Chapter 22
22
C apri was elbow-deep in engine grease when Jake’s truck rumbled into the gravel lot outside her rafting company. The sun was high, beating down on her as she worked, her wrench twisting stubbornly at a bolt that refused to budge. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, squinting as she watched Jake hop out of the driver’s seat.
“What brings you by?” she asked, straightening up and rolling her shoulders. Her voice was casual, but there was a flicker of curiosity.
Earlier in the week, she’d moved into an RV, which would become her temporary home while he jumped into the demolition part of the job. While he’d been helpful and had assisted in running electricity and sewer out to the trailer, they’d never connected outside the work he was doing at her house.
Jake approached with that easygoing confidence of his, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Thought I’d drop by and let you know we’ve run into another supply delay. Your kitchen cupboards are backordered, but I put some pressure on the supplier. I work with that company regularly, and they promised to push the order and deliver as early as possible.”
Capri sighed, glancing at the half-rebuilt engine in front of her. “I’m used to delays. Things always find a way to go sideways.”
He chuckled, leaning casually against the frame of her work truck. “You always expect the worst, don’t you?”
She shot him a glance, half a smirk curling on her lips. “I try to be prepared for the unexpected.”
Jake nodded, but his gaze lingered on her, like he had something else in mind. “Speaking of unexpected…” He paused as if weighing his next words. “I was thinking, maybe you’d like to take a break from all this and have dinner with me tonight.”
Capri blinked, her hand freezing in mid-motion as she wiped the grease from her fingers. She hadn’t seen that coming.
“I mean, if you’re free,” he quickly added. “I was thinking I could cook. I make a mean brisket.”
For a split second, she considered brushing him off, making an excuse about being busy. But something in his expression—a mix of sincerity and patience—stopped her.
She surprised herself by saying, “Dinner? Yeah, sure. That sounds...nice.”
The words felt foreign on her tongue, and as soon as they were out, she wondered why she hadn’t just stuck to her usual distance.
Jake smiled, a slow, genuine curve of his lips that made her stomach do something odd.
“Great,” he said, pushing off the truck with a satisfied nod. “Around seven?”
“Yeah,” Capri answered, though a wave of uncertainty followed her words. “Seven’s fine.”
“Great!” He gave her his address and she stored it in her phone
He nodded. “See you tonight.”
As Jake walked back to his truck, she stood there, momentarily stunned by her own response. She wasn’t the type to say yes to things like this. For years, she had kept everything neatly compartmentalized—her business, her friendships, and especially anything that came close to resembling a romantic entanglement.
She shook her head as if to clear the thought, then turned back to the truck engine. But as she tried to focus on her work, she found her mind drifting, replaying the way Jake had asked her to dinner and the way she hadn’t hesitated nearly as long as she normally would have. She hadn’t even come up with a reason to say no.
Was it curiosity? Or was it something else?
The wrench in her hand clanged against the metal, pulling her back to reality. “I’m overthinking this,” she muttered to herself. “It’s just dinner.”
But deep down, she wasn’t so sure. Dinner with Jake wasn’t just dinner. He wasn’t some random guy from town. He was someone she worked with closely, someone she was starting to see beyond the professional exchanges. She could already feel the shift happening, the subtle ways he looked at her, the way he listened.
And now, she had agreed to dinner.
Capri frowned, her hands stalling as her mind spun with thoughts she’d rather not entertain. She didn’t do well with plans or commitments—especially when it came to relationships. There were too many variables, too many things that could fall apart. And yet, she’d said yes.
She stepped back from the engine, wiping her hands clean on an old rag. The knot in her stomach told her that tomorrow night wasn’t going to be as simple as dinner and conversation. Jake had expectations, even if he wasn’t saying it outright. There was something there, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d find herself in deeper than she intended.
Capri blew out a breath, tossing the rag aside. She glanced at the truck engine and decided it could wait. What she really needed was a long hike to clear her head.
With a quick grab of her bag, she locked up the shop and headed for the trailhead, hoping the solitude of the woods would quiet the nervous fluttering that had settled uncomfortably in her chest. But even as she started the engine of her red pickup, the invitation to dinner lingered, trailing behind her like a shadow she couldn’t quite outrun.