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She laughed and nipped at his lips. “It’s nothing bad – relax! All I meant is that I named him.”
Jacob’s laugh came out on a rush of relief. He tried not to roll his eyes but judging by the way she pushed at his arm, he didn’t succeed.
“At least tell me that you gave him a good name.”
“I don’t know what you think a good name is.”
He shrugged. He had no idea, either.
She sat up straighter and gave him a big smile. “I named him Grover.”
Jacob groaned. “Grover the Range Rover?”
She laughed happily. “Yep. Don’t you think it suits him?”
He brushed his thumb over the nape of her neck. “If it makes you happy, then it suits him. I love it.”
Her smile faded and she looked more serious as she pressed her nose against his. “That’s good, because I love you.”
His heart thudded to a halt. He thought they’d moved on from the moment when he told her that he loved her. It was fine by him. It was very early in their relationship for him to tell her that. He knew that she’d need time for it to sink in. And he’d thought that she would need a whole lot more time before he dared to hope … But …
He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Did I just imagine that?”
She grinned happily and shook her head. “You did not. It was very real – real words and real feelings. It might be crazy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I love you, Jacob Jacobs.”
He claimed her mouth in a deep, slow kiss. He felt like someone had opened a bottle of champagne inside his chest and he might just bubble over with happiness.
When he finally lifted his head, he looked down into her eyes. “I love you, Becca Taylor. And I’m going to love you forever.”
Chapter Fifteen
Becca was proud of herself when she cut the engine. She’d never been great at parallel parking, but she’d managed to line Grover up next to the curb. It wasn’t exactly a tiny space that she’d squeezed him into, but still. She gathered up her purse and phone and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She shouldn’t feel nervous, but she did.
She’d parked Grover on the street just a little way down from Molly’s restaurant where she was meeting Hannah for dinner. Jacob had a big meeting this afternoon and didn’t know what time he’d be home. When Hannah had called last night and asked if Becca wanted to go out with her, he’d been very encouraging. She knew what he was doing; he was trying to help her make friends and find her feet here. It was so sweet of him. But she still felt kind of awkward about it. She should be able to make her own friends, not have to rely on him to rope his sister in.
That wasn’t entirely fair, though. She’d known Hannah for longer than she’d known Jacob. They’d struck up a tentative friendship when Hannah started helping Grady out with Ava. Hannah had started collecting Ava from school before the holidays, and Becca had chatted with her the first day she’d seen her waiting. It was unusual to see a new face at pickup time, and Hannah had obviously been nervous.
Although they’d chatted most afternoons, they hadn’t built a real friendship. Becca bit the inside of her cheek and forced herself to get out of Grover. It felt like she was leaving the safety of the little cocoon that Jacob had provided her with. It was scary, but she knew it was necessary. She didn’t want to live her whole life in a safe little bubble. She didn’t want to make herself dependent on Jacob. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them. She needed to make an effort to build a life of her own, too.
She pressed the button on the key fob to lock the SUV. “See you later, Grover. Wish me luck.”
She hurried toward Molly’s restaurant before she changed her mind and chickened out.
Fifteen minutes later, she had no idea what she’d been worried about. She was having a great time. Hannah had told her that Molly, who owned the restaurant, would probably join them. Becca had met her before and really liked her. She was one of those down-to-earth women who seemed to make everyone feel at home. Mary Ellen was there, too. Becca had enjoyed talking to her the night they’d all gone back to Jacob’s house, but she’d felt a little awkward around her when she remembered hearing everyone laughing after Jacob kissed her. Hannah had told her that another two friends, Piper and Chelsea, might join them later for a drink.
“So …” Molly set her drink down. “… I’ve been good so far, but you have to tell us what’s going on with you and Jacob.”
Becca felt the heat in her cheeks.
“Molly!” Hannah scowled at her friend.
“What?”
Hannah smiled at Becca. “She means well, she’s not digging for dirt. It’s just that we’ve all been friends forever, and nothing’s sacred between us.” She turned back to Molly. “But you have to remember that Becca barely knows us yet. It’s different.”
Molly grinned at Becca. “Sorry. But you might as well get used to it. Hannah’s right, nothing is sacred between us – and you’re one of us now.”
“But …”
