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8
JAKE FLIPPED DOWN the mirror in the truck and ran a hand through his hair, checking his teeth for any pieces of lettuce left over from his lunch with his sister. Abigail ate like a damn rabbit and had only prepared a large chef salad for them to share. He'd had to eat three servings, but still it was nice to see his sister and visit with Birdie, who had just started eighth grade at St. George's. He could hardly believe how fast his niece had grown into a full-fledged teenager.
He popped a breath mint and then shook his head.
Hell, why was he acting as if this was a date?
Eva was Eva.
Besides, he was just coming by to hang out with her and Charlie. After several days cooped up with her brother, he suspected his good friend needed a break. Their one conversation a few days ago had indicated she had her hands full. So far she'd taken Charlie to the doctor for his immunizations, which required a trip for ice cream afterward, to the dentist for a cleaning, which meant a small filling... and tears, and had visited St. George's Episcopal, which was declared a dumb school. Eva had also said Charlie wet the bed every night, which necessitated lots of laundry and resulted in a lack of sleep.
So Jake was there to help out, provide distraction, change lightbulbs... or whatever she needed.
'Cause that was what good friends did for one another.
They were not, however, supposed to trim their toenails, pop breath mints, or take care to wear a shirt that complemented their eyes. That was what a date did. And this was not a date.
Jake set the roll of mints back in the ashtray and climbed out. The days were growing shorter and cooler as fall tried to roll in, which was a relief for the summer-weary residents. Jake was tired of working up a sweat by just getting out of his vehicle.
Jogging up the steps, he pressed the doorbell. Charlie answered. "Oh, it's you."
Jake smiled. "Who were you expecting?"
"The doctor guy." Charlie stepped back and let Jake inside. The normally neat living room looked as if a storm had hit, tossing blankets, toys, and empty soda cans around the room.
"The doctor guy?" Jake said, picking up a blanket and lifting a diet soda can off the coffee table. "Are you drinking this?"
Charlie looked guiltily at the can. "Well, I found them in the back of the fridge. They aren't as good as orange soda, but I'm sick of water and milk."
"Where's Eva?"
"She's in her room getting ready. She takes really long showers."
"What are all these blankets doing out?" Jake asked, folding the one in his hand.
"I'm building a tent. My birthday's next weekend, and Eva said we'd have a campout in her backyard. I’m practicing. See? I used these chairs and put the blankets on top of them. It doesn't make a good tent, though." The little boy shook his head at the chair with the blanket hanging from its back.
Jake set the folded blanket on the couch just as Eva emerged from her bedroom, wearing a dress, and pulling a shoe on her right foot. She stood, her eyes growing wide at the disaster of her living room. "What did you do, Charlie?"
"I built the tent. You said I could."
"Well, you need to pick all this up," she said, taking an earring from her palm and threading it into her earlobe. Her gaze rose and she finally saw him. "Oh, Jake, you're here. Good."
Good?
Jake stared at Eva, who was way overdressed for hanging out. The dress she wore hugged her generous curves, and her hair fell in soft waves onto her shoulders. She secured the other earring before running fingers through her pretty curls.
"You look nice," Jake said, still feeling totally confused.
"Thank you," she said, moving into the kitchen, peeking through the open area over the bar. "Now, I've left some dinner in the oven."
"Yuck!" Charlie screeched.
Eva shot him a withering look. "I didn't make it. Jake's mom did. Wait, did you drink soda, Charlie?"
Charlie plopped down on the hardwood floor and started moving his trucks around, makingvroomnoises, shutting Eva out.
"Oh, my gosh, how many did he drink?" she asked Jake, pulling a notepad from beside the cordless phone.
