“The fact that you think it’s going to end at all says a lot about the kind of women you’ve been dating, my friend.”
He rolled his eyes. “It really doesn’t. I’ve been here for two days. What kind of a bond can you build in that much time?”
“You’d be surprised.”
Georgie didn’t even look at him as she muttered the words under her breath.
The fight leeched out of him. He searched the crowd for a glimpse of Teresa’s face, but he couldn’t find her. Maybe she’d gotten a breath of fresh air? A call from the babysitter? “Let me guess, you believe in soulmates.”
The corner of her lip twitched into a smile. “I’m willing to bet you don’t.”
Laughter crinkled the outside corners of his eyes. “You’d win that bet.”
Georgie patted his hand. “Can I tell you something I’ve learned as an old woman? Sometimes, the young worry too much about the future. Jake, just go ask her to dance.”
Something in her eyes spoke to her personal experience in this area. Maybe the reason she was a matchmaker had to do with her own romantic regrets.
He brought one hand up to his lips. “All right, Georgie, I’ll ask her to dance. Only because you’re the one asking, mind you.”
She grinned. “I’ll take it.”
Jake smoothed his uniform and donned his hat. If he was going to play the romantic on this Thanksgiving trip, he might as well go all Officer and a Gentleman about it.
He caught a glimpse of her as he stepped out onto the steps of the town hall. She leaned against the white stone building, beside one of the stacks of baled hay and the accompanying pumpkins and burlap decorations. No one would miss that this was a harvest ball.
“Teresa, I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
A suspicious sound, like a sniffle, met his ear. “Go away.”
He blinked. Something was wrong. He stood in front of her and crouched so he could catch her low gaze. “Are you okay?”
The tears doused any fire which might have erupted in her eyes as she ran a finger under her nose. “Please, Jake, just go.”
He gestured toward the entrance. “You were having a great time just a few minutes ago, weren’t you? What happened?”
She sniffled again. “Nothing. It’s—it’s stupid. I shouldn’t have come.”
He coaxed her gaze upward with a finger under her chin. “I’m glad you came. After last night, I was afraid—”
She stiffened. “You were right last night. We have no future. You live in Denver, I live in Blessings. You’re leaving in a week. Besides, I have a kid. Who wants to be saddled with an instant-family?”
Jake blinked. “What?”
She shoved at his chest, turning back to the steps. “Jake, just leave me alone. I’ll make sure Logan gives you a little space for the rest of your stay. I’ll even bring your meals to your room if you want.”
He grabbed her by the wrist and swung her back toward him. “Teresa, what are you talking about? I think Logan is great.”
Her lip quivered as he caught her in his arms. “Then, why did you say you couldn’t date a woman with a kid?”
His chest tightened. “You heard that?”
The tears stayed at bay as if on command. “I have an ex-husband who thought Logan and I were burdens. I have no intention to bring another man into my life who thinks the same.”
He ran a finger against her cheek, soft with perfumed powder. “Teresa, I wish you’d stayed just a minute longer. What I meant was that I didn’t want to start something with you because it’s not just about you and me. Whatever happens between us involves Logan, and I want to make sure that I’m being realistic and fair about our relationship.”
Hope sprang into her hazel eyes like a flame to a candle. “You were thinking about Logan?”
He nodded. “My sister may think that she’s the one who’s making me rethink this whole bachelor status with this ridiculous Thanksgiving deal, but it’s Logan who’s making me shift my priorities. I’d give my left arm to have a kid like him.”
Warmth radiated in her eyes. “I know I’m biased, but he’s a good kid.”
Jake’s eyes scanned her face, taking in the sculpted look of her eyes and the accentuated blush of her cheeks before landing on the glossy curve of her lips.
His heart hammered in his chest. Here they were again, him with one arm around her waist and her looking at him with those wide eyes and kissable lips...
An engine roared from the nearby street, revving as it squeaked up to the curb.
Jake’s stubborn streak reared up. Nothing was going to steal this moment from him again.
