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In the darkened bathroom, my screen lit up with an incoming message. My heart pounded in my chest and panic welled within me.Don’t look at the screen, V, if you don’t look, it’s not real.But I’d been one of those kids whose face glued to the window when passing a car accident and this felt like that. Horrid fascination had me glancing at the screen and seeing an unknown number, but I knew who it was from.
“Your escort has arrived. Buzz me in.”
Oh god! The panic doubled. I really wanted to see him, but then he’d coerce me into going. Images of us back when he was twelve, and I was eight, commanding me to not climb the tree because he wouldn’t rescue me. But he did, with a stern warning that had made my heart melt. What would I do if he commanded me to attend the wedding in Montana? Saying no to Jacob was never something I’d learned to do, and it was safer to deny him entrance and avoid the issue.
“No,” I answered.
The screen lit with flashing as he typed, then disappeared. This happened several times. I guess he was stunned by my reply and was looking for the right words to say.
“If you don’t let me in, you won’t receive a good girl present.”
“You brought me a present?” Stupid redundancy but I never got presents except for Christmas and my birthday from my parents. A present from a man, not ever, and I couldn’t hold back the feeling of curiosity.
“Yes. A present. Let me in and I’ll give it to you.”
I needed to know he wouldn’t make me leave. I wanted his word that he would leave me alone as soon as he gave me the gift.
“Do you promise to not force me to leave if I let you in?”
“I will not force you. I promise. But I’ve come a long way to see you, and at least we could talk before I go back to Montana.”
I wanted that too. Truth be told, I really wanted to see Jacob. Thoughts of him had been percolating since Harmony had called to ask me to come to Rawhide.
“The elevator code is 12081998.”
No response from him and I ran to the door and unlocked it, staring through the peephole like a creep so I could see him exit the elevator before he saw me.
I wasn’t disappointed when a minute later, he stepped off the elevator. Big, muscular, dangerous. His large masculine frameemanated a quiet power that pulled at me. I wished I could dive inside that confidant man and wear him like a safety suit. He was a 2.0 version of the young man he’d been at nineteen, the last time I saw him, and felt his protective embrace around me as my home burned. I could still hear the fire laughing at me, like a background noise that wouldn’t quit, but had suddenly quieted when Jacob stepped off the elevator.
“I’m here, let me in,” he said through the door.
He held something behind his back. That must be my present. Excitement filled me. I was going to open that door and let in my childhood crush. But as my hand reached for the keypad, I couldn’t do it and my hand dropped to my side as a sense of despair moved through me.
“You can’t do it, can you?”
My internal dialogue mocked me. The fire laughed too at my inability to function in the face of what I wanted. Maybe I couldn’t, but he could.
“The entrance code is 02122002.”
I watched the panel light up as he tapped in the code. Holy crap! I glanced around for a place to hide, but the door opened, and my eyes rounded when he stepped through the doorway. He was larger than life, even the entryway seemed dwarfed by his presence, but the big welcoming smile he wore turned into a frown when he saw me backing away.
He held up one hand and talked in a low, calm voice like one would with a feral dog. “You’re okay, Veronica. You don’t have to be afraid. Look at what I brought you. He’s been bugging me to meet you for hours.”
Jacob pulled out a giant monkey from behind his back. How had I not seen that when he stepped off the elevator? It must have been almost three feet in length and a good foot and a half wide.
“Bananas has been dying to meet you. Can he give you a hug?”
I gulped and nodded. Without coming any closer, Jacob held out Bananas to me. I took hold of the monkey and couldn’t believe how heavy he was.
“I think Bananas wants to sit down.” I moved to the living room and dropped onto the sofa, placing my new friend against my chest, with his long arms around my neck. Jacob followed us but sat on the other side of the room, keeping a safe distance.
“Thank you, Jacob. I really like Bananas and I think he likes me too.” I sighed contentedly and allowed the weighted stuffy to comfort me.
“I have to agree. I told him all about you on the trip over and I could tell you two would get along.”
I peeked at Jacob over the top of Bananas’ head. He was so gorgeous. Why would he want to come and fetch his little cousin’s friend for a wedding?
“I’m sorry you had to come all this way for nothing.”
