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“What?”
“You had mature, adult sex with each other. He knows your body like Iknow your body. Hell, he probably knows you better than I do!” Horror flashed in his eyes. “He knows all your secrets. Your fears, what makes you sad and what makes you happy. He knows you better than I do because you have a history together from fucking birth!” he yelled, making me jump.
“Jake, calm down. My parents will hear you.” What in the world was going on with him? He never raised his voice. I hadn’t seen him unhinged and about to explode before now.
He took a deep breath. “I don’t appreciate you putting me in this situation.”
“I didn’t know any of this would happen.” I exhaled a heavy breath. “You don’t know Cade. He’s a man of his word and he hasn’t contacted me once.” My words put a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Nice. Now, I have to listen to you defend your lifelong lover.”
Would someone please gag Jake and throw him into a closet until the end of the weekend?
“I’m here with you!” I didn’t know how to deal with him. What did he need to hear to believe me? “I live with you. Do you know how huge that is? I’m sharing my life with you, only you. I even brought you to meet my family. What more do I have to do to prove myself?”
“Shit, I’m sorry, babe.” He collapsed on the edge of my bed and buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know why I flipped out.”
I kneeled before him. “It’s okay. Meeting the family is stressful for most people. I just want to have a pleasant weekend.” I tried my best to defuse him and gain control of the situation. “It’s my parents’ fortieth anniversary. They’re so blessed and I just want to celebrate them.”
“I don’t want to lose you.” He grabbed my face, a little firmer than usual. “But I’m at a tremendous disadvantage, in unfamiliar territory, and I feel threatened.”
Oh, wow.
“You won’t lose me. What can I do to help you get through this?”
He lifted me onto the bed and covered my mouth in a desperate kiss. What else could I do but respond to his advances? Sex usually worked to calm Jake. When he had a rough day and needed to work off steam, I helped him.
And I would right now, so he would feel better about us, then we could join my family downstairs.
4
Shelby
“Is everything okay with you and Jake?” Olivia asked the second I entered the kitchen. “Is he with Dad?”
“Yes. I thought I’d check to see if you all needed any help.”
“I always need your help.” Mom peered over her shoulder and smiled. She was stirring a pot on the stove, wearing the apron my siblings and I had given her for Mother’s Day, some twenty-plus years ago.
I remembered how giddy I’d been when Dad had gotten us craft paint to put our handprints all over it. Mine were in yellow and Liv’s were red. Holden’s were blue, of course.
Mom had loved our gift and obviously still wore it as if she’d just received it yesterday. Wouldn’t want sauce to splatter on her peach and cream striped blouse and denim capris. Her blonde shoulder-length hair was pulled into a low ponytail. From the back, she could pass for Olivia. They were the same height and body shape, but Liv’s hair was long and wavy.
“I heard arguing.” Liv elbowed me. She was a persistent, sassy woman. Probably because she was the youngest of the Smithfield kids and spoiled rotten.
“We’re fine.” I waved her off. After I’d given Jake what he needed, I’d shown him to the den where my dad was watching television. I thought maybe they could watch baseball together. Jake was a huge Dodgers fan.
“But what were you fighting about?”
“Liv.” Mom shook her head.
“It was my fault.” I glanced at my mom, then at Liv. “I hadn’t talked about Cade before, so his coming to dinner caught Jake off guard. Caught us both off guard, to be honest.”
“But it sounded pretty heated in your room,” Liv said as she tossed a large salad in a bamboo bowl.
“Were you eavesdropping?” I asked in an accusing tone.
“No, honey.” Mom came toward me. “We could all hear.”
