He readjusted in his seat. “I’ve never told anyone that before.”
I cleared my throat, unsure of what to say. “How does your girlfriend feel about you moving so far away from her?” I imagined it wasn’t easy to let someone like Jacob go far from your reach.
“We broke up,” he said. “About a year ago.”
“Oh.” I hoped the relief I felt wasn’t too obvious. “And you haven’t been with anyone since?”
Jacob shook his head, then took a deep breath. “This is why I avoid whiskey like the plague. I always end up saying something that makes me look like a complete ass.”
“I don’t think you’re an ass.” I took a thoughtful pause. “I think it’s refreshing to hear that.” He avoided looking at my face. “And I’m sure once you get on campus that’ll all change.” I was sure of it. Jacob would be like raw meat to a pack of lionesses.
He let out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, maybe.” His gaze made a slow crawl my way.
Was he going to ask me the same question? I panicked at the thought. The night I lost my virginity wasn’t a fresh memory. And I hadn’t been so prudent with my sex life over the years.
“What time is Aunt Meg bringing Uncle Jim home tomorrow?” Jacob asked.
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Not sure. I think sometime in the afternoon.”
“It’ll be good to have him home again.”
“Yeah, it will.”
Jacob gave a bashful smile and scratched above his eyebrow. “I guess I should get to bed. Have to wake up in a few hours and give the baby his bottle.”
“Didn’t think you’d be saying those words so soon, huh?”
He smiled and got up from his seat. I stared at his ass as he walked past me, a bit of cheek hanging out of the top of his wet boxers. He stopped and turned. “I had fun tonight.”
“Me, too.”
“Goodnight.”
“Yeah…goodnight.”
He turned and closed the door without looking back.
* * * *
Uncle Jim was itching to get back to work the minute he returned home from the hospital. It would take chains and locks to keep him in bed. Aunt Meg finally gave up and let him walk to the barn to see the baby goat. Jacob was under strict orders to make sure Uncle Jim didn’t lift a finger.
Kasey walked around the house with her headphones in her ears. I was happy to see she was still using them. Aunt Meg was worried that it was too expensive of a gift, but I didn’t care. I had to make up for those Christmas mornings when she didn’t find anything under the tree.
“Thank you for taking care of things while we were gone,” Aunt Meg said.
“It was nothing.” I sat on the bed while she unpacked her duffel bag. “I had plenty of help.”
Kasey flopped back onto the bed. I could hear the tinny sound of the music blaring in her ears.
Aunt Meg peered up at me from sorting the dirty laundry by color. “So, how have things been going between you and Jacob?”
I fiddled with my mood ring. “Fine. Sort of like old times.”
I stared at Kasey as her head bobbed to the music. She pulled her phone out her pocket and started to type something. I shifted a little to see who she was texting. Riley.
“Did he kiss you yet?” Aunt Meg asked.
My mouth dropped open. “No.”
She smiled and put the dark clothes into a laundry basket. “Really? I thought for sure it would have happened by now.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
I shook my head. “Our relationship isn’t like that.”
“Oh, I don’t believe that for a second.”
“It’s true. We’re just friends.”
“Uncle Jim and I started off that way. It’s how all great relationships develop. I see the way he looks at you. The way you look back…”
I let out a nervous chuckle and looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it. What it would be like to be with Jacob. To kiss him. But I knew it could never happen, especially after his confession last night. He treated sex like a precious commodity. To me, it hadn’t been so precious. “We’re just too different.”
“She likes him,” Kasey said, a little too loudly.
I gave her a nudge. “Who asked you?”
She got up from the bed and pulled the ear buds out. “It’s so obvious, Maeve. You too look at each other with these buggy eyes.” She demonstrated what she meant, making Aunt Meg chuckle.
“Shut up,” I said, chucking a pillow at her.
She stuck her tongue out and ran out of the room.
Aunt Meg picked up the basket and held it to her hip. “You know, if there’s one thing I was reminded of when your uncle had his heart attack was life is too short, Maeve. Don’t deny yourself something good just because you’re afraid it won’t work.” She gave me one more lingering look and left me alone on the bed.
Chapter Six
I fluffed the pillows again and repositioned them on the couch. Jacob would be here any minute for his grand campus tour. I’d come back home when Uncle Jim and Aunt Meg were settled. It’d been just a week since I saw Jacob, but it’d felt like a lot longer.
A huge yawn escaped from my mouth as I checked my phone in case he called. I’d been at work until three in the morning and only managed to get a few hours of sleep. I had to put on an extra layer of concealer to hide the dark circles around my eyes. I sat on the couch and checked my phone again, my leg shaking up and down.
Finally, a knock rapped on the door. I bounced up and checked
