Page 23 of Barefoot Lake

She opens her mouth like she’s going to say something else but closes it and gives me a quick nod before going inside.

I might be in trouble.

CHAPTER 12

Alice

Iclose my front door and lean back against the thick wood, suddenly feeling like I need something stable to ground me. Shutting my eyes and taking a few deep breaths, mentally berate myself for nearly attempting to invite Jake to a thank you dinner again. His adamant refusal of my last offer was just over twenty-four hours ago, and I don’t need another rejection so soon.

I feel a gaze on me and peek through one eye. Seeing Piper’s knowing and satisfied grin from the kitchen table, where she sits munching on cold pizza, I groan and thud my head against the door a few times. She bursts out laughing, easily identifying my inner turmoil after years of friendship.

“Soooooooooo, Neighbor Jake…” she prompts.

“No.” I expect my attempt to shut down the conversation is likely useless, but I try, nonetheless.

“I’m just saying, he didn’t seem very troll-like to me. But I do get the bear analogy. You could climb that man like a tree.”

“Piper!” I flush at the thought.

“Come on. You have eyes. Don’t act like you haven’t already thought about it.”

“I have not!”

I’m a liar.

Piper snorts when she laughs at me, but there’s no need to verbally call me out. We both know I’m full of crap. I huff and try to change the subject again.

“Let’s go for a walk around the lake. I have a missed call from Grateful Bob, so he’s probably expecting an explanation for why I called him at two a.m.”

“Great idea!” Piper hops up. “You can tell me all about your morning on the way.”

Respectfully, Piper waits until we’re a decent distance away from my house, and more importantly Jake’s, before peppering me with questions about “Jake’s rescue.”

“It wasn’t a rescue. It was a flat tire, but yes. He was… useful.” I brush at a tickle on my arm that I pray isn’t a mosquito.

“I don’t think somebody who hates you would go out of their way to help like that. I think there could be something there!” Piper is giggly and clearly feeling romantic. I blame Scotty.

“Based on what?”

“He’s gorgeous. You’re gorgeous. It’s simple!” She laughs again before getting a little more serious. “Plus, he came home to take care of Scott like that. There’s some real good in him, and I think you deserve somebody who would look after you like that, too.”

I look over at her questioningly. I hadn’t told her what Jake had explained about his and Scotty’s parents.

“I texted Scott to check in earlier. He explained what Troy was going on about. Scott told me Jake gave up everything to come home for him,” Piper explains.

My chest squeezes for the brothers’ pain. What Jake did for Scott when they were both so young is nothing short of amazing.

I let the thought roll around in my head for a while and swat at a sharp, stinging bug bite on my calf. Crap. I should have put on bug spray.

Reid was never protective or particularly helpful, if I’m being honest. I’ve always taken pride in being self-sufficient, having been taught how to work through any challenge by a mom who did the same as a single parent. I don’t need to be taken care of, but I can admit it might be nice for somebody to want to do it.

“I just don’t think that’s going to be Jake. This morning was nicer, sure, but I doubt I’m making his Christmas card list.”

Piper shrugged. “I dunno about that. Last night, I think he was smiling more than you saw. And considering the fact that he was picking us up from a police station in the middle of the night, it’s a surprise that he smiled at all.”

I can practically see Piper writing my love story with Jake in her mind.

“Pipe, you spend too much time lost in your romance novels.”