Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Hallie woke to the sound of laughter.
She jumped up in bed and tossed the covers aside. Shoot! She’d slept in. She hopped into a pair of pajama pants and barely made it out of her bedroom without falling flat on her face. But it was catching sight of the two men in the kitchen that had her stalling.
Jacob hadn’t smiled like that since he’d been taken to the hospital.
Heck, she couldn’t remember if she’d ever seen him this happy even before the accident.
Ryker said something and Jacob laughed then tossed a blueberry at him.
But Ryker noticed in time and caught the fruit in his mouth.
He then picked up a berry and tossed it at Jacob, though he made sure to aim well enough his brother was capable of catching it without much trouble.
Seeing the two men behaving like this did something to Hallie’s heart. Was it possible for the organ in her chest to swell too large?
Carefully, she tiptoed backward to her room and dug her camera out from its hiding place.
Then she moved to the edge of the hallway and lifted the camera to take a picture.
Music was playing loud enough she couldn’t catch what they’d been saying.
Nor would they be able to hear the click of her shutter.
She took several pictures before she retreated to her room and returned the camera. Then she left her hiding place altogether. Jacob was the first one to see her and he gave her a look that had the breath in her lungs stalling.
It was almost like he could have feelings for her.
Ryker noticed the shift in the air and glanced toward her then he called out, “Good morning, sunshine.” He reached over to his phone and turned down the music. “We were going to wake you but then Jacob said we could handle things on our own.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she moved closer to them. “I’m happy to help. You should have gotten me.”
“Nah, from the sounds of it, you’ve been doing all the work. You deserve a break.” Ryker said it but it was something in Jacob’s eyes that made his words hit home.
Hallie pulled out a stool and perched on it as she looked at what they’d been fixing. Crepes, yogurt, fruit, bacon, sausage, and toast. “Wow. This was more than I thought we were going to make.”
Jacob nodded toward Ryker. “Blame him. He’s always been the better cook.”
“Not true. I seem to recall a few meals where you brought your A-game.” Ryker winked at Hallie. It was something he seemed to do a lot. The two brothers were so different from each other, it was almost comical.
She picked up a blueberry and her eyes met Jacob’s before she popped it into her mouth.
If there was one good thing that came from Ryker’s appearance, it was that Jacob was getting out of his head if only for the moment.
He seemed more at ease with his brother around.
It was really too bad that Ryker lived so far away.
“I’m going to take a walk around the property, want to come with me?” Ryker asked his brother, stunning Hallie. Jacob was starting to become more mobile, but he hadn’t shown any interest in leaving the house.
She glanced at Jacob, half-expecting him to get upset with his brother for even suggesting such a thing. But he surprised her as well.
“Sure. I can’t say I’m as fast as I used to be. You’re going to have to take it easy on me.”
Once again, Hallie found her mouth gaping and she had to quickly snap it shut when Jacob glanced at her and smirked. A rush of endorphins coursed through her body with that one smile. And she looked away. He had to stop looking at her like that.
Most of the morning continued with more of the same. Ryker was a ‘Jacob-whisperer’ and he made it look so easy to get Jacob out of his shell. It was clear that Jacob had needed his brother more than he’d been letting on.
They went for a walk before lunch. Ryker continued to crack jokes and Hallie followed behind them with her camera.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, she figured there was no use in hiding that she wanted to photograph everything.
She ended up moving in front of them and walked backward as she snapped a few pictures of the men together.
Ryker draped his arm around Jacob’s shoulder carefully and Hallie got a shot she knew would turn out perfectly. Then she put more distance between them and focused on taking shots of critters and nature.
When they got back to the house, Ryker opted to take a shower before he planned on leaving later in the afternoon.
He left Jacob alone to his own devices. Hallie opted to step out on the porch and get some space from the man she still loved.
The way he made her feel was so different from how she felt for anyone else.
Right here, right now, she knew she’d never be able to stop caring for Jacob and that knowledge alone threatened to break her spirit.
Because he’d never feel the same way about her.
The door to her back opened and her heartbeat ticked up to a dangerous speed.
Was she terrified? Excited? Something else?
The erratic beat in her chest continued as Jacob’s distinct shuffling moved toward her. He grunted and groaned as he settled onto the porch step. He stretched out his foot and sighed but he didn’t speak.
She smiled as she cut him a look. “You’re going to town with him, right? To get lunch before he leaves?”
“Yeah. I thought it was only fair since he came all this way.”
Hallie snorted. “I take it that the feud you have going on between you has been resolved?”
His happy expression faltered, and he looked out into the trees that blocked their view of the highway. “I don’t know.”
There was a lot to unpack with that confession. She didn’t expect him to bare all his secrets to her, but something in her had hoped that he was finally willing to move past whatever it was that had been weighing him down.
“You two have been getting along, I just figured…”
Jacob cleared his throat then dragged a hand down his face. “Yeah, well, some things take more time than a weekend.”
“Yeah, I know.” She forced a smile. “You know you can talk to me if you want to.”
His eyes darted to hers and that ghost of a grin returned. “Yeah, I know,” he parroted.
Boy, he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Despite what he’d been through, even in his lowest moment, she’d always seen the goodness in him. And it was little moments like this one where she knew she’d been right about him. He didn’t let people in.
With one exception.
Ryker was everything to him.
He turned to face the tree line again. “I’m grateful for you, Hallie. I don’t think I’ve told you that enough. You’ve been putting up with me for weeks, now and I’ve somehow managed not to scare you off. When this is all said and done… I’ll owe you.”
