I took a breath. Then another one. I didn’t like the word hate, but I strongly disliked men that seemed to feel like they knew it all. Mansplaining, if you will. While Jake might be right, I really wanted to tell him to take his ones and twos, and shove them.
Come on, Ivy.
Another cleansing breath and I was in a better place. I could do this. “Jake, thanks for that information. And the guys are likely right, I do need new tires. It’s just with getting the bookstore off the ground, things are tight—”
“Ivy, you can’t drive on bald tires. That’s not safe.”
Damn, he actually looked concerned.
“You’re right. I meant to get them changed last week. I actually had an appointment to take the Jeep to Brian’s shop on the edge of town. But Addie got sick, and I moved it to Monday, never thinking we’d be hit with a winter storm so quickly. Anyway, it’s not raining yet. I’ll just carry her the few blocks home and come back tomorrow for my car.”
The words had no sooner left my mouth than the sound of sleet filled the kitchen. I glanced out the windows and back to Jake, only to find him watching me.
“As I was saying, freezing rain starting anytime,” Jake said, the corner of his mouth sliding up in a small smirk. “So can we just accept the fact that you two are my houseguests this evening and move on with the night?”
Jake and I in the same house all night long? I might combust. I could kill him. Or I could leave the trail of drool in my wake anywhere I went. It was a toss-up.
None of these were good options.
“Okay, okay, okay, we’re staying.” Yep, my heart began a new rhythm. Nothing to worry about here. Carry on. “So, um, what time did Addie go down?”
Jake glanced at his watch. “A little after four, I’d say. We watched some crazy show calledPaw Patrol.”
I groaned. “Sorry. She can watch that one for hours.”
He smiled, running a hand through his hair to push it back. Dang. “Anyway, after two episodes of it, she decided she wanted to dress up Chief and wrapped her scarf around his neck.”
“Lordy,” I whispered.
“Then we danced some more before she asked me to make up stories. Second story in and she was sawing logs. Not sure what that says about my storytelling abilities.”
“No, she often still naps around three each afternoon. I was thrilled when I saw her preschool got out at two here and they try not to have them nap at school. I guess a lot of parents don’t want their four-year-old to nap, but I’m all about it. Addie is a night owl if I let her. She naturally likes to stay up until nine but sleeps until nine. School days are, of course, a bit earlier.”
Jake’s face registered some surprise. “Twelve hours typically?”
I laughed. “Yeah, her naps are usually short, just enough for her to get all that energy wound up again. She goes to a day care after preschool each day. Teri lets her take a little catnap when she arrives, then she’s raring to go when the big kids come from elementary school to hang out until the parents arrive. I’ll have to wake her up soon, though. This is later and longer than her usual siesta, and I don’t want her to struggle to go to sleep tonight.”
Jake nodded, then moved to his fridge, opening it to peer in. “I don’t have a ton of food, but there are some staples in here for sure. What does Addie like?”
I moved behind him, carefully leaving a space between us, though the clean woodsy smell of Jake made me want to take a deep inhale. It was calming somehow.
Jake looked over his shoulder at me, waiting.
“What was that?” I asked.
Jake’s grin was a bit much, like he knew what I’d been thinking. “I said what does Addie like to eat.”
I shook my head and focused, looking around him at his fridge. “I can make her a grilled cheese and cut up some fruit.”
He looked thoughtful as he nodded, then glanced back in his fridge. “Hmm, how about some chili and cornbread for us?”
“Sounds good.” I leaned around him to grab the butter and cheese. As I did, his scent washed over me again. I wobbled a bit, only to find my balance when Jake placed his hand on my lower back.
“Easy, babe.” His voice reverberated through me. I didn’t know if I had the willpower to be around this man for the next fourteen hours or so. Didn’t anyone in town own a sleigh they could get us home in?
I moved away from him, placing my ingredients near the stove. “Bread?” I’d just pretend that he wasn’t making my entire body tremble. Denial was my friend, after all.
Jake pointed to a cabinet near his fridge. While I located the bread, he got a skillet out for me, dropped some strawberries on the counter near a cutting board, and started moving around to gather everything to make the chili.
