Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jacob couldn’t say he regretted much in his life.
There was the argument he’d had with his brother and the way he’d reacted after his brother had found something that made him fulfilled.
There was the friendship he’d lost when Mackenzie had chosen her brother over Jacob.
She was right to do so, but it didn’t make the hurt any less. His reaction to her had been wrong.
Right now, he was regretting opening his home to the half a dozen people in his living room currently dancing while Brent belted out the lyrics to Dancing Queen. He refused to participate and not because he had a broken leg but because he was enjoying watching Hallie far too much.
She was laughing with Faith over something in the kitchen. It was probably about Brent’s terrible off-key singing.
There was one more thing Jacob regretted.
While he continued observing Hallie, he couldn’t help the way his thoughts drifted to that night she’d told him she had feelings for him.
She’d stared up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
He could remember just how nervous she’d been.
The way she fidgeted with her fingers in front of her.
Even the way her voice trembled at the start.
He remembered thinking she was adorable.
Until she’d dropped the truth bomb.
Then everything had shifted.
Hallie had blushed, gotten embarrassed, and when he’d tried to let her down easy, the hurt had replaced it all.
If he knew then that his feelings for her could change so quickly, he wouldn’t have dismissed the possibility. Maybe there would have been a version of himself that asked her on a date just to see where things could go.
One thing was for certain.
He wasn’t going to let her avoid him again. She was skittish, sure, and she had every right to be. But they needed to have another discussion. He needed to know if her feelings had changed. Had he lost his chance with her? Would she be open to testing the waters?
Or had he officially lost his mind?
Ryker had given Jacob another perspective to consider. And Jacob was fully prepared for any fight Hallie might give him.
Her eyes locked with his from across the room and he fully expected her to look away.
Especially when Faith followed her attention and caught on to who she was staring at.
When Faith leaned in and said something, Hallie blushed and that was when she broke their connection.
Could she tell his feelings had changed? Would it help his case?
“You okay, man?”
Jacob glanced up to find Tate standing at his side.
The cowboy had one brow arched and he cut a look in the direction of his sister, but he knew better than to assume Jacob was looking at Faith.
Understanding filled Tate’s eyes and he dropped down onto a chair, straddling it backward.
His arms folded over the back and he grinned at Jacob. “So… the bug bit you, huh?”
Frowning, Jacob tore his eyes from Hallie to meet Tate’s. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tate chuckled. “I knew it was bound to happen when she moved in under your roof, but I thought for sure it would take longer for you to realize you have feelings for her.”
Jacob scoffed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He took a swig of his bottle of water, but it didn’t go down easy and he coughed.
His friend only continued smiling at him like he knew some grand secret. “I think she’s gonna be good for you. You’re far too serious. All you think about is your job.”
“Yeah, well, my job isn’t exactly going to be around when I get done healing, so maybe it’s time I settle.”
That had Tate’s smile faltering. He cut a look over to Hallie then brought his concerned gaze to Jacob. “If that’s what you’re thinking, then you need to do the right thing and keep your distance.”
Jacob straightened in his chair. He didn’t like the turn this conversation was going.
“That girl practically worships the ground you walk on. For years, Jacob. There’s not a single person in this room who hasn’t noticed the way she looks at you.
So, if you’re only now considering her because you don’t think you have anything left to live for, then just… don’t. Hallie deserves better.”
The tightness in Jacob’s jaw grew painful. Tate was right about one thing. Hallie definitely deserved better. But this wasn’t just about his job.
This was more.
It was more than his physical attraction to her.
It was more than noticing all the little quirks about her that made him smile.
It was more than realizing that she was a good person who prioritized other people over herself.
This was about the way his heart hammered when he’d reached for her.
This was about the fluttering in her pulse when he’d traced his thumb over that spot on her wrist. This was about feeling sick to his stomach if he had to imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t jumped in front of that bull in time.
He swallowed hard then set his hard gaze on his friend. “Even if I could get back on a bronc tomorrow, I’d still want to see if there’s anything between us worth fighting for.” Those were the most honest words he’d admitted to anyone, including himself.
And speaking them aloud strangely calmed him.
Tate’s smile returned. “Then I guess all I have to say is good luck.”
“Tate, you’re up!” Jason called over to him.
Jacob watched his friend cross the room before he stopped and glanced over to Hallie. “What do you say we duet?” He winked at Jacob when Hallie put down her cup and strode for him.
And when the music started, Jacob couldn’t tear his eyes from the prettiest girl in the entire room.
“Thanks for coming, we’ll have to do it again!”
Jacob nearly choked on the water he was drinking.
Then he glowered at Hallie from across the room.
She stood in the doorway staring out at their guests who were finally leaving.
With a huff, he placed his glass on the coffee table and moved across the room with more coordination than he’d had in weeks.
Apparently, he was quieter than he’d been in a while, too, because Hallie didn’t hear his approach.
She shut the door and turned around then immediately gasped and bumped against the closed door.
Jacob placed both hands against the cool wood of the door on either side of her head. His face lowered to within inches of hers as he searched her face. It was time they finally had that conversation and he wasn’t going to let her get away from him this time.
Her breathing stuttered. “Jacob?”
He hummed, deep in his throat. “You want to know what I think?”
She blinked several times and looked away but only briefly. Then she moistened her lips and gave a slight nod. “Okay.”
“I think that you’re avoiding me.”
