He met her gaze and held it as he added, “With the person I love.”He lifted a shoulder, not sure if it even made sense to her.
He went to set the skillet back on the stove, and before he could turn around, her little arms wrapped around his waist.He smiled at the feel of her chin in the middle of his back.
“Please don’t make light of it, Jake.I’m sorry I didn’t understand.”
He spun around and wrapped his arms around her, looking down into her eyes.“Don’t apologize.There’s no way youcouldhave understood — not until I explained it to you.”He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.“And now that I have, I hope you’ll like the idea.”
“I don’t just like it, Jake.I love it.”
“I’m glad.But come on, we should probably eat them.You’re going to have to get ready for work soon.”
As they sat and munched their way through the pancakes, Jake looked around the kitchen.“What do you think of this place?Do you really like this neighborhood?Enough that you’d want to live here?And even if you do, what do you think of the house?I think your apartment’s much cooler.”
“I shouldn’t have said that about the cool kids, should I?”
“No, I wasn’t teasing you.I’m glad you did.I understand how it feels.But… does that mean that you don’t want tostay here?”
She nodded eagerly.“I’d love to.I’ve never felt at home out in that apartment.I mean, you’re right, it’s really nice, but…”
Jake reached across for her hand as he watched her struggle for words.He thought he understood what she was thinking, and he wanted to help — but he didn’t want to put words into her mouth.
After a long few moments she shrugged and said, “I don’t know how to say it, and I’m not sure you’d understand if I did.”
“Mind if I try then?I can guess what I think you mean.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“If I had to guess based on what I know about you…” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.“And what I love about you… I think that right now you’re struggling, wondering if I think that your apartment is so cool that I want to move there.So, let’s get that out of the way first.I told you before — wherever you want to live is where I want to be.I only want that apartment if you have your heart set on it, and it doesn’t sound like you do.”
He chuckled.“And besides, I don’t think Tiff would be too thrilled about that anyway.”
She smiled.“I don’t know.She thinks the sun shines out of you.”
“I’m glad to hear it.She’s not someone I’d want to antagonize.”
Savannah chuckled.“Yeah, she’s kind of ferocious.But she has such a big heart.”
“Not as big as you,” Jake said, wanting to turn the conversation back to what he thought Savannah was feeling.“I’m guessing that you’d love to live here because it’d be like… coming home.”He frowned as he added, “To the home you never had.If we live here in this neighborhood, you finally get to have that, right?”
“Yeah, but… I don’t want you to feel like that’s why…”
He chuckled.“You’re worried I’ll think that you only want me for my house?”He shook his head.“I don’t have a huge ego, I don’t think, but I reckon there’s enough about me that you want me forme.”
She rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand hard.“You know damn well there is, and that’s not what I meant.”
“No, I know.But the house is part of the package that comes with being with me.But if you don’t like it, we can sell it and look for something else.”
She inhaled sharply, and he realized he was maybe going too fast — even though he felt like they were only now catching up to where he wanted them to be.
“I thought it was your dad’s, though, and that you just…”
He shrugged.“It is really.But he gave it to me.”
“So it’s yours now.”
He nodded.“Yeah.”
“But there’s Josh, too.”
