“I know,” Jacob grumbled good-naturedly. “I remember.”
“I’m ready to call it a night,” I said. “Adisastrousnight, but a night nonetheless.”
“Why don’t you take Jacob home?” Mom said. “We picked him up, but since you’re going that way, it would save us a drop off.”
Maybe because I don’t trust myself to be alone with him?
“Do you care?” Jacob asked.
I smiled. “Not at all.”
Liar!
***
I set a beer down in front of Jacob. It was a habit we’d gotten into. After work he’d come out to the pool and we’d have a drink. “Do you know who she is?”
Jacob twisted off the top and took a long swallow. “Yes. But not the itinerary. Evidently she has that information.”
Don’t ask her name, Monica. Be strong!
I set my glass of wine down and tossed a squeaky bone at Thor. He snatched it up and began to chew. “Sounds like something they’d do.”
“I know dinner is one of the things involved because your mom told me not to eat beforehand.”
Thor lifted himself off the ground, ambled over, and dropped the toy at my feet. I picked it up and threw it. He trotted after it, caught it, and started gnawing again.
“Did you have a good day at work?”
“Yeah, I did.” He took another drink, and I forced myself not to watch as his throat moved with the motion. “I’m glad I came here to Trinity Falls and started working with Daniel.” He smiled. “And I’m glad I moved in here.”
“Me, too.”
I thought he was going to say something else, but instead he took another drink. “You have your painting class tonight?”
“Yeah. But not until seven.” I bit my lip, not wanting to ask. But curiosity won out. “So, who is she?”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m almost afraid to say it aloud. I know how your dates went, and I’m trying not to think about it.”
I laughed. “Her name?”
“I only have her first name,” he hedged.
“Name?” I said more emphatically.
He sighed. “Francesca.”
I blinked in surprise. “Oh.”
“Oh, no. What? Is she like fifty? Has like six kids? Not that I’m opposed to kids, it’s just I’m not sure I’m ready forsixof them.”
I laughed. “It’s nothing like that. In fact…”
I had to pause because my heart started to pound to the point of being painful. Mom and the girls set him up with Francesca? One of the most beautiful and straightforward women in Trinity Falls? There was no way he wasn’t going to fall in love with her.
“What is it?” he asked softly. “I can tell by your face it’s something.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s actually amazing. Francesca is beautiful.”
