“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 toll on my emotions. “She’s been nothing but nice to me.”
“Katie, she’s been upset with me all week. That had nothing to do with you.”
I searched his face. So they had been fighting.
“Besides…” He dropped his hands, setting me free. “I just got you back. You can’t leave me yet.” His lips cocked in a lopsided grin, and I nodded, not knowing what else to say.
“Come on, there’s someone here I want you to meet.”
When we passed the kitchen, I took a long pull of my beer and followed him to the backyard. The sun had already set, and the patio was illuminated by small lights that ran over the slatted wood awning. I heard John’s laughter, then saw him over by the table talking to a brunette seated on his lap. He was shirtless, and my eyes ran over his broad chest, which was partially shielded by the soft curve of a woman’s back. Who was that?
There was a stack of pizzas on the table beside them, and when the smell reached my nose, I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. Jake closed the door to the house and they both turned toward us. The woman hopped from John’s lap, laughing at something he’d said as they walked over. The woman was very attractive, her hair short and sleek, her body soft and feminine. She wore a black bikini and a sarong tied at her hips that matched her blue eyes perfectly.
“Em Garland.” She introduced herself. “You must be Katie.”
I shook her hand. “Katie McGregor. Nice to meet you.”
Her face lit up, and she threw her chin to the backyard. “We were just about to jump in the hot tub, want to join us?”
“My suit’s still packed.” I gestured a thumb to the house, but inside I was grateful for the easy out.
“I have one you can borrow.” I turned to see Grace coming from Jake’s room, and inwardly cringed. Not only had she ruined my easy out, but she also looked better in a bikini than she did in her clothes.
John walked over, draped an arm around her shoulders, and grinned. “I knew you were good for something.” He kissed her forehead, then raised one brow at me.
She ducked out of his embrace, seemingly annoyed by his touch, and beckoned for me to follow her before disappearing through the double doors leading to Jake’s bedroom. Great.
I awkwardly followed after her, stepping from the stone patio to the hardwood floor. “I’m not sure your suit will fit me.”
“Oh, don’t be silly.” Her voice was soft and just a little too sweet. She pulled a suitcase from the corner of the closet, and her towel dropped to the floor. I tried not to notice, but it was impossible. Her body was perfect. Her breasts spilled from her aqua bikini like something you’d see on the cover of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. Even if the rest of me fit, there was no way I’d fill her top. I imagined it would look like a little girl trying on her mother’s high-heeled shoes.
“Here it is.” She tossed a clump of purple fabric at me, and I caught it at my chest.
“Thanks,” I responded, then turned toward the hall that led to my room. “I’ll just go put this on.”
“You can use Jake’s bathroom, I know he won’t mind.”
I cringed, feeling uncomfortable, but nodded anyway. When I entered the bathroom, I locked the door behind me and noticed a lacy black bra hanging from the towel rack. I laughed a little—even though the situation really wasn’t funny at all.
I placed my beer on the counter and threaded the fabric from finger to finger. I was wrong. The top would fit—barely. It was made up of two purple triangles and some string. How the hell she fit herself into it was beyond me. Though maybe she didn’t care. Or maybe she only wore it for Jake. I shuddered at the thought; I really didn’t want to think about that part of their relationship, or any part of their relationship actually.
I removed my clothes, folded them neatly on the counter, then jumped when I heard Grace’s muffled voice calling through the door.
“What was that?” I asked. And why the hell was she talking to me anywhere? She was like one of those strangers who took up conversation in public restrooms. Creepy.
“I was wondering if it’s working for you?” Her voice came louder this time, and I knew she moved closer to the door. Great.
“Umm…I think so?” I should have told her the truth, that I wouldn’t even wear it to a gynecological exam, but I didn’t want to cause problems for Jake.
“Great!”
I pulled on the bottoms, immediately blushing at how tiny they were. They fit because they were tie-on, but for the second time that day I was thankful I remembered to use my razor. As I struggled into the “cups,” or whatever you would call something so small, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror, and froze. Holy fuck!
I wasn’t ashamed of my body, but the top was miniscule. I pulled my ponytail out and shifted my hair forward to cover some of the exposed flesh. “Umm… What towel do I use?” I called through the door, both hoping and dreading that Grace was still on the other side.
“There should be some in the cabinet to the right of the shower.”
Yep. Still there.
I opened the cupboard, grabbed one of the gray towels, and wrapped it around me before pounding the rest of my beer. When I opened the door a minute later, she stood in the center of the room. Her towel was still by the closet, and I couldn’t help notice her suit was much less revealing than mine.
