Jake could see something was bothering Lacey. What was it? He saw the way she looked at her lap and sensed it wasn’t something she wanted to share.
A few moments later she lifted her eyes and met his gaze. “I’ve enjoyed drawing ever since I can remember.”
“I’d love to see your work sometime.”
Disbelief was plain on her face. “Really?”
He wasn’t sure why that was such an odd request, but he meant it. His mother had been into art, and though he’d protested when she’d dragged him along to museums occasionally as a child, he had actually enjoyed going. “Yeah. I would.”
Her eyes began to shimmer as if they’d filled with tears, but he couldn’t be sure because she leaned over like she was picking something up from the floor.
Was he for real? Or was he playing her?
Lacey bent towards the floor as if she’d dropped her napkin, blinking several times to clear her eyes, then quickly wiping away the tears that had settled on her lashes. A moment later she sat back up.
He must be for real. How else would he know how critical it was to her that the person she was in a relationship with not only accepted how important it was for her to draw, but actively supported her? Then she realized where her thoughts had gone.
What was she doing? There wasn’t going to be any kind of a relationship here.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to draw again soon,” he said with a meaningful glance at her hands.
The better her hands had begun to feel over the last few days, the more she had begun to believe the same thing. “I hope so.”
“Would you like more lasagna?” Jake asked, and Lacey realized she’d eaten the entire piece he’d given her.
Glad to redirect her thoughts, she placed her hands on her stomach. “I don’t think I have room for any more, but thank you. It was really good.”
He grinned. “I hope you have room for dessert.”
“Dessert?”
“I whipped up some chocolate mousse, but we don’t have to eat it yet.”
How long was he expecting her to stay? Maybe it was time to go. Then again, she didn’t really want to leave.
She analyzed her feelings.
Why wouldn’t she stay? Was it because she might discover that she really liked him? What was the worst that would happen if she started to like him? Too late. She already liked him.
Her gaze went to his face as he watched her. The caring in his eyes was unmistakable, but rather than reassuring her, it made her shift in her seat with discomfort. Not sure why, she attributed it to the fact that Jake seemed to be the complete opposite of what she had grown used to with Eric.
Jake was so not Eric. She needed to get used to that. She needed to believe that.
But deep inside she wasn’t ready to trust her feelings.
Thirteen
All along, Jake had assumed Lacey would stay for dessert. But why wasn’t she saying anything?
“Or,” he said with a chuckle. “If you can’t wait, we can eat it now.”
“It’s not that,” she quickly said. “It’s just…I’m kind of tired.”
Was she implying she wanted to go home? This was probably her first time out since the fire. Had the short evening worn her out? Still, he was just starting to get to know her.
“We can chill in front of the TV,” he said, hoping that would be a good alternative to her leaving. That wouldn’t be too exhausting.
Torn about what to do, Lacey hesitated. She enjoyed being with Jake and didn’t really want to leave. The thing was, she couldn’t allow herself to be drawn into something that could potentially lead to a relationship. “I think I’d better go home. Would you mind taking me?”
Disquiet settled over her and she knew she would later regret leaving so soon.
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unhappy, which only made Lacey feel worse.
“Yeah,” he said. “Of course.” He smiled, but it was obviously forced. “I’m ready when you are.”
They walked out of the house. Would she ever see Jake’s house again? Then again, it would be better for her to face reality and accept that she just wasn’t ready for this.
She hid a frown. When would she be ready?
Frustrated that the evening had been so brief, Jake helped Lacey into his truck. Things had been going so well—their conversation had been good, the food had turned out perfect, Lacey had seemed like she was having fun. What had happened? Had their short date really exhausted her, or was there something else going on?
Then he realized it was possible that she didn’t really like him. Feeling kind of foolish for not thinking of that sooner, Jake felt the blood rush to his face as he got behind the wheel and pulled away from the curb.
Yeah, he thought he was all that, but he really wasn’t.
“I had fun,” Lacey said as she smiled at him. “Thank you for inviting me. You’re a really good cook.”
Confused by the mixed signals, Jake said, “Thank you.” Maybe she really was tired. “I have another specialty I make.” He grinned. “I’m making it tomorrow. Would you like to join me?”
Was he actually ready to get shot down so soon? But when he looked at her lovely face with those haunting eyes, he was willing to take the risk.
What was her problem? Was she really so reluctant to spend time with him?
Picturing the alternative, Lacey saw herself sitting in front of the TV, all alone and bored, wishing she had said yes.
“Sure,” she finally said, her pulse fluttering at the thought of spending more time with him.
Was she sure she wanted to do this?
“Great!” The expression on Jake’s face made Lacey glad she’d said yes. “How’s six o’clock?”
“That’ll work.” Now that she had agreed to have dinner with him again, she found she was already anticipating it. “What’s this other specialty you’re going to make?”
His eyebrows went up. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
She smiled. “Ah. A secret surprise.”
