Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Hallie stood before the cute cabin with a strange sense of trepidation. Jacob had given her the keys to the house so she could prepare for him to come home. That meant going grocery shopping and moving her belongings into the house.
She’d only been here twice before.
Once when she’d come by to pick him up when his truck was out of commission. The second when she’d dropped off something he’d left at Sagebrush. Jacob liked his privacy.
And that was the reason she hadn’t worked up the courage to walk over that threshold. Why oh why did she volunteer to help Jacob out when he’d been intent on keeping her at arms’ length?
Because of guilt.
Because this was all her fault.
Because if she hadn’t been in that field taking those stupid pictures, then he wouldn’t have stupidly thrown himself in front of a charging bull.
Hallie sighed then rolled back her shoulders and reached for the grocery bags she’d put down at her feet. She headed for the door and awkwardly unlocked it before pushing herself inside.
The space was clean. And well designed. There was a large television above the fireplace.
A sectional couch surrounded a coffee table, and two high backed chairs sat to one side of the living space.
A table that could seat four was centered in a nook area.
The kitchen had stainless steel appliances that actually looked nice with the wood flooring and cabinets.
She pushed the door shut with her foot and moved into the kitchen to put the groceries on the counter. Her duffle bag was still in her truck, and she’d have to pick up Jacob from the hospital in about an hour.
It felt strange being here while Jacob was gone. She was tempted to snoop around while she still could without being caught but thought better of it. The last thing she wanted to do was violate Jacob’s privacy. He didn’t want her here. He didn’t want anything more than friendship.
And she’d need to remind herself of those facts over and over so she didn’t allow herself to get even more attached to him. This was temporary and the least she could do to help him out when he’d risked his life to save her.
She could do this. She could be his friend, his helper, his roommate. Then she’d leave and nothing needed to change.
For the next twenty minutes, she put away groceries and her own belongings in the bedroom with a twin bed. It was empty save for the bed, a dresser, and a side table with a lamp. It would suit her purposes for the next couple of months.
When she was finally done, she headed out to her truck and prepared herself mentally for picking up the man who wanted nothing more than to be left alone.
Just… great.
Hallie drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, only risking glances in Jacob’s direction when she was sure he wasn’t paying attention to her. It wasn’t hard. He’d been in a sour mood when she’d picked him up from the hospital. It had started with an argument.
He’d attempted to get out of this arrangement first with his doctor then with his manager Kai. Apparently, his sponsor wasn’t thrilled with him being out of commission either and had agreed with Kai that Jacob needed to do everything in his power to heal faster.
Like that was even a thing.
Hallie had rolled her eyes when she’d heard Kai make that comment. Jacob wasn’t going to heal any faster. Bodies didn’t speed up just because someone willed it.
Then again, hadn’t she read an article about how powerful the brain was?
Well, Jacob was a lot of things, and she cared for him deeply, but he wasn’t a genius. He’d heal just as fast as anyone else.
Thankfully the doctor insisted that the x-rays showed minor fractures. They’d said if he followed all the rules, they had high hopes he’d be back on a horse. But if he didn’t take it easy, he could make the fractures worse.
And that was where she came in. She was here to do everything for him that he shouldn’t. Which was pretty much everything.
Jacob hated it.
She let out what felt like her hundredth sigh and reached for the knob to turn up the radio. A Taylor Swift song filled the cabin and Jacob muttered something before turning the music down.
“Hey!” she snapped. “I like that song.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“And I’m the driver, so I get to decide.”
He cut her an irritated look out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t argue further. She smiled sweetly at him then turned up the music only for him to groan. “Please can we just change the station? Find something that won’t make my brain bleed out of my ears.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
“What?” Jacob demanded, his eyes dark.
She shot him a hard glare. “Nothing.”
The way he had to turn his whole body to actually look at her would have been amusing if she didn’t feel responsible for it. “No. Tell me. What did I do to you?”
Hallie couldn’t help but flinch. This was not the Jacob she loved spending time with.
It wasn’t really his fault, either. He was angry.
His life had been put on hold. And she’d volunteered to help him because it was the least she could do.
At this point, she needed to be the bigger person—brighter, happier, and all-around fun to be around.
If she could get him to forget his troubles for the next several weeks, then that would be a worthy accomplishment.
Gritting her teeth, she focused on the road for a moment then turned down the music.
Jacob scoffed. “Of course.”
She forced a smile and a made sure her voice was sugary sweet. “What now? I turned down the song for you. I thought that was what you wanted?”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“What question?”
“What did I do to you? What possible reason do you have to be irritated with me?”
Her nostrils flared. This was definitely not the Jacob she liked.
This wasn’t the Jacob who could make her laugh.
He wasn’t the one who knew how she liked to take her coffee or that she loved her huge and crazy family.
This Jacob was a stranger and all because he now had the biggest chip on his shoulder.
The worst part was that she couldn’t even blame him.
“You didn’t do anything to me,” she muttered quietly.
“Then why are you acting like I did?”
“I’m not.” This time she spoke evenly, through clenched teeth. “You’re doing it to yourself.”
He laughed but it was sharp and bitter. Gesturing with a fling of his hand to his leg, he ground out, “Yeah, like I did that.” Then he motioned to the neck brace.
“And this.” He winced when he settled back against his seat a little too roughly.