“Do you like it?” She looked amused as her eyes scanned over me from head to toe.
Anger flushed my cheeks, and my chest puffed up. She’d done this on purpose!
“Perfect,” I answered sweetly, but inside I was livid. I wanted to yank her aqua bikini from her body and see how she liked it. She’d intentionally given me this suit to make me uncomfortable. What kind of person did that? I clenched my jaw, pulled the towel from my body, and walked out to the yard. Screw her.
I’d always been rebellious. If you told me to do one thing, I was likely to do the other. And it had seemed like a good idea in the moment, but that was only until I stepped out on the patio.
John noticed me first. He grinned appreciatively, raised his eyebrows, then took a swig
of beer.
Jake and Em turned in unison, and I watched in slow motion as his gaze swept over me. His eyes smoldering blue as he took in every bit of my exposed skin. When he finally met my face, I was blushing. He cleared his throat, and I wrapped the towel around my body again.
“Do you know how to make a margarita, Katie?” Em asked, averting my attention.
“Sorta,” I responded, forcing my eyes from Jake’s heated stare.
“Well, that’s a hell of a lot better than me.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me behind her to the kitchen.
She placed a couple of shot glasses on the counter and immediately filled them with tequila. “I’ve had a shitty week,” she explained, “how about you?”
I nodded. “You have no idea.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Her eyes searched mine as she handed me one of the glasses.
“Not really.” I crinkled my nose, hoping she didn’t take offense.
“Yeah, me either.” She held up her shot and waited for me to do the same. “To new beginnings.”
I laughed, thinking about how appropriate that was. We both threw back our drinks, and I coughed as the caustic fluid burned my throat. She gave me a couple pounds to my back, and I laughed again. “Sorry, it’s just been a long time since I’ve done a shot.”
“Well, we’ll just have to remedy that,” she replied, filling my glass for the second time.
“So are you and John—”
“God, no!”
“I’m sorry, I just saw you together and assumed.”
She laughed. “John’s great, but he’s not my type.” She threw back her second shot and gestured for me to do the same.
We spent a few minutes gathering all the necessities for margaritas. She hopped up to sit on the counter, and I began filling the blender with ice.
“What do you think of Grace?” she asked, looking at me in a way that said she was still trying to figure me out.
I cleared my throat, not sure how to answer. “She seems nice.”
She nodded, but there was a glint in her eye that made me a little nervous.
I opened the bottle of sour mix, examined the back pretending to read the directions as an excuse not to speak.
“She’s new,” she said after a pause.
I cleared my throat again, realizing we were still talking about Grace, but remained silent. I was always so transparent about my feelings for Jake, if I said a word, she’d know.
She jumped off the counter and began measuring out the tequila. “I don’t know what he sees in her, but she won’t last. They never do.”
We spent the next few minutes pouring ingredients into the blender, while I agonized about Grace. Em was right. Jake’s relationships never did last. Maybe because he had horrible taste in women.
When we joined the others out back, my eyes immediately found Jake over by the fire pit. Grace sat on the seat beside him, and her hand rested on his thigh. A pang of jealousy grew in the pit of my stomach, and I took a cleansing breath. Why was I acting like this? It wasn’t as if I had any claim on him. I never did.
Disgusted with myself, I placed the blender on the bar and poured myself a full cup of margarita.
John stood on the other side of the counter and smiled when I caught him watching me. He came closer, grabbed the drink from my hand, and took a sip. “Not bad.”
“Thank you.” I took it back, not sure what to do with him. The attention was flattering, but it was the last thing I needed right now. I turned around, needing a second to clear my thoughts, and noticed Jake walking toward us. His chest was bare, his swim shorts low on his hips, and I couldn’t help my eyes from wandering over his hard chest and sculpted abs.
“You should eat,” he suggested.
I cleared my throat and forced my eyes up. He was staring at the drink in my hand, and I was instantly annoyed. I knew he was right; I was known to be a lightweight, but that was none of his concern. I was sick of him being the big brother I never wanted him to be, and the temptation to go without dinner almost won out. But my head was beginning to feel a little foggy from the shots, and I decided now wasn’t the time to be stubborn. I filled my plate with a couple slices of pizza, then noticed the bowl of watermelon sitting on the counter.
My eyes flicked to John, who raised a brow at me and laughed.
I couldn’t help but giggle a little. The whole thing was kind of funny. Either that, or I was already more drunk than I thought I was.
“What’s so funny?” Jake asked, obviously witnessing the exchange.
“Katie’s a cheater,” John responded, and I choked on a mouthful of margarita.
