Chapter 10 #2
“I guess you know about gossip and what it is,” she said.
He grinned. “I do.”
“So the word on the street is that while you don’t remember anyone you met or anything you did before your accident, that you remembered your artwork and how to finish all the half-finished projects at your leather and metal shop. Is that true?” Her brows lifted in question.
“It is.” Jake beamed as if that recent memory was an exceptionally good one.
“I can’t really explain how joyous it was to step into that workshop at the back of the store and recognize something.
I didn’t remember everything exactly, but as I looked at all of the half-finished pieces, they spoke to me.
As I walked up to each one, I could tell how to finish it, even if the project was at the very beginning of the process.
It was a revelation. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere.
” His gaze met hers with excitement. And she couldn’t seem to look away from his intense stare.
Beryl didn’t know how long they stared at each other, but all of a sudden, someone shrieked a greeting and approached their picnic table.
She was not happy to see Ashleigh Graves headed in their direction.
“Sheesh,” Jake said under his breath. “Is she following us?”
Beryl giggled, as she’d been thinking the exact same thing. Her palm landed on his on the blanket. Spark! Jake quickly sandwiched her hand between both of his.
His expression changed. Not less intense, but he’d added a bit of predatory desire in the mix and she liked it. Now to get rid of Ashleigh before she ruined their perfect first date picnic.
Ashleigh stopped beside the picnic table, her gaze immediately fixating on Beryl and Jake holding hands. For some reason, her expression shifted to one of irritation.
“Ashleigh?” Beryl said, her tone not happy.
Whatever anger her frenemy had exhibited disappeared in a syrupy sweet expression. “Fancy meeting you two here,” she said.
Jake said, “Yeah, makes me wonder if you’re following us.”
“Oh, you.” Ashleigh reached out and lightly punched Jake in the arm. It was so odd, Beryl snorted. But Ashleigh didn’t move away. She stood there alternately looking at Beryl and then at Jake like she was watching some sort of tennis match.
Clearly, Ashleigh did not understand what was going on at the picnic table.
“Ashleigh,” Beryl said. “We are on a date. If you don’t mind, we would like to be alone.”
Ashleigh’s mouth dropped open and her whole face turned a crimson shade. “Well, I see. Well,” she repeated. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.”
She took a step back and stopped.
Beryl cocked her head to one side and mouthed the word “go.”
Ashleigh’s lips thinned. “Fine!” At long last, she turned and stomped off toward the fountain.
“You think she has a crush on you?” Beryl asked.
Jake’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “I sure hope not.”
“I also hope not, but that’s what it looks like.”
Jake shook his head. “I’ve never even seen that woman until today.”
Beryl gave him a look. “That you know of, right?”
“Right. You’re absolutely right. But if I had something going on with Ashleigh, I didn’t tell Frederick about it. And me being involved with her even pre-memory loss seems very unlikely, or at least the person I think I was before The Incident.”
Beryl, her hand still sandwiched between Jake’s, squeezed his bottom hand and smiled.
“Knowing what I do about Ashleigh, I suspect that if anything had been going on between you before you lost your memory, she would’ve been front and center at the hospital, declaring for all the world to know that you two were a couple before you lost your memory, if that was true. But I don’t think it is.”
“Really?”
She squeezed his hand again. “Absolutely. Trust me, if you two had been dating, everyone in town and the tri-city area would know everything about the two of you.”
“Good. I guess,” Jake said. “Thank you for believing me.”
The constant connection of their hands was sending a buzz of joyous feeling up Beryl’s arm. She didn’t want to ruin anything, but felt the need to comment on it. She squeezed his hand for third time. “When I touch you, I get this immediate spark.”
“I do, too.” Jake tightened his grip on her hand. “I get a spark every time I’m near you.”
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“Speaking of gossip,” Beryl said, wanting to come clean about anything he might hear about her.
At least more than he already knew. Beryl wanted to take the opportunity right up front to tell him the story of why she and her family had moved to Alienn, Arkansas.
Likely everyone in town knew her sad story.
He should not be the only one who didn’t.
“I need to tell you something about my past.”
“You can tell me if you want to, but please don’t feel like you have to. I will not be able to reciprocate.” He smiled.
She smiled back, continuing, “Well, I want you to understand how extraordinary it is for me to be sitting here with you right now on a date.”
“Okay.” Jake didn’t let go of her hand, giving her more courage to tell him her story.
Beryl told him the particulars of being left at the altar two years before. She told him every single detail, along with her plan to remain single for the next decade or so, because she wanted to be honest. Because she never thought she’d feel like this ever again.
The man she had been about to marry didn’t evoke any kind spark. But Henry was merely a good friend, or so she’d thought.
“First of all,” Jake said. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I can’t even imagine how traumatic that was, both then and now. I appreciate you telling me what happened to you so I can better understand you as a person.”
“Thank you. The truth is, I didn’t expect to meet someone that I would want to date. At least, I didn’t expect it for another ten years or so.” Beryl was glad she’d been wrong.
The grip Jake had on her hand had not abated the entire time they had been talking. The buzz of sensation remained, giving her entire arm a tingling, warm, wonderful feeling, all the way to her soul.
Beryl heard the sound of the bell tower ringing the hour. Her lunchtime was really over, but she didn’t want to leave.
Jake glanced up at the noise. “Is it really two o’clock?”
“Yep. Time flies when you’re having fun. The cliché is true.”
“I need to get back to my store,” Jake said. “But I’d rather stay here with you.”
Beryl nodded. “I also have to get back to my store and I’d also rather stay here with you.”
“When can I see you again?”
“How about tomorrow tonight, for dinner?” Beryl said without thinking. She hoped her calendar was clear.
“Perfect. When and where?”
“My house. I’ll text you the address. Would seven o’clock work?”
“Yes. Can’t wait.”
Jake helped her clean up the picnic table from their luncheon and, hand in hand, they walked toward their meeting spot, halfway between their places of work.
Beryl hated to part, but took solace in the fact they would see each other in a more private setting tomorrow night.
As they walked toward the sidewalk at the edge of the park, Beryl picked up several thoughts from the humans walking by. Normally, she wasn’t great at that Alpha feat, but occasionally thoughts from passersby would pop into her head without warning.
A woman in exercise clothing passing them thought Jake was very attractive. Her exact thoughts as she jogged were, “Hubba, hubba! Why are all the gorgeous guys that look like man candy already spoken for?”
That made Beryl smile. Jake turned his head and looked at the woman as she passed, his mouth falling open a bit. He shook his head without speaking.
Beryl frowned. Did he know the woman? Probably not. She shook it off and kept moving, slowly, to their destination.
Before Beryl was ready, they came to the spot where they’d met up. It was time to part ways, even though she wasn’t ready to go.
“Thanks for lunch, Beryl. I had a great time and I look forward to tomorrow tonight.” He didn’t try to kiss her, even though she would have let him.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow tonight.” Reluctantly, Beryl released his hand and turned to go before she flung him to the ground and kissed him thoroughly, like she wanted to. Like she planned to do tomorrow after dinner.
Three steps away from Jake, Beryl heard another human voice in her head, from the musclebound dude right beside her who was heading toward Jake.
“Finally, that redhead is gone and he’s alone. Now we can get him, put him in the car and deliver him.”