting these feelings I’m having so hard.

The same large part of me wonders what would happen if I let myself fall even harder for this man who has worked his way deep into my heart.

The rest of the day flies by while I work through the list of places I want to check out. I’ve filled an entire memory card full of photos and am slightly tipsy from the wine tastings I’ve done at several local wineries. Jake has thankfully not had a call out, so he’s spent the entire day staying true to his word to be my chauffeur.

We decide to have dinner at the local pub, and I watch him while he winds his way through the tables with our drinks. He has been waved down by a few different people who have wanted to say hi to him, and while he politely nods each time, he hasn’t stopped to talk to any of them, which I find interesting.

But it’s the older man who steps up to him just before he makes it back to the table that has me the most curious. Jake’s parents divorced when I was young, so I never really knew his dad, but I can see the resemblance as clear as day. Jake stops to talk to him for a few moments before nodding towards me. His Dad looks over at me, giving me a slight nod before heading back to his table and rejoining the woman I assume is Jake’s stepmother.

“Here we go.” Jake places my wine in front of me before taking his seat and having a mouthful of his Coke.

“Thanks. Was that your Dad?” I nod towards the table where the man had sat back down.

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to meet him.”

“You should tell them to join us,” I say, without really thinking it through.

Jake raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Am I? I can’t back out now, but we are entering dangerous waters by double-dating with his father. Everything about this weekend has felt like a relationship, and I’m wondering how much more we can blur the lines before it’s time to accept that this has gone much further than friends with benefits.

“Sure. It would be good to meet him. I don’t really remember him from when we were kids.”

Jake nods, heads to their table, and returns with his father and stepmother a minute later. “Dad, Donna, this is Brianna. Bri, this is my father, Jack, and his wife, Donna.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, standing up to shake both their hands.

We all sit back down, Jake moving to the seat beside me.

Donna smiles at me. “Jake tells us you’re visiting from Brisbane? How do you like it so far?”

“So far, it’s been great. I mean, it’s hot, but it’s so beautiful out here. I dragged Jake out to Queen Mary Falls this morning, and then we just checked out a few wineries.”

“Oh lovely, which ones?”

Donna and I chat back and forth about the area while the two men quietly watch us. Jack is watching me closely; I can tell he’s sizing me up.

“So, how do you two know each other?” Donna asks.

“I’ve known Brianna her whole life. Mum and her mother were in baby classes together when they were pregnant with me and Bri’s older sister Morgan,” Jake pipes up, and I nod while I take another sip of wine.

“Oh, wow. You know, you’re the first of Jake’s friends that I’ve met – from Brisbane, I mean.”

“That’s because Jake doesn’t consider this his home,” Jack says, and I stiffen a little at his tone.

“Dad.” Jake glares at his father, and Jack shrugs.

“It’s the truth. Why else do you use any excuse to head back to Brisbane?”

“Because I have friends there, and Mum and my other family. And I only go a few weekends a month - I’m here the rest of the time. I own a home here, for fuck’s sake,” Jake snaps, and Donna jumps a little.

I try not to stare at Jake in shock, unused to seeing anything rattle him, but I can tell this is a well-worn argument between the two men.

Jack regards his son for a few moments before shaking his head. “Let’s drop it. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m glad you’ve come to visit, Bri.”

“Thank you, Jack. I’m glad I’m here too,” I say, reaching under the table to take Jake’s hand.

He grips my hand and strokes the back of my hand with his thumb.

The rest of the meal passes without further incidents, but I’m grateful once it’s time to leave. Jake has been on edge since his outburst, and I want to get him alone to talk to him about it.

Jake pulls me in for a hug as soon as we're outside.

“Sorry,” he says, his words muffled while he buries his face in my hair.

“It’s okay. I knew things with you and your father were tense, but I hadn’t expected him to fire up in front of me.” I wrap my arms around Jake and rub a hand up and down his back.

“Neither was I. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. He is starting to hate my ties to Brisbane more and more. Since I won the apartment, actually.”

“Why? Does he think you’re going to leave Stanthorpe?”

“Probably.” He steps back and takes my hand while we walk towards his ute.

“Do you want to leave Stanthorpe?” I ask quietly, and he shrugs while opening the passenger door for me.

“I don’t know… I know I should be grateful to have the opportunity to take over a business one day, but… I miss everything back in Brisbane. Everyone I care about most is there.”

“True. But you’ve got ties here, too. I watched how many people tried to engage with you tonight, Jake. You have a life here as well.”

“Yeah…” He holds the door open for me while looking me in the eye.

I can feel he wants to say more, and I know I’m a large part of the reason he’s torn about where he wants to be.

And that both excites and scares the crap out of me.