“And that’s why I have you checkthelock…”
“Three times, I know,” Jake groaned, rolling onto his back. I turned too, propping myself on an elbow just to soak in his handsome face. “Is it weird that I’m going to miss them?” Headded.
My chest burst with love for this man. Even though the whole babysitting thing had been pushed on him, he hadn’t shied away. He’d gotten in there and done the job. Yes there were times he seemed way out of his league, but he’d surprised me on more occasions than not. Even with that potty mouth of his, or maybe because of it, Jake was a big hit with Syd and Ri. He might not realize it himself, but my husband was a natural atfatherhood.
Gliding my fingers over his face, I kissed him and whispered, “You’re such a good man. Do youknowthat?”
The smile that forced its way across his lips was not lost on me. It was so subtle, but I knew what tolookfor.
“What was that?” Iasked.
He playeddumb. “Huh.”
“That smile. Why are you fake-smiling?”
“I’m not faking anything,” he protested. “That’s the way Ismile.”
I stubbornly stared in his eyes, trying to get him to admit his deception. He stared back defiantly. At an impasse, I asked, “Why do you do that? Why do you doubt that you’re a goodperson?”
Surprisingly, he let the tension roll off his shoulders and answered me truthfully. “Maybe because I’m not, Casey. Has that thought ever occurredtoyou?”
“Do you honestlybelievethat?”
Jake regarded me a moment, behind the hair that fell over his eyes before unexpectedly sitting up. “I don’t want to do this right now. Please, just letitgo.”
I reached for him, but he stood up and moved away from the bed. I watched him grab for his boxers and slidethemon.
“I mean, everyone has done something they’re not proud of,right?”
“Casey.” Jake shook his head. Clearly he was frustrated with me, and couldn’t seem to decide what to add to his sentence, so he just stopped atmyname.
And now I had a choice: keep pushing for an answer and watch him walk away, or give up on bedside counseling for the sake of peace. I chose the latter simply because Iwascold.
“Hey,” I said, patting the sheets. “Come on. Don’t be pissed. Lie back downwithme.”
He contemplated his options, clearly hesitant to trust myintentions.
“I promise I won’t bring it up. Just come back and warmmeup.”
Jake relented and crawled back under the covers with me. Pulling him into my arms, I gently placed a kiss on the tip of his nose. A moment passed while we looked intently into eachother’seyes.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I don’t know why Ididthat.”
I traced my fingers along his chest, contemplating how I wanted to reply. “Someday, Jake… someday you’ll trust me with all yoursecrets.”
He seemed to be considering my words as his body slowly relaxed under mytouch.
“Maybe someday, Case. But nottoday.”
19
Jake:GoBig
Kyle waitedwith me in the dressing room before the show. Pacing back and forth, he was making me nervous, and I wasn’t even the oneproposing.
“Dude,relax.”
“Sorry. I feel like I’m goingtohurl.”
