What was Jake meant to say to that? He’d come here ready to have it out with this man, get him out of the house and away from Branna if she wanted him gone, and here he was telling Jake to go and get his daughter from her room, so they could all eat breakfast together.
“Ah, sure.”
“She’s in the spare room because we have a guest.”
“You do?”
“I’ll let Branna fill you in on the details.”
Jake watched Declan O’Donnell make his way back to the kitchen before heading up the stairs. After knocking on the door, he turned the handle. She was lying on her front, hands flat under the pillow on either side of her head. The covers had ridden to her waist and her shirt was tangled around her ribs, showing him the line of her vertebra that disappeared into her blue panties. He couldn’t see her face, even though it was turned his way, as her hair was covering it. She slept deeply, her breathing even, body still. He just stood there, drinking in the sight of her. Jake felt the pain of longing in his chest, the need to hold her, press his lips to hers, trail his hands up her back and cup her neck. This woman was his future; she now controlled his happiness. With her, he wanted a family and roots of his own. The darkness that had settled over him for so long was lifting and it was due to her, his prickly, belligerent Irish woman who was kind, honest, and had a beautiful soul.
“Hey, Rosebud.” He reached out to brush aside her hair as she stirred. Bending, he kissed her cheek as she came awake, her sleepy green eyes widening as she realized he stood beside her bed.
“Jake?”
“You been entertaining anyone else in here? Because, I have to say, that would really piss me off.”
“Why are you in my room?” She pushed herself upright, rubbing her hands over her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Early.” She didn’t fight him when he pulled back the covers and picked her up. He carried her to the chair under the window. Sitting, he slipped one hand under the hem of her shirt, skimming the warm, soft curves of her body as he kissed her.
“I’m sorry, baby. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Me either and I’m sorry too.” She settled into him, her chin under his, one of her palms flat on his chest.
“I’ve been to Brook with Ethan to see a shrink. I’ve had two sessions, but I need more. He pulled stuff out of me that I didn’t even know was in there.” She listened as he spoke, her hand rubbing circles over his chest as he told her everything that needed to be said, and he felt calm for the first time since he’d left her.
“Do you feel better for talking to him?”
“Yeah, I think so, but I’m not sure I’m ready to practice medicine yet.”
She tilted her head back, resting it on his shoulder, her green eyes studying him. “It wasn’t about you being a doctor, Jake. It was about you making the decision not to be because you could, not based on what had happened to you.”
“I think that makes sense.” He kissed her again, soft and lingering.
“I wish your father wasn’t downstairs.”
“Me too.” Branna sighed.
“How’s that working for you?”
“He’s talked at me for two days, and I’ve listened and tried to understand, and then last night everything changed.”
“How?” Jake felt her tense, saw as she remembered something that she didn’t want to.
“I went to the Book Club.”
“How’d the cake go down?”
“Good.” She waved a hand in his face. “It was weird and kind of cool, but I’ll tell you about that some other time. Right now, I have to tell you something else.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone else, Jake.”
“Okay.” Jake rubbed a finger down the line that had appeared between her eyes.
She told him the events of last night, finishing with the fact that Macy was now sleeping in her bedroom.
