Chapter Eleven Jake
Chapter Eleven
Jake
“I can’t believe Gran didn’t want to cook you up a big dinner tonight.” I look across at Chase as we park my truck in front of Alberto’s.
“She looked tired, and I didn’t want her working hard in the kitchen, which is why I suggested we take her out.
Obviously, she wasn’t up for company tonight, because for Gran to turn down dinner in town, where she can show off her two grandsons, is unheard of.
We better check in on her when we get home.
” Chase stops outside of the restaurant door and turns back to me.
“I can’t believe that we aren’t going to Grizzly’s tonight.
I mean, a beer and a steak was what I was thinking. ”
Chase starts laughing to himself. “Oh, shit, I just worked it out. Don’t tell me you’ve already pissed off a few women in this little town. I must say it didn’t take you long,” Chase jokes as he pushes open the door to enter the restaurant.
“Something like that. Let me assure you, here is safer,” I mumble, thinking to myself that I didn’t want all the eyes in Grizzly’s to be on us tonight. I’m just not feeling it, and with Chase being a new novelty toy for the rumor mill, here looked like the better option.
“You have no idea what you are in for when the women in town find out there’s another single man from Heatherbrae on the loose.
Apparently, we are a rare species in this place, as I found out at the first town event Gran took me to.
But then again, you are supposedly a big stud who knows what it’s like to be mobbed by groups of women when you are traveling the world,” I say as I’m standing behind him and shove my hands down into my jeans pockets.
“Jealousy looks good on you.” He chuckles as he looks at me over his shoulder and then turns back as a woman approaches us.
“Well, hello there, gentlemen, looking for a table for two tonight?” the bubbly waitress asks.
“That would be great, thanks.” Chase starts displaying the smooth charm I’ve seen him pull off many times before.
“Sure thing, just follow me,” she sweetly replies, and as she turns to walk through the restaurant, I slap Chase on the shoulder and lean close to his ear.
“Keep it in your pants, she’s a bit old for you.” I roll my eyes at him as he gives me the cheeky smirk that he perfected as a kid.
Just as I take my seat, I hear a familiar laugh. It’s the same one that inhabits my dreams at night.
Ashley.
She said she was busy.
She said she doesn’t date.
So, who the fuck is that guy she’s with, and why is he getting the smiles and giggles that should be mine?
I can feel the rage of jealousy rising through my body, and I’m struggling to keep a lid on it. I want to storm over to her table and demand to know who he is and then put her over my shoulder to carry her out of here.
The waitress’s voice is just a mumble, and I’m not even listening to her when she steps away and I get a clear vision of the asshole holding Ash’s hand while she looks happily back at him.
“Buddy, who are we about to kill?”
Chase’s voice snaps at me, but I can’t look away from Ashley.
It’s like my eyes are transfixed on a scene that has my heart feeling like it’s being crushed under the weight of an elephant and fuck it hurts like hell.
This is why I didn’t want to let my walls down to experience this again, not that I had a chance of stopping it, because Ashley just pushed straight through them from day one.
“Later,” I grunt because I’m not about to tell him everything here and now, especially why I’m seeing red over a woman who isn’t even mine.
I have no right to be acting like this, but I can’t stop my hands from drawing into tight fists and my left leg from bouncing under the table.
I silently curse myself for being too gutless to take a chance with Ashley, so now I have to watch her move on with someone else.
Someone who can give her what she needs, what she deserves. Someone who’ll stay.
“Well, just so you know, I’ve got your back, but can we eat first? I’m starving.” Chase is humoring himself and laughs out loud, which is enough to catch Ash’s attention, and she turns to look our way.
Our eyes meet, and I can feel the shock racing through her at seeing me here.
My fists are now clenched so hard that the muscles in my arms hurt. But I can’t do a thing. She’s not mine. And my jaw is now so tight that I can’t speak, so I just give her a chin lift, acknowledging her but trying not to give away how much pain and rage I’m feeling in my chest.
She pulls her hand away from her dinner companion and lifts it to give me a tiny wave.
Nope, I can’t do this.
I stand and shove my chair back.
