Loving Jake

by Madeline Baker

  “Norco! What are you doing there?”

  “I got some time off and I thought I’d surprise you.”

  “Oh.”

  “You’re with him, aren’t you? That mechanic?”

  “I…”

  “Don’t bother lying. His name’s on the door of the truck.”

  “Hey,” Jake mouthed. “What’s going on?”

  Ginny shook her head at him, then spoke into the phone again. “Where are you staying?”

  “At one of the hotel’s in town. When will you be home?”

  “I’m not sure. Probably day after tomorrow. Will you still be here?”

  “Yeah. We need to talk.”

  “Yes, all right. I’ll see you when I get home.”

  He didn’t say goodbye, just ended the call.

  “What was that all about?” Jake asked.

  “Carter’s in Norco. He thought he’d surprise me.”

  Jake grunted softly. “Looks like he got surprised instead.”

  “He saw me on television. It seems the guy in the Tahoe is a senator’s son.”

  “Yeah,” Jake said dryly, “I figured that out from your conversation.”

  “I think Carter is about to break up with me.”

  Jake slid a glance in her direction. “Yeah?”

  “He said we need to talk. That never means good news.”

  “Do you care?”

  “What do you think?”

  “If I knew what to think, I wouldn’t ask.”

  “Jake, if I was serious about Carter, I wouldn’t be here with you.”

  Inwardly, Jake breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Ginny was fond of him. She had said she loved him but women were funny creatures and you never knew which way they were going to jump. Lori Beth had claimed to love him, too, and then she’d run off with his best friend.

  Jake slid a glance at Ginny. He still couldn’t believe she was here, with him, that she had chosen him over Mr. Three Piece Suit. The guy could probably buy and sell Jake, his house, and his repair shop a dozen times over. And Ginny looked like a girl who enjoyed the good things in life. She had probably never had to make do or go without. Jake knew what it was like to be poor. He had seen it growing up on the reservation, and every time he went back to visit his grandparents. He had seen young men without any prospects for the future, young women unmarried and pregnant, old men who had nothing to live for and spent their days looking for answers in the bottom of a bottle. Jobs and hope were rare commodities on the rez.

  A few minutes later, Jake’s cell phone rang.

  “Yeah?”

  “Jake, it’s Lori Beth. Are you all right?”

  “Truck’s got a new dent in it, but, other than that, I’m fine.” He frowned. “You watching the news, too?” Lori Beth never watched the news. She said it was too depressing.

  “I was a little while ago.”

  “Uh huh. What are you doing now?”

  “Now? Well, I…I’m taking advantage of Ginny’s sister’s pool. You don’t think she’ll mind, do you?”

  “I don’t know. Ginny, do you mind if Lori Beth uses the pool?”

  “Of course not. Are the animals doing okay?”

  Jake repeated the question. “She says they’re fine.” Into the phone, he said,

  “Go ahead and use the pool. Just don’t take a wiz in it.”

  “Jake!” Ginny exclaimed. “What a thing to say!”

  He made a face at her, then frowned. “Lori Beth, who’s with you?”

  “A friend.”

  “It’s not Dutton, is it?”

  “Heaven’s no! When will you be home?”

  “Day after tomorrow, most likely. Dammit, who’s there?”

  “I’ll tell you when I see you. Bye, Jake.”

  “Lori Beth…dammit!” He tossed the phone on the dashboard.

  “What’s the matter?” Ginny asked.

  “I don’t know. Probably nothing. I heard a guy’s voice in the background. I thought for a minute she might have hooked up with Dutton again, but she said it wasn’t him.” Jake shook his head, wondering who it could be. His gut told him he wasn’t going to like the answer.

  They reached Doug Harrington’s place a little after three. Harrington was a big bull of a man, standing well over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. Indian blood was evident in the color of his skin and in the two long braids that fell over his shoulders.

  “Hey, brother,” he greeted when Jake swung out of the cab. “I saw you on the tube.”

  The two men clasped forearms.

