Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
The cool September morning rang crisp and clear as the sunlight peeked over the horizon.
Faith hugged her arms around herself, shivering despite her layers as she stood impatiently over the camping stove she’d set up on the kitchen floor.
The water for her coffee seemed determined to defy the laws of physics, refusing to reach a boil.
Dawn had barely begun to blush across the sky when Faith had awakened, feeling both excited and anxious about the day ahead.
She’d showered and dressed in practical layers: jeans, a cream turtleneck, and a red flannel shirt that had seen better days but remained her favorite.
Despite the bundled warmth, goose bumps still prickled along her skin, though she suspected not all of them were from the cold.
Workers began arriving at a steady pace by six o’clock, their trucks rumbling up the driveway like a convoy.
But the one person she was looking for remained conspicuously absent.
Perhaps he’d reconsidered, decided that pursuit wasn’t worth the effort.
Maybe he’d retreated to the safety of bachelorhood, having second thoughts about his radio declaration.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered, stamping her feet against the chill as she watched the pot with increasing frustration. The saying about watched pots never boiling had never felt more accurate.
“You look pretty desperate for caffeine.”
Faith spun toward the doorway, nearly losing her balance on the uneven floorboards.
The sight of Jake Murphy leaning against the doorframe sent a rush of warmth through her body that had nothing to do with the rising sun.
He was dressed in worn jeans and a flannel shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders, a tool belt slung low on his hips.
But what captured her attention was the cardboard tray in his hands, holding two steaming cups bearing the logo of her favorite coffee shop.
“Is that for me?” she asked, pointing to the cup with her name scrawled across it in black marker.
“Yeah, I meant to use it as a bribe, but you kind of have a crazy look in your eyes, so I think I might just set it down slowly and run for the door. I’ve seen that same look in my Gran’s eyes before, and it usually ends with me having to bail her out of jail.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up in that devastating half smile that made her pulse skip.
“Hand it over, and I’ll do whatever it is you’d planned to bribe me with. I’m desperate.” The words slipped out before she could censor them, and Faith immediately wished she could take them back. The gleam in Jake’s eyes told her he’d caught every implication.
“I have to ask you something important first,” he said, taking a step closer, the coffee still tantalizingly out of reach.
“What?”
“Are you an obsessive-compulsive pantry organizer, and if not, do you have an aversion to settling down in a serious relationship?”
Heat flooded Faith’s cheeks as she recognized her own words from last night’s radio show. “Oh, man, I really need that coffee.”
Jake moved forward slowly, the coffee held out as a peace offering, and started laughing when she gently took it from his grasp and took a cautious sip.
The rich, perfectly sweetened liquid was heaven against her tongue.
He set his own cup down on the counter and stepped closer, close enough that she could smell the crisp morning air still clinging to his jacket, mingled with cedar and something uniquely him.
“That’s a dangerous power you just gave me,” he said, his voice dropping to a lower register that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. “If I wasn’t such an honorable guy, I could think of all sorts of things for you to do to pay me back for a simple cup of coffee.”
“You don’t seem like the kind of man who knows the meaning of the word simple,” Faith replied, surprised by her own boldness.
He shifted, gently guiding her back until she found herself between him and the counter, not quite embraced but definitely enclosed in his space.
The warmth radiating from him was more effective than any heater.
Faith’s breath caught as she looked up into his eyes, finding herself trapped between curiosity and trepidation.
The mixture must have shown on her face.
“I’m going to go out on a limb, since you didn’t bother to answer my questions, and say that you aren’t completely crazy,” Jake said, his tone gentle despite the teasing words.
“But by the wary look in your eyes, I might have to do a lot of fast talking to make you consider anything beyond coffee deliveries.”
Faith’s breathing turned shallow, each inhale catching in her throat.
She pressed her palms against the counter, needing something solid to anchor herself.
The kitchen suddenly felt too small, too intimate.
Her coffee cup was somehow on the counter now, forgotten in the intensity of the moment.