Before he could return his attention to her, Teresa stiffened. “No. Please, no.”
He stepped back. “Teresa?”
Her gaze zeroed in on the man hopping out of the expensive convertible sports car. Her breath hissed out in one word.
“Colin.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Teresa
No, no, no, no, no...
Teresa’s insides shook with both fury and fear. Hadn’t she been clear on the phone? She wasn’t available. She wasn’t avoiding their conversation about Thanksgiving, but she had plans.
So, what was he doing here?
Colin flounced up the stairs like a tap dancer, his sport coat flapping in the breeze. “Teri, baby, you hung up on me.”
He looked like a movie star with his sky-blue button-down shirt open at the collar and one hand in his tailored slacks. His hair was tousled as if a professional rather than the wind had styled it.
Nobody but her would see this as the power move it was. His appearance at this dance reminded her that nobody got away with telling him that his demands were unreasonable. Nobody told Colin that he couldn’t have what he wanted.
Her heart lodged itself in her throat and she gripped Jake’s arm with one hand.
Jake’s eyes dropped to her, questioning.
She wanted to tell him, wanted to whisper that this was her ex, but her voice was as paralyzed as her feet.
Turn around, Colin. Just go.
Instead, Colin yanked her by the wrist and swung her into a dip as if they’d been dancing. He kissed her with the same passion and flair that he had shown with the dip as if she would have no reason not to kiss him back.
She swallowed the acrid taste of bile. The urge to run home and scrub her mouth clean of him pulsed in her throat.
As he spun her back up to her feet, he couldn’t restrain the smirk which always accompanied such a liberty. His eyes shone with a hard glint of resolve in the glow of the streetlamps under the full moon.
She shivered.
Content with her response to his control, Colin turned to Jake. “So, you’re the reason Teri hung up on me.”
Jake’s eyes darted between Colin and Teresa as if he was trying to estimate who was kidding whom.
Her heart squeezed though she understood. From Jake’s perspective, Colin must have looked so relaxed that there would be no reason to believe he would be anything less than authentic. Teresa, on the other hand, had gone stiff as a board when she heard his voice. She was the one who looked like she had something to hide. Not Colin.
Colin extended a hand to Jake. “Colin Brewer. Teresa’s my wife.”
Anger boiled in Teresa’s ears. “Ex-wife, Colin. Emphasis on the ex.”
Colin’s lip curled. She knew from years of experience that Jake would see the look as a casual what-are-you-gonna-do tic, but she knew better. It was Colin’s fury cracking the shell of his facade.
He grabbed her by the shoulder, digging his fingers into her flesh as he pressed her against his shoulder. “Well, married or not, we’re still parenting the same kid, right? I think figuring out where he spends Thanksgiving is a bigger priority than some stupid dance.”
He turned her toward the car, stopping only to look over at his shoulder at Jake. “You understand, right? Family and all.”
Jake’s attention zeroed in on her, and she saw a
fierceness darken his eyes. “Teresa, do you want to go home right now?”
Though her spirit yelled no, she just shrugged. “Colin came all this way to talk about Thanksgiving. The least I can—”
Jake’s eyes narrowed as he interrupted. “Teresa, do you want to go with Colin right now?”
Colin’s laugh sounded rehearsed like all the moves and charm he used to manipulate people into thinking he was a good guy. “Look, man, Teresa and I have some things to talk about. I’ll send her back your direction when I’m done with her.”
A shiver ran up Teresa’s spine. Colin had never been physically abusive, but she wanted no part in whatever he meant by being done with her. Those words triggered too many images of women being coerced or forced into things they didn’t want to do and passed off like a sweaty towel to the next guy who needed her.
Jake stepped forward. His eyes flicked back to Colin. “I wasn’t asking you.”
Teresa’s heart melted when Jake reached a hand to her. “What would you like to do? I can take you home right now, or I can take you back to the dance.”
His eyes said what his mouth did not. He didn’t trust Colin.
