“You probably think I’m a sentimental old fool.”He gave a half smile.“And I’m not saying you’re wrong, but Jakey, even from where I’m sitting, life’s too short.Don’t waste it on making your mind up – grab it by the balls and live it.”
~ ~ ~
Savannah made a face as she walked across the square back to her car.The small Ford was perfect as a daily driver – it was cheap, cheerful, and reliable – but it wasn’t much fun.She loved her Camaro, but it didn’t make any sense to drive it to work every day.She used to when she still lived in Hidden Valley and worked at the diner, but making the trip around the lake from the apartment she was sharing with Tiffany to the restaurant in the Lodge at Four Mile Creek and back again soon racked up the miles.And if there was one thing she didn’t love about the Camaro, it was the gas mileage.
She checked her watch.She was back earlier than usual.She’d worked the lunchtime shift today, and her boss, Taryn, had told her she could finish early.So here she was – back at the resort in Summer Lake on her way home.She hadn’t needed to stop at the convenience store, she just hadn’t relished the idea of going back to the empty apartment.
She walked over to the railing by the steps and stared out at the lake.She could go down and take a walk on the beach, but that didn’t feel right; she wasn’t a tourist.She popped a Tic Tac into her mouth.She needed to relax and catch up with herself.She might not be a tourist, but she didn’t have to constantly be working or doing something productive, either.But it was in her nature.She’d never known what it was like to have free time for what felt like frivolous things.
As a kid, she’d felt like her whole purpose in life was to take care of her mom.She knew now that wasn’t how it was supposed to work, and sometimes people tried to make it seem like she’d had a bad childhood, but Savannah didn’t see it that way.Her mom was in a wheelchair – she was sick; she had muscular dystrophy, a progressive muscle-wasting disease that had kept her mostly housebound for years.In the end, she'd been admitted to the hospital when she caught pneumonia – and she didn’t come home again.Whatever people might think, Savannah didn’t see that her childhood could have been any different.Her mom couldn’t do much; they only had each other, so Savannah had done what she could.
She straightened up, pushing away from the railing.She didn’t want to stand here thinking about her mom and how things had been.The past was behind her – and she was hoping that it would finally stay there.Instead of dwelling on it, she was going to take that walk on the beach.When she and Josh were small, his mom, Sadie, used to bring them to hunt for pebbles and pretty stones.They were happy memories, and she decided that it was about time she made some new happy memories.
With that thought, she headed to the steps that led down to the beach but stopped in her tracks when she heard someone call her name.
Her breath caught in her chest.She knew that voice.It was deep and steady and gave her goosebumps – it was Jake.
She smiled as she turned around, and her heart beat faster when she saw him hurrying across the square toward her.
“Hey!”he greeted her with his gorgeous smile and stopped a few feet away.He always did that; it felt to Savannah like he deliberately kept his distance.She just hoped it was because he felt the same way she did – that if they got any closer, the pull between them would be irresistible – and not because he thought of her as Stinky Savvie, like the kids at school used to call her for a while.She knew now that it was normal for people to shower every day – and she did, sometimes twice – but when she was small… the look in his eyes reassured her that he didn’t think of her as that stinky kid – far from it.
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here?Are you on your way to work?”he asked.
“On my way home.Taryn let me go early.”
He frowned.“It must be a pain to have to come all this way home and then go back again.”
She didn’t know what he meant at first, then shook her head.“No.It’s not a split shift – I’m done for the day.”
“You have the evening off then?”
“Yeah.”She gave a self-conscious little laugh.“And I’m so not used to that idea that what I’m doing is exactly what I’m trying to figure out.”
“What are your options?”
She shrugged.“I was thinking I could go down to the beach and walk.”
His smile hit her right in the chest, and his words made her heart hammer.“Do you want some company?”
She only hesitated for a moment.She’d told Tiffany the truth – it was better if she didn’t go out with him; it’d get too complicated, and he was such a good guy, he didn’t deserve complicated.But he was a good friend– and there was no reason she couldn’t invite her friend along for a walk on the beach, was there?
“If you mean you, then I’d love some.”
~ ~ ~
Once they were down on the pebbles, Jake shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked beside her at the water’s edge.His mind raced, trying to think of something to say.It was crazy – she was easy to talk to.Whenever they got past the initial awkwardness, they could chat away about anything and everything.But every time he saw her, he had to reel his enthusiasm back in first.When he’d spotted her from the square just now, he’d felt like he’d been sucker punched – in the best way.He couldn’t believe his luck that instead of going home early, since he couldn’t do much at the shop this afternoon while he was waiting for parts to come in, he was here on the beach with Savannah.
They’d walked a good distance before she turned to look up at him.She was so damned pretty it made him ache – in his chest as well as in his pants.Her blonde hair blew around in the wind, and her full, pink lips turned up into a smile.
“How are things with you?How’s the business coming along?Is Harvey behaving himself?”
He chuckled.“Harvey’s great.I love having him around.”He held her gaze, wondering if he should say that he’d love to have her around too – even if only as a mechanic on call.
She spoke before he could decide whether or not to bring it up.“Don’t let him get inside your head, will you?”
Jake swallowed, feeling as though she somehow knew that Harvey had been encouraging him to ask her out – and was telling him that she wouldn’t be interested.
