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Full of confidence, Brady quickly answered her. “Honestly, I think it went well. Her dad didn’t shoot me, so I’ll take that as a positive sign.”
Everyone laughed and Brady reached over and took Elizabeth’s hand in his. The new couple filled the other two in on their morning. They all talked, laughed, ordered food, and continued a good solid conversation enjoying each other’s company.
Someone on the other side of the restaurant caught Chad’s eye. He looked up, and without thinking made eye contact and waved the newcomer over.
“Hey, Jacob.” Chad stood up to welcome his buddy, grasping his hand and pulling him in for a guy hug and hard pat on the back. Brady turned to greet everyone else and noticed the stranger at the table.
Elizabeth and Jessica glanced at each other when their new guest arrived, and Elizabeth gently pulled her hand out from Brady’s grasp.
“Jacob, you should meet Brady. Brady, this is a friend of ours, Jacob.” Chad introduced the two men.
As Brady and Jacob shook hands, Elizabeth became uncomfortable and hoped to become invisible. She tried to avoid the situation and sat back in her chair, but Brady grabbed her hand again, pulling her next to him.
Squirming uncomfortably, she slowly looked between the two men before her. Her feelings for them tore at her insides.She glanced quickly at Brady, then made eye contact with Jacob. Her eyes froze on his. It was then that she realized she still had feelings for Jacob. There was something between them. Even though she tried to ignore him, tried to forget about him, her feelings for him had not changed. She felt more for him in the short time she had known him, than for the father of her child who she’d known for four years.
Elizabeth searched Jacob’s eyes trying to see if her feelings were reciprocated. She smiled, a warm and welcoming smile. “Hi, Jacob.”
“Hi, Elizabeth. You look good.” She just answered again with a smile and a nod. Jacob excused himself and went to sit with Stacey and her boyfriend who just walked into the restaurant after him and were seated at a table. Elizabeth couldn’t help but notice that Jacob was not with Kristen.
As her thoughts were lost in that last realization, she was brought back to the conversation and the others sitting with her when their food came, and they started to enjoy their meal. If Brady thought there was anything strange between Elizabeth and Jacob, he didn’t mention it, but Elizabeth again found herself having a hard time staying focused on the conversation in front of her because her eyes kept wandering over to the view across the restaurant.
Elizabeth finished her meal and sat back to relax. She did not miss the fact that she had a perfect view of Jacob and noticed when he got up from the table with his phone in his hand.
Quickly, she excused herself to use the restroom, and watched as Jacob walked out the main door. She walked past the restroom and followed him out of the restaurant instead. He was on the phone when she exited but he hung up and looked at her as she walked toward him.
“Hi, Jacob.”
Jacob looked up at her obviously confused and pocketed his cell phone. “Hi, Elizabeth.”
He looked around, wondering what brought her outside. “Are you all leaving?”
Elizabeth shook her head no. “I just wanted to speak with you.”
He looked at her with intensity. “So, is that the father?”
Elizabeth stopped briefly at this unexpected and direct question but answered him honestly. “Yes. Brady’s the father. I contacted him. I thought he needed to know.” She continued her approach.
Looking down at her, Jacob searched her face for an answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “He did need to know. It looks like he took it well. Is there something between you both now?”
She stepped even closer, closing the gap between them and looked into the blueness of his eyes. She was close enough to see the reflection of the parking lot lights in the light blue of those eyes.
“I’m not sure what’s between us.” She wasn’t sure what man she was talking about when she said those words.
Jacob took her hands in his, more to stop her advance than hold her. “Elizabeth, what’re you doing?”
Not pulling her eyes away from his, she answered him. “I’m not sure.”
She stood on her tiptoes, pulled her hands from his, enclosed them around his neck, and closed her lips on Jacob’s.
His lips were soft and warm, just as she remembered them. At first, he was reluctant, but she soon felt him give in and surrender to the kiss. She missed his lips and his kisses and showed him just how much. She deepened the kiss, and he answered her by folding her in his arms.
As quick as it heated up, it cooled off. Jacob broke their kiss and stepped away.
“Elizabeth, stop.”
He separated himself from her and glanced quickly around the parking lot. “I really need to go. So do you.” He looked at her as he said this, drinking in one last glance, and turned and walked away toward his car.
“Jacob? Why?” Elizabeth felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched him continue to walk away.
