Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning, Gen spills about a thousand Cheerios onto the kitchen floor and
growls. “Friggin’ hell.”
A few roll out of the kitchen, and I kick them back inside. “Better clean that up.”
She squints across the counter, her eyes half-lidded, a lock of hair sticking straight up on one side. “Why are you up? You’re jobless. Shouldn’t you be sleeping until two or three, or job-hunting?”
I deserved that. “Touché. Jaeger told me to be ready at eleven, remember?”
She grumbles a response. Something about noisy roommates and waking too early.
Oopsie, I might have made a little noise in my eagerness to get ready for my date.
The coffee maker pours a stream of deliciousness into the pot. It’s almost done, but… screw it. Gen’s grumpiness is in top form and requires evasive action.
I pull out the carafe—it’s one of those auto-stop ones—and pour her a cup. “Here.”
She takes a sip, dustpan in hand. “Ahhh, gracias.”
My cell phone rings. I grab my purse from the counter and toss everything out until I locate my phone at the very bottom.
“Hey, sis.”
“Tyler?” This is weird. He must be back in Boulder, but I don’t usually hear from him for a few weeks after a visit. “What are you up to?”
“Still out and about,” he says.
“What does that mean?”
“Well—um—I’m hanging with Mom.”
Tyler visits in the summertime, but never for more than a couple of weeks.
“Did you lose your job?” I say in a panicked rush. Great. Friggin’ great. Both Morgan kids can’t screw up their futures. It’ll crush Mom.
“Relax. I didn’t lose my job. Just needed a break from Boulder.”
Tyler loves Boulder. “Okaaay. What’s your plan?”
“Well, I was thinking I could come back out there for a bit. I’m bored in Carson. Mom’s new place is nice, but it’s too flat here. Nothing to do. My buddy in the Keys wants to show me new bike trails. I could crash with him, but he’s got a girlfriend, and… you know.”
“Crowded.”
“Right, so what do you think? Can I camp in your loft? I’ll stay out of your hair. Promise.”
“Stay for as long as you like. You don’t have to pretend to be invisible. I like having you around—but don’t tell anyone I said that.”
He laughs. “Your secret is safe with me. But you might change your tune if I see any guys sniffing around your place. I’m still your big brother.”
And he’s friends with Jaeger. That could get complicated. What would Tyler think of us, and whatever it is we’re doing? “I’m twenty-one, Tyler. You can lock the big brother protective crap away. I’m not a virgin.”
He lets out a deep breath. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. And you can tell Gen I’ve got my eye out for her too. Any guys entering the abode will have to pass the Tyler Detector.”
“This should be fun,” I say flatly.
“I knew you’d agree.”
Jaeger picks me up right on time and he cometh bearing gifts.
“How did you know I like lattes?”
He smiles from the driver’s seat. “Green olives I deduced. The latte was a lucky guess.”
“You have good taste.”
This time I get the full effect of his gaze. “Yes, I do.”
My face grows warm and I peer out the window, hiding the flush I know is there. Being strawberry blond doesn’t exempt me from everything that comes with being a redhead. But at least I narrowly missed freckles.
“So what are we doing?” We’ve passed Stateline. Wherever we’re going it isn’t in town.
“I’m taking you to my house. I’d like to show you what I do.”
We talked a little about ourselves last night, but showing is always better. I have a good idea of what he does for a living—I’ve seen the woodcarvings by local artisans littering the side of Highway 89 my entire life—but if he wants to show me, I’m game.
A few minutes later, Jaeger pulls into a long gravel driveway, tall pines towering majestically along the sides.
A clearing at the end opens to a house next to a square building with a similar pitched roof.
Beyond the two structures, the lake peeks through more pines.
Most people with this real estate would have clear-cut and widened the view of the lake, but the owner has kept it fairly natural.
It’s a nice house. Really nice. I didn’t think Jaeger lived with his parents, but I figured he rented an apartment like Mason. How much does a bear carver actually earn?
Jaeger steps out of the truck and walks around the front, closing the passenger door behind me. “Let’s take a look inside first. I’ve got lunch ready.” He moves toward the house.
What is happening? Lattes and green olives, the home-delivered meals—that’s all A-game material.
Is he wooing me?
My memories of early dating rituals are hazy.
