Chapter Twelve Jake #2
“Thank you. But I’m not about to sleep tonight, after what we just did.
I’ll be playing it on repeat in my mind.
” I lean down so close to her that my lips are almost touching hers.
“I had big plans for you tonight, beautiful.” I take in a small breath before I continue.
“So whatever animal you are leaving me to help, it better be grateful that I’m letting you go.
” I softly kiss those lips that bring me to my knees every time.
“This is my life, Jake,” she says as we part. “I know you get it, but it’s not always convenient for . . . this.” She’s not giving us any sort of title. “Hopefully by hiring Beau, it will help to give me some sort of normal life, but that doesn’t mean it will be perfect.”
My heart beats a little harder that she’s talking about the future and us in the same breath.
“I don’t need perfect. Having you in any way that you let me is all I need.
All I’m asking is for you to give me a chance.
We need to talk more but now is not the time.
You have some cow, horse, or random farm animal to deliver by the sounds of that phone call.
” I run my fingers through her hair and then down her bare back, resting on her jean-covered ass and giving it a squeeze to let her know I understand.
“Puppies, actually. Want me to get Mrs. Thomas to keep one aside for you? They are Australian shepherds and one would make a great friend for Rosie.”
I gently smack her on the ass for tormenting me, but it’s enough for us to break apart and continue dressing.
“You could stay here if you want to,” Ash says, grabbing her jacket from the hook at the front door as we both stop and look at each other.
“As much as I would love to be here in your bed waiting for you to come home, I think it’s best I go home tonight.
One step at a time.” And if I’m being honest with myself, I need a bit of time alone to sort through all the emotions that are raging inside me right now.
I know what I want, I just don’t know how to make it happen just yet, or even whether it’s possible.
I need to work out my own plans before I try to match them to Ashley’s life.
Gran has dropped in conversation a few times over the last few weeks that she has friends who have asked if she would hire me out to do some handyman work for them. The man who used to do all these sorts of jobs is getting ready to retire and there is no one to take over.
Although I’m used to much bigger jobs, would this be enough income to sustain me in Abbey Falls since my cost of living would be so low? I just don’t know and I’m scared to ask too many questions and give both Gran and Ashley false hope if it’s not the answer.
Do I even want to be in business anymore, or be a builder? It all just seems tarnished now after what’s happened. This is my first thing I need to sort out to find a direction from here.
Why is it that when you find the right person, it’s in the wrong place and at the most confusing time of your life? Or is it the right place and I seriously just need to find a way through this confusion?
“You’re right,” Ashley replies, reaching up on her toes to kiss me, and we both know we have unfinished business here.
We walk to her car, and she offers to drive me home, but I don’t want Gran knowing where I’ve been and I could use the walk.
“Drive safe. Message me when you get home. I’ll be awake.” I wink at her as she starts the engine and the car roars to life. Closing her car door, I lean in through the window to steal one last kiss.
“Jake,” she calls as I’m walking away.
I turn to face her again.
“Thank you, for tonight, for understanding my life, and for not pushing me too hard.”
I just nod, then turn and keep walking home, toward Heatherbrae.
“Rise and shine, sleepyheads, breakfast is here.” Gran’s voice echoes through the barn as she comes in with a basket in her arms.
“You should know by now that I’m up with the sun, Gran. I’ve already been for a walk with this guy, who needs a bit of fitness training, I think.” I point my thumb at Chase, who’s sitting on the wooden bench seat at the small table that I built into the common room, near the bedrooms.
“Hey, I kept up with you. I just wasn’t ready for the hike into the woods when you said we were going for a casual walk at sunrise. Thought you would’ve wanted a sleep-in after your little adventures last night.” He smirks at me as he takes a sip of his coffee.
“Asshole,” I mouth to him behind Gran’s back, before she turns from Chase and looks intently at me.
“Where did you get to after dinner, Jake?” Gran asks, and I feel like I’m back under the scrutinizing eye of my school principal when he lined up half the football team and tried to get one of us to confess to stealing the team mascot from our rival school.
