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He skips off again, and I stand back up to watch him go. I can't help the smile that blooms on my face as I think about his enthusiasm for life. I've never wanted kids, but it makes me think that maybe...
No. No way. I like my life the way it is.
Don't I?
When I turn back toward the grill, Jake is already coming closer, his expression unreadable. I hold my breath in anticipation of how he'll treat me. Will he be awkward? Indifferent?
Will he act like nothing happened at all?
"Sarah," he says, approaching with that confident stride of his.
"Jake," I respond.
"Long time, no see."
I nod. "Yeah. Long time."
He opens his arms, and I step into his embrace. It feels like home--like coming home to someone who knows me, even though we barely know each other and we're definitely not in a relationship. I have to remind myself that we're not. We're not anything.
"How have you been?" he asks me, his lips against my ear.
"Good," I say, pulling back with a smile. He keeps hold of me--a proprietary grip on my arm. "I've been good. Busy with wedding season. You?"
"Same with fishing season," he says. "Typically go up to Alaska to go cod fishing in the spring. Just got back onshore a couple weeks ago."
"Oh," I say, suddenly unsure of what else to say. "Well...it's been nice, but I should probably go say hi to everyone else."
I turn around, but his grip tightens and his mouth opens.
"Are we good?" he asks.
I frown, blushing. "Um...yeah, we're totally good. Why?"
"I thought you might be pissed I didn't call," he says. "I should've."
I lower my voice, wanting nothing to do with the Hart rumor mill. "Don't worry about it, Jake."
"I want to worry about it," he says. "That was a damn good night, Sarah."
I bite my lip, unable to stop myself from smiling. "I missed--"
But Reagan comes up behind me and taps me on the shoulder.
"Hey!" she says. "Glad you made it."
"Yeah," I say, laughing. "I was just catching up with Jake after your son nearly knocked me out when I got here."
Her gaze sweeps between me and Jake, her eyes sparking with recognition. "I didn't realize you two knew each other," she says, a slight smile on her lips.
She hasn't forgotten that day she caught me at the drugstore buying Plan B. Did she just figure it out?
"We met at the wedding," I say quickly. "Remember? Piper and Jesse."
Reagan nods slowly, her eyes still on me and Jake. "Right, right. Well, enjoy the party, you two." She wanders off to talk to some other family members, leaving me and Jake alone again.
He takes a step closer to me, our bodies almost touching. "You were saying?" he prompts me, his voice low and husky.
I clear my throat, trying to ignore the shiver that runs down my spine at the sound of his voice. "Oh, uh, nothing important. Just work stuff."
