Chapter Six
Jake loved the way Savannah kept her arm around his waist as they followed the cobbled walkway between the stores down toward the café at the center of the plaza.
He loved the way she fit under his arm just right.
He’d told himself that he shouldn’t get carried away, but he couldn’t help hoping that they were finally at the beginning of something special.
He’d had a few relationships before, but he’d never considered where they might lead – not until Savannah.
With her, he’d been wondering how she might fit into the rest of his life long before she’d agreed to go out with him.
When her stride faltered and she tensed beside him, he tightened his arm around her.
“What’s wrong?”
She let out a short laugh. “Nothing. Sorry. It’s not a problem. I just wondered who that was. I knew I recognized them, but it took me a moment before…”
He followed her gaze and smiled when he spotted Ivan and Abbie walking toward them. Ivan met his gaze and smiled, and Abbie grinned when she saw Savannah.
He was happy to see them. He’d gotten to know Ivan at the gym, and when he’d gone out with the whole gang, he’d liked what he’d seen of Abbie, too. But the way Savannah had reacted when she first saw them made him wonder.
“Are you okay with them?” he asked in a low voice.
He knew she’d been bullied at school and that she’d gone to school with Abbie, but…
He relaxed when she smiled up at him. “I am. Abbie was one of my best friends when I was a kid, and Ivan’s awesome. Do you know them?”
“A little.”
They didn’t get the chance to say anything else before the other couple reached them.
He wanted to laugh at the way Abbie kept glancing from Savannah to him and back again. From her expression, he guessed she was happy to see them together.
“Hey, Savvie. It’s good to see you out and about,” she said.
“And you.” Savannah smiled at her.
“I don’t want to put my foot in it, so I’ll just come right out and ask.
Is this—” she waved her finger in a little circle between them “—is this new? Or is it a secret? Are we supposed to pretend we haven’t seen you together?
” She grinned. “Or am I okay to just come right out and say this is awesome, you guys?”
Savannah laughed, and Ivan shook his head, giving Jake an apologetic smile.
Savannah looked up at Jake, and it took him a moment to realize she was checking in. Did she think he might want to keep them a secret? His arm tightened around her involuntarily.
“As far as I’m concerned, you can take out an advert in the local paper if you like. Make the announcement that I finally managed to talk Savannah into going out with me.”
Abbie grinned, Ivan gave him a slight nod, but what mattered most to Jake was that Savannah’s arm tightened around his waist and she leaned in a little closer as she grinned at the others.
“Oh, I love this,” Abbie said. “I’ve been rooting for you guys.”
“You have?” Savannah asked, sounding surprised.
“She has,” Ivan said with a rueful smile.
“Ever since you came back from the city, Abbie and Elle are always talking about how to make sure you stay. They reached the conclusion – and I have to agree – that you guys getting together might go a long way toward making sure you don’t leave town again. ”
Jake felt himself relax a little when Savannah said, “I’m not going anywhere. I tried life in the city, and it’s no good for me.”
“No, it isn’t. But this guy is good for you, I can tell,” said Abbie. “You look way happier than I’ve seen you in… forever. Are you going to come out with everyone this weekend?”
“I can’t,” said Savannah. “I’m working tonight and tomorrow night.”
“What about next weekend, then?” Abbie asked. “In fact, that’ll be better. Clay’s singing, so everyone’s making sure they can come out. Elle’s mom and Cal are going to watch Skye so that she and Donovan can come.”
From the way Savannah looked up at him, he guessed she didn’t want him to feel like he was being put on the spot. He didn’t feel that way at all. Far from it — he was glad Abbie had made the suggestion.
He smiled down at her. “I’d love to take you, if you’re not working.”
“You should talk to Taryn, ask if you can schedule yourself off,” Abbie suggested.
“I’ll maybe talk to her,” said Savannah. “I’d love to go, don’t get me wrong, but I haven’t been working at the restaurant all that long, and I don’t feel like…”
Abbie grinned. “You should just ask her. I bet she’ll say yes. From what I hear, everyone who works for her takes turns asking for a night off whenever Clay’s singing.”
“I’ll see,” said Savannah.
Jake was glad that Abbie didn’t push. Instead, she leaned in to hug Savannah.
When she stepped back, she said, “Right. I’m not trying to take over – promise.
