Page 29 of Call It Serendipity

“Also incorrect.”

He nods solemnly. “Of course. But I do recall seeing you turned around at one point.”

“So. You were already looking at me then.”

“I absolutely was staring at you the whole meeting,” Jake tells me softly.

My lips part with surprise. He says it so plainly, without embarrassment or remorse. I wonder what it’s like to feel that assured with one’s self.

Levi clears his throat, looking between us with curiosity. “I’m not sure if I should apologize for overstepping or…”

“Sorry, to answer your question, I’m not from here.”

“How long are you in town for?”

Jake offers a calm smile. “That’s still up in the air. Hopefully a while longer though.”

It’s reassuring to hear. But the real question on the tip of my tongue is about why he would enjoy staying longer. I shove a piece of cornbread in my mouth before I end up asking.

As if wishing to not overstay his welcome, Jake excuses himself after a second helping of chili and a conversation with Levi about a man named Flutie that recently signed on with the Buffalo Bills. I see him out, stepping into the night and stopping on my front porch.

“Thanks for bringing my CD player over,” I tell him, leaning back against a porch post.

“Thanks for asking me to stay.” He tips back against the post across from me. “Although does it count if your roommate was the one that technically asked?”

“I was planning on it though.”

He grins, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his well-worn, perfectly-fitted Levi’s. “You were?”

“I wouldn’t have been a very good town representative if I didn’t give you a taste of our hospitality.” I cross my arms, wrapping in on myself in the cool evening air. Without missing a beat, Jake shrugs off his jacket and holds it open to me.

Our eyes meet, and the softness I see in his shatters my resolve. I turn, slip my arms in each hole, and allow him to lift the warm, cinnamon-scented jacket up over my shoulders.

It hangs heavy from the oversized fit, and it’s entirely too comforting and familiar.

“Was that all it was?” he asks as I turn back around. “Ellicottville hospitality?”

It must be easier to be vulnerable with him in the darkness out on this porch, because a quiet “not really” falls from my lips without a second thought.

I sit down on the top step and look up at the sea of stars. The porch boards groan as he joins me.

“The sky sure doesn’t look like this back home,” Jake murmurs appreciatively. “I’ve spent most nights here doing this exact thing.”

“They’re even more brilliant in the winter.”

“I can’t imagine the sky more brilliant than this.”

He still has his chin tipped upwards, and I lower mine to take him in. There’s two-day stubble on his jaw, and I think I really like it this way.

“Can I see you again?” he asks, turning to look at me too.

“I have a feeling it would happen no matter what, considering our track record.”

“You mean that CD player was really left behind by accident?” he teases.

“Apparently chance isn’t done with us yet.”

He leans over, resting against my shoulder. “Is that a yes to another…” he hesitates, considering his next words, “town outing?”