Chapter 4
FOUR
Tap, tap, tap.
The hum of the paddle fan floated into Faith’s consciousness.
Tap, tap, tap.
Was there something wrong with the fan? The tapping came and went, but each time, it was the same—three taps and then silence. Faith rubbed her face to get enough focus to look at the clock. She blinked to try and see the numbers.
Tap, tap, tap.
Nine in the morning! She hadn’t slept that long in ages.
She threw the covers off her legs, her silky shorts and camisole cool against her skin, and walked over to the window.
She pulled back the sheer, gauzy fabric, the only barrier between her and the sun.
Before she could focus on the view, she jumped with fright.
“Oh!” she cried, dropping the curtain and covering her mouth. She stood there for a moment, collecting herself.
Tap, tap, tap.
This time, the taps were right on the window.
She swallowed, blinked her eyes again to clear them, and ran her fingers through her untamed hair.
Self-conscious of her attire, or lack of, she debated on whether to change quickly, but he’d already seen her.
She adjusted her top, tugging it down at the back to make the neckline dip a little less.
Slowly, she pulled back the curtain again.
Jake was on a ladder, right outside her window, a hammer in his hand.
With his free hand, he motioned for her to open the window.
The lock slid back under her fingers and she lifted the pane of glass upward, heat coming at her like an open oven door.
“Mornin’,” he said, clearly trying to keep his eyes on her face.
She could see the flicker of his gaze as it moved downward, but his manners prevented it from lingering.
She squared her shoulders slightly, trying not to think about the fact that it was too hot to grab a blanket and wrap herself up. It was too late for that anyway.
“Good morning.”
“I’m so sorry if I woke you. I’m just reinforcing a few loose shingles that I’d missed.
I had to get started before it got too hot, but I didn’t realize anyone was in there.
” His gaze flickered again, and he looked at the wooden tiles covering the outside of the house.
“When the guys put them up, they do so many so quickly, they aren’t as thorough as they should be.
I found a few loose ones, so I’m just checking around the door frames and windows.
” He looked back at her. His eyes were on her face like he was searching for something.
Then he smiled. It was a wide, gorgeous smile that was so friendly it felt like she’d known him for years.
Without warning, a current buzzed through her as she pictured what that smile would look like in a different setting.
Would he smile like that if she sat down next to him in the sand?
Or across the table at dinner? Or late at night on the sofa as they talked?
“You okay?” he asked.
She’d been thinking about him, and he’d noticed!
The swell of heat in her cheeks was something she’d not felt in a long time.
Standing in front of him, wearing next to nothing, and knowing how he made her feel was making her nervous!
She took in a discreet breath to steady her pounding heart, but it didn’t help.
She felt embarrassed, worried that he could read her mind.
“I’m fine,” she said and cleared her throat.
The corners of his mouth were twitching to hide his grin, and his eyes were trying to tell her something, but, clearly, she wasn’t as good at reading people as he was. “What are you up to today? Any big plans?”
“No,” she said, still feeling uncomfortable about her attire, but what could she do about it now?
She crossed her arms. “The only thing we have planned at all while we are here is a birthday party for my grandmother, but that’s not until the end of next week.
” She took a baby-step backward, trying to be subtle about it.
She hadn’t brushed her teeth or put on any makeup.
Why was she so worried about it? She’d never cared in the slightest what people thought of her, but she’d never had anyone affect her like this either.
There was something in Jake’s face that caused an undeniable attraction toward him.
“Maybe we could…”
There was a quiet knock at the door and then a creak as Casey poked her head in. “I thought I heard talking,” she said, immediately locating Jake at the window. “Mom’s made a big breakfast.” She looked Faith up and down, trying to hide her astonishment.
I know! Faith wanted to shout at her. I’m wearing next to nothing, but he caught me like this, and now I’m stuck. Save me! She pleaded for a way out with her eyes.
“Faith,” Casey said, rearranging her smile into a straight position. “I’ll keep the food warm if you’d like to go get ready for the day.”
