Loving Jake

by Madeline Baker

  He returned a few minutes later. “Come on, sweetheart,” he said, grabbing her suitcase and his duffel bag, “let’s get settled in.”

  Her room was like a hundred other motel rooms - a double bed, a desk and chair, a TV bolted to the wall, a cheap painting over the bed, a small bathroom with nauseating pink and green tile.

  “Well, it ain’t the Waldorf, that’s for sure,” Jake said, grinning. “How long will it take you to get cleaned up?”

  “Not long. Half an hour?”

  “Okay, see you in thirty.”

  * * * *

  Whistling softly, Jake stood under the shower spray and wished that Ginny was there beside him. She affected him more strongly, more deeply, than any other woman he had ever known. And he wanted her. For a day or a lifetime, he wanted her.

  Swearing softly, he rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. He’d known he was playing with dynamite when he’d asked her to tag along but the thought of not seeing her for three or four days was more than he could stand, as was the idea of her marrying another man. Somehow, he had to make her change her mind. She cared for him, he was certain of that. And she was attracted to him. Of that there was no doubt. Now, if he could only convince her to dump Mr. Three Piece Suit…He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but he had to think of something, and fast, because time was running out, Because he knew, deep in his gut, that if he lost Ginny, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

  Chapter 9

  Lori Beth stood with one foot propped on the bottom rail of the corral, her arms draped over the top. Her life certainly hadn’t turned out the way she’d expected, she thought glumly. Here it was, Friday night, and was she out having a good time? No, she was looking after somebody else’s animals while Jake and Ginny were off together, getting to know each other better. With a sigh, she wondered why Jake hadn’t asked her to go along. She glanced down at her swollen belly, thinking the answer was obvious. Nothing like a pregnant woman to scare a guy off.

  Tears stung her eyes. She had certainly made a mess of her life. Making love to Jake had been a mistake. It was hard to remember now how it had happened, but once it had, it had changed their whole relationship. Since they’d been intimate, she’d convinced herself she loved Jake. They’d made love a few more times. Jake had even said he loved her. Had he meant it, or had he just been feeling the same guilt she did? She couldn’t help wondering now if she and Jake would have talked themselves into getting married if Mike hadn’t come along. She’d never meant to hurt Jake. Whatever she’d been looking for, she hadn’t found it with Mike, either. Maybe it didn’t exist.

  “Here now, who are you?”

  Startled out of her reverie, Lori Beth whirled around. “Who and you? And what are you doing back here?”

  “I’m looking for Ginny Whelan.”

  “Well, she’s not home. I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Carter Hastings. Ginny’s soon-to-be fiancé.”

  “Really?” Well, that was interesting, Lori Beth thought, and wondered what Mr. Hastings would think if she told him what his soon-to-be fiancé was doing.

  “Really.”

  Lori Beth regarded him for several moments. He was a good-looking guy, with short, dark blond hair and blue eyes. The three-piece navy blue suit he wore looked expensive, as did his shoes. When his gaze met hers, she felt the sizzle clear down to her toes.

  “I’m Lori Beth,” she said, feeling suddenly breathless.

  “Pleased to meet you, Lori Beth. Do you know when Ginny will be back?”

  “Not for a couple of days. She’s out of town.”

  “I see.”

  “Was she expecting you?”

  “No, I had a few days off and thought I’d surprise her.”

  Lori Beth walked toward him, wishing she had taken time to change her clothes before she came to feed. But who knew she was going to meet such a good looking guy?

  “Well,” he said, “I guess I should be going. Sorry I startled you.”

  “That’s okay. Would you…I mean, you came all this way, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

  If he was as surprised by her invitation as she was to be offering it, it didn’t show on his face. It took him so long to answer, she was certain he was going to refuse.

  “I think I’d like that,” he said, nodding. “I think I’d like that very much.”

  She smiled at him, her mind racing as she did a quick mental inventory of the food in the refrigerator back at Jake’s house.

  “Why don’t you let me take you out?” he suggested.

  “All right. Why don’t you follow me home?” She gestured at her jeans and t-shirt. “I need to clean up and change my clothes.”

  “Lead the way, Miss Lori Beth.”

  Lori Beth’s eyes widened when she saw the sleek silver Mercedes parked in the driveway behind Jake’s VW. Wow, nothing but the best for Mr. Hastings, she thought.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror repeatedly as she drove to Jake’s house, afraid if she took her eyes off the Mercedes, it would disappear in a puff of smoke.

  Her heart was pounding when she pulled into the driveway. Carter pulled in behind her and before she could get out of the car, he was opening the door for her, handing her out of the car, walking her to the front porch.

  Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and invited him in.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” she said, “please, make yourself at home.” She was glad she had cleaned the house that morning. Though Jake’s furnishings were simple, everything was clean, the windows sparkled, the plants added a homey touch.

  “Take your time,” Carter said.

