Chapter 4
Jake
What are the chances?
For the third time in less than three weeks, Everly and I have ended up in the same place at the same time.
I don’t know if I believe in fate, but I can’t help but think that every planet and all the stars aligned for Everly and Birdie to be here tonight, and for me to end up in an ice cream shop, of all places.
I worked late at a job site today, spending an extra couple of hours finishing the moldings on a staircase. The contracting company I own has never been busier, so I’ve been working long hours. I was way too tired to cook dinner, so I stopped at Sushi Box on the way home. On the way back to the car, I passed the ice cream place and decided to pop in to grab a coffee.
I saw Birdie first at the counter. I immediately searched the room until my eyes landed on the woman who has been invading every one of my dreams lately. You can’t miss her, not a woman that looks like that.
I am so fucking attracted to her; it almost doesn’t make sense.
Everly’s eyes go wide when she looks up and spots me and I don’t miss the way her cheeks pinken.
“We need to stop running into each other. It’s becoming a habit.” She seems puzzled for a second before a small smile tips the corners of her lips.
Her long honey-brown hair is pulled back in a ponytail, showing off her pretty face. She’s wearing an oversized sweatshirt that ends halfway down her thighs and a pair of black bike shorts. Her legs are bronze from the sun. She’s petite, no taller than five-foot-three. I spot the sparrow pendant around her neck.
“A coincidence,” she answers. She isn’t going to make this easy.
Her citrus scent envelops me, and a memory of our time at the beach flashes through my mind. Since that day, I’ve thought about her sweet scent way more than could possibly be considered normal. I’ve thought about how she made me feel, desperate to get to know her and also filled with desire.
No one has ever made me feel like that. Ever. I didn’t think it was possible. But the way my pulse is racing is proving me wrong.
I’m breathing in that fucking scent, acutely aware of how close I am to her when, suddenly, her daughter is at her side, her eyes bright and full of excitement.
“Is this your friend from the beach, Mommy?” Her little voice is so damn cute as she looks up at me, eyes wide.
“He was just stopping in for coffee, baby,” Everly says, ruffling her daughter’s hair before looking at me with uncertainty. “You’ve got five more minutes then we need to get you home.”
Everly busies herself with tidying her table. She wipes a drop of ice cream from the tabletop, then crumples the napkin and tosses it into her empty cup.
“Do I have to go to sleep when I get home?” Birdie asks, resting her head against Everly’s shoulder.
“Straight to bed. It will be well past your bedtime.”
I stand beside them, disappearing into the background like wallpaper as I listen to them chat.
“Fine,” Birdie says with a pout, then looks from her mom to me. “But is he our new friend? Should he come to our house on the weekend and have dinner? And Franny too?”
Everly’s eyes fly to her daughter, sending her a warning glare to mind her manners. “We’re busy this weekend.”
“Are we going to Gramma and Grandpa’s?” Birdie asks.
Everly nods, sweeping her hand over her daughter’s curls. “They’re excited to see you.”
That seems to be a good enough answer for Birdie. She adjusts the cat ears on her head, then turns her attention back to me. “Do you like my cat ears? I wear them every single day. Cats are my favorite animal, but mom says I can’t have one because they take work.”
I crouch down so I can look Birdie in the eye. “Those are the coolest cat ears I’ve ever seen. And your mom is right. Cats do take a lot of work,” I say, looking up at Everly, who’s watching me with a look of surprise on her face.
“But they can catch mice and Mommy is really scared of mice. I told her if we got a cat, she would never have to be scared again.”
Everly is looking at her daughter as if she hung the moon and the stars. We share a small smile before my eyes are back on Birdie. “Do you know what else they can do?”
“What?” she asks.
“They can jump up to six times their length.”
Birdie’s mouth falls open, and then she gasps. “Wow.”
Everly arches a brow at her daughter, then at me, then shakes her head with a soft smile. “Birdie, your five minutes is almost up. Time is ticking.”
My family is small and neither my sister nor me nor many of my friends are parents yet. Honestly, I’ve just never really been into kids. They always seem to be talking or crying or yelling. But Birdie? She is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and, surprisingly, not a deal breaker for me.
Especially with a mom like Everly.
Do I really want to see where this could go?
It sure as fuck feels that way.
“Was that okay?” I ask quietly, standing as Birdie skips away.
“It’s fine. But look, being friends with my daughter isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. I already told you that she is my focus right now. I need you to know that.”
“I was just trying to be nice. I’m a nice guy, Everly. You would see that if you got to know me.”
Everly inhales and drops her gaze to the floor. “Jake,” she whispers. “I barely have time to wash my face these days. And I have a pretty good feeling you’re a lot younger than me—”
“I don’t care.”
“How old are you? Are you even 30?”
“No.”
She snorts at that. Fuck. She thinks I’m a kid. “My God, Jake. You are young. You should be out having fun, not hanging out with a girl with a child. Frankly, we just don’t make any sense.”
“I disagree.” I stare back at her, chewing the inside of my cheek, and decide that as much as I want to push her, I won’t. “Fine, then what about friends? Can we at least do that?”
She folds her arms across her chest. “So how old are you? For real, I want the truth.”
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
“Fine. I’m 27.”
She shakes her head and blows out a breath. “You are too young. I’m seven years older than you, Jake. And like I said before… my life is complicated. I’m not sure how good of a friend I can be.”
I couldn’t care less about Everly’s age. Am I surprised? Fuck, yes. She looks at least eight years younger. But the fact that she’s older is nothing but hot to me. Especially since she looks like that, and my attraction to her is so strong.
“I’m busy too, Everly. I’m fine with an occasional, friendly text. Maybe a cup of coffee here and there. Yeah?”
If I don’t get her number tonight it might kill me.
She inhales a deep breath before quickly glancing at Birdie, who is back at the ice cream counter. Then her eyes are back on me. “My pace?” she clarifies in a quiet voice.
“To start.” I smile. “Hopefully I work my way up to a real date one day. But no pressure. Give me your phone.”
She chews her bottom lip as she studies my face, and it’s fucking cute. “Why do you want my phone?”
“I’m sending you a friendly text.”
“Fine.” She digs her phone out of her purse, unlocks it and hands it over to me, watching me with her eyebrows pulled together.
I nod. Friends. It’s certainly not what I actually have in mind, but I’m hoping with some time I can change Everly’s mind.
When I’ve finished adding myself to her contacts, I hand the device back to her and then send her a quick message from my phone. Her phone chimes in her hand.
“I’m not sure how you got me to say yes to this,” she says, shaking her head as Birdie skips over to us and grabs Everly’s hand.
“Maybe we’ll see you again,” Birdie says to me. “Maybe we can have ice cream next week.”
Everly clears her throat. “Okay, Birdie. Time to go.”
As Everly and Birdie head for the door, I can’t stop the smile that spreads over my face. I’m not exactly sure what I want to happen next, but I do know I want more time with her. Maybe if I’m lucky she’ll give me the chance.
“Bye, Everly. Bye, Birdie.” I raise my hand in a wave.
Everly pulls the door open, then stops and looks at me over her shoulder. “Bye, Jake.”
I follow them outside, watching as Everly puts her arm around Birdie’s shoulders and they walk down the street to her car. They turn the corner and are gone.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I tell myself to keep my hopes in check, but I can’t help but feel excited.
After all, I got her number.
This isn’t over yet.