I hope you’ll come, but if you don’t, you guys will have to come over to hang out one Sunday afternoon soon, how about that?
Elle and Donovan usually come, some of the others do as well. You two are welcome.”
Ivan turned to Jake. “Yeah, you should come. I’ll give you a call.”
And on that note, Abbie said, “We’ll stop holding you up. Have a great day.”
He and Savannah laughed at the way she took hold of Ivan’s hand and dragged him away. Ivan looked back at them with a smile.
“You’d think I was the one who’d held you up.”
“It’s okay,” Savannah reassured him. “I know what she’s like.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders again as they continued to the café.
“Would you even want to go watch Clay sing?” she asked.
“Hell yeah!” He gave her a puzzled look. “Does that question mean we’ve never talked about music?”
She nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. “I guess it does. I can’t say that I know what kind of music you like.”
“There’s not much I don’t like, but since I moved here, I’m country all the way – it’s hard not to be.”
She grinned. “It is, isn’t it? I mean, I like other stuff too, but…” She shrugged. “Country’s my favorite. And Clay’s…”
He gave her a mock stern look. “Are you going to tell me you’re like most of the female population around here and have a crush on him?”
Her cheeks turned pink as she laughed. “I won’t deny it. He might be older, but yeah.” She shrugged. “He’s a good-looking guy.”
“So I hear.”
He laughed when she dug her fingers into his side.
“You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Maybe a little. Although at this rate, I feel like I should reassure you that I’m not a jealous guy in general.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“I’ve already joked about being envious of your Camaro; now there’s Clay. I feel like I’m not painting myself in the best light here.”
She laughed. “Oh, it’s okay. I know you’re only joking.”
“I am, but…” He had to be careful how he worded it, but he needed to add, “I’m not jealous.
I’m not possessive, I don’t think — at least not in any kind of overbearing way.
But I am…” His throat went dry when she looked up at him.
“I’m…” How the hell to say it without making it sound …
? “I think what I’m trying to say is that I’m a one-woman kind of man.
And I hope that you’re a one-man kind of woman. ”
He felt himself exhale when she grinned. “Honestly? I haven’t been an any-man kind of woman for the longest time, but… but if you’re saying that if we start seeing each other, you want it to be exclusive, then yeah, I agree. Me too.”
He grinned back at her. “Awesome.”
They’d reached the café now, and he held the door open for her to go in ahead of him.
It hadn’t occurred to him to ask her about being exclusive, because as far as he was concerned, there was no point otherwise.
But he loved that she’d brought it up and made clear where she stood – especially since she stood right in the same place he did.
~ ~ ~
Once they were seated in a booth in the back of the café, Savannah peeked at Jake while he studied the menu.
He was such a great guy. She’d thought he was hot from the second she first saw him, but it was more than that.
Sure, he was good-looking, but that didn’t account for much as far as she was concerned.
Rick had been handsome too—charming, even—but he was a despicable human being. She gave a little shudder. She wasn’t going to let thoughts of him steal a second of her time with Jake.
“Are you okay?” He looked up. “Are you chilly?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
See? He even noticed little things like that. He was observant—and not just of her. It wasn’t that he watched her like a hawk or anything, not like her mom who—when she’d been with it—used to monitor her for any little reaction she might show.
When she was small, Savannah had believed her mom when she said she needed to know how her daughter was feeling—what mattered to her, how things made her feel. But as she’d gotten older, she’d reluctantly come to see that her mom had been pretty good at manipulating her.
And now… now her mom was no longer a factor. She hadn’t been for years. But Jake was. And as much as she kept trying to convince herself that she should only see him a few times before calling it quits, she really didn’t want to do that.
She glanced at him again. Would it be so terrible to let him have her back if Rick did come around again?
Rick might even give up if Jake were to step in.
She had a feeling that while Rick could seem threatening to a young woman on her own, he’d turn out to be a coward when faced with someone like Jake.
He set his menu down and smiled. “Am I allowed to ask what you’re thinking?”
Her heart pounded. It felt like he must have been reading her mind and was only asking to see if she’d admit it. She raised her eyebrows rather than answer, hoping that would make him explain himself before she had to speak.
He gave her a wry smile. “You kept sneaking a look at me while I was pretending to read the menu. I couldn’t figure out if you were deciding whether you should make a break for it while I was distracted.”