31. June
Spending the night with Jake at the beach house was a dream, but like all dreams, eventually, I had to wake up. No lazy Sunday in bed for us. We headed home soon after breakfast a little after seven. He ordered food, since I was still wearing last night’s clothes and he didn’t want to expose me to possible scrutiny by dining out. I wished we could have gone for a walk on the beach, but the last thing I needed was for someone to snap a picture of me with Jake.
I stare at his profile. The swelling around his eye is almost gone, but the bruise is darker now. Despite that, he’s as handsome as ever, with messy hair and scruff on his face.
He turns to me and smiles. “What’s up, boo?”
“Boo?” I laugh.
“Sorry, I’m still trying to figure out the best nickname for you.”
“Last night, you said Peaches was a good nickname.”
“It is, but that’s Ryan’s name for you. I want my own.”
A warm and fuzzy feeling spreads across my chest. “I’m not fussy about nicknames. I’ll like anything you call me.”
He turns his attention to the road, but he reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together. “I’ll figure it out. Do you have any plans for today?”
“Hopefully, I can get my car from the garage. Then, I have to take care of Mrs. Carpenter’s pets, work on my weekly lesson plan, and read the notes the substitute teacher left for me. So, a light schedule.”
“Make sure you get some R and R time as well. If I didn’t have plans tonight, I’d take you out to dinner.”
The butterflies in my stomach make their presence known. I’d love to spend more quality time with Jake, but then I remember where he needs to be tonight, and my giddiness disappears. I’m curious about his relationship with his father and brother, but that’s a touchy subject for him, so I don’t ask.
My phone rings, and I fish it out of my purse to see who’s calling.
It’s my mother. Normally, I’d let it go to voicemail, but after witnessing Jake’s horrible relationship with his father, I don’t want to take my mother for granted.
I turn to Jake. “It’s my mother. Do you mind if I answer it?”
His brows pinch together. “I don’t mind at all.”
“Thanks.” I press the green button. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, baby girl. How are you doing?”
“I’m great.” I glance at Jake again with a smile. “How about you and Dad?”
“We’re fine, considering what happened to you. But you don’t need to pretend you’re okay for our sake, hon.”
“I’m not pretending, Mom. Being rejected and humiliated in public is the best thing that ever happened to me. I dodged a bullet.”
“Well, that you did. That Bill is lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.” Jake chuckles, and my mother hears it. “Who’s with you?”
Shit.
“No one, Mom. It’s just the radio. I’m driving.”
I glance at Jake apologetically, hoping he didn’t take offense that I lied about being with him. The corners of his lips are turned upward, though.
“Oh, all right. Anyhow, I called because I have some juicy gossip. Yesterday, we all went to a barn raising and bumped into none other than Primrose Larsson.”
“What was Bill’s great aunt doing at a barn raising? That’s not her usual scene.”
“Oh, I know. That woman is stuck up higher than a light pole. But that’s a whole other story. She approached your father and me and profusely apologized for that good-for-nothing great-nephew of hers. You can imagine how surprised I was. I was ready to pitch a hissy fit with a tail on it.”
And it would have been epic. No one pitches a hissy fit better than Mom.
“Oh, I bet. But Mom, I really don’t want to hear stories about Bill or his family. I don’t want to think about him at all.”
“I understand, honey. I just thought you’d get a kick out of knowing he’s on the shit list of his rich great-aunt. I wouldn’t be surprised if she cuts him out of her will.”
Bill would be furious. He never cared for his great-aunt, but the way he sucked up to her was embarrassing.
“That woman will outlive all of us.”
Mom laughs. “Ain’t that right?”
“Is everything good with you and Dad?”
“Yes, everything is good. Well... almost everything. Your father is losing sleep now that April has gotten herself a boyfriend.”
“No. Not his sweet little girl,” I tease.
“He just needs to get over it. Dash Wilkins is a good boy, despite his ridiculous name.”
“Dash? But I thought he had a crush on May.”
“Just a little boy crush. He got over that pretty quickly when he saw April all dressed up at the Ferrero wedding.”
As much as I want to hear more gossip about my siblings’ love lives, I don’t want to be rude to Jake.
“Mom, I have to go. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“All right, peach pie. You drive safely.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
I end the call and turn to Jake. “Sorry about that.”
He grins. “Don’t apologize. I enjoyed learning more about you. So, I take it May and April are your sisters?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
His grin becomes broader. “Wild guess.”
“Oh.” I chuckle. “Yeah. My parents were into naming their kids after months. My older brother is August.”
“So August, June, May, and April?”
“Yep.”
“What happened to July?” he asks in an amused tone.
My smile wilts a fraction. “He was my brother. Stillborn.”
“June, I’m so sorry.”
I shake my head. “It’s fine. It was a fair question. I get that a lot here in LA. Naturally, everyone in my hometown knows about him.”
“You’re close to your family, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. They can be a pain in the butt and stubborn as mules, but I love them.”
“I’d love to meet them one day.”
My heart skips a beat. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’d like to know what it’s like to have what you have.”
Sadness rushes into my heart. I can’t begin to imagine what his childhood was like. “Maybe we can visit my folks one day.”
He smiles, but I see a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I’d like that.”
God. What are we doing? I thought we were keeping things casual, but here we are, making plans as if we’re a couple. And what about Lachy? There’s a strong connection there too. I’d thought the same about Ryan, but after seeing him with that woman last night, I’m not so sure. Regardless, I can’t show up in Baron, Texas, with two boyfriends in tow. I might give Mom a heart attack.