Chapter 3 #2
“I’m not scared of you.” As surprise registered on his face, more words came tumbling out of her.
She’d been thinking about what he’d said earlier and she wanted—no needed him to know that she didn’t think he’d ever hurt her.
“Most of the men I’ve dated haven’t understood that baking calms me.
That being in the kitchen is what fills my soul.
They haven’t understood that I’d rather spend an evening baking than going to a music concert or to the movies.
I was an annoying kid; just as my grandmother, she’ll tell you so many stories about how I wouldn’t stop bugging her or my mother to show me how to use some new kitchen utensil, or how I hated to play outside because I’d rather be inside with them baking or cooking.
So now you know what my dream for the future is, owning my own bakery—and I don’t think you’re a creeper. ”
Jayme was almost panting by the time she got done with her little speech, but she’d rushed through it so she wouldn’t chicken out.
She was more content to fade into the background and not bring attention to herself, so telling Rocket what she really thought had been hard…
but the smile on his face was worth all the angst she’d built up inside before she’d finally shared her thoughts.
“Good. Can I take you on a date?”
“I’d like that,” Jayme said shyly. “I haven’t seen much of Killeen yet.”
Rocket grinned. “I’d be honored to show you around.”
“Cool.”
“Cool,” he echoed.
Then he surprised her by sitting back on the couch but not letting go of her hand. “I could leave now, but that would deprive Winnie of the satisfaction of knowing how well we got along…and how well her little plan worked.”
Jayme laughed. “Right? Although she probably deserves to be disappointed and think her scheming didn’t work for a while.”
“Do you really care?” Rocket asked.
Did she? No. She loved her memaw, and while it was a little embarrassing to be set up by her, if things worked out between her and Rocket, she couldn’t really be too mad. “No,” she told him.
“Me either. I don’t suppose Winnie’s got cable?” he asked skeptically.
Jayme laughed. “Not only does she have cable, she has Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Apple TV.”
Rocket’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Yup. She says that she needs to stay up on what’s hip in the world,” Jayme told him.
“Your grandmother’s cooler than I am,” Rocket said.
“Me too,” Jayme agreed as she reached for the remote and clicked on the television.
She had no idea how much time had passed while they watched a British reality series about a helicopter 9-1-1 unit, but Jayme realized she’d fallen asleep when she heard voices speaking around her.
Opening her eyes, she saw that Rocket had turned off the lights…and she’d somehow snuggled herself almost onto his lap. His arm was around her, and she was using his shoulder as a pillow. He’d covered her up with a blanket, and she felt warm and safe in his arms.
He shifted next to her, and Jayme felt herself being lowered to the cushions. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Rocket told her softly.
Jayme nodded. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
“Go back to sleep,” Rocket told her. “I’ll see myself out.”
“Rocket?”
“Yeah?”
“I had a good time tonight.”
“Me too.”
Then she felt his warm lips against her forehead before she sensed him moving away.
She heard more low conversation, probably Rocket saying goodbye to Memaw, before she heard her grandmother shuffling back into the room.
Knowing she needed to get up and go to her bedroom, Jayme slowly sat upright, keeping the blanket that smelled like Rocket around her shoulders.
“It looks like you had a good time tonight,” Memaw said with a devilish grin.
“I did,” Jayme told her. “How was bingo?”
“Annoying. I hate that stupid game.”
“Then why do you keep going?”
“Because. I’m going to win one of these times, I just know it,” her grandmother said.
Jayme could only shake her head in exasperation.
“So, Rocket’s gonna call you tomorrow?”
“You ever hear of privacy?” Jayme asked.
“Nope. I assume you guys clicked?”
“Yeah, Memaw, we clicked,” Jayme told her.
“I knew you would!” her grandmother crowed.
“Yeah, well, we aren’t getting married, so slow your roll.”
Winnie threw her head back and laughed. “Yet. I want to give you away,” her grandmother said.
Jayme could only shake her head in exasperation. “That’s such an archaic tradition.”
“Don’t care. Your daddy didn’t have anything to do with you meeting Rocket. That was all me. So I want to be the one to give you to him.”
“Fine. If we get married, I’ll let you walk me down the aisle. Happy?”
“Immensely. But you can’t wait too long. I’m not getting any younger,” Memaw quipped.
She’d been saying that for as long as Jayme could remember to try to get her way. “We haven’t even been on a date, Memaw. We might find out that we don’t really get along.”
“Hogwash. Looked like the two of you were more than getting along when I walked in.”
Jayme knew she was blushing.
“Did he like your chicken parmesan stuffed shells?”
“Yes.”
“And your cookies, bread, and Butterfinger pie?”
“Yes.”
“Right. There ya go. There’s no better way to a man’s heart than through his stomach. That man doesn’t cook for himself, so all you gotta do is feed him and you’ll have him snared.”
“I don’t want to snare him,” Jayme said quietly. “I want a man who likes me for who I am, not because I can feed him.”
“Who you are is a baker,” her grandmother said gently.
“From the moment you first held a spatula in your hand, that’s all you were interested in.
Finding a man who appreciates that about you is a blessing.
You’ve told me yourself how many men you’ve dated don’t understand that about you.
I had a feeling about Rocket when I first met him.
He’s lonely. He’s not a man who likes to go out on the town or party.
He owns his own house, did he tell you that? ”
“No,” Jayme said.
“He does. Bought it a while ago because he wanted to live someplace quiet. Said he didn’t want to live in an apartment, have to worry about someone else burning down his home because they’d left a candle burning.
He had the kitchen and bathrooms done up all fancy too, in the hopes he might find a woman who wouldn’t mind spending her nights holed up with him. ”
“It’s rude to talk about someone behind their back,” Jayme protested.
“Fine. I’m just sayin’ that as I got to know that man, I couldn’t help but think that you two would get on like peanut butter and jelly. And my instincts were right. Give him a chance, love.”
“He asked me out,” Jayme told her grandmother.
She beamed. “Good. You had better get up to bed and get some beauty rest.”
Jayme resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, ma’am.” She stood, keeping the blanket around her shoulders, and was halfway to the stairs in her grandma’s small house when she heard Memaw say her name. Turning, Jayme looked back at her.
“Love you, child. Rocket’s a good man. Give him a chance.”
“I will,” Jayme said softly.
Memaw nodded, and Jayme continued up the stairs. She lay in her bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. It felt a little weird being set up by her grandmother, but she couldn’t deny the sparks between her and Rocket.
She had no idea where things between them would go, but she was looking forward to talking to him the next day.
And she was thankful that she’d decided to come to Texas to figure her life out.
She hadn’t planned on meeting a man, but now that she’d met Rocket, she wasn’t so interested in moving anywhere else.
She hadn’t felt this much excitement about a relationship in a very long time, and Jayme couldn’t wait to see what the future held.