Page 39 of A Lonely Road (Spruce Hill #2)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Nora

W hen dinner time rolled around that evening, Baby was safely tucked away next to Jake’s truck in the garage and my father had transferred himself and his things over to the apartment.

While he nursed a beer alone above the garage, probably contemplating how his adult daughter could have chiseled down her entire life into a single box at the back of a closet, Jake and I were spooned together on the leather sofa, only half paying attention to the movie we’d chosen.

“Holding up okay?” Jake asked, rubbing his cheek against my hair.

Though I would fight anyone who went so far as to call me fragile, at least under almost any other circumstances, I felt a little too rigid after the morning’s drama, almost brittle, like it wouldn’t take much for me to fall apart .

Again.

As far as Jake was concerned, letting all those pent up emotions out was probably better than burying them inside—he’d told me that half a dozen times, in various ways.

Now that we were cuddling, it finally felt like my body was loosening up again, albeit slowly.

Those hidden feelings were now creeping back toward the surface, presenting a vulnerability I hated.

“I’ve been better.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You really think we can get the paint off of Baby?”

His palm rubbed reassuringly up and down my arm. “I really do. We’ll take good care of her.”

For a stretch of time, I just burrowed in closer to Jake’s body and let him soothe me without so much as a word.

If I’d realized people could possess the ability to offer comfort with just their presence, just a warm, reassuring touch, would I have sought that out sooner?

Or was it a unique attribute of the man spooned against my back?

Whatever the case might be, I didn’t care—all that mattered was that I’d found him, he’d found me, and I wasn’t alone anymore.

Once the chaos in my chest finally settled, I rolled slightly to look up at him. “Is it weird that my dad is next door?”

“Weird? Nah. If he could see into the Dude Lair or the bedroom, maybe,” he said with a grin. “Fortunately for us, he’s on the other side of the house. Besides, he promised me he wouldn’t show up over here without texting one of us first.”

My eyes widened. “Did he really? ”

Jake laughed at my horrified expression. “Look, your dad clearly knows we’re sleeping together and I’m assuming he doesn’t want to risk seeing anything he’d regret for the rest of his life.”

That assurance appeased me somewhat. I rolled over until I was facing him, careful not to knee him in the groin again, nestling in so my nose was barely an inch from his Adam’s apple and he had to tug my hips tighter against him to keep me from falling off the couch.

“I love you, Jake Lincoln,” I whispered.

“I love you, Nora Cassidy.” As his lips brushed my forehead, I sighed, a soft puff of breath against the base of his throat, and he said, “I won’t let anything happen to you, you know that, right?”

“I know you won’t, and I won’t let anything happen to you, either.”

“Then we’re safe as can be,” he murmured into my hair.

“Today threw me for a loop, but you’re more important to me than stuff, Jake. I love my car, but in the end, it’s still just stuff. You’re the only thing I really need. I just . . . I want you to know that.”

I nodded against his chest for emphasis, but I knew he understood what I was saying.

Carefully, with one arm already under me, Jake rolled so I was sprawled out on top of him, my mess of curls tumbling around both of our faces like a veil as I looked down at him.

He tucked a strand behind my ear and rubbed his nose against mine .

“When they catch this guy—and they will, I have no doubt, because Scarpella is clearly an idiot—we are going to celebrate. And then I’m going to ask you to move in with me, for real this time.

You don’t have to say yes if you’re not ready, but I’ll ask you all the same.

I thought you might appreciate some warning, so you can get used to the idea. ”

My lips curved, though I was sure Jake didn’t miss the slight hitch of my breath. “I’ll try to be ready to answer when you do. It’ll take some heavy lifting to retrieve my last box and drawer of clothes, but I also already told my Dad I’d get that stuff out of the apartment.”

“One whole box? That’s all that’s left over there?”

Though I rolled my eyes at the question, echoing my father’s incredulity so closely, I countered it by kissing him before I laid my head back down on his chest. “Yes. My dad was similarly shocked, but that’s all I’ve ever really needed.

I always rented furnished apartments and grabbed anything else that was missing from thrift stores, then donated it when I moved again. ”

“Huh,” he said, stroking my hair while he considered.

“Nora, I think you might be the most low maintenance woman I’ve ever met.

