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It was the red flag I ignored back then.
“Hmmm…well, Jake’s one of the good ones. I’m sure you guys will get along fine. You always did whenever I saw y’all.”
I let out a sigh, my breath creating a cloud between us. I can’t let my mom down. If I count how long it’s been since I spent more than a day back home, the guilt settles in.
She’s got me over a barrel.
“It just caught me off guard is all.”
Mom’s smile is huge and I know I’ve made the right decision.
I think.
The bell over the door chimes and I hear Patty groan.
“Oh, I’m so full,” she says, holding her flat stomach.
“You say that every time you eat, Mom,” Jake teases his mom with a smile.
Emily nods her head toward Jake. “Thank you for breakfast. That was sweet of you.”
Jake shoves his hands in his pockets, smiling at her. “It’s the least I can do for all those times you and Stella fed me after football practice.”
Damn it, I do not want to see those dimples. The less I see them the better off I’ll be.
I shift my stance so I’m not directly facing him and become utterly fascinated with rubbing the grout between the worn red bricks with the toe of my boot.
Mom holds out her phone, squinting at it. “Damn, I forgot my glasses.” She moves closer to me, holding up her phone to me. “Lia, what does that say?”
“‘Contract finally came through. Stella.’”
“Oh! I gotta go.” Mom lays a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry I can’t walk back with you. I need to head over to the office.”
I shrug and shiver. “It’s fine. I’m going to head over to the Sweet Spot anyway.”
“Oh, good. Can you tell Amelia to call me, please?” She leans over and kisses my cheek. “Okay, sweetie. Gotta run.”
“I’ll walk with you over to the Sweet Spot,” Jake says.
Before I can protest, Patty pipes up. “That’s a great idea. Y’all can talk about the festival,” she says, a big smile on her face. “I gotta run myself. Time for my Silver Sneakers class.”
A moment later, Jake and I are left alone on the sidewalk. He’s so tall andbroadnow.
I cross my arms over my chest and lift my chin. “I don’t need you to walk me to the coffee shop. I manage to make it all over Seattle without getting lost on a daily basis.”
“I just want to make sure you get there without tripping over anything. You know, like air or something.” He rocks back on his heels, a smile curving his lips, his gray-blue eyes lit up with laughter.
The skin under my coat heats up. It’s not from the fact that he looks downright edible in his black bomber jacket and jeans, his dark hair a tousled mess on his head.
Or the fact that he looks like walking sex on a stick.
Nope, it’s because he’s so aggravating I want to scream.
Yeah, that’s what it is.
I look up, mentally counting to ten as I take in the clear blue sky. I’m at eight when he says my name.
“Lia, why don’t we call a truce? We’re stuck working together on this project, and it’ll go a whole lot easier if we get along.”