Relief rushed into her limbs. His faith in her, a woman who was arguably a stranger, was the closest thing to a Thanksgiving miracle as she’d ever seen.
It was enough to spark some tiny ember of courage in her. She accepted his hand with the one furthest from Colin. “I—I think I’d like you to take me home, Jake. If you don’t mind...”
His smile was tinged with grimness, a result from his continued assessment of Colin as a threat. “I don’t mind at all. Happy to help.”
She wanted to ask how his date was going to get home, but she didn’t want to give Colin any ammunition. Besides, if she didn’t get home soon, she was afraid of what Colin would do to Logan and the babysitter. He wasn’t above using Logan as leverage for what he wanted.
As she took Jake’s hand, Colin’s hold tightened on her shoulder. Her breath trapped in her lungs. Knowing him the way she did, she imagined he was calculating which move would be in his best interest. He wouldn’t let go until he could be sure that he had a higher yielding strategy in place.
She stumbled as he let go of her shoulder, her feet working against him before she’d realized they were moving. Jake caught her in his arms, pulling her to his chest as if to assure her that she was safe.
“I’ll see you at the house then. Logan and I will watch a movie or something.”
Teresa’s neck craned back to study his face. Was it a threat? Was he promising to hurt her son?
“Everything okay out here?”
All three pairs of eyes landed on the deputy who stood on the steps with one hand on her belt while she nursed a cup of punch. Dressed in her uniform, she seemed to have taken a moment out of her regular responsibilities to enjoy the music.
Teresa’s throat went dry. Stall him. Please. Keep him from getting to my son before I do.
“It’s just fine, deputy. Maybe you can take Ms. Able home if I’m not back by the end of the evening?” Jake’s voice was even, almost casual, as if there really wasn’t anything wrong. The way Teresa’s wrist throbbed from Colin’s grasp, however, told a different story.
Teresa relaxed against Jake’s chest. She’d never been so grateful to be in the arms of someone so quick-thinking.
Though the deputy’s eyes darted back toward Colin as if to ask if he was going to be a problem, she nodded. “Happy to. You holler if you need anything, okay?”
Jake bobbed his head once. “Just got to attend to a family matter.”
The deputy’s eyes rested on Teresa’s face as if the look on it was the sole reason the other woman was still not convinced.
Teresa’s attempt at a smile wobbled.
Get it together, Teresa. Let the deputy get back to the party.
The deputy nodded, seeming to accept her weak smile as evidence that they were in the clear. “I’ve got to drive past the B&B when I take Ms. Able home. Might even stop in for a scone and some cocoa if that’s all right?”
Teresa’s heart leapt. Thank heavens for female deputies. Good law enforcement was always a blessing, but it was especially nice to have someone with a badge understand how nervous a vengeful ex could make a person. “Of course. I’d be happy to make you some of my grandmother’s cocoa.”
The woman tipped her hat. “Then, I’ll drop in when I’ve taken Miss Georgie home. Have a good night.”
Jake’s grip on her waist tightened as the deputy walked away. He seemed to sense that the fight was just beginning.
“So, you’re blowing off a date to take Teri home, huh? Who said chivalry was dead?”
Please, Colin, just shut up...
Jake didn’t respond, only turned a smile to her. “Ready?”
Her head bounced up and down with such speed that she could have passed for a bobble head, but she didn’t care. All she wanted right now was to wrap her arms around her son, smell his hair and kiss his face. Anything she’d be free to do after Colin left.
Jake guided her past Colin as if the man was of no more consequence than another guest at the ball.
That was risky. If Teresa tried it, Colin would lash out like he had tonight by racing to the ball in a loud, flashy convertible. Still, she trusted Jake. Something about his strong physique and his firm resolve told her this was not his first rodeo.
He knew how to handle guys like Colin.
The flashy engine roared to life again, and Teresa’s knees threatened to buckle. Jake’s arm tightened around her waist as he looked down at her. “My car’s around the corner. You gonna be okay?”
