“You don’t drink?”he asked as they walked across the square toward the entrance to The Boathouse.
“Not much.I do sometimes, when I go out, but I’m in the car and I still have to drive home.”
He frowned.“You’re still in Austin’s apartment, aren’t you?On the old road out of town?”
“That’s right.I mean, we rent from Austin – Tiffany and I.But it sounds weird when you call ithisapartment – it sounds like I live with him or something.I don’t think Amber would like that.”
He pursed his lips.“You’re right.I should have said it differently.I wouldn’t like it if you were living with Austin either.”
She laughed.“You should see the look on your face.Austin’s a good guy.We went to school together.He’s not some unsavory character.”
“I know; he’s a great guy.But I still wouldn’t be happy if you were living with him.”
Her breath caught as she looked up at him, and he gave her a rueful smile.“What can I say?I need to feel like I at least stand a chance.”
She stared at him for a long moment, not knowing how to respond.
He broke the tension when he nudged her with his elbow again.“Do me a favor, would you?If there’s no hope at all for us to start seeing each other, don’t tell me till the end of this evening?”
She wanted to say that she’d love to start seeing him, but she shouldn’t.She was relieved that they’d reached the door to the restaurant, and he held it open for her.
As soon as they stepped inside, Kenzie, the bartender, waved them over.
“Hey, guys!This makes me happy – seeing you two out together.I’ve been wondering how long it’d take you.”
Savannah rolled her eyes.She didn’t want Kenzie to embarrass Jake.
To her surprise, he stood a little closer to her and grinned.“I’ve been wondering myself,” he told Kenzie before looking down at Savannah and adding, “but we’ve made a start now.”
His eyes seemed to question her as to whether that was true, and Kenzie watched them closely.
After a moment, she nodded slightly, and sensed Jake relax.Kenzie’s raucous laugh rang out, making them both smile.“Love it!”she told them.“Are you going to sit outside?There are servers out there.But if you want to sit at the bar here with me so I can join in …”
Jake shook his head at her.
“We’re going to make the most of the sunshine,” Savannah told her.
“Good – I was just messing with you.Go enjoy yourselves.”
~ ~ ~
When they were seated at a table right over the water, and the server had brought them their drinks, Jake leaned back in his seat and finally relaxed.He hadn’t planned this – any of it.But Savannah was probably right about Harvey getting into his head.Not that he was complaining – far from it.He was grateful for the old guy’s reminder that life was too short.
Jake had lost friends during his time in the Marine Corps.That was one of the reasons he’d decided not to re-up.
He was happy to be here in Summer Lake.Happy that he got to live in the same small town where his dad now lived – and his uncle Dom.Perhaps even more than that, he was happy to have a shot at building a life for himself on his own terms.
He’d loved his time in the Corps, but after the first few years, he’d known it wasn’t what he wanted to dedicate his whole life to.The garage and towing business didn’t amount to much yet, but it would.He’d build it up over time.And it wasn’t as though he wanted to build a mega-business or anything.He just wanted to make a living for himself, and a couple others if he could.
He enjoyed working on cars, he always had.He loved knowing that he was helping people in his own way.All right, so he wasn’t a doctor or anything like that, but he helped people stay on the road by fixing their cars.It might not seem like much, but he liked to think that he was helping people get on with their lives – and that counted for a lot.
He watched Savannah sip her drink and look out at the lake, and it was only then that he realized they weren’t talking.He should probably be making conversation, but strangely, he didn’t feel the need.He felt comfortable enough with her that they could take in the moment without filling every second with talk.
That made him frown.How could he be so relaxed now when just a few minutes ago he’d been so nervous he couldn’t stop running his mouth?
She turned to him with a smile and let out a big, happy sigh.“Thanks for suggesting this.I’ve never sat out here like this, and it’s the perfect day to do it.”
He relaxed, grateful that she was the kind of girl who was happy to enjoy the view and the moment.He couldn’t see any of the girls he’d dated in San Diego thinking much of this as a first date – or any date.They were more about appearances, he guessed.They wanted to be seen at the right places.They cared about what they wore – not just what clothes but what names and labels.They liked to be the center of attention – and he’d figured out quickly that if he didn’t pay them enough attention, they’d soon find someone who would.