  Hurrying into the bedroom, Lori Beth heeled off her boots, stepped out of her jeans, peeled off her tee shirt. Going to the closet, she pulled out her favorite dress, a pretty pink and white sundress that flattered her hair and skin and almost disguised the fact that she was pregnant. She brushed out her hair, debated about putting it up, and decided to let it fall around her shoulders. She spritzed herself with perfume, brushed her teeth, applied lipstick and a bit of eye shadow, stepped into a pair of low-heeled white sandals, and she was ready to go. Taking a deep breath, she went into the living room, unable to believe she was going on a date with a complete stranger. A stranger who was almost engaged to Ginny Whelan.

  Carter rose when she entered the room. “Where would you like to go?” he asked.

  “Anywhere is fine with me.”

  “Well, I’m a stranger in these parts,” he said, effecting a Western drawl, “so you’ll have to show me the way.”

  “What are you in the mood for? Italian? Chinese? Mexican?”

  “What’s your favorite?” he asked.

  “Italian.”

  “Mine, too.”

  “Great,” Lori Beth said. “I know a place not far from here.”

  Carter held the car door for her, rounded the front of the Mercedes and slid behind the wheel. The car started with a throaty growl. Soft rock came from the car speakers.

  “The Drifters,” she exclaimed softly. “I love them.”

  “Me, too. So, which way?”

  Lori Beth gave him directions, then settled back in the seat, feeling like Cinderella on the way to the ball. Carter could easily pass for the Prince; the Mercedes was far better than a pumpkin coach.

  Carter was remarkably easy to talk to. During the drive to the restaurant and during dinner, he told her about his family and his ambitions, listened attentively when she told him about her failed romance with Mike and how she was afraid to go home and face her parents.

  She hated to see the evening end.

  Apparently, so did he. After dinner, they went to a movie. She couldn’t believe she was here with a man who was obviously rich and well-bred and practically engaged to another man. But it was just a casual date, a chance meeting of two people with nothing else to do.

  After the movie, Lori Beth suggested going to Cold Stone and discovered that they both liked van
illa ice cream mixed with M&Ms, nuts, and a dash of caramel.

  “We seem to like all a lot of the same things,” Carter remarked.

  Lori Beth nodded. It was true. They liked the same music, the same movies. They had both ordered chicken fettuccini and white wine for dinner.

  “It’s funny,” she said, “but I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

  He cleared his throat. “I was going to catch a flight home tomorrow, but suddenly I’d like to see more of Norco. If you’re not busy tomorrow, maybe you could show me around?”

  “There’s really not much to see,” she replied, and then could have bitten her tongue.

  All too soon, he was driving her home. Gentleman that he was, he walked her to her door.

  “Thank you. I had a wonderful time,” she said.

  “Me, too.”

  “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  She turned on the lights, conscious of Carter behind her. “Please, sit down,” she said. “I’ll put the coffee on.”

  “Lori Beth.”

  “Yes?” Suddenly nervous, she turned to face him.

  “May I kiss you?”

  Lori Beth blinked up at him. She had only known him a few hours. He was almost engaged to someone else. She was pregnant with another man’s child. But tonight, none of that mattered.

  “Please,” she murmured, and stepped into his embrace.

  This was what a kiss should be like, Lori Beth thought, gentle yet exciting, tender but exhilarating. She kissed him back, surprised by the depth of her response. Once again, she had the feeling that she had known him forever.

  She stared up at him when he broke the kiss.

  “It’s late,” he said. “I should go.”

  She nodded. “It was nice meeting you.

  He blew out a deep breath. “I…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to make of this,” he said. “You said you felt like you’d known me all of your life…” He shook his head again. “I don’t believe it love at first sight or fate or…” He raked a hand through his hair. “This is happening way too fast.”

  She nodded, waiting for him to go on.

  “I need to think this over.”

  “I understand.” She rested her hand on the swell of her belly. He was trying to let her down easy, she thought, which was silly. One kiss didn’t make a relationship. She wasn’t expecting anything. She made a mess of her two previous relationships. And even if she was attracted to him, he was in love with Ginny.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She watched him get behind the wheel of the Mercedes, then quietly closed the front door, certain she would never see him again.

  Chapter 10

  Ginny woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. Mumbling, “Wait a minute,” she slid out of bed and opened the door. “What?”

  Jake stood there, looking good enough to eat in a pair of jeans and a white tee shirt. “Don’t tell me you’re not ready.”

  “Okay,” she said, smothering a yawn, “I won’t.”

  “Women,” he muttered.

  “Men,” she mimicked, and then smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I guess I overslept.”

  “I guess you did. How long will it take you to get ready?”

  “Twenty minutes?”

  “All right. I’ll go gas up the truck and come back for you.”

  “Okay.”

  He gave her a wink and a quick kiss and then closed the door.

  Yawning, Ginny went into the bathroom. Last night, after dinner, she and Jake had taken a long walk. Holding hands like a couple of teenagers, they had talked about everything, from their favorite movies and music to things they absolutely detested. They both agreed that it was impossible to choose a favorite between the Star Wars trilogy and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and also agreed that Pirates of the Caribbean was still one of the best movies ever. They both loved the music of the fifties and agreed that Elvis would always be the King. They both hated asparagus, green jell-0, and rap music.

