Read Online Someone Like You by Vanessa Devereaux - Free Book Online

details.”
    “Nicky,
that’s enough talking back. Now get into the back of the car, and you’re going
straight home,” said Gen.
    The f word
was muttered as her son got out of the car, but she didn’t draw attention to it.
She sensed that Jake must have heard it too. For now she’d let it pass.
    “Sit there
and don’t move while Jake and I get the food and cooler.”
    Gen held her
head down, not knowing what to say as she and Jake headed back to the shelter
to retrieve everything. If this mishap hadn’t put him off having anything more
to do with her, nothing ever would. And she couldn’t blame him one iota if,
after he dropped them back home, they never saw him again.
     
     

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    Jake couldn’t
deny that he was pissed about the car. Before he’d left for his Army service,
he’d sold his and had decided to keep the one that had once belonged to Katie.
It had stayed safely stored in his garage all the time he’d been out of the
country. Now a fourteen-year-old had taken the paint off the right front
section and one of its doors. Katie had loved the car. He remembered the last
time she’d ridden in it. He’d driven her to hospital with them both thinking
she was just going in for a couple of days so the doctor could keep an eye on
her because her red blood count was low. Instead she’d slipped into a coma the
following day and had never come home again.
    He swallowed
the sudden lump in his throat.
    Not that the
car was totaled or anything, but seeing the damage made him want to cry all
over again.
    Jake headed
indoors. Gen had offered to pay for the damage. There was no way he was going
to make her do that. Her son was old enough to know better and making him pay
would teach him a valuable lesson. Sure he might hate Jake, but that was just
too bad.
    When he’d
dropped Gen and Nicky off at their place, Jake had told Nicky he had some jobs
for him to do around the house. And instead of paying him, Jake would apply the
money he would have earned to get the car repainted. Now all Jake had to do was
think of stuff for him to do.
    He knew Gen
was upset about the whole thing, so he couldn’t leave her worrying all night.
He picked up the phone and dialed her number.
    “Hi, Gen.”
    “Jake. I’m so
sorry about your car.”
    “Hey, will
you stop it with all the apologizing? We’ve found an easy solution to get the
car fixed, so no problem.”
    “I’m glad you
came up with the idea of him doing chores at your house. I think it’s the
perfect punishment.”
    “Yeah, that
kid’s going to be really busy. What with helping your mother with her yard, and
then coming to my place, it seems like you’ll have lots of alone time on your
hands.”
    “Does that
mean what I think it does?”
    “You want it
to?”
    “I did have a
good time last night.”
    “How about we
do it again next Saturday?”
    ****
    Gen couldn’t
believe that it was raining again. She had a week-long project to complete, and
the weather wasn’t cooperating one tiny bit. Good thing she’d worn her
Wellington
boots and rain
gear because right now she was sinking in the mud trying to get the weeds out
of an overgrown section of her client’s yard. She had to muster on because the
nursery was delivering the shrubs tomorrow. Raindrops splashed onto her face,
so she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, hoping today would quickly
come to an end. Maybe she should think about switching to catering like Jake
had suggested.
    The blast of
a car horn got her attention. At first she thought it was her client pulling
into the driveway, but then she recognized the car, or should she say the nasty
scratch along the car’s exterior, and knew it was Jake.
    He got out
and waved before heading her way.
    “How did you
know where I was?”
    “I phoned
your business number, and your mother told me. That looks like wet and dirty
work,” said Jake, pulling his jacket over his head to protect himself from the
rain.
    “It is. I
should