“What?” Hallie squeaked. “No, I’m not.” She tried to play it off with a nervous laugh but there was no way she didn’t hear just how ridiculous she sounded right now.
Jacob pulled his lower lip between his teeth, attempting to make sense of all the thoughts and words he’d prepared to say to her the second her friends had left. He’d been so full of confidence up until he got close to her and could smell her perfume.
He closed his eyes and inhaled. She was intoxicating.
He’d been blinded by his career and the perceptions he’d had of what his life was supposed to look like.
But Ryker was helping him see that there was more to life than work.
Sure, there was no telling what his job would look like after he was healed, but until he knew, why couldn’t he explore the chemistry he had with the woman in front of him?
“I was wrong,” he whispered.
“What?” she said it so quietly he nearly didn’t hear her. The softest exhale of her warm breath fanned against his cheek and her eyes flared with a wary sort of shock.
“I was wrong about how I felt about you.”
Hallie placed both of her palms against his chest and pushed him but without much force. “Jacob…”
“Hear me out,” he interrupted. “I shouldn’t have dismissed you so quickly.
There was a lot going on and I will be the first to admit that I’m not really good at this…
communication stuff. Heck, you saw how I was with my brother.
So maybe you could give me another chance.
Maybe we could test the waters and see if there’s something worth having here. ”
The most adorable furrow pulled at her brows and she frowned at him.
He didn’t think he was misreading her. There was definitely some longing in her eyes.
But then she shook her head and attempted to push him away from her once again, this time with a little more force.
“Jacob, you’re just feeling attached to me because I’m taking care of you.
We’re spending more time together and you’re bound to start feeling attached. It’s totally understandable.”
He fought the urge to curl his hands into fists.
“You’re wrong. That’s not what this is.” Shoot, was his voice a little harsher than it had to be?
Based on the way she was gaping at him, he wasn’t sure.
Softening his tone, he ducked his head a little closer so she was forced to meet his eyes. “I’m going to prove it to you.”
Her focus darted from one of his eyes to the other and back. For a brief moment he thought she’d give into him and accept what he was saying. But then she sighed. “Jacob—”
Nope. Jacob refused to let her slip through his fingers.
He refused to allow her to scurry away now that he had finally caught up with her.
Desperate, he grasped her chin and crashed his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply and with every ounce of longing he had.
He’d never kissed a girl this way before.
Not when he’d been younger and not the handful of women he’d gone on dates with since he’d started competing in the rodeo.
She whimpered against his lips, softening against him before her hands came up and wrapped around the back of his neck. Hallie clung to him like he was her very own lifeforce.
If he’d thought that they had a connection before, he’d been wrong. This chemistry was off the charts. It was electric and if he wasn’t careful, he could get burned.
Boy, wouldn’t that be a way to go?
Jacob moved his hand around the back of her head, locking her in place as their kiss deepened. He wasn’t sure how long their moment lasted. Nor was he sure who pulled away first. It didn’t matter because when he finally released her, they were both breathing hard.
Hallie looked utterly dazed and if he wasn’t careful, he might lose the ability to stay upright. His thumb traced the pulse point on the side of her neck, and he was fascinated by the mad fluttering he felt beneath her skin.
“Oh,” Hallie breathed, blinking rapidly.
He grinned at her. “Oh.”
Her plump lips curled into a shy smile.
“I told you I’d prove it to you.”
“I suppose that kiss was one heck of a way to start,” she whispered.
If that wasn’t a compliment, he didn’t know what was. He traced his thumb along the slim column of her neck, reveling in the way that simple touch could make her shiver. “I fully intend on coming up with all kinds of ways to prove it to you. How about I take you on a date?”
She tilted her chin slightly, searching his eyes for a moment. “As wonderful as that sounds, I don’t think you’re in much of a condition to take me out.” It wasn’t meant to be hurtful. And while it was the truth, he couldn’t deny that her words stung.
Jacob wasn’t going to let it drag him down or hold him back. He turned and glanced around his place. “Fine. Then I’ll take you in.”
Hallie’s giggle was musical. Magical. It was everything he hadn’t realized he’d missed.
This laugh was one he hadn’t heard since before she’d confessed how she felt about him.
Boy, he needed to hear it again. She chewed on her lip, but it did nothing to hide the excited smile that spread across her face.
“Okay, I’m game. What are we going to do on this so-called date? ”
“There’s nothing ‘so-called’ about it,” he husked. “I’m going to woo the heck out of you.”
She laughed again and a fresh wave of electric energy zapped through his body, warming him and making him feel more alive than he’d been when he was in the middle of a competition. Only this rush was lasting far longer than eight seconds. “That isn’t an answer to my question.”
“It’s a secret. A surprise. I’m not going to tell you a single thing. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
Hallie framed his face with both of her hands, her touch gentle.
“I do trust you, Jacob. I’ve always trusted you.
” She dipped her focus to his mouth and for a moment he thought she might initiate the next kiss, but she didn’t.
“And if you wake up tomorrow and realize that this is just the exhaustion talking, I won’t be offended. ”
He stiffened, not liking the way this conversation had shifted so quickly. “Well now I’m offended.”
She dipped out from behind him and tossed him a smile over her shoulder.
Turning awkwardly, he hobbled after her. “I’m not kidding, Hallie. I’m gonna date you like you never been dated before.”
All he got in return was another giggle. And dang, he had no hope of fighting the smile that stirred on his own face. For the first time in a long time, he felt alive again.