“You’re right, Hallie. I only have my own stupid self to blame.
I got myself into this mess and now if you’d be so kind, I’d like to stew in it.
I think that’s the least you could offer me. ”
She pressed her lips so tight together they started to go numb. What she wouldn’t give to put him in his place right now.
Yes, Jacob was allowed to feel upset and disappointed at the situation he was currently facing. The unknown. His job. Having to live under the same roof as the woman who had inadvertently put him in this position.
So, she’d focus on her breathing.
She’d smile.
And she’d do whatever it took to make this easier on him.
“Okay,” she finally said.
“Okay?” Jacob scoffed. “Okay,” he repeated under his breath.
The rest of the drive was dismal.
Awkward.
And all around uncomfortable.
Her discomfort didn’t even stem completely from his attitude, though that was hard enough to deal with.
Nope. That itchy feeling she got when she glanced at him several more times before they pulled onto his property was all due to the fact that even though he was being a sourpuss, and even though he wore a neck brace and had a cast, Jacob Hines was still the guy she had a crush on.
He’d risked his life for her. That fact wasn’t lost on her. No one would be able to convince her that she wasn’t allowed to look up to this man. He’d put his own safety at risk because of her. And that made Jacob her hero.
With a heavy sigh, and an even heavier heart, she put the truck into park. He reached for the door and her hand shot out to lock the doors with the automatic button.
Jacob stiffened. “Hallie,” he warned.
“Don’t.”
A sound that resembled a growl reverberated from his throat. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t open the door.”
He stiffly shifted so he could set his piercing gaze on her. A lesser person would have cowered beneath that stare. She sure as heck wanted to. But instead, she kept her finger on the actuator just in case he attempted to unlock the door and climb out on his own.
With a scowl just as sharp, she nodded at his leg pointedly. “You barely left the hospital. I’m here to make the transition easier. You need to use me as support at least for the first couple of weeks.”
He closed his eyes and moved as if he wanted to stare up at the sky but that only turned into a grimace.
That growling sound came out of him again and a flutter rose in her chest. There was something about the way he could seem almost animalistic that did something to her.
Maybe it was related to the fact that he’d saved her life.
Or maybe she simply liked the idea of a man who could hold himself back even when he felt like snapping.
That growl was sort of a sign of his self-control.
She lifted a hand, almost reaching for him before she let it drop into her lap. Her voice was quiet when she spoke next. “Jacob, I know this isn’t what you want. I’ve heard every argument you’ve made about me helping you out. But the fact is you’re wrong.”
He snorted but at least he didn’t argue.
“I’m only going to be here while you’re healing. You can humble yourself for that long, can’t you? Then I’ll be out of your hair, and you won’t have to see me ever again.”
His eyes opened and he peered at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher. Whatever she glimpsed left in an instant, leaving his expression blank. “Yeah, fine. Okay.”
She exhaled and flashed him a smile.
Winning this battle might have seemed like a small feat but it wasn’t to her. Little by little, she’d help him see that being positive is what would help him the most. Would it speed up his recovery process? Not likely. But would it make the recovery a little more bearable?
Absolutely.
Hallie unlocked the door then turned to face him with a finger pointed at him.
“Don’t you dare move. I’m going to get the crutches out of the back and open the door for you.
Then you’re going to use me to help support you as you get situated.
It’s going to take some getting used to since you have that neck brace. ”
His expression scrunched up. Was he trying to roll his eyes at her?
She bit back a grin and slipped out the door before he could witness her amusement.
He played nice and was patient with himself as she helped him out of the truck and into the house.
He didn’t even bother looking around the place to see if anything was different.
“I’m going to take a nap.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll have dinner ready by five.”
He froze, halfway to his bedroom. Without turning around, he said quietly, “You don’t have to do that. I’ve got the money. I can order something.”
She tried not to be offended that he’d suggest such a thing. This was one of the big reasons she was here, and he knew it. “I don’t mind.”
Jacob didn’t respond. He didn’t even move for what felt like a full minute. The silence stretched long enough she nearly crossed the room to offer some help but then he let out a resigned sigh and hobbled his way back to his room.
Hallie stared off after him, a frown forming at her lips.
He was broken. More than his bones. His spirit had been damaged, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.
She had a feeling that if someone else were here to help, he’d be even worse.
Because if she was certain of anything, it was how close she’d been with him.
Jacob was her friend. Before she’d gone and put her foot in her mouth, they’d been close. And he’d be more patient with her despite the fact that she’d been the one to cause this whole mess.
Clenching and flexing her hands, she turned toward the kitchen.
Back when they were closer, they’d had some of the strangest conversations.
Well, they weren’t strange to her. They were talks late into the night about things they remembered from their childhood.
In one such conversation, Jacob had told her about the food he’d make himself after school.
They didn’t have much food at the time so when he scrounged up some hotdogs, instant potatoes, and cheese, he’d layered them and heated them together.
At the time, she’d scrunched up her nose with disgust. But he’d only laughed and sworn it was one of the best meals he’d had. When she’d asked him if he still ate it, he said he didn’t but not because he didn’t like it. Being on the road meant he had less time to prepare himself food.
Normally he ordered in.
Well, for the next eight to twelve weeks, she’d be here to give him anything he needed and everything he didn’t realize he wanted.
And that started with a strange but nostalgic walk down memory lane.