Eric didn’t make much of an effort in that department.
Both Gen and Jaeger have denied there’s anything between them, so that’s no longer a barrier.
Jaeger is Tyler’s friend, and I will for sure receive shit for that, but I can deal with my brother.
Eric and I are history, and I’ve mostly recovered from being dumped.
By all accounts, I should be jumping all over Jaeger with my normal abandon, yet something still holds me back.
I don’t want Jaeger to be a rebound, that’s true, and I worry about it some, but not as much as before.
Jaeger’s different. We’re different. If I allow it, I think this could be something serious.
But life is confusing right now. I don’t know what I want to do about school, but I also don’t want to mess up what’s between me and Jaeger. Because I like it. I like it a lot.
Jaeger walks up the steps to a small covered porch with logs for support beams and a wide stone chimney with a built-in outdoor grill. Picture windows off the porch face the lake. He unlocks the door and we step inside the house.
It’s not what I expected.
The exterior was spectacular, but anyone can rent a place that looks good from the outside. The interior and what you do with it is something else entirely, especially when it comes to men.
There isn’t a hint of guy-shabby chic anywhere inside Jaeger’s place, not even your token crooked wall hanging.
A modern, comfortable-looking sable sectional faces the hearth, a massive TV to the side of the fireplace.
The art around the room is the real deal, colorful, but masculine to match the decor.
There’s a dining table like the trestle table inside Jaeger’s parents’ house, only this one is carved with Mission-style accents.
Jaeger strides past the kitchen island and opens a stainless steel refrigerator. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
My mouth is parched, but not from thirst. Nerves are getting to me. Who is this person with the beautiful home, wooing me like I’ve never been wooed before? And am I ready for him?
He’s everything I never knew I wanted.
I thought I was self-confident to a fault, and that was how I ended up with Eric.
We fell into a committed relationship, because I persisted and determined we would.
I was at the top of my class, destined for a great career.
A guy’s not sure? You charm him into being sure.
I made it easy for Eric to be with me. I didn’t complain about him going out with his friends.
Didn’t ask why he never introduced me to his family.
He didn’t have to work for us. I made it happen.
But this thing with Jaeger is different.
We’re on equal ground emotionally and intellectually, and it makes me nervous.
What have I to offer? I have no job, an uncertain future…
it was all fun and games when I thought I had a leg up professionally, but I’m beginning to wonder about his bear-carving business.
“Just water, thanks.”
Jaeger hands me a glass and pulls out a blue ceramic bowl from the refrigerator, containing a fluffy green salad with sliced strawberries on top. A plate of raw meat joins the salad on the counter.
He turns on a grill in the cooktop and spreads out slices of meat. “Make yourself comfortable,” he says over his shoulder. “This will take about ten minutes. We’ll eat, and then I’ll show you around.”
I glance at his immaculate home. It makes the cottage Gen and I live in look like a shanty. “Do you mind if I go outside? I’d like to look at the lake.” And gulp in air.
Jaeger gazes at me, his expression approving. “That’s why I picked this place. For the view.” He smiles and wipes his hands on a dishtowel, his shoulders tense. I wonder if he’s nervous too. “I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”
I walk to the edge of the yard and the familiar scent of pines fills my lungs, grounding me. I pass the workshop, curious about it—really curious—but I don’t peek inside.
A log swing with plush cushions faces the lake above the stony shore. I take a seat and tuck my legs beneath me, clenching my hands together.
Being with Jaeger is easy. I don’t have to strategize to get him to want to spend time with me.
He makes it happen. I’ve never had anything I didn’t have to work for.
School was easier for me than for most people, but I still put in time and energy.
This thing with Jaeger is natural, and it scares the hell out of me.
I’m not sure how much time has passed when the swing moves of its own volition. I glance up, and Jaeger slides in beside me, placing his hand lightly on my ankle. We gaze at the lake together without talking. I’ve never felt this kind of calm and peace with another person.
He leans close, his chin above my shoulder, nose nuzzling the lobe of my ear. “What do you think?”
I gather he’s talking about the view and not his hand on my leg, which is very distracting. “I love it.”
He shifts and lifts me onto his lap, his arms a protective enclosure. “I want you to be happy here.”
I tense. This is so much. He’s so much. I have nothing to offer.