  “Yeah,” Jake said. “I’m famous now, so it’s gonna cost you double.”

  “No way! He glanced at Ginny, still sitting in the cab. “Who’s the wasicun winyan?”

  “This is Ginny,” Jake said, opening the door and handing her out of the truck. “Ginny, this is Doug.”

  “Hi, Doug, it’s nice to meet you.”

  Harrington held out a hand the size of a dinner plate. After a moment’s hesitation, Ginny took it. His grip was surprisingly gentle.

  “You two were lucky,” Harrington said. “We saw the accident on the tube.”

  “Very lucky,” Ginny agreed.

  “So, where’s this wreck you want me to fix?” Jake asked.

  “Out back. Come on in and say hi to Sara. She’s fixing sandwiches if you’re hungry.”

  “Great,” Jake said.

  Hand in hand, Jake and Ginny followed Harrington into the house, and into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Sara,” Harrington said, “we got company.”

  Sara was a tall, slender woman with long black hair and dusky skin. When she saw Jake, she threw her arms around him. “Long time no see,” she said, smiling. “Who’s this?” she asked, her smile including Ginny.

  “Ginny Whelan, Sara Harrington.”

  “Hi,” Ginny said.

  “Hello. Sit down, won’t you? I was making tuna salad sandwiches. Are you guys hungry?”

  “Always hungry,” Jake said.

  “So’s Doug. That’s why I’m making sandwiches two hours after lunch.”

  “Anything I can do to help?” Jenny asked.

  “Thanks, but I’m just about done. What do you guys want to drink? There’s milk and soda in the fridge.” She looked at Jake and smiled. “And beer, of course.”

  “Not for me,” he said. “I’m on the wagon.”

  “Since when?”

  He shrugged. “A couple months ago.”

  Ginny sat down at the table, wondering if Jake had a drinking problem she should know about. Jake and Harrington pulled chairs from the table and sat down, already deep in a discussion about the VW Jake was going to fix.

  After lunch, the men went outside to load the bug onto the flatbed, and Ginny and Sara went into the living room. Ginny glanced around. The room looked like any other living room except for the big drum in one corner, and the feathered lance hanging over the fireplace.

  A short time later, two little boys ran into the house.

  Sara gathered them close for a group hug. “Bryan, Beau, say hello to Miss Whelan.”

  “Hello, Miss Whelan,” they said in unison.

  “Hello, boys,” Ginny replied. They were adorable kids, with thick black hair, dark eyes, and skin the same dusky shade as their mother’s.

  “Go in the kitchen,” Sara told them. “There’s milk and cookies.”

  “Thanks, Mom!” Bryan said exuberantly.

  “Thanks, Mom!” Beau echoed, and followed his brother out of the room.

  “Dad’s in the backyard with Uncle Jake,” Sara called after them.

  “They’re darling,” Ginny said.

  “They’re holy terrors,” Sara said with a grin. “They spent the night at my sister’s down the street. I’ll sure be glad when school starts again.”

  Ginny smiled as she imagined having Jake’s children. Would they look like Beau and Bryan, with copper skin and black hair? And then she frowned. If she had Jake’s children, would it bothe
r them that she wasn’t Indian? Did it bother Jake that his father was a white man? With a shake of her head, she told herself she was being silly. Surely whatever prejudices had existed back in the old days were gone now. All the races inter-married these days and no one seemed to care.

  Ginny and Sara spent a few minutes getting acquainted and then Sara said, “So, tell me, how serious are things between you and Jake?”

  Somewhat taken aback by the question, Ginny stared at her.

  “Sorry, I guess that was a little forward of me,” Sara said contritely.

  “No, it’s okay,” Ginny said. “You just took me by surprise.”

  “Jake’s a good friend. We’d love to see him settle down.”

  “We’ve only known each other a short time,” Ginny said. “But…”

  “You’re crazy about him,” Sara remarked with a knowing smile. “A blind man could see that.”

  Ginny felt her cheeks grow warm. Was it that obvious to everyone?

  Before she could answer, Jake and Doug entered the room.

