Chapter Five
Jaxson had never been on a single date in his life. He’d picked women up, fucked random women, but never gone to the trouble of taking them out. He never needed to and didn’t see the point in giving them the wrong impression.
Arriving at his parents’ home, he saw his dad was outside with the hood of his truck up, and he leaned over it.
“Hey, son,” Mark said.
“Hey, Dad.”
“What brings you here in the heat? Shouldn’t you be at the lake?” he asked.
“Dad, I’m thirty-five years old, and I’m not a pervert. The lake is for kids and families.”
“Oh, right, sorry, you will always be my boy to me.” Mark laughed and lifted his head. “Do you want a drink?”
“Actually, I want some advice.”
“Jaxson, it is about time you showed up. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” his mother said, suddenly appearing in the doorway.
His parents had been away on vacation for the past couple of weeks, and with the sudden heat wave, he’d not gotten a chance to drop in to see them.
He walked toward his mother and hugged her. She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek, letting out a laugh, as she wiped the lipstick from his cheek.
“I’ll get us some lemonade,” his mother Susan said.
He watched her enter the house, and his dad continued to look at him. “There’s something different about you.”
“Dad, when did you know that Mom was the one?” he asked.
“The moment I met her in kindergarten,” Mark said. “I looked at her as she ran into me, dropping me to the floor, and as she said sorry and ran away, I knew I was going to marry her someday. You know the story, so why the sudden interest?”
Jaxson rubbed the back of his head and gritted his teeth.
He had never asked his dad for advice when it came to women.
He had been a natural at it. His father had given him the warning to always wear protection, otherwise he would be a father.
He also didn’t want to think about the fact he’d taken Tillie’s virginity, and there was a chance they might also be pregnant as he hadn’t used protection.
Today was turning into a multiple of firsts.
“I don’t know how to date,” Jaxson said.
“You’ve never needed to date. You told me that. You’re only interested in what a woman is likely to give you in the moment.”
Jaxson winced. “How much of an asshole do I sound like?”
“I thought that, but your mother told me I wasn’t to tell you, you were being an asshole.”
He winced again.
“Your mother was convinced you would figure that out on your own, and I am guessing from the look on your face, you’re figuring it out.”
“I’m taking Tillie Short on a date, and I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Tillie doesn’t date.”
“I asked her and she said yes.”
“Wow,” Mark said.
Jaxson looked toward his dad, because this wasn’t helping.
“You’ve always had a soft spot for her, haven’t you?” Mark asked.
“What?”
“Come on, son, I’ve seen the way you look at her. You’ve always had a bit of a soft spot, and now you’ve asked her out on a date.”
He wasn’t about to tell him he had also taken her virginity, was madly in love with her, and had been for so freaking long.
“What do I do?” he asked.
“Well, you think of something romantic. You take her out. Don’t forget the flowers or chocolates, and you show her how you feel before you even tell her.”
“Why?” Jaxson asked.
“Don’t you want to know if she feels the same way about you?”
He hadn’t thought of that. “You think there’s a possibility she might not like me?” He hated how childish he sounded as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Has she ever given you any reason to think she might?” his father asked.
Jaxson thought back to how she thrust against him on the floor of her sewing studio. The smiles she sent his way. They were sweet, kind smiles, but none of that equated to dating or falling in love. He hated this.
“Son, are you all right?”
“No, yes, I’m fine.” He should have known coming to see his father wouldn’t be helpful. It wasn’t his dad’s fault, seeing as he wasn’t exactly giving him all the facts.
Mark put his cloth down, along with the wrench, and walked toward him. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Talk to me.”
Just then, his mother walked out with the glasses of lemonade.
“So, I take it you’ve finally asked Tillie Short on a date,” Susan said, taking one of the glasses of lemonade for herself as she took a seat on the porch.
His father moved toward his mother and Jaxson watched as the two sat side by side on the porch.
He also happened to notice how his dad reached for her hand, locking their fingers together as they sat there.
