Chapter 13 #2
Faith let it go, but she didn’t want to. She looked out at the ocean and tried to calm down. Her anger was coming back as quickly as the waves were rolling in.
They found a table and Faith helped Nan get comfortable. Jake was still inside, and she wanted so badly to talk to him. “I’m going to go to the little girls’ room,” she said with a smile to hide the irritation that she felt. They all nodded, and she headed inside.
It was a long walk across the lawn, and as she got closer, her hands became jittery, her heart beating so fast she felt like she’d just sprinted to the house and back.
She took in a big, warm breath of salty air and let it out, focusing on the sound of the tide to calm her.
It wasn’t helping. Casey’d gotten her quite upset, and now, mixed with the buzz of excitement at seeing Jake, she was having trouble calming down.
What would she say when she got in there?
What did she want to ask first? How was she going to ask it?
And would she even get a chance to have that kind of time with him today?
As she passed a group of men wearing dress trousers and pressed shirts, she stopped to get herself together, pretending to look at the flowers nearby.
The men’s ties flapped in the ocean breeze, and she heard one of them say, “Can you believe Jake’s plans for Corolla? Laughable. What a terrible idea.”
“I’m not sure it would go over well with the current landowners.
They like it the way it is. He’ll never get it off the ground.
The Board of Supervisors will stop him at every turn,” another one said.
She understood this, glad someone had some sense on the matter, but their criticizing Jake made her feel a little uncomfortable at the same time.
It was true. They didn’t need any more Tides Wine Bars going up.
As she moved away and the conversation faded, she just caught one last comment.
“They’re outnumbered,” the first man laughed. “Jake owns half of the Outer Banks, it seems. I wonder how many he can wine and dine on the Board.”
Jake owns half of the Outer Banks… She repeated it in her head.
She’d heard it correctly, but she wanted to say it to herself to really understand it.
It drove home the fact that he’d made a lot of money doing what he was doing.
Although, that still didn’t make it right.
She walked past the table where they’d had dinner together.
It was filled with glasses of champagne and wine, more napkins, little hors d’oeuvre plates and silver forks, the chairs askew, some filled with people in fine clothes and designer sunglasses.
It was so different than the serene, calm place she’d visited just a few nights before.
She liked it better then. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted it open.
The kitchen and living area were full of people standing so close together that Faith had to say “excuse me” to make them step aside.
The round kitchen table had been transformed by the caterer with white tablecloths, and silver platters, an enormous chocolate fountain in the center with bright, artful arrangements of fruit on either side.
Shrimp and clams and other little seafood bites sat on more platters along the bar where she’d watched Jake cook for her.
The chatter of the crowd faded away as she remembered the quiet of that night.
She’d loved getting to know him, hearing his stories, finding out more about the man who worked hard all day just because he loved it, the man who could make her feel at home faster than she’d ever imagined possible, the man who could make her stomach flutter with nerves.
As she surfaced from her thoughts, she looked around for Jake but couldn’t find him.
“Faith!” Chuck was waving to her as he made his way through the crowd.
“Fancy seein’ you here,” he said as he reached her.
His gray hair was combed, although it looked like the wind outside had gotten to it.
He had on a button-up shirt and a pair of trousers.
Given that most of the men were wearing ties, it was still quite a casual outfit, even though she was willing to bet it was quite formal to him.
“How are you?” she said with a smile, genuinely pleased to see him.
“I’m okay. I’m only here for the free cake,” he teased.
She smiled wider.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m looking for Jake. Have you seen him?”
“He may be in the dining room,” he said, and, after a quick thank you, she went straight there to see.
The dining room table was covered in light blue linens, with various sized glass vases lining the center.
Each one was filled with white seashells and starfish, more white tea candles than she could count sprinkled in between them like stars in the night sky.
The rest of the table was covered in more platters, more finger foods.
In the corner was a caterer’s table, adorned with pleated white linen and displaying an assortment of wines.
She walked over to peer at the labels and she was pleased to see that they were all local wines.
“I’m sorry,” she heard Jake’s voice behind her and turned around.
“I got caught by a group on the way in. I’ve been stuck over by the pool table.
” He made a face as if it had been horrible, and she laughed.
When she did, she saw that softness again on his face.
“You found the wine,” he said, after clearing his throat.
“Yes.” She turned back toward the wine table as a nervous impulse.
“See any you like?” he asked, walking up behind her and looking over her shoulder.
She could smell his spicy scent, and it made it hard to process his words or find any of her own.
He’d never know how she felt if she didn’t tell him something.
She had to tell him something, but the words were all getting jumbled in her head.
She turned around to face him. They were so close that it wouldn’t take much effort to tip her head up and kiss him.
He leaned forward, and she felt a swing of nervousness through her head.
She worked to keep her breathing even, and she could feel her mouth drying out, which worried her as he was leaning in toward her, but she didn’t want to stop him.
At the last second, he reached around her and grabbed a glass off the table and then righted himself.
“I’ll fill a glass for your mom and your grandmother if you’ll get Casey’s.”
Faith could not believe she’d just misread that.
It took her a minute to collect herself.
The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous she felt.
Why would he kiss her? He hadn’t really seen her since saying he wanted to be friends, so why had she imagined things had changed?
She tried to analyze her reasons, but she came up empty.
Jake must have noticed her silence because he looked at her again, his eyes roaming her face, and it hit her: She was feeling this way because, when he looked at her, there was something there.
She wasn’t crazy. She could see it right on his face.
He knew it too because as this idea registered in her mind, he caught himself and turned back to the wine.
She knew she had to say something. “Jake?”
“Yes?” He turned back toward her. His “yes” wasn’t a question but, rather, a statement, as if to say, “tell me.” Was he waiting for her to make the first move?
Without overthinking it, she said the first thing that came into her mind. “I enjoyed being with you the other night.”
He nodded, his eyes on her. She was hoping for a response, something to encourage her to go on.
“And I’m glad I’m here now…” She wanted to say more, but she didn’t, still worried about his lack of response.
Now, looking at him, she worried that he’d closed up.
That carefree man she’d seen at Bodie Island, who’d kissed her, joked with her, told her stories—Jake was different now.
She’d never had to deal with anything like this before.
She liked him so much better when she thought he was a handyman.
Was he more of that person or the one standing in front of her now with all the fancy guests and tables of wine?
He seemed to notice her thoughts and she worried that he could read them again.
“I think we should get this wine out to your family before they think we’ve gone missing,” he said, turning back toward the table and grabbing a bottle.
Faith didn’t move at first. She wasn’t finished.
She wanted to tell him her feelings. But when she finally turned around, he’d filled all four glasses and he was handing two to her. “These are for you and Casey.”
Jake gestured for her to go first and she went ahead of him.
The moment ha passed and she wondered if he’d just wanted to get out of the conversation.
They entered the crowd again, and he came up beside her to help her get through.
People stopped him to talk, and he politely listened, smiled, and then gracefully left the conversation as he made his way outside.
“What is this party for?” she asked as they stepped into the calmer atmosphere in the backyard.
“I’ve just broken ground on a resort in Frisco,” he said, nodding hello to someone.
“They’ll have everything money can buy at their fingertips.
I’ve developed a plan with my team that will consist of a neighborhood of sorts, with high-end cottages, all waterfront but with the amenities of a resort. ”