  “Car’s all loaded up,” Harrington said. Dropping down on the sofa next to his wife, he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

  “And you won’t have to refinance the house to pay for it,” Jake said.

  “There’s good news,” Sara muttered dryly. “Honestly, if it costs more than a hundred dollars to fix that old piece of junk, it’s not worth it.”

  “Hey, you’re gonna love it when it’s done,” Jake said, sitting down on the love seat next to Ginny. “’Cause when I get through with it, it’ll look better than new.”

  “Men and cars,” Sara said with a shake of her head. “They’re just like little boys, except their toys cost more.”

  “Not all men,” Ginny replied. “The only thing my father knows about cars is where to put the gas.”

  Sara laughed. “I think Jake could take a car apart and put it back together blindfolded.”

  “You got that right!” Jake said, puffing out his chest.

  Ginny gave him a playful push. “Braggart.”

  “Just stating the facts, sweetheart. If it’s got four wheels and runs on gas, I can repair it.”

  With a solemn nod, Harrington said, “That’s right.”

  “Enough car talk,” Sara said, “let’s go sit out by the pool. I’ll fix some lemonade.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Jake said, taking Ginny’s hand. “Come on.”

  The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly. Ginny helped Sara prepare dinner and later, after Sara put the boys to bed, the adults played cards.

  It was one of the nicest days Ginny had ever had. Jake kissed her goodnight at the door to the guestroom and she thought how nice it would be if they were married and he could share the bed with her. Perhaps someday, she thought as she climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Someday…

  Chapter 11

  Carter slid his arm around Lori Beth’s shoulders, his attention not on the television but on the pretty girl beside him. Though he had only known her a couple of days, he knew she was the girl he had been looking for his whole life. She was sweet and funny and though he had never believed in soul mates, he felt, deep in his heart, that she was meant to be his. He was surprised that her pregnancy didn’t bother him more, but he wanted Lori Beth and if she came with a little excess baggage, well, he could live with it.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Lori Beth remarked. “Is anything wrong?”

  “No, nothing. I want to ask you something but I’m not sure how to say it.”

  “Well, silly, just ask.”

  “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

  Lori Beth blinked at him. “What did you say?”

  “I said, will you marry me?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “But, Carter, we just met, and…I’m pregnant…”

  “Yeah,” he said, grinning. “I noticed.”

  “And you don’t mind?”

  “Well, I’ll admit I’d hoped to wait a couple of years before having a baby, but since this one’s already on the way…” He shrugged. “I won’t lie to you and say I’m happy about it, but I can live with it.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “‘Yes’ works for me.”

  “But your family…what will they say?”

  “I don’t much care.”

  “They won’t like me, will they?”

  “I don’t know what they’ll think, but I don’t care.”

  “What about Ginny? You were about to be engaged. You must have loved her. What happened?”

  He shrugged. “Our parents pushed us together. She’s a nice girl and I’m fond of her, but there’s never really been any sparks between us. We don’t like the same things.” He shook his head. “I think we were both settling. I knew you were the girl for me the minute I saw you. As for parents, I’m old enough to make my own decisions, and if they don’t like, well, that’s just too damn bad.”

  “I…I’m overwhelmed.”

  “I’m still waiting for an answer,” he reminded her.

  “Things like this only happen in movies,” she murmured. “Not in real life.”

  “I understand your hesitation. I’m leaving for home tomorrow, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. Think it over while I’m gone.”

  “All right.”

  “Until then,” he said. “Walk me out?”

  Nodding, she followed him to the porch. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her lightly. “Sweet dreams.”

  “You, too.”

  She stood there for a long time after he was out of sight. Carter had asked her to marry him. Was she dreaming? She pinched herself to make sure she was awake, then blew out a sigh. She had ruined a perfect friendship with Jake, made a mess of her relationship with Mike. Did she dare try again?