Faith could feel the pressure lift off her shoulders. She smiled at Jake as she leaned forward carefully to close the window. “Maybe we could what?” she asked, but Casey was still standing in the doorway.
“I’d like to see you,” he said quietly, clearly trying to keep their conversation between them only.
“Faith,” Casey called again, obviously trying to save her.
She turned back to Jake. “Okay.”
As she slid the window down, Casey called out, “Feel free to join us, Jake! There’s plenty of food!” And just like that, Faith wasn’t very hungry anymore. Butterflies had filled her stomach instead.
“Why don’t you join us?” Casey pressed as her mom stood behind her with a basket of biscuits.
It was her Nan’s recipe—big, buttery, flaky southern rolls, which took a lot of preparation.
Faith loved the way they melted in her mouth.
She could smell their warm buttermilk scent from her spot at the table.
She tried to focus on that rather than the fact that Casey was being relentless about inviting Jake to eat.
Okay, maybe not relentless, but she was asking him quite a bit, poking her head outside more than once.
Regardless of the fact that he was working.
He’d probably lose his job if he were found sitting at their breakfast table.
Isabella slid awkwardly onto a chair and scooted to the back of it, leaving an enormous amount of space between her and the table.
She tried unsuccessfully to scoot up, and Faith could see the worry on her face as she struggled.
That worry looked like more than just not getting her chair into place.
She was five, an age where she could understand a lot about what was going on in her life.
She was aware, certainly, that her daddy wasn’t present.
Had anyone asked her how she felt about it all?
Had anyone sat down with her and tried to explain what was happening, to ease her fears?
Isabella kept jerking, her little blond ponytail swinging around toward her face, frustration building.
Faith got up and whispered, “Want me to push you up?”
With a serious expression, her thin lips set in a pout, her long eyelashes blinking, Isabella nodded.
Faith pushed the chair under the table and then gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.
While Casey was a wonderful mother, so full of life and love for her daughter, she wasn’t the most affectionate person in the world, and Faith felt like Isabella might need a little more right now.
She gave her a pat on the arm and returned to her seat across the table.
“Do have some breakfast, Jake,” Nan said, wobbling over to a chair at the table and lowering herself slowly as he came inside. Her mom set the biscuits on to the table. “You’re too thin.”
Faith bit her lip to keep her surprise from showing.
Nan didn’t need to offer such a personal observation.
Jake wasn’t thin. He was fit. Perfectly fit—Faith had noticed through his T-shirt when he’d raised his arms to secure a shingle, even though she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself that she’d looked.
She’d wondered against her will whether he worked out, or if his job was just demanding on his body.
Now, he stood in the open space between the kitchen and living area just as he had when it had been the two of them, before her family had come.
Again, she wondered what it would be like to be alone with him.
It was a ridiculous thought. Why was she sitting there thinking about what they would do if they were alone?
She realized her knee was bouncing under the table, and she stilled it.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Faith.
“We’re doing you a favor!” her mom said, bringing in an egg and sausage casserole.
She tossed a potholder onto the table and set the steaming dish on top of it.
“My cooking’s better than anything you can get at one of these restaurants around here.
” She winked at him. “Y’all want some juice? I’ve got coffee too.”
“I’ll have juice please,” Faith said first, afraid if she had caffeine it would make her too jumpy.
She was already so happy to have Jake at breakfast that she had to force herself to breathe.
Her mom glanced silently at each person, her eyebrows raised, a smile on her face as she waited for their requests.
Nothing made her mother happier than looking after her family and guests.
Casey, of course, got coffee—Jake didn’t rattle her in the slightest. As Faith sat there submerged in her own thoughts, she wondered if her anxiety was not down to Jake being here, but actually because Casey was there, and she worried that Casey would be more interesting than she would.
She hadn’t had that kind of thought in ages, but it was still there lurking.
She didn’t want to admit to herself that her old feelings around Casey had surfaced.
Nan followed Casey’s lead, requesting coffee, but Jake asked for juice.