Hope.
He was starting to envision a different life. A better one. A life that included what had been missing for him for so long. Other people. Love and community.
Ria.
He wanted it, and it seemed like finally—finally—it might be within reach.
After checking out the apartment and mentally assessing everything that needed to be done before the place was move-in ready, he headed downstairs and stepped out onto the sidewalk to be confronted by a shaggy man.
Shaggy was the only word that fit. The man’s hair was shaggy. So was his beard. And the olive-green army jacket he was wearing.
Jacob blinked in surprise as he took the man in.
“Morning,” the shaggy man said. “You the Worth boy?”
Jacob frowned. He was twenty-seven. Still young by most estimations but hardly a boy. He hadn’t been called a boy for years, and he didn’t really like it. This man was clearly older than him—at least ten or fifteen years—but he wasn’t an old enough man to make such an appellation appropriate. “I’m Jacob,” he said a bit coolly.
The man gave a huff of what appeared to be dry amusement. “Fitz.”
“Oh.” Now it was making sense to him. Ria had told him about this guy.
“Heard of me, huh? You thinking about moving into that place?” Fitz nodded up toward the loft apartment Jacob had just exited.
“I haven’t made any plans yet.”
“Well, if you do and you want any help, I’m around. I’m not bad with power tools, and I can always use some extra money.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” Ria had mentioned that Fitz did odd jobs around the shop. She seemed to like this man, as odd as his appearance and manner were.
“So you’re sticking around?”
Jacob arched his eyebrows at the intrusive question. He’d just met this man. “Maybe.”
As far as he was concerned, there was no maybe about it, but he wasn’t going to make such an admission to a stranger.
“You should.”
“Okay. Thanks for the advice.”
“No need to be snide. I know it’s not my business. But I’ve known Ria for a while now, and she’s not someone you should let get away from you.”
Ridiculously, Jacob felt a sliver of jealous resentment at the idea of Fitz sharing time and experiences with Ria that he wasn’t part of. But he stamped the unworthy feeling down. He’d been gone for a long time. Ria had shared experiences with a lot of people that he would never be a part of.
Fitz didn’t appear even remotely intimidated by Jacob’s cool glare. He gave another one of those laughing huffs. “Just saying. Let me know if you need any help. And I hope we see you around for a really long time.”
He strolled off then, not even waiting for a response.
Jacob shook his head, but he’d started to smile just slightly. If Ria liked that guy, he couldn’t be too bad.
And he was right about one thing.
Ria wasn’t the kind of person you should ever let slip away. Jacob had been the world’s biggest fool to do it eight years ago.
JACOB STOPPED BY THE flower shop to say hi to Ria, but she was busy so he didn’t linger very long. They made plans for her to come over to the house for dinner, and then Jacob headed back.
There was a lot that needed to be done at the house in packing up his grandfather’s stuff for either donations or the dumpster Jacob had rented. He might end up keeping a few pieces, but his grandfather had never invested in good furnishings. Most of it was barely in the state for a worthwhile donation.
He worked all day—until he finally stopped at about six o’clock so he could take a quick shower before Ria showed up. He was used to strenuous physical labor, but this was different.
This was as hard emotionally as it was physically.
He was showered with damp hair and a clean T-shirt and a pair of sweats when Ria arrived with a bag of groceries in her hand. Jacob tried to get up from where he was stretched out on the couch when she walked in, but she told him to stay.
She put her bag on the kitchen counter and then came over to climb onto the couch with him.
He settled her on top of him, stroking his hands up and down her body until he finally buried them in her hair. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said, a smile in her voice. “You look worn out.”
“I am. And I’m not even halfway done. You won’t believe the junk in this old place.”
“Yes, I would. It’s a lifetime’s worth of junk. You should get some help with it.” She paused, nuzzling his shoulder gently. “Maybe you could get Fitz to help you. He’s good at this sort of thing.”
“I met him this morning downtown. He’s a bit...”
“Yes, he’s a bit... But he’s got a good heart, and he’s good at odd jobs. Ask him. He won’t expect to be paid too much, and he’d be a lot of help.”
“Okay. I’ll track him down tomorrow. Right now I just want to lie here and hold you for a little while.”
“That sounds good to me.” She relaxed on top of him, her body softening deliciously. He occasionally caressed her hair or her back, but mostly he just held her gently.
In only a few minutes, he actually dozed off.
When he woke up again, he was pretty sure not much time had passed, but Ria wasn’t on the couch with him anymore.
He shifted, blinking and trying to wake up. Then he smelled something good from the kitchen.
She was in there cooking dinner.
“You didn’t have to fix dinner,” he called out groggily. “I could have made something.”
“I know, but I like to cook.” She stuck her head out from the kitchen and gave him the sweetest smile. “And you looked so cute sleeping on the couch like that.”
He snorted, but
