Page 61 of The Other Half

Liza: Party in Rio THIS WEEKEND! You need to come! Cassandra! Where the hell are you?

The string of texts went on, each inquiring about my whereabouts and trying to entice me out of hiding with promises of parties and adventure. There was a time when I would have been hopping on the next jet to join them, but not anymore. Now I couldn’t think of anywhere in the world I would rather be than right where I was. With Jake. For the first time in years it felt like my world was finally right-side up again.

Putting my phone on airplane mode to keep them from interrupting my time with Jake, I shoved it back in my purse then made my way toward the back porch. Hank and Poppy trotted down the stairs side by side, so I held the door while they scampered out into the yard.

The smell of the fresh air up here still shocked me every time I stepped outside. And today it smelled even sweeter. It was something I’d never realized I was missing until I came here. That and stars. In Door County, at night the sparkling light of a million stars sprinkled the sky. According to Jo, the absence of city lights is what made them so visible here. Whatever caused it, it was something I was grateful for, and I hoped they would never stop making me stare at them in awe.

Settling onto the chair at the table on the porch, I tucked my knees up inside the t-shirt. I wrapped my arms around my legs and smiled while I stared out over the yard at the sparkling water that greeted me. I could get used to this. To Door County. To this house. To waking up next to Jake every day. For the first time in as long as I could remember I felt peace. True peace.

“Coffee, baby?” Jake said from behind me.

“Oh, yes!”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and a cup of coffee in the “I’m a Hooker” cup appeared. Bursting into laughter I tipped my head back and looked up to see him beaming at me. Jake leaned down from behind me and planted a kiss on my lips. “Here you go, Hooker.”

“I’ve got a nice rack and I’m a hooker. You are one lucky man.”

“The luckiest.” He kissed me once more before I took the cup of coffee. “Eggs will be out in a minute.”

With a happy sigh, I settled back against the chair and sipped my coffee. This was happiness. There wasn’t a better way to spend my life than right here with him. But just as I envisioned learning how to bake in this house while our dogs raced around the yard, and maybe someday children, I felt my happiness flutter away.

I still needed to tell him who I was. The struggling bartender was actually an heiress set to inherit billions of dollars. The girl driving around in the rusted-out beast normally traveled by private jet. That property he had asked about, the one he loved so much, was mine. Or would be someday. I still had a company I was set to run. A company in New York. Jake never wanted to leave here, and now... neither did I. But I also wanted to take up my mantle in our company. There were so many obstacles standing in our way. I could only hope we could find a way to balance out our two lives. That was, if he could forgive me for the lies.

“Breakfast is served!” he said triumphantly as he appeared.

When he placed the plates on the table, I forced a smile back onto my face.

“Fresh veggies from the garden, and eggs from my friend’s farm down the road.”

“It looks amazing, Jake.”

“Let’s hope it tastes good, too.”

Taking a small bite, I closed my eyes and moaned. “Yummy!”

“Yeah? It’s okay?”

“Better than okay! This gives Nancy a run for her money.”

“Who’s Nancy?” he asked, then took his own bite.

Struggling to swallow after I realized my slip, I coughed then bided my time while I chased it with a swallow of coffee. I couldn’t tell him Nancy was my private chef in New York. “Um, Nancy is a friend who used to make us breakfast a lot. Who taught you to make omelets?” I changed the subject immediately.

“My mom. She said every man needs to be able to make at least three things well. Omelets were one of my specialties.”

Grateful he’d dropped the Nancy conversation I took a deep breath, then another bite.

“Do you want to go boating with me today? I don’t have any charters. You, me, Hank, Muskybait all go out for a little relaxing lake day?”

“That sounds perfect, Jake. I just have to be back for work at five.”

“No problem. A boating day it is.” He beamed.

He was lighter today. Like the weight he’d been carrying around on his broad shoulders fell off in the night. The dark cloud that seemed to hover over him faded away, and instead he radiated warmth and light. It felt like a side of Jake reserved for me and me alone. I only hoped that he would still radiate it after I told him what I’d been keeping from him.

We finished breakfast, and I kissed him goodbye so I could go home and change for our boat day.

“I’ll pick you up in an hour.”