  When they returned to the motel, Jake had taken her in his arms and kissed her. And kissed her again, his kisses unlike any she had known, even from Jake. It was as if he had been holding back before, although the way his kisses always affected her, that was hard to believe. But last night…last night she felt like he had kissed her with his whole heart and soul. She had never experienced anything quite like it, and knew she never wanted to settle for anything less.

  She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She was in love with Jake Running Horse. There was no use denying it. Whether he loved her or not, whether she stayed here or went back home, she knew she could never go back to Carter, knew she would never be content to settle for lukewarm again. She wanted it all, the fire and the passion she felt in Jake’s arms, the way her heart pounded when he was near, the way her insides turned to mush whenever he looked at her. She loved everything about him, from the cleft in his chin to his five o’clock shadow. She loved the sound of his voice, his laugh, the way he looked at her, the way he made her feel.

  “Oh, girl,” she murmured, “you’ve got it bad.”

  She dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a blue sweater, brushed her hair and her teeth, slipped on her shoes, closed her suitcase, and was ready when Jake knocked at the door.

  “Twenty minutes,” she said, smiling.

  “That’s my girl.” Taking her suitcase, he stowed it behind the seat, then helped her into the truck and closed the door.

  Listening to the radio, Ginny was about to doze off when Jake swore and hit the brakes.

  Ginny jerked upright in time to see the Tahoe in the lane beside them swerve into their lane and broadside the Lexus that was ahead of Jake’s truck. There was a screech of tires as the driver of the Lexus spun out of control, skidded across two lanes of the freeway, and slammed into a power pole on the side of the road. There was another screech of tires as the Honda behind the Tahoe skidded out of control and bounced off the rear fender of Jake’s truck.

  Ginny screamed as Jake fought for control of the flatbed and brought it to a stop a short distance in front of where the Lexus had come to rest. Ginny glanced over her shoulder. The front end of the Lexus looked as if a giant hand had tried to pleat it. The car that had hit the Lexus was now stalled and facing the wrong way on the freeway. The Tahoe was nose to nose with the Honda.

  Traffic in the middle two outside came to a stop while traffic in the other lanes slowed as people craned their necks to see what had happened.

  “Stay here,” Jake said. “I’m going to go check the passengers in the Lexus.”

  Ginny nodded, her heart pounding. Thank God for seatbelts and Jake’s quick reflexes!

  The three people in the Tahoe seemed shaken up but unhurt. She watched Jake squat next to the Lexus, saw him talking to the driver. She breathed a sigh of relief. If the man was talking, it meant he was alive. She watched Jake try to open the door, but it was so mangled, it was impossible. The woman in the passenger seat didn’t seem to be moving.

  In a remarkably short time, Ginny heard the wail of a siren and suddenly the area was crawling with police officers and paramedics and shortly after that, a reporter and camera crew from the local news channel arrived on the scene.

  Ginny was tempted to get out of the truck but she knew she would only be in the way, so she stayed where she was. Moments later, when a reporter thrust a microphone in Jake’s face, she was glad she had! She wasn’t so lucky when the cameraman panned the scene of the accident and caught her staring out the window.

  Muttering, “Well, there goes my fifteen minutes of fame,” she watched Jake talk to the reporter. A few minutes later, he was being questioned by one of the police officers. Though she couldn't hear what he was saying, it was easy to see that he was calm and unruffled by their near miss. The police officer looked at Jake’s driver’s license, took a few notes, asked a few more questions, and went to talk to the driver of the car th
at had hit Jake’s truck. She wondered, for the first time, if it had done any damage.

  The occupants of the Lexus had to be cut out of their vehicle. The driver had some minor cuts on his face; his passenger was loaded into an ambulance and taken away with the siren blaring. The driver of the Tahoe was questioned, handcuffed, and put into the back of a police car.

  A short time later, Jake slid behind the wheel of the truck.

  “Is that woman going to be all right?” Ginny asked.

  Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s unconscious.”

  Ginny murmured a silent prayer for the woman’s well-being, as well as a silent thank you that Jake’s quick reflexes had kept the two of them from being hurt.

  “Did you find out what caused the accident?” she asked.

  “The driver of the Tahoe was drunk.” Jake shook his head. “Idiot!”

  “Mighty early in the morning to be drunk,” Ginny remarked.

  “Yeah, well, seems they’d been to an all-night party and he thought a little hair of the dog would sober him up.” Jake muttered something under his breath, something Ginny was glad she didn’t hear.

  “How’s your truck?”

  “You can’t hurt this thing.”

  They stopped an hour later for a quick breakfast and then they were on the road again. It was a few minutes after noon when Ginny’s phone rang.

  Frowning, she picked it up. “Hello?”

  “Ginny, are you all right?”

  “Carter,” she said, surprised to hear his voice. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I just saw your picture on the morning news.”

  “The news! Me?”

  “Yeah, the son of a California senator was in a car accident…”

  Ginny glanced at Jake. “A senator?”

  “Yeah, made the wreck news worthy, I guess, although they haven’t mentioned the senator by name.”

  “Where are you, Carter?”

  “In Norco.”