I chuckle. “I’ll tell my sisters they trained me well. You think you’ll get back to writing?”
Darcy blows a raspberry. “Marketing pays the bills. Creative writing rarely does.” She takes a moment to gather her thoughts. “My parents are kind of whimsical, you know? They’re very much ‘go for your dreams, no matter what!’ types. Pseudo-hippies. Fully living RV life, just going wherever the wind blows them.”
“They sound cool.”
“Well, they are. Almost too cool. I have to be the pragmatic one sometimes. You’ll see. You’ll meet them. They’ll be at the barbecue.”
I pucker my face like I’m thinking. “‘Hey, I’m Jake. I’ve seen your daughter naked a couple times and let me just say, nice work.’”
Darcy growls and rests her head on the counter. “Always a fucking pest.”
TWENTY-THREE
DARCY
“Darcy,baby, wake up. You need to go to bed.”
My eyes struggle to focus. I must have fallen asleep while Jake and I were watching TV. We put on reruns ofThe Officeand had our evening mint chocolate chip ice cream together. Last thing I knew, my feet were in his lap and Michael Scott had two queens on casino night.
“Did you get the horses out?” I ask. “Did you need to go to your lab?”
Jake nods. “No lab, and I got the horses. Even told Cane you miss him. But come on. You need to go sleep in a bed.”
We head upstairs, Jake still supervising my movement to make sure I don’t fall. I have the dignity to put on a pair of fresh pajamas, a cute little set I treated myself to a couple years ago. I leave the light on as I slide into the sheets, and my eyes feel heavy the second my head hits the pillow. The light switch clicks and I open my eyes to find Jake cast in dim moonlight, dressed in a t-shirt and athletic shorts.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hi,” he says. “Cute jammies.”
“I heard I’m always cute,” I drawl. “You sticking around?”
Jake freezes. “Do you need me to stay?”
“Need’s a strong word,” I yawn, and before I can think twice, I let out another question. “Do you want to stay?”
He smirks and shakes his head. “It’s okay to ask for what you want, Darcy. I think you’ve spent too much time making other people comfortable.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want you to stay if you don’t want to.”
His swallow is audible, his Adam’s apple bobbing in the silvery moonlight before his lips curl up in a sheepish grin. “I want to stay.”
My heart swells as Jake goes to the other side of the bed and lifts the sheets. He makes a few grunts as he wiggles his way over to me. His hand touches my waist, his fingers swishing over the silky fabric. “Spooning still good?”
“It’s perfect. I put my hair up high just in case so it wouldn’t get in your face.”
Air puffs from his nose onto my bare neck. “I wouldn’t have minded if it did.”
And with his body aligned with the back of mine, I feel like maybe it is perfect. Stormy must agree because she comes to settle between our feet. A little impromptu family.
Then he puts the icing on the cake. “Night, darlin’,” he whispers, and his lips press into the ridge of my shoulder.
My favorite place to be kissed.
* * *
I waketo a note on the pillow next to me and a sweet smell in the air.
I let you sleep in. I’ve got the morning chores. There’s breakfast in the microwave. Water before coffee, please. Hope you’re feeling better.
