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Jacob’s heart was hammering in his chest. “Home?”
“Back to Kansas. I tried to get out of my lease so that I could look for somewhere cheaper, but I can’t even afford to do that.”
Jacob swallowed. He didn’t want her to leave. He could see a perfectly simple solution, but he didn’t think that she’d go for it. He wanted to bring it up straight away, but it might be better to hold his tongue for a while until he decided the best way to approach it.
“Let’s go back to the house and we can talk about it.”
“Okay.”
~ ~ ~
Becca couldn’t think of anything to say as they drove back to the estate. She felt stupid. He probably saw her as some dumb kid who couldn’t even manage to make her own way in life. If he did, he was right. She shouldn’t have told him how bad things were, but she was starting to think that it really wasn’t going to matter what he thought of her. He could think whatever he liked, and it wouldn’t mean a thing if she was back home in Kansas. That was starting to look like her only option. It was so kind of him to offer to let her use his car, but she couldn’t use it forever, and it wasn’t as though she’d suddenly be able to buy herself a new one next month, or even the month after.
He parked outside the garage and turned to face her. “Everything’s going to be okay, you know.”
She made herself smile. He was so sweet. “I know. It always is. I just don’t know what okay is going to look like. I hate to let the school down and ….”
“No.” He took hold of her hand. “I mean, everything is going to be okay right here. You’re not going to have to leave.”
She blew out a sigh. “I think I am.”
He opened his mouth but then closed it again. “I … how about we go and take a look at Fred? If you’re going to scrap him, you’ll want to get your things out of him first.”
She swallowed. It was stupid to get so emotional over a car, and she knew it.
Jacob squeezed her hand. “He can stay here, too. If you don’t want to scrap him. I have room.”
She let out a strangled laugh. “You’re just too sweet. I know I’m being silly, getting choked up. Don’t worry. I’ll get over it. It’s just … you know how I told you that he’s a friend? Well, he’s been a friend for years, and these last few months it felt like he was my only friend. I feel like the bottom’s falling out of my world today, and to lose my friend on top of it …” She shrugged.
“It’s okay. I get it. I really do. But I want you to know … Ineedyou to know that Fred’s not your only friend. You’ve got me now.”
He cupped his hand around the back of her neck and drew her closer so that he could kiss her forehead. “You’re not on your own any more, Becca. I’ve got you.”
“That’s so kind of you, but … we barely know each other, and ….”
She hated herself for saying it. It’d be so easy to lean on him – in every sense – and let him tell her that it was all going to be okay. But that wouldn’t be fair to him. She sat back and looked into his eyes.
“I don’t want to land all my problems on you. You don’t need it.”
“Didn’t you say that you wanted me to be a friend?”
She nodded.
“And isn’t that what friends do? Share their troubles, help each other out?”
“I suppose. But you know what I mean.”
He smiled and brushed his thumb over the nape of her neck. “I do. So, instead of pushing it, for now, I’m going to do another thing that friends do and that’s try to distract you from your problems for a while. How about that?”
“I can go along with that.”
She’d thought that they were going into the garage to see Fred, but Jacob seemed intent on keeping his word to distract her. He led her to the house instead. When they reached the kitchen, he introduced her to the cook.
Elena was a sweetheart. Becca was relieved to see that Jacob had a great relationship with her. He treated her more like a friendly aunt than an employee. She even slapped his hand when he tried to lift the lid on one of the pans on the stove.
Becca had to laugh when Elena came and linked her arm through hers and asked, “Would I be right if I guessed that I have you to thank for taking care of the dishes last night?”
She shot a look a Jacob. He was grinning at her.