There was no reason to hold hands, but they had that connection.
Growing up, he always saw them hugging, holding hands, embracing each other, and doing little things that showed their love for one another.
Jaxson had always been a little grossed out by his parents’ physical affection with each other.
Now, he saw what it meant—love, companionship, and a soulmate.
What his parents had was rare. Not many people got to experience love like that.
“I have,” he said.
“And you care for her?”
He nodded.
“Good, good. There is not much gossip on the dating scene with Tillie, but she’s such a lovely girl. She’s sweet and kind, and bless her heart, she lost her parents when she was quite young as well. So tragic, and she was their whole world.”
He’d known it hit her hard. At the funeral, which he had attended, he stood there, even as Tillie was the only one to remain, so too had he.
He stayed, just to be there to offer her comfort.
She hadn’t sobbed that day, but he’d seen the tears in her eyes as they cascaded down her face.
It had killed him not to cross over, pull her into his arms, and hold her. That was all he wanted to do.
He ran a hand down his face.
“What are your intentions with Tillie?” his mother asked.
“I want to marry her,” he said. He looked toward his parents and expected to see shock or worry, but instead, he saw total happiness.
“Our son is starting to understand what love is all about,” his dad said.
He groaned. “Are you going to help me with this or not?”
“If we helped, then we’d be the ones wooing her, and I’m afraid this all has to be on you, Jaxson,” Mark said.
He finished his lemonade, glared at both his parents, but then leaned down and kissed each of their cheeks, telling them he would stop by for lunch on Sunday.
He made his way back to his truck, climbed in, and started to pull out of his parents’ driveway.
No matter what he did, it would have to include Belle.
That, unfortunately, meant he needed to stay in town.
The only problem he had staying in town was, there were people that talked all the freaking time, and he didn’t want any of them poking into his business when it came to Tillie. He had too much of a reputation.
The only way he was going to do this was to keep her away from the women he’d been with, and unfortunately, there were a lot.
Pulling up against the side of the road, he slammed his hand on the steering wheel of his truck. Everyone else meant nothing, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to cause trouble for him, when they realized he had feelings elsewhere.
****
“I didn’t know you were coming today,” Kate said, rounding the counter.
Tillie held her hand up, then her second one to show her hand was free from her cell phone, which she also used as a camera. It was much easier to take her cell phone, and it had a good clear camera to be able to shoot as much as she wanted.
“It’s all good.” She smiled. “This is a personal visit.”
“How did your last fabric haul go?” Kate asked, going back behind the counter.
The shop didn’t currently have any customers.
People traveled to come and visit Kate’s shop, and also, moving her business online had helped save it.
Kate was convinced the only reason it was saved was because of her, but Tillie figured it had more to do with the online aspect than anything else.
“It hasn’t gone live yet, but it should in the next couple of weeks. I’m just finishing the final editing.” She walked toward the aisle that had new fabrics, and she reached out, giving some viscose fabrics a stroke. They were soft and light, perfect for this heat wave they were having.
“I look forward to it.”
She was aware Kate watched her show.
“Thanks. Hopefully, it’s not too boring for you.”
Kate laughed. “Trust me, it’s the best part of my day.”
Belle wriggled in her arms, and she put her baby girl onto the floor.
Tillie watched as Belle went bundling up behind the counter, and gave Kate a fuss.
She smiled. Sometimes, she left Belle in the car, but there was no way she was leaving her dog behind in this heat, even with the windows wound down.
Besides, Kate absolutely adored her dog.
“You’re a good girl.”
“You’ve had some lovely new fabrics in.”
Kate chuckled. “There is always a good excuse to find new fabrics.”
She couldn’t agree more, but the truth was, she hadn’t come in for new fabrics, she’d come to talk to a friend.
Kate was the closest person she had to a friend, mainly because they shared the same kind of love for sewing and craft.
