Page 23 of The Scars We Heal

CHAPTER TEN

jake

PRESENT DAY

July passed in a blink, and before I knew it, it had been almost a month since Cait had moved into the guest house.

For being neighbors in such close proximity, I hadn’t seen her much since the birthday party other than brief hellos, no more than passing ships in the night. I was busy with rodeo, and she was busy with Whitley, but we also weren’t…anything. I was her landlord, and she was my tenant, who also happened to be the older sister of one of my best friends and the woman I’d hidden my feelings for over the past decade. No big deal.

I shook my head, the absurdity of the situation sinking in. If my goal was to torture myself with the knowledge that the woman I’d had crippling feelings for but could truly never have slept within a few hundred feet of me, then I’d done a damn good job of it. The justice system ought to take note should they ever need new ideas for capital punishment.

Technically, there was nothing stopping me from acting on my feelings. Nothing besides my own brain getting in the way.

My heart told me to go after what I wanted and make up for all the years I stood on the sidelines, but a more rational part of myself told me to give it time. Let her come to me, or at least allow her to meet me halfway. The last thing she needed was to jump into another relationship, and I wasn’t sure she’d even want to be in a relationship with me. Maybe Adam had been so horrible that she planned to swear off men for the foreseeable future. I just didn’t know, and that was why logic always won out.

Outside, the sun cast a golden glow on the landscape and clusters of pollen floated through the air. A happy giggle pierced through the silence, and I stepped closer to the window to see what was going on.

Caitlin and Whitley were on the lawn, playing with a bubble wand. After Caitlin twirled it in the air, letting the wind blow bubbles, Whitley ran around and attempted to pop them all, squealing in delight each time she caught one. A giant smile spread across Caitlin’s face, the pair of them exuding pure joy.

Whitley tripped on the grass, taking a small tumble, but she didn’t cry. Instead she started giggling, and once Caitlin realized she wasn’t hurt, she joined in.

Pursing my lips, I searched for any reason to go outside and join them. I eventually found a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge that was only a couple days old. Deciding that it was good enough, I grabbed some small glasses and made my way outside.

“You girls thirsty?” I asked, holding up the pitcher.

“Yes, please,” Caitlin replied, throwing me a grateful smile.

“What is it?” Whitley asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Iced tea.”

“Icky!” Whitley screeched, standing up and running away to the bushes that lined the property.

“Guess that’s a no, then.” I chuckled before pouring Caitlin a glass.

“Do you want to move to the porch? It might be more comfortable than sitting on the grass,” she offered as she stood, wiping her hands on her pants.

“Yeah, that sounds good. It looks like Whit’s gone off to do her own thing.” I glanced toward the bushes where Whitley was playing in the dirt.

A high-pitched giggle affirmed my observation. “Ladybug!”

The two of us broke into laughter as we cozied into the chairs on the front porch.

“She’s got so much energy.” Caitlin sucked in a breath. “I really think it’s the air out here. It’s different than it was back in Washington.”

“There’s something about the wide open skies,” I agreed.

“Really, though. It makes you feel free. That’s all I could ever want for Whit.”

“Mommy, look at what I found!” Whitley raced up to us with her hands cupped together, practically thrusting them into our faces.

“Eeek!” Caitlin screamed. “Please get that out of my face!”

When I realized what she had, a laugh burst out of me. Plucking the tiny garter out of Whitley’s hand, I held it up. “It’s just a little snake, Cait.”

“I hate snakes,” she hissed, shrinking away from me.

The snake wriggled in my fingers, and its tongue darted out.