  Chapter 12

  Ginny stared at the VW Bug on the bed of the truck and then looked at Jake. “You’re going to fix that?” She shook her head. The car was missing the front bumper. The windshield was missing, the tires were flat, the back fenders looked as though an elephant had sat of them. The driver’s side door was also missing, giving her a view of the interior, which showed that one of the seats was missing. The other one was torn in several places. “Why bother?”

  “Because it’s gonna look like a million bucks when I get done with it.”

  “If you say so,” she muttered dubiously. They’d had breakfast with the Harrington’s earlier, now Jake was making sure the car was tied down tight.

  “You doubting me?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  “Oh, no,” she said with feigned innocence, “never that.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “So, it looks like you guys are ready to head out,” Harrington remarked, coming up behind them.

  “Yeah, it’s about that time,” Jake said. “Thanks for putting us up.”

  “We’ve always got room,” Harrington said.

  “That’s right,” Sara agreed. “Don’t be a stranger.” She smiled at Ginny. “I hope to see you again.”

  “Thanks. Same here.”

  Harrington and Jake shook hands.

  “I’ll call you when she’s ready to be picked up,” Jake said.

  Harrington nodded. “Take it easy on the way home.”

  “Always.”

  Sara hugged Ginny, and then they were on their way. Looking out the back window of the truck, Ginny waved to the Harrington’s. “Nice people,” she remarked.

  “Yeah, they’re the best.”

  With a sigh, Ginny sat back in her seat. Today was Friday. On Monday, she would be on her way back to Georgia. Hard to believe that only a short time ago she had been anxious to go home. Now, the thought of leaving here, of leaving Jake, made her want to cry.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Jake remarked as he pulled onto the freeway. “Anything wrong?”

  “No, nothing. I was just thinking about going home.”

  “W
hen do you have to leave?”

  “Deb will be home Sunday morning. She’s going to drive me to the airport Monday afternoon.”

  “That soon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Couldn’t you stay another week or two?”

  “Jake…”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  Ginny’s heart skipped a beat. Warmth spread through her body, making her feel as if she had swallowed a piece of the sun. “I don’t want to go, but I have to get back. I have a business to run, you know.”

  “Yeah. Not to mention Mr. Three Piece Suit.”

  Ginny stared out the window. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Carter that it was over between them, but, as her grandfather used to say, putting off unpleasant tasks never made them go away. She wasn’t looking forward to telling her parents, either.

  She wondered if, once she was out of the picture, Jake and Lori Beth would get back together. Although Jake had assured her they’d never been more than friends, she couldn’t help feeling there had been something more between them.

  “Another week, Ginny. Is that asking too much?”

  “I’ll call Anita when I get back to Deb’s. If things are slow, maybe I can stay a little longer.”

  “Great.” Jake blew out a sigh. One more week. Maybe, in that time, he could work up the nerve to ask Ginny to marry him. He would have liked to have more time, but long distance relationships never worked and he couldn’t take a chance on losing her, now that he’d found her.

  Jake had planned to drive straight through; instead, they stopped at some of the small towns along the way and went exploring. They visited a couple of antique shops, ate lunch at a park, stopped for ice cream in another town. At dusk, Jake pulled up in front of a motel. After booking a couple of rooms, they went out to dinner and a movie, then curled up on the bed in Ginny’s room to watch a late movie until Jake kissed her. One kiss and the movie was forgotten. Without quite knowing how it happened, they were lying side by side on the bed, bodies entwined and yearning toward one another. Jake’s hand slid up and down her hip, her thigh, each touch sending currents of need sparking through her.

  “Ginny…” He whispered her name, his voice raw with need and desire.

  It was tempting, so tempting. Who would know? It was what he wanted. What she wanted. She’d only come this close once before and even though she and Donnie hadn’t gone all the way, the encounter had left her feeling dirty. But it wouldn’t be that way with Jake. She knew it as surely as she knew the sun would rise in the east. But there was something else to consider -- the promise she had made to Aunt Gen to remain a virgin until she had a ring on her finger. Of course, when she made that promise, Ginny hadn’t known how strong sexual attraction could be, or that she’d meet Jake. She was probably the only virgin left in the whole world.