She didn’t know why that statement bothered her so much. She didn’t want him to owe her. In fact, that was the last thing she wanted. “You don’t owe me anything,” she murmured.
“Yes, I do.” He placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed. When she looked down at it, he pulled back.
Hallie could have said that she wanted things to return to the way things were before she’d confessed her feelings, but she didn’t even want that, anymore. If she were true to her heart, she’d want things to be different. She wanted Jacob to see the potential they could have together.
She got to her feet, needing to put distance between them. “This was all my fault to begin with anyway, right? If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be put in this position.”
He probably thought she was referring to the incident in the pasture with the bull, but she was actually talking about when she’d told him she had feelings. If she hadn’t been so selfish, then he wouldn’t have made things awkward. Neither one of them would have.
“Hallie,” he started, but she shook her head.
“It’s fine. You’re letting me help. That’s all that you need to do.” She smiled at him if only to combat the tears that threatened to come. Then she turned on her heel and headed for the door just as it opened.
She gasped, her hand landing on her chest above her heart. “Ryker. Sorry.”
He chuckled, glancing over her shoulder toward Jacob who was seated on the steps. “Hey, you got a minute?” he murmured.
She cut a glance at Jacob, but he wasn’t getting up from his spot. Then she nodded and gestured toward the house.
Ryker followed her inside and shut the door quietly behind him. At any moment Jacob could enter and interrupt them so if Ryker didn’t want him to overhear them, then he needed to be quick.
As if to confirm her suspicions he shut the door and leaned against it.
She eyed him warily. Had Jacob told his brother about the most embarrassing moment of her life?
Hallie didn’t believe that Jacob would do something to intentionally hurt her, but in order to avoid a hard conversation with his brother? Absolutely.
Heat threatened to crawl up her chest and flood her face. He hadn’t said anything yet and she was already reacting to the truths that she was sure she wouldn’t be able to deny. Her eyes darted toward the hallway. What would he do if she just took off and locked herself in her room?
That’s an overreaction, Hallie. He hasn’t even said anything yet.
The amount of time Ryker studied her was probably only a few seconds, but at the rate her heart pounded and because of her racing thoughts it felt like so much longer. Finally, he broke the silence. “I know it’s hard.”
She blinked. “He’s not that bad.” Hallie probably shouldn’t have blurted it, but she didn’t like anyone putting Jacob down. His life had been altered worse than anyone should have to deal with. “How dare you even—”
“No, you misunderstand.” He blew out a breath and gripped the back of his neck then turned a sympathetic look to her. It threw her off. “He’ll come around.”
Now she was really confused. “What are you talking about?”
Ryker chuckled and the smile he wore made his eyes shine brighter. “Come now, Hallie. You’re not exactly subtle.”
Like oil in a heated pan, her skin flushed hot. Her mouth dropped open and all she could do was stare at him. He wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was. This was bad.
No, no, no, no.
Hallie shook her head. “I don’t know—”
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve caught you looking at him and it’s not the way friends look at each other. Believe me. I was in your position once.”
“You were?”
He nodded. “And I married her.”
Chills fought to overthrow the nerves churning in her stomach. “You did?” she whispered, hating the way hope leaked into her voice.
“I did. It wasn’t easy. But the things that are worth it never are.”
She shook her head, still in denial. “It’s just a crush. We’ve been close for a long time. It’s nothing more. We’re not…” she didn’t dare look him in the eye.
Ryker crossed the room and placed a hand on her shoulder. He waited until she finally lifted her gaze to meet his. “Like I said, it’s not easy. Finding that person who means more to you than anyone can tear you up inside especially when they’re being a blockhead.”
Hallie laughed despite herself.
He smiled then. “Chin up. He’ll figure it out eventually. Just… be patient.”
She had been.
More than anyone would have known.
And the amount of courage she’d had to develop just to tell Jacob that she wanted something more had nearly ruined her.
But Ryker knew Jacob better than most. Was it possible that he was right? If she waited for Jacob to come around, could something good come from any of this?
She didn’t want to latch onto hope when it could possibly result in heartbreak.
Tears burned behind her eyes, and she blinked to prevent them from making an appearance. “I don’t know…”
“I do,” Ryker said with such conviction that she had a hard time not believing him. He squeezed her shoulder then stepped back. “I hope to see you again sometime. I know you can’t see it, but you… bring something to the table. Jacob cares for you.”
She knew he did. Just not in the way she wanted him to.
Not in the way she needed him to.
But she didn’t have the strength to tell Ryker that. So instead, she forced a smile. “I hope you two can get back to where you used to be.”
He returned her smile. “One day at a time.” Then he backed up toward the door, reached for the knob, and headed outside.
Hallie moved to the window and stared out at the pair of brothers. Ryker dropped down on the steps beside Jacob and they chatted for a few moments. She could only hear their muffled voices—nothing to indicate their topic of conversation.
Part of her wondered if Ryker would give Jacob a lecture about settling down. But no. Jacob wouldn’t permit that. He had a ten-year plan and that didn’t include getting married or having children. His drive for his career was but one of the things she admired about him.
Jacob Hines knew what he wanted and he fought for it. Not many could say that about themselves when they were in their twenties. And it didn’t stop at his dreams. He made those dreams a reality. He was ruthless in chasing them.
She blew out a breath then walked away from the window and set to work cleaning up. As much as she wanted to believe what Ryker had said, she wasn’t going to put all her eggs in that basket. Maybe it was time to find her own dream.
Photography came to mind and a little flutter started in her chest. Could her hobby be something she could turn into more?
Maybe.