She lifted the corners of her mouth in what she hoped resembled a smile. “I’m just gonna call the babysitter.”
“Good idea. Tell her to take Logan upstairs into your room. Have her lock the door behind them and tell her not to open it for anyone but you.”
Her knees wobbled again. “Colin’s not that bad.”
“Never hurts to be prepared.”
Jake’s eyes canvassed the street as he opened the car door for her. She sank into the seat, feeling the weight of everything crash in on her. Colin was headed to the house. Logan and Penny didn’t know.
She needed to warn them.
Her fingers trembled as she tried to open her purse. It was just a magnet clasp, but her worry made pulling it open an agonizing endeavor. She dumped the contents of her purse onto her lap in hopes of making the task a little easier.
A car engine revved as Jake slipped into the driver’s side.
Her eyes widened as a car sped past them, nearly clipping the door. “Was that Colin?”
He turned the key in the ignition as he buckled his seatbelt. His eyes fell on the splayed contents of her purse though if the sight shocked him, he didn’t show it.
She raised her phone with a shrug. “Found it.”
Jake pulled onto the street as she searched for the girl’s phone number in her contact directory. She flicked away a thought that she should clean up her contact list. She couldn’t imagine that she had this many friends and acquaintances she talked to on a regular basis.
Teresa breathed a sigh of relief when sixteen-year-old Penny answered on the first ring. Teresa gave her an abridged account of what was going on and passed along Jake’s advice to take Logan upstairs and lock the door. “Hey, Logan, why don’t you pick out a movie? Your mom said we could build a fort upstairs.”
The boy crowed in the background as he raced to carry out the order.
Teresa’s heart lightened. “Thank you, Penny. Lock all the doors before you head upstairs. Don’t worry about letting any of the guests in tonight. I’ll take care of that.”
“Do you want me to call the police?”
Teresa’s heart stuck in her throat. It had never gotten this bad with Colin before. Sure, he could be controlling, but that was all it had ever been. What scared her now wasn’t his controlling attitude. It was how he was reacting to her newfound indepen
dence. “If I haven’t come and relieved you in fifteen minutes, yes.”
She felt Jake’s eyes on her as she ended the call. “Quick thinking.”
Her heart skipped a beat, pleased by the praise. She tamped down that feeling. Now wasn’t the time to engage. She had too much at stake. “Thank you. Penny’s good on her feet.”
“Wasn’t talking about Penny.”
She turned a curious glance to Jake as they pulled up to the bed and breakfast. Her heart yearned to ask a question, but her mind and body were too focused on the matter at hand to more than acknowledge the feeling and move past it.
She moved to exit the car when Jake caught her fingers in his. “Teresa?”
She swallowed as she looked back at him. “Jake?”
“You’re not just Colin’s ex.”
Her brow furrowed. “I know that.”
He gestured at her that he wasn’t finished, and she fell silent again. “You’re also the woman who met me here yesterday.”
She scoffed. “Thanks for bringing that up right now. Nothing makes me feel better than to relive my irrational moments.”
Jake ran his thumb over the back of her hand with a tenderness which shouldn’t belong to such a new friendship. “That’s not what I mean, Teresa. You were fierce as you defended your parking lot. You have that in you now. Colin can’t hurt you. I won’t let him.”
Her eyes moistened, the emotion of the last few minutes threatening to fall in tears. She wanted to lean in and kiss him, wanted to show him how grateful she was to have a partner in this moment. No matter what the future held, she’d always be grateful for the backward blessing which had brought him to her doorstep.
Instead, she straightened, refusing to cower under the weight of Colin’s fury any longer. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Colin leaned against the sports car as she and Jake stepped out into the cool evening air. “What’s the matter? Thought I was going to go in and hurt the kid?” Colin’s lip curled with his question as if he took pleasure in her worry.
Jake caught her fingers in his and squeezed her hand. His steady gaze reminded her of the confidence he had in her.
Backward Blessings Page 6