Kate had gotten into it because of her mother, and, well, she did the same, and their paths had joined back up into the sewing and crafting world.
She made her way to the front counter. “How have you been?” she asked.
Kate smiled as she had several packages in front of her, with Post-it notes attached.
She was printing off addresses, taking off the Post-it, and attaching the address to the front.
“Busy, I had a summer sale to help budge some of my winter fabrics and that seemed to work. Orders have been flying off the shelf, and I can only imagine that is because everyone is inspired to sew all the new seasons of patterns.”
“It has been a good year for the sewing patterns. I’ve had to restrain myself from buying a few different patterns.”
Kate laughed. “I don’t know, I’ve had a splurge. Not just for the shop, but also for myself. I just couldn’t help it.”
Belle had curled up around the back of the desk, and she looked so peaceful.
“Can I ask you something?” She nibbled her lip as Kate looked up.
“Of course, what’s the matter?”
“Do you ... date a lot?”
Kate threw her head back and laughed. Tillie smiled, but she wasn’t exactly sure what was so entertaining. It was kind of scary, hearing her full belly laugh.
“I’m sorry, my whole life for the past couple of years has been this place.
Mom nearly ran it into the ground because she refused to understand computers.
She handed it to me, when it was close to be taken away.
” She sighed. “I know she meant well, in her own way, but I’ve not really had time to date, and no one has been knocking at my door hoping to snatch me up. Why? Have you been asked on a date?”
She could lie, but Tillie hated to lie.
“Yes.”
Kate gasped and walked over to her. “Oh, my, you have. That is amazing. Who has asked you?”
“Jaxson Riggs,” she said.
Kate’s mouth dropped open as there was real surprise there. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow,” she said, trying not to wince.
“That is amazing.”
“But you’re shocked,” Tillie said.
“Well, just because he is so gruff, and, well, you know, and yeah, I’m, uh...” she petered off and didn’t quite finish.
Tillie groaned. “You think this is a bad idea.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t think that at all. Far from it. Jaxson’s an ... interesting man.”
“Why do you keep hesitating?” Tillie asked.
“Because you know his reputation, right? He has been with a lot of women, and he’s always so mean.”
“Mean?”
“Yeah, he doesn’t have any time for anyone, and he’s not the nicest guy. I’m just a little shocked.”
“I like him.”
“And that is all that counts. You shouldn’t listen to me. I’ve never been on a date and I don’t know what I’m talking about.” Kate reached over and put her hands on hers. “Come on, does he give you butterflies?”
“Yes.”
“And do you look forward to seeing him when he’s not around?”
“Yes.”
“And are you excited about this date?”
“Yes, I am.”
“So, there you go. You don’t have to keep overthinking it, and don’t take my initial reaction to mean anything.
People change. Other people can bring the absolute best out in each other, and another person can bring out the worst, so don’t go thinking about me and my reaction. Mine means nothing.” She smiled at her.
“I’m nervous. I don’t know what to wear. I don’t know what to do.”
“Just be yourself, Tillie. You’re an amazing person. Honestly, you’ve helped me out with this place so much. You got me on my feet, and I was able to make this place work.” Kate reached over the counter and hugged her. “You deserve so much happiness.”
Her friend kissed her cheek.
Belle perked up, lifting her head.
“This heat is crazy, though, right?” Kate asked. “I had to put the AC on. I had this horrible feeling that if I didn’t, my fabric was going to catch fire.”
“It has been hot.”
They got to talking about some of the gossip around town. Neither of them spoke about Jaxson.
Talking with Kate didn’t exactly calm her nerves, in fact, it did the complete opposite.
She knew the reputation Jaxson had, but that was before the two of them started ...
what? They weren’t exactly dating. They hung out a couple of times, and now she had sex with him.
She wasn’t keeping her virginity for a special occasion.
She’d been so focused on her work, and after losing her parents, she didn’t want to date. No one had asked, either.
Maybe she was overthinking everything, or, this was about to become a total disaster.