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A throat clears, and both of us look over at Jack. He juts a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the door. “You ready?”
“Yes, just let me grab my jacket and purse. I’ll be right back!” I hurry, wanting to avoid making him wait when he’s doing me a favor. I’m back up to the front in no time, finding Jack and Irene in casual conversation. “I’m ready!”
“See you at the apartment in maybe thirty minutes, okay?” Irene says.
I smile. “That sounds great, thanks.”
Jack opens the door and holds it for all three of us.
Charlie turns and gives a mischievous grin as she walks backward a few steps. “See you two tomorrow. I’m going out with Levi again tonight!” She turns again to walk to her car, throwing a wave over her shoulder.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Irene calls out, and Charlie lets out a bark of laughter.
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t plan on leaving my place tonight,” she says with a wink as she opens the driver’s side door.
When Irene departs toward her car, she leaves me alone with Jack. He leads us to a white Tahoe with Fraser Police wrapped down the side of it. He opens the passenger door, waiting for me to get in.
As I pass him, my shoulder grazes his chest, and I breathe in his woodsy scent. It’s warm and comforting, and I find that I like it. I hop in, and he shuts the door. He walks around the front of the car, and I watch every step. He has broad shoulders and a confident stride. From a purely platonic perspective, he’s an attractive man.
Jack opens his door, gets in, and starts the car. “My place isn’t far from here; about a mile. I know you don’t have a car yet. I’ll drive you to work whenever I can. I just can’t guarantee it’ll be every day.” His tone is matter of fact, like it’s no big deal to get up at the crack of dawn and drive me to work.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m more than fine walking, especially if it’s just a mile. I like the quiet time to myself. Plus, it’s so beautiful here. I like to look at the scenery.” I turn and give him a reassuring smile.
His only response is a quiet, “Hmm.”
Unsure of what to make of that, I turn to look out the window instead. Before long, we pull down a quaint street with modest houses. They’re older but well cared for. Children are out on bikes, and some are playing in their yards.
We pull into the driveway of a cute little blue house. Off to the side is a two-story, two-car detached garage the same color as the house. A long staircase runs up the front of the garage to an exterior door.
Jack puts the car in park in the space closest to the main house. I’m surprised at the healthy distance between the main house and the garage. I’m unsure what I pictured, but this is even better than I thought. Far enough from the main house to have privacy but close enough to provide some semblance of comfort and safety.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and slide out of the car.
Jack waits for me at the back of the car. “Ready?”
I catch myself staring down the street and shake myself out of the daydream floating through my mind. I never knew a place like this would call to me, but I think I’ve found where I’m meant to be. I can’t explain why I feel so strongly about it—right now and right here of all places–but I do. Deep in my bones, this place feels like home.
I nod and follow him up the stairs to the white front door. He pulls out a key, unlocks the door, and gestures for me to step inside first.
The first thing I notice is the slightly stagnant smell, like no one has been in here in ages. The second thing I notice is how perfect it is. It’s a small space, but it’s just what I need. There’s a small kitchen area in the back corner with a small table and four chairs next to it, and across from the kitchen is the only enclosed space in the apartment, which I assume is the bathroom.
To my left is a queen bed, which sits slightly to the side of the room to make room for the couch by the front door. The room is neutral tan color, and the painter in me itches for some color.
Note to self: ask Jack if I can paint the room.
Jack is still hanging by the door while I’ve moved further into the space to look around.
“You can do whatever you would like to make it feel homier. It’s never been used since I moved in. The people I bought it from left this part of the house furnished. So, I don’t know how comfortable that mattress is. It’s got to be better than the motel’s though.” His hands are in his trouser pockets as he shifts side to side like he’s uncomfortable.
I’m unsure why he seems ready to bolt. Did I say something wrong? Is he uncomfortable around me? That doesn’t seem right since he’s never acted like this before.
I smile reassuringly. “This is perfect. Thank you so much for letting me stay here.”
He clears his throat. “It’s no problem. I’ll go so you can really look around. Let me know if there are any cleaning supplies you need. I brought up a broom and some basics earlier.” He points to the back corner, where there is a broom, cleaning wipes, towels, and paper towels piled on the floor.
“Oh, Jack. You’ve done too much already but thank you again. I feel like I’ve said that a lot lately. I’ve never met kinder strangers.”
I feel like I haven’t been able to adequately express how grateful I am to these new people in my life who don’t know me from Eve but have shown me so much kindness and grace. I hope at the very least that my expression conveys it.
