“We’re here.”
The truck shut off and Jacob glanced up to find his brother had brought him to the bookstore. Jacob tossed his brother a flat look. “Why are we here?”
“Remember when Mackenzie taught you how to play chess?” Ryker grinned at him. “Perhaps you could teach Hallie. She told me she doesn’t know how to play. I seem to recall you enjoyed it on nights you stayed in.”
Jacob turned his focus to the bookstore that had a display of boardgames in the window. Most of them were the inexpensive cardboard boxes full of plastic pieces. But front and center was a really nice set. If Jacob had to guess, he’d say that Ryker had noticed that set on his way through town. That was the reason for this stop in particular.
When he didn’t comment, his brother sighed. “Have you still been drawing? That always seemed to help you get out of your head. And from what I remember, you were pretty good at it.”
Still, Jacob didn’t comment. His focus remained trained on the chess set. He couldn’t deny that teaching Hallie actually sounded fun. He would never admit to his brother that he had a sketchbook in his room—one that he was already filling with images of Hallie. Because if he admitted that to his brother, then he’d have to accept that there was something deeper he felt for Hallie and he wasn’t prepared for that.
“Or we can just get lunch and I can take you back to your place,” Ryker offered.
“No,” Jacob muttered under his breath. “You’re right.” He jerked his chin toward the display in front of him. “I’m not exactly in the position to carry anything with my crutches. Could you…”
His brother smiled knowingly. “You want the stone set?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah.” His voice had turned raspy. “Yeah, that’s the one.” He didn’t know if Hallie would actually be interested in learning how to play chess with him. But she probably wouldif he asked just to make him happy. Because that was the person Hallie was.
Perhaps it was time to let go and explore the strange feelings Hallie had been creating within him whenever their eyes met across the room. Perhaps Ryker had gotten something right. He sure seemed happy.
Jacob watched his brother enter the store and quietly made his own plans on bridging the gap he’d made between himself and Hallie. Whatever happened, he’d plan on figuring things out as they came.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Check.”
Hallie groaned. “Again? I’m never going to get any better at this. Are you ever going to let me win?”
Jacob lifted a brow, but her focus shifted lower to where his mouth twitched. Was he biting back a smile because he enjoyed making a fool of her? Or was he actually enjoying himself? The jury was still out on that one.
When he’d been dropped off by Ryker a week ago, he’d brought with him some food and a new chess set. She hadn’t purchased one when she’d brought home some games because she didn’t know how to play.
Apparently, there was more to Jacob than even she knew.
“I will never go easy on you.”
She settled back in her chair with a huff. “That’s hardly fair.”
His eyes drilled into her, the amusement in them making him even more attractive than he already was. “The moment I let you win is the moment you no longer matter to me.” There wasn’tan ounce of teasing in his voice and those words had her nearly swallowing her tongue.
Jacob didn’t mean it. Not in the way she wanted him to. Clearly. Because if he did… then…
Hallie bit her lips together and refused to comment on his statement or draw any kind of attention to it for that matter.
In two more moves, he’d called checkmate and the game was over.
Jacob chuckled, drawing her attention. She’d been hearing that sound more and more frequently. The first time she’d drawn one from his chest after his brother had left had felt like nothing she’d ever experienced. It had been a win. Even after he’d laughed, his smile had remained. She’d missed those smiles.
She could see the happiness returning to his whole demeanor. The Jacob she had fallen in love with was coming back to her.
No, not to her.
He was returning to himself. And that was enough.
She matched his smile with one of her own.
“How about I pop some corn and we watch a movie?” Hallie asked, getting to her feet. She took a step, but his hand shot out and he wrapped his hand around her wrist. She stopped and stared down at where he held her. Then slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his and they stared at each other. She wasn’t breathing. Her brain was screaming at her to take a breath or she could pass out. But her body wasn’t responding.
