2. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Jake
T he blaring alarm jolts me awake. I slam my hand on the snooze button and sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Beside me, her side of the bed is untouched, the sheets cold. It's a punch to the gut, as always. I reach over and brush my fingers over Sarah's photograph, a bittersweet reminder. The pain that still gnaws at my insides doesn't show on my face; it never does because I need to be strong for my daughter. But for a second, I let the mask slip, allowing myself this solitary moment of grief.
With a sigh, I haul myself out of bed. I stand and stretch, my muscles sore from an intense training session at work. I have another one today, so I need to calm any inflammation. A cold shower usually does it, so I walk to the bathroom down the hall as quietly as I can. A few floorboards creek, but it shouldn't wake Charlotte up—the girl sleeps like a log.
The cold water shocks me fully conscious. After I'm done, dripping all over the rug, I make quick work of brushing my teeth and tying back my long hair. I glance at my haggard expression, sorrow still too heavy on my face. I twist my face into a frown—better to look annoyed all the time than having people ask, "You okay?"
I'm fine, and there's no use dwelling on any of this today. Too much to do. I throw on my usual jeans and plain tee and head to the kitchen.
I pull supplies from the fridge. Soon, the sizzle of bacon fills the kitchen, my familiar morning routine grounding me. A bit later, Charlotte shuffles in, black hair a tangled mess, mumbling a sleepy, "Morning, Daddy." I give her a quick kiss on her head. It's a clumsy gesture, but it's all I've got. Then I scoop some eggs and bacon onto her plate.
We don't have a table since this place is so small, so she sits on the couch, ready to eat at the coffee table and watch morning cartoons.
I set her breakfast in front of her before grabbing my coffee. "Big day today?" I ask.
She's still yawning and rubbing her eyes when I return to the couch with my mug. She rubs her eyes with the backs of her hands—so like Sarah. Then her big eyes—also like Sarah's—glance at me.
I have to look away and ignore the ache in my chest, staring into my coffee.
Charlotte groans. "I have that math test."
"Math, huh?" I say, scratching my stubble. "Just remember what I told you about numbers—you control them, don't let them control you."
She gives me a half-smile. "That doesn't make sense, Daddy." She chomps on a piece of bacon and then says, "Oh, yummy."
"You'll do great. Just stay focused." I try to sound encouraging, but it comes out gruff. Still, she gives me a little smile. My heart swells for this kid. She's the best of me and Sarah, and I'm thankful for that.
Charlotte turns on the TV as she works on her breakfast. I sip my coffee and we fall into a comfortable silence. After a bit, her mood suddenly shifts as she pushes her empty plate away. A pout forms on her lips, like it does every morning here once reality sets in.
"I want to go back to the ranch," she grumbles.
"Saturday, pumpkin." I keep it simple, setting my empty mug down. "Just a couple days away."
She huffs, her arms folding across her chest. "But why do we have to be here so much? It's too small."
I frown. I'm doing my best to help her grow up humble, make it less clear how much wealth we have—a large inheritance from my late father. The last thing Sarah and I wanted was her to get too spoiled so she grows up expecting things to be handed to her. I want her to grow up with an appreciation for hard work and the simple pleasures. But she's old enough now that she's starting to realize most Dad's don't own large ranches with tons of horses.
I lean back on the couch and cross my arms, mirroring her. "Because it's closer to your school and my station." Charlotte doesn’t understand yet, but the duplex is more than just convenience—it's our shield, a way to blend into Cedar Ridge without the whispers that come with money and land. "Makes things easier, sweetheart."
She glares at me, looking for something more convincing. With a half-smile, I reach over to ruffle her hair. "You get to see your friends more often when we're here, right?"
"Guess so..." She's not entirely convinced, but she lets it slide.
I try to distract her from any sore feelings. "Hey, what's red and bad for your teeth?"
"What?" She tilts her head, knowing a cheesy joke is coming.
"A brick." I deliver the punchline with a wink.
Her laughter fills the room, genuine and unguarded, and my heart hums. It’s these moments, I swear...
Still chuckling, she hops off the couch to take her plate to the sink.
"Go get ready," I tell her. I really hope today will be a good week for her. She has been having some behavioral problems in school and falling behind. Hope she aces this math test.
She mumbles, "Yeah, yeah," as she makes her way down the hall.
I glance at the microwave clock. Almost seven. Almost time for Ellie to be heading out. I try to play it cool, but I can't resist peeking out the living room window. I try to convince myself it's just a habit, but who am I kidding? I'm drawn to her, even though I shouldn't be. Sure enough, there she is, on schedule.
I grab the trash and hustle outside. The screen door slams behind me with a metallic clatter that echoes too loudly in the quiet street. My heart does that stupid little jump when I see Ellie glance my way as I head to the curb.
"Morning, neighbor," she says with a little wave. Her caramel eyes are bright behind those wire-framed glasses. She has a skirt on with black pantyhose, and she's wearing a cardigan over a pink blouse. She's the sexiest teacher I've ever seen.
"Hey," I reply, going for casual even though my palms are sweating. I lift the lid on the bin and deposit the trash bag. Then I tip my chin, glancing up at the sky so I don't stare at the poor woman. "Headed off to mold young minds?"
"Every day." She smiles and then bites her lip.
Hell, maybe I come out every morning for that—to see that cute little lip bite of hers. Though I was trying to keep my eyes away, I drink in the sight of her because she's always stunning. Can't let any emotion show on my face though. She's Marcus's little sister. Off limits. I honestly have no idea how she ended up picking the exact duplex next to mine, but here we are.
