“You okay, babe?” Jake’s voice was low and hushed. She studied his expression, his brows pinched together in concern.
Babe?
Their eyes collided. His baby blues told her all she needed to know.
She was going to be okay.
“Yeah,” she choked out, emotion clogging her throat. “I am.”
He reached up and tenderly brushed away a stray tear, his fingers brushing against her soft skin. He was about to pull away when she seized his hand, her fingers interlacing with his, bringing it to her face as she breathed in his scent.
Jake leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, offering her a smirk that would have normally annoyed her but now sent her pulse skyrocketing. Her eyes flew to his lips, recalling the way they’d felt on hers last night. She licked her lips, willing him to lean in a little closer.
“Ew, you guys are gross,” Marley said loudly.
Gia jerked away, clearing her throat. “Wh-what?”
Marley rolled her eyes but tipped her chin downward. “Look.” The bundle of fur had climbed onto her lap. “I think she likes me.”
True to her word, a contented purr filled the air.
“Well, don’t get used to it. This is only temporary,” Jake’s voice cut in, though he playfully nudged Gia with a shoulder.
Twenty-Four
JAKE
Jake was going on a date.
A date with Gia.
She’d left his place before lunchtime, claiming to have a date with her nieces. A soft kiss at his doorstep punctuated their farewell. He’d watched as she’d gotten into her car and driven away. It wasn’t until her taillights disappeared around the corner that the anxiety set in.
His stomach churned. Self-doubt and restless energy plagued him for the rest of the afternoon at the prospect of finally taking Gia out for theirfirst official date. He prayed nothing would go wrong tonight.
After checking in with Marley, who claimed she wasn’t interested in going to the annual fall festival and would rather stay home with a very pregnant cat, Jake left to claim his prize. Already he knew he was in trouble, judging by how attached Marley was to the cat. There was no way this cat was going to leave without a lot of tears involved after all was said and done, but that was a problem for another day.
He hoped the walk to The Lotus would help release the tension. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, only that this was a tremendous step in the right direction. After Gia left his houseto work at the restaurant, he headed into the office to finish some paperwork. He shouldn’t have bothered, given how distracted he had been.
When was the last time he’d gone out on a date? Did he even know what to do anymore?
And even worse, what if he fucked up the whole thing?
So instead of staying at the office, he’d rushed home to freshen up. He worried about what to wear for the better part of an hour before deciding on his outfit. His old hair putty was in the back of the drawer. It had been years since he’d styled his hair, but the paste was still sticky as he worked it through his hair and styled it. The last time he’d been this concerned about his hair was in high school, when he was trying to get Gia to notice him.
Apparently, some things never changed.
On the way out, he sprayed on some cologne, giving his body a sniff to assure himself he smelled irresistible. He winced. Maybe he’d gone overboard with it.
Good enough.
It was unseasonably warm for an autumn night. The sun was setting over Mount Luna. The streetlights blinked on as Jake made his way down the sidewalk. Dressed in dark jeans and a flannel, he was comfortable without the light jacket he’d shrugged on at the last second.Just in case.He didn’t want to miss an opportunity to make sure hisdatewas comfortable.
The walk to Main Street took him about ten minutes. It didn’t matter that he’d been living on this side of Willowbrook for the better part of the last decade—it still took his breath away. It was a far cry from his childhood home, which was on the outskirts of town. Far enough away to almost forget about his lonely childhood and the house that never quite felt likehome.
He’d done his best trying to breathe life into the house he built. Initially, he focused on the bones, ensuring their perfection. Then came the interior, which he’d painstakingly designed. But what really gave life to his home were the memories he’d madewith Marley. And if things went according to his plans, maybe a certain movie star would move in, too.
What he wanted to build was a place where happy memories existed. Not one with pain and regret that reeked of loneliness, stale beer, and cigarettes. Memories of his neglectful parents had confronted him more often than he liked in the past couple of weeks. Gia’s return to town had awakened his ghosts, too.