Probably the most low maintenance human being, period.

As you can see, we have plenty of room here, so if you decide you want any so-called ‘stuff’ that I don’t have, I wouldn’t object.

I’ve spent most of my time thinking about renovating, not decorating, but this awesome rug you picked out spoiled me.

Now I find myself lusting after other cool stuff. ”

I laughed. “I’m sure I could come up with a few things you’re missing. And Jake?”

“Yes, my love?”

A flutter rose up in my belly at the endearment. “Thank you.”

Gently, Jake tugged a lock of my hair until I propped my chin on his sternum to look at him. “For what?”

Though my eyes were a little misty, I smiled. “For helping me find everything I’d been searching for.”

T he next morning, Sam and Casey arrived bearing bags and boxes of muffins, donuts, and pastries, along with enough coffee for a small army.

My father joined us, at Sam’s insistence, and we spent nearly an hour on Jake’s deck enjoying a leisurely breakfast. It felt blessedly normal, drinking coffee with friends and family, enjoying the warmth of companionship along with that of the morning sun on our faces.

There were a few moments when my heart clenched, when I realized how much these people all meant to me, but Jake steadied me with a squeeze or a chaste brush of lips or even just a glance, showing me how deeply he understood what was going on in my head.

Afterward, Jake, my dad, and Casey, who gleefully informed me that she was even better under the hood than Jake—prompting a burst of laughter from me and a brilliant blush from Sam—set out to clean up my car.

The Lincoln twins, damn their dimples, both firmly informed me that it would be better for me to wait to see the finished product instead of bearing witness to the removal process.

It was swiftly seconded by my father, so I resigned myself to staying out of their way.

Once the others had disappeared to the garage, Sam and I remained on the deck with our coffee.

For the first time since I'd met her, Jake’s twin was dressed down, clad in fitted jeans with an old concert tee knotted at one hip.

Apparently cleaning up graffiti, even by proxy, called for casual clothes.

I didn’t feel quite so bad about my denim cut-offs and tank today, since I fit in so well with the rest of them.

“I have a gift for you,” she said, passing me a tiny chiffon bag covered in silver stars.

“A gift? For what?” I untied the ribbons and poured the contents into my palm, my breath catching when I saw it was a tiny mermaid tail pendant to match the one around her neck.

She winked at me. “Consider it an official welcome into the family.”

It took several seconds for me to get control of the emotions rollicking through my chest, but when I raised teary eyes to meet her gaze, she gave a gentle smile and shook her head to stave off a protest. Then she leaned over and took it from my hands to clasp it around my neck.

“Perfect,” she whispered.

I gave a shaky laugh. “Thank you, Sam. ”

“I always wanted a sister.” She grinned. “So now it's mermaid-official.”

“Can't get much more official than that. Now, if you’re going to hold me hostage, you’ll have to fess up. What’s the deal with you and Casey? I need juicy details to keep my mind off my lovely stalker,” I insisted, in desperate need of distraction.

Sam gave a dramatic sigh, but her expression was serene. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and I always thought she was more like a sister to me than anything. Or maybe I just picked up on that being the way Jake felt about her and internalized it.”

“He said he was relieved to learn she wasn’t into guys, so he couldn’t ruin their friendship.”

“Yeah,” she said, laughing. “Once, right after Casey came out in high school, Jake told me he thought she was into me, but I didn’t really believe it.

Even if it was true, it’s so easy to ruin friendships with high school relationships, you know?

Then all of a sudden, something changed.

I don’t know exactly how or when or why. She just makes me ridiculously happy.”

“Then I’m happy for you,” I said, but I raised a brow. “You were hitting on me at the cafe that day, but it sounded like you were already planning to make a play for Casey even then. What would you have done if I’d taken you up on it?”

“Oh, I was definitely hitting on you,” Sam admitted freely.

The dimple in her cheek appeared when she laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Things hadn’t changed yet between us, so I was still technically unattached.

Jake and I made a twin pact when we were teenagers, vowing never to fight over partners, but he didn’t seem to be laying claim too quickly when you first got here. ”

“I think if he’d done anything remotely like ‘laying claim,’ I would’ve punched him in the throat.”

“You are pretty fierce. It’s hot.”

I snorted a laugh. “Thanks.”