I give her a nod since it's best we don't talk too much, then I turn to head back inside. As I'm reaching for the doorknob, she cusses behind me.
Before I can think better of it, I'm striding over to her car. "Everything okay?"
She puts her hands on her hips and sighs, a puff of frustration clouding the cool morning air. I follow her gaze to the sagging rear tire. Yup, that's completely flat.
She gives me a quick smile and then pops her car trunk, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. I'm still standing here, so she tries to wave me away. "No big deal. I can change it. You need to get your daughter ready for school."
"No. Let me help." I'm moving before she can protest, fetching the jack from my truck in the driveway. "Charlotte has plenty of time. I get her up early since she's a snail."
Ellie smiles but is still trying to plow ahead with pulling the spare from her trunk. "Really, Jake, my dad taught me how to do this. I'm not a helpless—" Her heel slips on the damp concrete as she's trying to maneuver the spare onto the ground.
Luckily, I'm close enough that I drop the jack and hurry forward, steadying her. She falls against me, her shoulders pressing into my chest, and I get too good of a whiff of her coconut-scented hair. We're locked like this for a moment, her small body pressed against mine. Against my better judgment, I lower my hand to the small of her back. Her lips part and she inhales sharply, gently, in a barely audible gasp.
It seriously messes with me, my body reacting by heating up, and I have an urge to run my fingers through her soft hair.
I'm really craving a kiss.
Thankfully, she straightens herself, putting an inch of space between us. I also shift focus and grab the tire from her, easily lifting it and then moving it to lean against the car.
She smooths her skirt and looks flustered, her ivory cheeks now a deep shade of pink. Guess she felt something in that moment, too, but we're both playing a dangerous game because Marcus is not an understanding man when it comes to crossing lines.
She's more resigned now, standing off to the side watching me as I get the jack under the car and start pumping it. I drop to one knee and start loosening the lug nuts. Several minutes pass with me trying to focus only on this damn tire and not on Ellie being nearby.
She finally clears her throat and says, "It's kind of nice having roadside assistance living next door."
I smirk, glancing at her. "Didn't you know that's my second job? Firefighting gets boring."
She laughs—an enchanting, warm laugh—and part of me regrets my joke because I like hearing that laugh too much.
I caution myself to rein it in, but I can't help indulging myself.
"Uh-huh," she says, loosening up again and leaning against the car as I pull the flat tire off and reach for the spare. "So then you go around changing tires for all the ladies on the block?"
My smirk widens. "Only the ones who bake me cookies."
Her sexy laugh warms my chest again. “Well, what kind do you like? I’m pretty good at baking.”
Knowing I really need to stop engaging, I quickly finish securing the lug nuts again and wipe my hands on my jeans. "Alright, you're all set." I stand, grabbing her flat tire along with my jack. Then I turn toward my truck.
"Oh," she says, following. "You don't have to do that. Just throw the tire in my trunk and I'll stop by the auto shop later after work to take care of it."
I throw the tire in the truck bed with one big swing of my arm. When I turn around, Ellie looks a bit dazed, staring at my bicep like she can't believe I just tossed a tire around like it was nothing. Then she bites her bottom lip and gives me a heated look. Maybe she's not aware of how much those looks drive me crazy and push me toward doing something irrational, but fuck I need to remove myself from this situation.
I glance at a large tree along the street. "No trouble. One of my work buddies knows someone. We'll get you a new tire, no cost."
"Jake, that's...Thank you."
I cross my arms and give her a wink. Then I regret it. Really need to stop flirting with my best friend's sister.
She bites her damn lip again and I stupidly glance at it. "Guess you're my hero today."
I freeze. The word triggers a flood of painful memories, and my throat tightens. Suddenly, I'm not here outside our duplex in the bright morning sunshine. I'm there—along the road trying to pull Sarah from the overturned car, smoke filling my lungs and choking me. There were too many flames and I couldn't...
Ellie's face falls and she steps forward, touching my arm. "Jake? You okay?"
I pull away from her and give her a hard frown, my words icy. "I'm no hero. Really. It's fine. Just a fucking tire."
Ellie's mouth slips open and she looks confused, even hurt by my sudden bite. She steps back with a nod. "Um, well, thank you."
I should feel satisfied that I've put a stop to this dangerous dance we were doing, but guilt gnaws at me instead. Part of me wants to apologize, to soften the blow, but I stamp it down. Gotta keep those old boundaries as solid as the ground under my boots. I know I was harsh shutting her down like that, but I can't let things go any further between us.
Without responding, I return to my apartment and go inside. After a beat, I think better of it and open the door to apologize because I didn't mean to sound so harsh. But Ellie is already backing into the street. A moment later, she drives away.
"Dammit," I grumble to myself, but I force the thoughts out of my head.
Marcus is my best friend, practically a brother. And Ellie is his little sister. As attracted as I may be to her, I have to respect those boundaries. I shouldn't have let that brief flirtation happen at all, so I need to be more careful from now on. No matter how her laughter echoes in my ears or how the morning sun catches in her brown hair, turning it into spun caramel. Ellie deserves someone uncomplicated, not a broken widower still haunted by the past.
As I close the front door, I feel a familiar ache of loneliness. But I push it down, focusing instead on getting Charlotte ready for school. I can't dwell on my own desires. My daughter needs me present and focused.