Laughing, he nodded. “Yep.” He glanced at her. “You don’t have any food allergies, do you?”
“No.”
“Good.”
A few minutes later they arrived at her apartment. It was only seven and the sun was still up, and as Jake walked her to her door, Lacey already regretted cutting the evening short. Then she reminded herself that she was getting a second chance the next night. Happy about that, she wondered if Amber was home. She was sure she would like to meet Jake.
She dug in her purse for her key, fishing it out before unlocking the door and opening it.
Amber was kicking back on the couch, her head on one arm rest and her feet stretching across the cushions. When she saw Lacey and Jake, she swiftly sat up. “You’re home.”
Lacey heard the unspoken question in that sentence: Already? What’s going on?
“Yep.” Lacey threw her an expression that included raised eyebrows and pursed lips, then she turned to Jake. “Do you want to come in for a minute?”
“Sure.” He stepped inside and she closed the door behind him.
“This is my roommate Amber,” Lacey said as she swept her hand in Amber’s direction.
“I’m Jake,” Jake said with a smile.
“Hi.” Amber smiled back, and Lacey could tell she was checking him out. Then she stood and looked at Lacey. “Caty brought some food over while you were gone.”
“Oh.” Lacey hadn’t thought to tell her not to bring anything. “I hope you had some.”
“Of course. And there’s plenty left if you want any.”
Lacey glanced at Jake. “We’ve eaten, but thanks.”
“Okay.” She smiled at Jake. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too,” he said.
“I…” she gestured toward her room. “…have some stuff to do.”
After she left Lacey and Jake alone, Jake said, “I’m glad you have someone to help you out while your hands are kind of out of
commission.”
“Yeah. Amber’s been great.” Not ready for Jake to leave, she invited him to sit on the couch. They sat near each other, but left several feet of space between them.
“What about your family?” Jake asked. “Do they live nearby?”
“Not exactly. My mom lives in St. George.” She frowned. “I don’t know where my dad’s living right now.” She didn’t want to get into her family situation or the reason why she hadn’t told her mother about the accident. That would mean telling him about Eric and she definitely didn’t want to go there.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Jake asked.
“Just a brother. He’s in college, so he’s pretty busy.” Which was why she hadn’t seen him for a while. Knowing she wasn’t as close to her family as Jake probably was to his, she wanted to move to a different topic. “How did you learn what to do on your house renovations?”
Jake couldn’t miss the shift in the direction of their conversation, but he went with it. “My dad’s always been good at that kind of stuff, but when he can’t help me, I watch videos online. Pretty much anything I want to know is there.”
Jake was glad Lacey had invited him in. He had half expected her to say goodbye at the door.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
He held back a smirk. “No, but I know where a good chocolate mousse is if you’re interested.” A blush colored her cheeks, making him feel kind of bad for bringing up dessert. “Or, we can have it tomorrow night when you come over.”
Embarrassed by her decision to cut the evening short, Lacey said, “I look forward to it.” Then she bit her lip before saying, “Sorry I made you bring me home so soon.”
Jake smiled. “That’s okay.” He studied her a moment, making her self-conscious. “Have you been getting enough rest?”
A laugh burst from Lacey’s lips. “I’ve been getting nothing but rest.” Too late she realized he was asking because she had said she was tired. “Still,” she said, holding up her hands. “This has taken a lot out of me.”
Jake nodded. “Like I said before, the body’s an amazing thing. But you have to respect its need for rest when you’re healing.”
Lacey’s phone rang in her purse, which sat on the kitchen table. She glanced towards it. Who could it be? She didn’t get many phone calls. Then she looked at Jake. “If it’s important they’ll leave a message.”
Maybe her mom had found out about her injury and was calling to see how she was doing. The thought brightened her.
They chatted a while longer, and then Lacey found she actually was getting tired. She stifled a yawn.
“I should probably get going,” Jake said as he stood.
She almost blurted Are you leaving already? but stopped herself before the words flew from her mouth. Instead, she stood as well. Was he going to kiss her? Not sure if she wanted him to, she left it in his hands.
She followed him to the door, and when he stopped with his hand on the knob and turned to face her, his amazing eyes met hers and she caught her breath.
She did want him to kiss her.
Startled by the unexpected thought, Lacey held very still and waited to see what he would do.
“Make sure you get plenty of rest tomorrow,” Jake said with a grin.
“I will.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Then he twisted the knob and pulled the door open before stepping outside and walking away.
Disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her, Lacey closed the door behind him and sank onto the couch.
Fourteen
“Is he gone?” Amber said as she came out of her room moments later.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Amber sat beside her on the couch. “He really is a hot firefighter.” She laughed at her own joke.
“Oh, I know,” Lacey said. “He’s also a good cook. Not to mention he’s smart and sweet, he has his own house—which he’s renovating by the way. And he’s a realtor on the side.”
Amber’s eyes had grown wide. “Wow. Sounds like a great catch. Lucky you.”
