Chapter 14
Fourteen
Jack gazed at Kayla, imploring her to speak. Then the doorbell rang again.
“I’ll get rid of whoever it is. Wait here.” Jack strode out of the kitchen. At the front door, he peered through the peephole and saw his parents. Their timing couldn’t have been worse, but he opened the door and waved them inside. If it were anyone else, he’d have left them standing on the porch.
Eileen and John took in his appearance. “Looks like we caught you at a bad time,” John said.
“I just got out of the shower.”
“We won’t stay long. I just wanted to drop off some pumpkin pie for you and Kayla. Aunt Sue made it,” Eileen explained. She glanced around. “Where is Kayla?”
“She’s in the kitchen,” Jack said. His parents followed him into the kitchen, where Kayla was seated at the table looking at her phone. She instantly put down her phone and greeted them.
“Hello,” Kayla said.
“We just stopped over to give you some pie,” Eileen explained.
Kayla peered inside the container. “Yum. Did you make this?”
“No, my sister did. It was left over from yesterday, so we thought we’d share it with you and Jack.”
“That was really sweet. Thank you,” Kayla said.
Eileen smiled. “So, what are you two up to tonight?”
Jack answered before Kayla could. “We’re going out with Ryan and Kayla’s friend, Josie.”
Kayla gave him a disgruntled look. “Maybe we should cancel and hang out with your parents instead?” she suggested.
“You don’t have to cancel on our account,” John piped in.
“I agree. We don’t want to interfere with your plans,” Eileen said.
“We can see Ryan and Josie anytime, but you’re only here for a while,” Kayla pointed out.
“Our friends are expecting us to show up at the bar,” Jack said. Or at least him, since Kayla hadn’t committed to it.
Eileen and John exchanged a look of discomfort. “We didn’t mean to start an argument,” Eileen said.
“We’re not arguing. We’re just talking, right honey?” Kayla said to Jack.
“We’ll give you some privacy,” John said, ushering Eileen out of the kitchen.
Jack waited until they’d gone and then stalked toward Kayla.
She sucked in a breath but held her ground.
He paused when they were mere inches apart. Lowering his voice, he said, “I know what you’re doing.”
“What?” she asked, feigning innocence.
“You’re trying to avoid being alone with me.”
“I thought you wanted to spend quality time with your parents, and that is what I signed up for.”
He sighed. “We were in the middle of a conversation.”
“We shouldn’t leave your parents waiting,” she deflected.
Jack raked a hand through his hair. “Fine. You win.”
Kayla smiled triumphantly. “I’ll keep them company while you get dressed.”
“Why can’t I stay like this?” Jack teased.
Ignoring him, she cut a wide path around him and strode out of the kitchen. Resigned, he followed her into the living room.
“Good news! Jack agreed that we should stay in tonight. Do you two play cards?” Kayla asked his parents.
“We love cards!” Eileen said.
“They’re in the drawer of the end table.
I’ll get dressed,” Jack said, trying not to sound as disappointed as he felt.
Nobody replied, as they were already discussing which card game to play.
Jack went into his bedroom and didn’t bother closing the door.
If Kayla came in and saw him naked, so be it.
Based on her laughter floating down the hall, she was happily occupied.
Dejected, he picked up his phone from atop the dresser and dialed.
Ryan answered on the first ring. “Are you almost ready to go?” he asked.
“There’s been a change in plans,” Jack muttered.
“How come?”
“My parents stopped by, and Kayla invited them to stay and play cards.”
Ryan chuckled. “So your pretend girlfriend put her foot down?”
“So to speak.”
“Knowing your parents, they won’t stay long. You can always come to the bar after they leave.”
“I don’t think Kayla is too keen on going out tonight.”
“Keep me posted,” Ryan said.
“Will do.”
After they hung up, Jack slowly got dressed.
He wasn’t in a hurry, since Kayla and his parents seemed to be doing fine without him.
Finally, he spritzed on the new cologne from Macy’s that Ryan had convinced him to buy.
“It’s supposed to drive women wild,” Ryan had insisted.
Jack had instantly thought of Kayla, though the way things were going, the only place he was driving her was further away.
Jack found the three of them playing cards at the kitchen table. Next to Kayla was a half-eaten slice of pumpkin pie.
“Have a seat,” John said.
“I’ll deal you in,” said Kayla.
Jack slid into the chair beside her. “What are we playing?”
“Blackjack,” said Eileen. “Your father is winning as usual.”
“I’m just lucky.” John looped his arm around Eileen’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “In more ways than one.”
Kayla smiled. “You two are so sweet,” she gushed.
The way she looked at them confirmed what Jack already knew. Kayla was a true romantic, through and through.
While Kayla dealt the cards, Jack moved his chair a little closer to hers. She glanced up at him with an unreadable expression. “I feel lucky too.” He hadn’t planned on saying it. The words had just slipped out.
Kayla gave him a brief smile and averted her attention to the cards.
They played several hands, conversing easily about a variety of topics.
This part of the plan was going great. His parents and Kayla genuinely liked each other, and she seemed relaxed in their presence, the way she used to be with him.
Jack wanted that back, but he might have ruined everything by admitting his attraction to her.
Jack was about to deal another hand when John stopped him. “Sorry, kids, but we need to get going.”
Eileen nodded. “It’s been a long day.”
Kayla looked stricken. “Are you sure? You don’t have to leave on our account.”
“Trust me, they’re not. This is already past their bedtime,” Jack said, only half-teasing.
Jack and Kayla walked his parents to the front door.
“Now you can go out with your friends like you planned,” Eileen said as she put on her coat.
Jack nodded while Kayla stood silently beside him.
“Have a good night,” John said.
“You too,” Jack and Kayla replied together.
They stood in the doorway and watched his parents get into their rental car and drive off.
“I’ll clean up the kitchen,” Kayla said, and hurriedly walked away.
Jack followed her. “We could still go out,” he suggested as she cleared off the table.
Kayla sighed. “I’ll go on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We go as friends, and nothing more. We don’t have to pretend we’re a couple because Ryan and Josie know the truth. It’ll be just like it was before all this happened.” Kayla flapped her hand around, like she was erasing the conversation that had taken place earlier.
“Agreed,” Jack said.
Kayla’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Yes, really. I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.”
She eyed him warily. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not. The last thing I want is to ruin our friendship. That was never my intention.”
Kayla slowly nodded.
“Tonight, we’ll go out and have fun as friends, just like we used to.”
“Well, not exactly. We didn’t use to play cards with your parents first.”
Jack chuckled. “True.”
“And you didn’t use to parade around in a towel in front of me.”
“Also true. I apologize.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Jack. I’m not permanently scarred from seeing you half naked.”
“Thank God!” He pretended to wipe sweat off his brow.
Kayla laughed, and it eased the remaining tension between them.
“Now that we’re on the same page, are you ready to go?”
She glanced down at her jeans and sweatshirt. “I can’t go like this! I have to change.”
Jack had figured as much. “You go change, and I’ll let Ryan know we’re coming.”
Kayla turned to leave, but paused. “Thank you, Jack.”
“What for?”
“For being a good friend.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go so we can get there before the bar closes.”
Laughing, she hurried out of the kitchen.
Jack expelled a heavy sigh. Friendship. That was all Kayla wanted from him, and he was foolish to think it could ever be more.