In spite of trying to avoid it, we eventually made it over to the hot tub. The alcohol was beginning to loosen my nerves, but nothing could make me forget I was practically naked in Grace’s pathetic excuse for a bathing suit. I sunk deep under the water, did a quick check of my girly parts to make sure they were still covered, then glanced up to see John watching me.
He grinned. “Tell me about yourself, Katie?”
In spite of myself, I found him amusing and couldn’t help but smile back. “I hate that question. It feels like an interview.”
“Well, maybe it is.” He winked.
His chest was bare, and I couldn’t help my drunken eyes from wandering over his body. He had a cherry blossom tattoo over his left shoulder. I never thought a branch of flowers could look so…manly—but they did. I giggled into my cup, then forced my eyes in another direction. Which turned out to be a mistake. Jake sat directly across from me, the tips of his hair damp and sexy, but Grace was nestled between his parted thighs and ruined the whole thing.
I turned back to John.
He leaned forward and gave me all his attention. “What do you do for a living?”
I eyed him over my cup, noticing Jake shift in my peripheral vision. “Photography.”
“Really?” Em asked, and she climbed in and sat to John’s left. “Do you do head shots?”
I nodded, noticing again how striking her features were. “Are you an actress?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Not even close. I’m a web designer. But I do need some head shots.”
“Oh. Well, I’d be happy to trade for tech help. I need a website... I mean, if you have time.”
“I would love that!” she answered.
“Do you do parties, Katie?” Grace cut in, and I reluctantly turned to face her.
“Yes,” I replied, though the thought of working for her made my stomach turn.
“She’s not shooting the party,” Jake interjected.
I frowned. “What party?”
“I’m throwing a party for Jake’s thirtieth—”
“And Katie will be there as a guest,” he stated. “I don’t want you to worry about taking pictures,” he said to me.
“I really don’t mind—”
“No.” He cut me off. Then his voice softened. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Grace scoffed. “It’s your birthday. Everyone will be there.” She turned to face him, and her voice lowered to a muffled whisper.
I averted my attention back to John and Em, trying to ignore the conversation between Jake and Grace. But my heart was heavy. I’d almost forgotten Jake’s birthday.
As the night grew to an end, we made our way over the seating area. I curled up at the end of one of the loungers, my towel tight around my chest, as the fire burned low and steady between us. Jake pulled out his old guitar and began strumming the chords to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.
This used to be the norm for us. Nights much like this around the fire, and days filled with little sleep and pots of coffee because we stayed up to watch the sun rise.
John came over and lifted my feet. He sat down beside me, then returned them to his lap. “You look tired.”
I laughed under my breath. “I am.”
His strong hands took my feet and gently began to knead. “Relax.”
I
thought to protest, but my eyes grew heavy, and I felt my body sink deeper into the cotton seat of the lounger. “Okay…”
The next thing I knew, Jake stood over me and pulled the covers up to my chin. I took in a sharp breath and looked around my bedroom. He must have carried me to bed.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked.
“A couple hours,” he whispered.
I cleared the sleep from my throat as I remembered all the times he or Dave had put me to bed when we lived together. “Sorry.” I sat up a little. “Is everyone gone?”
“Yeah.” His voice was low and relaxed.
“They must think I’m so rude.”
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. They understand. Now go back to sleep, Kit Kat.” He flicked off the light. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
I nodded, flipped to my side, and for the first time that night, did what he asked without arguing.
THE NEXT MORNING, THE ALARM woke me at my normal time. Eight a.m. The same time I took that little green pill for the past two and a half years. The pill that allowed me to walk away from Kevin without the complication of a child, but couldn’t protect me from the questionable practices of his infidelity.
I rolled to my side, reached from the seclusion of the sheets, and tapped the alarm. The room fell into blissful silence.
It had been over a week since I found out about Kevin, but the fear of the unknown kept me from seeing a doctor. I’d trusted him with my life, and thinking about all the women he’d cheated with over the years made my stomach turn. Had he used protection with any of them?
Soft light filtered through the bedroom window as I examined the small pill in the palm of my hand. In some ways I wanted to kiss the thing for preventing me from getting pregnant; in others, I wanted to throw it across the room because of the reminder I was alone.
Today I would make an appointment. I’d procrastinated long enough.
The covers were twisted around my body from sleep, and I threw them to the foot of the bed. Grace’s bikini loomed under their surface, and I muttered a curse as I shifted the fabric back over my exposed breast. I bit my lip. Had it been like that when Jake brought me to bed last night? Surely not. He would have said something. Wouldn’t he?
Home to You Page 6