Lacey’s lips compressed as she exhaled out of her nose. “I just can’t help wonder if he’s too good to be true.”
Amber tucked her feet under her. “You know, there are good guys out there. Not everyone’s like Eric.”
“I know that. I’m just…being careful.”
“As you should be. But sometimes you have to take a chance.”
“I know.”
“Why’d you come home so soon?”
Lacey frowned. “It was just me being stupid. I told him I was tired and asked him to bring me home.”
“What? Why’d you do that?”
Lacey sighed. “I don’t know.” Angry with herself, she shook her head. “Well, I do know. I’m just mad about it.”
“What?”
“I got scared.”
Amber tilted her head as her eyebrows pulled together. “Scared about what?”
“About dating. About liking him too much. About getting into a relationship.”
Holding her hands up, Amber said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean ‘getting into a relationship’?”
Feeling foolish, Lacey sighed. “You know I’m barely ready to date—although after tonight I’m not sure I’m even ready for that. A relationship is…” She looked skyward and shook her head. “That’s not gonna happen for a long, long time.”
“I still don’t get it.”
Trying to be patient—with herself or with Amber, she wasn’t sure—Lacey took a deep breath and slowly released it. “The first step to getting into a relationship is to date. Well, tonight was a date.” She almost laughed at the look of triumph on Amber’s face. “Yes, I admit it. It was a date. Which is why I kind of panicked when dinner was over.”
Amber frowned.
“Don’t be mad yet,” Lacey said. “He’s having me over for dinner again tomorrow night.”
“A second chance. Nice.”
“Yes. And I promise I won’t panic again.”
“Hmm. You’d better not.”
Lacey smiled. “And what if I do?”
“I’ll have to intervene. Obviously.”
This time Lacey laughed. “Intervene?”
“Yeah. If you come home too soon, I’ll have to drag you back to his house and sit there with you like my mother had to sit with me in second grade when I wouldn’t behave.”
“Your mother never had to do that.”
Amber chuckled. “That’s true, although there were times she probably should have.”
“Well, I promise you won’t have to babysit me.”
“Good. Because I’m trying to catch up on Gilmore Girls, so I really don’t have time to babysit you.”
“Let’s watch it then.” She laughed. “That’s one show I haven’t binge watched.”
Amber smiled, then she picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
The mention of the mother/daughter show reminded Lacey that she had missed a call earlier, and she went to her purse and took out her phone. She unlocked her phone and looked at her missed call list, but when she saw Eric’s name, her heart began to pound.
Lacey glanced at Amber, who was busy pulling up the TV show. Why had he called? She hadn’t spoken to him since their break-up, so hearing from him out of the blue shook her up. He hadn’t left a message, so she had no idea what he wanted.
“Are you gonna watch it with me?” Amber asked, motioning for Lacey to join her.
“Sure.” Lacey tucked her phone into her pocket and sat beside Amber, but as she stared at the TV, her mind was on Eric and why he’d called.
Jake walked into Pineapple’s and paused, looking to see if anyone he knew was there.
“Davis,” a voice called out, and Jake smiled as he headed to a table where Tyler and some other firefighters he knew were sitting.
Though he would have preferred to spend more time with Lacey, going to the popular firefighters’ hangout was a good consolation
prize. Knowing he would be having dinner with Lacey the next night helped too.
“Davis should audition,” Tommy, one of the other guys on A crew said with a smirk.
Immediately wary, Jake said, “Audition for what?”
Tyler laughed. “To be in next year’s Utah Firefighter calendar.”
Jake’s eyebrows jerked together. “What? No.” Although he could totally be in that calendar if he wanted to be.
“Why not?” Tyler said, a big grin on his face. “All that time you spend in the gym? You know you want to.”
“Yeah,” Tommy added. “You should totally do it, bro. Besides, it’s for a good cause. All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.”
For half a second, Jake actually considered it. “Maybe you should do it,” he said to Tommy.
Tommy nodded. “I should. I’m sure they’d pick me.”
Jake laughed.
“What?” Tommy asked with a tone of mock-offense. “You don’t think I’d make it?”
“I think they want guys with a six-pack, not a kegger.”
Tommy patted his stomach, which wasn’t quite as toned as Jake’s. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
Jake enjoyed hanging out with his buddies, but he was really looking forward to his date with Lacey the following night.
Fifteen
Lacey slept late the next morning—no point in getting up early to do nothing at all. The ring of her cell phone pulled her out of her slumber. With her eyes only half-open, she swiped to answer and pressed the phone to her ear.
“‘Lo?”
“Did I wake you?” an eerily familiar male voice asked.
Lacey’s eyes snapped open and her heart began to race. “Eric?”
“Yeah, it’s me, sweetheart.”
The term of endearment sent a shockwave of emotion flowing through her. He sounded like the sweet man she had fallen in love with, and memories of the good times they’d had together filled her mind.
“You sound only half-awake,” he said.
Rescue My Heart: Park City Firefighter Romance Page 7