It was never me, because that would involve being around an animal, and I would’ve had no idea how to even capture it, let alone muster up the desire to kidnap it.
No point lying to Gran, though, because she could always see right through every one of us grandkids whenever we tried to hide the truth.
“Daisy got through the fence again, so I took her back home before she got into your garden.” Holding Gran’s stare, I try not to give away that it was more than a little five-minute visit.
“How did she get through your perfect new fence?” Gran asks.
“Somehow the gate was open. She’s either a very clever goat or someone gave her a helping hand . . .” And as I say it aloud, all the pieces start coming together. The look on Gran’s face changes to one of fake innocence. She can’t hide the guilt on her face any more than her grandkids can.
“Who would do that?” She quickly places the basket on the table and starts to make her escape. “Got to run, things to do, cleaning, and um, yeah, cleaning.” And with that little hurried remark, she’s gone, leaving Chase and me looking at one another before we both start cracking up.
“Gran, you little matchmaker.” Chase shakes his head as he picks up one of the egg-and-bacon rolls that smell divine.
“You have no idea. Shit, you better watch out or you’ll be next. Lock up your women, Abbey Falls, Betty is on the hunt for wives for her grandsons.”
When I take my first bite of one of Gran’s rolls, it always takes me back to my childhood when she would bring them out after we spent a night camping under the stars with Gramps.
Along with a hot chocolate to “warm the bones,” she would say.
Carefree times that I would jump back to in a heartbeat, so I could stop thinking about this bank crap.
“I’m not husband material. We all know that. Plus, I don’t stay in a place long enough to get attached.” Chase says it so matter-of-factly.
“Preaching to the choir, buddy.” Yet here I am falling hard for a woman in a town that I don’t plan on living in and she doesn’t plan on ever leaving.
So, thanks, Gran, for the help in pushing me into a mess.
I take another sip of the strong coffee.
It was what I desperately needed after a night of very little sleep.
It felt good to get the fresh morning air into my lungs, to try to clear my head.
“You can’t blame Gran about Ashley. It wouldn’t have mattered what Gran did if you didn’t find her attractive.
Then you would just be polite every time Gran sent you on a wild-goose chase.
Not having sleepovers at the neighbor’s house.
” Finishing his roll, he screws up the napkin and throws it at me.
It’s like we have reverted to being teenagers.
“What are you, ten? I mean, who describes having sex with a woman as a ‘sleepover’? Besides, I didn’t get to sleep, and there were no naked pillow fights either.” I get up from the table and take the empty coffee cups to wash in the small sink in the kitchenette.
“Now who’s the child?” He slaps me on the shoulder and places the basket of fruit and muffins for later into the fridge to stop them from being attacked by ants. After all, we are still in a barn.
“I’ll meet you out in the vineyard when you are done and you can start talking me through the plans you’ve drawn up for the buildings and what needs to be started next.
I want to get a head start on trimming the leaves on the vines like Gramps taught us.
At least Gran won’t have to pay anyone to come in and tend to them this year.
Surely we can juggle both the building and trimming them in preparation for harvest time in September,” Chase states as he takes his water bottle and camera with him.
He never goes far without his camera, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the special project we assigned him at the last board meeting: to document the next twelve months on Heatherbrae into a photo book for Gran.
I’m sure any memories he captures will also make great photographic art to hang in the new buildings, maybe even the gallery.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a big job but when Declan gets here, it will make it easier with the three of us. I’ll be there in ten.”
I wipe the cups, feeling thankful that I have work to do today to take my mind off Ashley.
When she got in at 2 a.m. this morning, she sent a message telling me she was home but exhausted and needed sleep.
Surprisingly, I had already crashed by then.
When I eventually saw it, I didn’t want to reply until I had been up for a while, just in case I woke her up.
When I finally did, our messaging was brief.
She told me that she would be busy all day showing Beau around the clinic and getting him settled in.
I know it’s a good thing he’s around to take some pressure off Ashley, but I just wish we had time to talk last night to define what we are before she spends all day with Mr. Handsome-Animal-Lover.