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Answer the phone, damn it! I'm freaking out!
So maybe he wouldn't win awards for his baby sitting skills.
Jake dialed Eva's number, sending up a prayer that she hadn't called the po-po yet.
"Where in the hell are you? Where's Charlie?" were her first words.
''Calm down," Jake said, belatedly realizing those weren't good words to ever say to a woman. "He's fine. We went to the high school football game with Matt and his boys."
"And you didn't think to text me and let me know? Or ask me? You should have asked. Jesus, Jake, I should have known not to leave him with you. You're irresponsible and thoughtless."
"I can't believe you just said that. I gave up my Friday night to babysit your brother."
"You volunteered."
"Not for that."
"Look, the point is you should have let me know you were going somewhere. I got here and found the lights on and y'all gone. It scared me to death."
"So I forgot to switch off the light and text you. Doesn't give you the right to paint me into some loser who can't take care of a kid. He's fine. He's having fun."
Silence.
Jake had never gotten mad at Eva before. No reason to. But she was acting like his mother, bossing him around, not even appreciative that he'd stayed with Charlie while she went on a date with a total tool. "Oh, and guess what else. He had a Coke and some Skittles. Good luck with that."
He pressed End feeling a little childish, a little angry, and a lot confused over what he felt for his gorgeous friend.
He'd never felt so ruffled, so lacking, so totally turned around before.
And it was all Eva's fault.
She'd kissed him and changed everything.
9
EVA GLANCED UP from her position sprawled on the couch as headlights swept across the living room.
Jake had returned with her brother.
She took a last swig of the wine she'd poured herself to calm her trembling nerves.
Her date with Jamison had been a much-needed break after a trying week. He had put the top down on his sleek convertible as they headed up 1-10 toward Baton Rouge. The stars had twinkled appropriately, and the bright moon had hung low in the sky, a spotlight on the busy city. They'd gone to an Asian restaurant, drank saki, and ate fabulous sushi. After dinner Jamison had pulled off at the University Lakes and they'd taken a walk. The night had been intimate and beautiful. Jamison had held her hand and even pulled her in for a soft kiss.
She should have been glowing, but she wasn't.
The wholeno Jake, no Charliething when she'd come in from the almost obligatory good-night kiss and promise to call had thrown her into a tailspin.
She'd panicked, plain and simple.
A million different scenarios had streaked through her mind, starting with the notion Jake and Charlie had walked the path to visit Abigail at Laurel Woods, progressing rapidly to kidnapping and possible murder. Of course, she knew she was being ridiculous jumping to that conclusion. After all, Jake's truck was absent from the drive, and even though she watched a lot ofCSI,she wasn't a moron. Still, she'd never had to worry about anyone else but herself before. Even though it had been a rough week with Charlie, she knew the bonds between them had strengthened. Nightmares and tears at two o'clock in the morning tended to do things like that.
The door burst open and Charlie bounced in. "Hey, Eva, guess what? We went to the football game and our team won!"
"Did you now?" she said, pushing off from the couch and standing. She felt a bit woozy. Maybe the two glasses of wine she'd had with dinner paired with the big glass she'd poured to still her nerves had given her a buzz. But she'd needed that last glass.
She'd been so rattled.
Somehow her once easy life had gotten cluttered with feelings she'd previously ignored or never knew existed. She'd never felt protective of anyone before... and she'd never felt so vulnerable around Jake, either.