His eyes were the deepest blue she’d ever seen, like twilight just before the stars appear, and they were looking at her with an intensity that made her take an instinctive step back.
His hands came to rest lightly on her shoulders, steadying rather than restraining, his touch warm through the flannel of her shirt. “I didn’t mean to spook you,” he said softly.
“I’m not spooked,” she lied, even as a tremor ran through her that had nothing to do with the morning chill.
The warmth of his fingertips seemed to brand her even through layers of clothing.
When he gently tipped her chin up with one finger, bringing her gaze back to his, Faith felt a flutter of anticipation that both thrilled and terrified her.
She couldn’t name the feeling that swept through her, but she knew it was dangerous—dangerous enough that she had to put a stop to it before she lost herself entirely.
“Don’t kiss me,” she whispered, the words barely audible.
His eyebrows lifted, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Why not? Did you forget to brush your teeth? I don’t mind, honestly.”
“No, they’re brushed,” she said, feeling ridiculous.
“Well, then, there’s no problem,” he said, leaning closer, his breath a gentle warmth against her face.
Faith placed her hands against his chest, intending a gentle push, but he was already shifting his weight.
The pressure sent him bumping against the counter, and the cabinet door that had been hanging by a single hinge chose that moment to surrender its tenuous hold, falling with a crash directly onto Jake’s head.
“Ouch, son of a—” He caught himself, rubbing the top of his head vigorously as he shot her an accusatory glare.
“Let me see,” Faith said, pushing him toward a nearby folding chair, guilt and concern washing away her previous nervousness. “Is it bleeding?”
“You did that on purpose,” he grumbled, wincing as her fingers probed gently at his scalp.
Faith bit back a laugh at his expression, reminiscent of a little boy denied his favorite toy.
“I did not. Stop being such a baby and let me see.” She examined his head carefully, finding a small lump already forming.
“There, it’s not so bad. Just a bump. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.
” Before she could think better of it, she leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the injured spot.
Jake caught her hand as she straightened, gently tugging her down to sit across his lap. The unexpected move startled a small gasp from her.
“Let me up,” she protested, her voice lacking conviction even to her own ears. “I don’t want your workers to think improper things about me.”
“They wouldn’t dare,” he said, his arms a warm circle around her waist. “I’d fire every one of them first.”
“Exactly, and then my house wouldn’t get fixed.”
“Why is kissing a bad idea?” he asked, his expression turning serious. “The truth this time.”
Faith hesitated, searching for an answer that wouldn’t reveal too much of her heart. “What if we weren’t very good at it?”
Jake’s laughter rumbled through his chest and against her side, the vibration strangely comforting despite her embarrassment.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Faith said, feeling a blush creep up her neck.
“Are you kidding me? There are some things you just know by instinct.” His laughter faded, and he shook his head slightly. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be good.”
Faith felt an unexpected twinge of disappointment that he’d surrendered so easily.
“It would be incredible,” he said, his voice dropping to a murmur that seemed to wrap around her like velvet.
He leaned closer, his words whispered against her ear.
“There wouldn’t be words to describe it.
I thought about it last night when I called your show, and every time your breath caught, I thought about how out of all the people listening, those little sighs were only for me.
I nearly stayed here, just to see your face when you walked in, but I made myself go home instead.
I spent half the night thinking about you.
” He paused, his gaze searching hers. “But you’re right.
It’s too soon for kissing. I can see I’m going to need a different approach. ”
His words awakened sensations Faith had long forgotten existed—or perhaps had never truly known.
The warm weight of his arm around her waist, the subtle scent of his aftershave, the gentle cadence of his voice—all combined to create a quiet intimacy that frightened her far more than any bold advance would have.
“I’m just not very good at this sort of thing,” Faith confessed, lowering her gaze to the buttons on his shirt.
“But you’re the Love Doctor.” The way she stiffened in his arms was instant, and Jake’s expression shifted to one of regret. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless.”