haunches. “Will this one work?” he asked, pulling out a large silver bowl from the cupboard. He looked up, a glint of light hit his eye, and that same smile that always made my pulse race flashed at me.
I cleared my throat again. “Yes.”
“How’s work?” I asked, turning back to the cutting board and placing the bowl on the counter. The watermelon was large, and I had to use all my weight to get the knife all the way through.
“Busy. Which is good I guess.” He was amused for some reason, and I shifted my weight to the other foot.
“Yeah, it looks like it’s a good thing.” I pulled out the knife and waved it around to indicate all he’d built, but his eyes went wide, and he stepped toward me.
“Careful.” He removed it from my hand and placed it back on the counter. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
I wrinkled my nose, remembering the time I nicked Dave while slicing apples. It had been an accident of course, but there were some things you never lived down.
I laughed under my breath. “Sometimes it sucks knowing people so long. They know every mistake you’ve ever made.”
His eyes crinkled with understanding. “Why are you so nervous anyway?”
I glanced down at the cutting board, hating the fact he knew me so well.
“I—” he began, but the back of his jeans started to buzz, and he muttered an apology as he shoved a hand in his pocket to fish it out his phone. He glanced at the screen, turned it off, then shook his head. “Sorry. Work.”
I picked up the knife and began slicing again, hoping he’d forgotten about his last question. “You could have answered it.”
He tucked the phone back in his pocket and shook his head. “It’s the weekend, whatever it is can wait.”
I nodded. “What are you working on these days?”
He raised his brows, my change of subject not going unnoticed, but he humored me anyway. “Right now? A shopping complex. The inspector’s been riding my ass—I’m sure that was him… He doesn’t like me too much.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with you not taking his phone calls?”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
He continued to tell me more about work and all the jobs he’d completed while I was gone. I listened eagerly for every word. Not only because we weren’t talking about me and my nerves anymore, but because I loved hearing about the company. The part of my brother that lived on through the hard work of his best friend. John was right. Jake had built a lot in a very short amount of time. Last I’d seen him, it was only he and Dave. Now there was a whole crew working under him.
When the bowl was piled high with fruit, I covered the mound with plastic wrap, and Jake grabbed the trash and threw it over his shoulder. “Come on, Kit Kat, I’ll show you the other fridge.”
We walked down the two steps to the garage, and he flicked on the light. It cast a faint glow over the empty space, and I began to feel uneasy about being alone with him for so long after the Band-Aids incident earlier. “Where’s Grace?” I asked, my voice pitched a little higher than usual.
“She’s out back.” There was an irritation in his tone, and I wondered what happened while I was gone. Was John right? Was Grace upset I was here?
“I’ll look for a place on Monday,” I said softly, placing the bowl on the top shelf.
“What?” He threw the bag of rinds in the trash, and when he turned around, his eyes darkened.
“I don’t want to cause any problems for you guys.”
He came closer, and I noticed a lock of hair curled up by his ear. I wanted to touch it, to play with it between my fingers, but I resisted the urge and tried to brush past him before I did something stupid.
He grabbed my arm, placed one finger on my chin, and lifted my face to meet his. “Did Grace say something to you?” His voice was soft, and my heart began to race.
I exhaled a shaky sigh, exhaustion finally taking its
I cleared my throat again. “Yes.”
“How’s work?” I asked, turning back to the cutting board and placing the bowl on the counter. The watermelon was large, and I had to use all my weight to get the knife all the way through.
“Busy. Which is good I guess.” He was amused for some reason, and I shifted my weight to the other foot.
“Yeah, it looks like it’s a good thing.” I pulled out the knife and waved it around to indicate all he’d built, but his eyes went wide, and he stepped toward me.
“Careful.” He removed it from my hand and placed it back on the counter. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
I wrinkled my nose, remembering the time I nicked Dave while slicing apples. It had been an accident of course, but there were some things you never lived down.
I laughed under my breath. “Sometimes it sucks knowing people so long. They know every mistake you’ve ever made.”
His eyes crinkled with understanding. “Why are you so nervous anyway?”
I glanced down at the cutting board, hating the fact he knew me so well.
“I—” he began, but the back of his jeans started to buzz, and he muttered an apology as he shoved a hand in his pocket to fish it out his phone. He glanced at the screen, turned it off, then shook his head. “Sorry. Work.”
I picked up the knife and began slicing again, hoping he’d forgotten about his last question. “You could have answered it.”
He tucked the phone back in his pocket and shook his head. “It’s the weekend, whatever it is can wait.”
I nodded. “What are you working on these days?”
He raised his brows, my change of subject not going unnoticed, but he humored me anyway. “Right now? A shopping complex. The inspector’s been riding my ass—I’m sure that was him… He doesn’t like me too much.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with you not taking his phone calls?”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
He continued to tell me more about work and all the jobs he’d completed while I was gone. I listened eagerly for every word. Not only because we weren’t talking about me and my nerves anymore, but because I loved hearing about the company. The part of my brother that lived on through the hard work of his best friend. John was right. Jake had built a lot in a very short amount of time. Last I’d seen him, it was only he and Dave. Now there was a whole crew working under him.
When the bowl was piled high with fruit, I covered the mound with plastic wrap, and Jake grabbed the trash and threw it over his shoulder. “Come on, Kit Kat, I’ll show you the other fridge.”
We walked down the two steps to the garage, and he flicked on the light. It cast a faint glow over the empty space, and I began to feel uneasy about being alone with him for so long after the Band-Aids incident earlier. “Where’s Grace?” I asked, my voice pitched a little higher than usual.
“She’s out back.” There was an irritation in his tone, and I wondered what happened while I was gone. Was John right? Was Grace upset I was here?
“I’ll look for a place on Monday,” I said softly, placing the bowl on the top shelf.
“What?” He threw the bag of rinds in the trash, and when he turned around, his eyes darkened.
“I don’t want to cause any problems for you guys.”
He came closer, and I noticed a lock of hair curled up by his ear. I wanted to touch it, to play with it between my fingers, but I resisted the urge and tried to brush past him before I did something stupid.
He grabbed my arm, placed one finger on my chin, and lifted my face to meet his. “Did Grace say something to you?” His voice was soft, and my heart began to race.
I exhaled a shaky sigh, exhaustion finally taking its
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