32. Jake
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
jake
Idefinitely wasn’t waiting for Caitlin to get back home from her hair appointment. And I definitely didn’t drool like a goddamn dog when she stepped out of her car with shoulder-length hair that shone golden in the sunlight.
Whitley, sporting a new haircut as well, immediately ran into the guest house, and once she was inside, I practically threw myself out of the front door, letting out a long, sharp whistle.
Caitlin spun around, a wide smile spreading across her face.
“Well, hello there, gorgeous. Have I seen you around here before?” I grabbed at her belt loops to pull her close to me.
“You’ve maybe seen me a time or two.” Cait looped her arms around my neck, and I pressed my lips to hers.
When we broke apart, I leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Love the new hair, Cait. It suits you.”
A rosy flush creeped into her cheeks, and her eyes darted away for a split second. “You think so? Are you sure it’s not too short?”
Fuck. If I ever catch Adam, I swear I’m going to murder him.
I twisted a lock of newly highlighted hair around my fingers. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that, darlin’. I love it.”
Her face turned an even deeper shade of pink as she mumbled, “Thank you,” then turned away toward her front door.
“What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”
She looked over her shoulder when she was halfway up the steps to the porch. “Not sure. I don’t have anything planned, really. Keeping Whit out of trouble,” she said with a laugh as she looked back at the guest house. A door slammed inside, presumably the one to Whitley’s room.
“Come over for dinner.”
I expected her to protest or come up with an excuse, but by my surprise, she agreed.
“Yeah, we can do that.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ll let you get back to it, then.” I closed the distance between us and gave her a quick peck on the lips before starting back to my house. “Oh, and Cait?” I turned around at the last minute when I was halfway across the lawn between our front porches.
She raised an eyebrow.
“You look fucking jaw-dropping with that haircut. Don’t forget that.”
Taking backward steps the rest of the way, I watched as she went into the guest house, sneaking one last look at me over her shoulder, a wide-toothed smile etched on her face.
I waited until she was safely inside, then I spun on my heel, making the rest of the trek across the lawn to my own house.
I opened the fridge, surveying the food I had. My eyes scanned each shelf until I figured out what I was going to make. Frozen chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for Whit, steak, potatoes, and broccoli for me and Cait.
Hours later, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of savory steak and buttery mashed potatoes, plus the added scent of mac and cheese. It smelled like all my comfort foods. Like home.
I turned on some country music in the background and lit a candle before deciding to blow it out at the last minute. This wasn’t a dinner for me to romance Caitlin. Well, maybe it was, but her daughter was going to be there, too. The vibe was more family dinner than wine and dine.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and I took a deep breath before padding over to it. I pulled it open, and Whitley bounded inside, immediately finding the chicken nuggets on the counter.
“Chicken nuggets!” she shrieked. “Those are my favorite!”
With a light chuckle, I said, “I know they are, bug. I made mac and cheese for you, too.”
“You didn’t have to make her something else,” Caitlin murmured as she passed me.
“I know she’s picky, so I wanted to make her food she was familiar with and liked. I know she’ll have to try new things, but I want her to be comfortable.”
Caitlin’s eyes grew misty, and she blinked a few times. “Thank you. That was really thoughtful.”
“Anything for my favorite girls.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the dining table, pulling out a chair for her. “Sit tight. I’ll get you a plate.”
She moved to stand, and I tutted at her. “Sit. Stay.”
With a roll of her eyes and a laugh, she retorted, “I’m not a dog, Jake.”
“No, you’re not.” I pointed the tongs at her. “But I also want to do this for you, so please, will you sit down?”
With a smile, she replied, “All right, fine. But the next time you come over to my—” She paused, her brows pinching together. “Er, well, your other house, you don’t get to lift a finger.”
With two plates—one for Caitlin and the other for Whitley—in hand, I came back out to the dining room. After setting down her plate, I planted a kiss on her forehead. “It’s your house, Cait. As long as you’re there, it’s yours.”
“Can I eat now, Mommy?” Whitley looked at her mom, her mouth gaped and practically salivating at the mac and cheese and chicken nuggets.
“Let Jake grab a plate first, bug.”
“But I want my chicken nuggets!” She slammed a fist down on the table, pulling a laugh from my lips.
“It’s okay. Go ahead, I’ll be right there.”
Sorry, Cait mouthed as Whitley tore into her food, stuffing chicken into her mouth.
I got my own plate as quickly as I could, even though it didn’t really matter anyway since Whitley was inhaling her food like a vacuum.
“Have you not started yet?” I asked Cait when I sat down.
She shook her head. “I wanted to wait for you.”
“Cait, you could have started.” I squeezed her shoulder.
“I know. I’m just really grateful you made all this. Thank you.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed, and both my eyes and Caitlin’s bounced down to the lit screen displaying a single text message notification.
Unknown Number
Hey, is this Jacob Flynn?
My brows furrowed as I looked back up to Cait. She nodded toward the phone, encouraging me to reply.
Who is this?
Unknown Number
My name’s Nolan. I think you might be my brother.
My dad and I did this DNA test and you were a match.
I stared down at the text messages, memories of my childhood flashing through my mind.
“Keep walking, Jacob, let’s go.” Mom pulled me along in the grocery store.
“Why do those people keep looking at us?”
“Just ignore them, okay?” She grabbed a few things off the shelves as whispers rose all around us.
“That boy looks nothing like this father.”
“Are we even sure he’s the dad?”
“Does it really matter? He’s going to turn out to be a failure just like him anyway. Look at all the trouble he’s already gotten into.”
“Mom.” I tugged on her sleeve. “Why are they asking if Dad is my real dad?”
She didn’t answer, just kept pulling items off the shelves until we went to check out.
The phone slipped out of my hands, clattering onto the kitchen table and bringing me back to the present.
“Hey! That wasn’t very nice,” Whitley scolded, banging her fist.
“S-sorry.” My skin flushed until it was burning hot.
Concern flashed across Cait’s face. “What did they say?”
“They…” My mind went blank, and my vision blurred before I blinked back to reality. “They claimed to be my brother.”