“I’m not hungry. Let’s go to Grizzly’s. I need a beer or ten!” I storm toward the door and leave Chase to explain to the poor waitress as I pass her. Ashley might be able to move past the chemistry between us and on to someone else, but there is no way in hell I can sit here and watch her do it.
The fresh night air hits me like a slap in the face as I stop and wait for Chase to catch up with me.
“What the fuck was that?” Chase comes out of the restaurant, throwing his hands in the air.
“It’s a long story that requires a beer. Let’s go.”
Walking down to the end of the street, we turn the corner until we’re in front of the door of Grizzly’s. I open the door and step inside. Thankfully it’s quiet tonight.
Chase takes the last mouthful of his second beer and looks at me, just shaking his head.
“Could you have fallen for someone a little less complicated? I mean, she’s a neighbor, and apparently this angel of a vet, in Gran’s eyes. I hope you know the pain you are going to be living with for the rest of this year. Wait until Declan and Beckett hear this one.”
“Don’t you dare open your mouth about this. Especially to Beckett. I’m already a disappointment to him. Let’s not add to the list.” Looking down at my watch, I know we should head back to Heatherbrae and check on Gran before she goes to bed.
“That’s because he can be an opinionated prick.
But he does love you . . . in his own way, with his heart of stone.
” Chase picks up the last fry left on his plate, and I realize how nice it is to finally have one of the guys here.
Especially Chase, who always manages to make me laugh on the flip of a dime.
“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, we better get home before Gran starts worrying,” I say to him and he looks back at me a little confused.
“Oh, I forgot to warn you. You might be a full-grown adult but living with Gran is like we’re kids again.
We’re almost back to curfews and her wanting to know where we are all the time.
What did you just say about it’s going to be a long year living at Heatherbrae?
Well, you can add Gran’s hovering over us to the list.” I laugh as we both start heading out of Grizzly’s to the truck to head home.
As my truck rattles up the drive of Heatherbrae, the headlights hit two little beady eyes belonging to a three-foot-tall menace.
“Fucking Daisy!” I yell, slamming my hand onto the steering wheel. “The universe hates me today.”
“Who the hell is Daisy? I’m so confused; I thought her name was Ashley.” Chase is looking at me like I’m a lunatic.
I pull the truck to a stop next to the barn and point out the window.
“Meet Daisy, another one of the annoying women in my life.” Getting out of my truck and grabbing a rope from the truck bed, I leave Chase in the cab, cackling away.
“Come here, Daisy. I don’t trust you to go home on your own, or not to destroy Gran’s flowers along the way.
And I only just finished my bedroom in the barn, which does not need redecorating goat-style.
” I’m almost in shock when she just stands there and lets me slip the rope over her neck.
At least something is going right tonight.
“Can you check on Gran while I take Daisy back? Message me to let me know she’s okay,” I call over my shoulder to Chase as I head toward the fence between here and Windermere.
The full moon gives me enough light to find my way, wondering how the hell Daisy managed to get through it since it’s been fixed.
I look up and down the fence line to see where there might be a hole, but I don’t have to worry.
The gate that Gran insisted we put in between the two farms is wide open.
“How the hell did you get that open, Daisy? Seriously, they should’ve called you Houdini, the great escape goat.” I walk through the gate and close it behind me. “Okay, let’s get you into the yard so I can just slip away. Not sure I should see your momma tonight. I might say something I shouldn’t.”
Ashley’s SUV is parked in the driveway, and the houselights are on, so I know she’s home. I just don’t want to think about whether she’s alone or not.
I’m almost to the gate of the yard before I think about Herb the donkey. He’s like an alarm system. The closer I get, the louder he is.
“Now stay here this time, you pain in the ass.” I close the barnyard gate, hoping I can make it back past the house without being spotted, but the moment I start moving away from the yard onto the open grass in front of the house, Daisy and Gerald join the chorus of animals, and before I can make my getaway, the front door opens and Ashley walks out and hits a switch next to her, flooding the grass in front of me with light.
She hasn’t seen me as she looks straight toward the barn.
“Herb, what’s wrong?” Her hands are on her hips as she peers into the dark.