Page 45 of A Lonely Road (Spruce Hill #2)
Nora
M y dad stayed in town for two weeks after the incident.
Though he was subtle about it, it was obvious he wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn’t going to have a post-traumatic breakdown before he left.
I accepted it good-naturedly, even if I occasionally rolled my eyes at Jake over my father’s gentle fussing.
I wasn’t about to stand in his way, not this time.
After Jake told me about his pained confession on the porch step, I understood his need to rectify the course that had been set so many years ago.
Together, we stood on the front porch and waved as Dad drove away. When his car was gone from view, I leaned my head against Jake’s shoulder. At my soft sigh, he wrapped his arm around my waist .
“He’ll be back to visit,” he reassured me, but I shook my head a little.
“I never meant to stay here for more than a few months, you know,” I told him. “I thought I might even leave before Mr. Jenkins got back from Florida.”
“And now?”
“Now I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.”
His arm tightened ever so slightly around me. “Good, because I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m hooked.”
“I’m still not entirely sure how you weaseled your way in, but I’m glad you did, Jake.” I turned my head to kiss the edge of his jaw.
“Me too,” he said softly, nuzzling the top of my head in return.
It felt almost strange to be alone again after the barrage of attention we’d had since Shawn’s arrest. Jake’s family had been a near-constant feature in our lives, not that I could complain.
From meals to distractions, they’d been the best possible support system I could imagine.
Still, my introvert self had been longing for more than a few scattered moments of peace and quiet.
I’d also gotten to see Spruce Hill’s gossip mill in action, though Jake stood guard to keep any nosy townsfolk from confronting me directly.
And if nightmares plagued my sleep now and again, at least I had Jake there to hold me .
“I think we should get a dog. There’s an adoption event at the park next weekend, a few local rescues will be there.”
My body jerked at Jake’s pronouncement, but everything inside me softened at the expression on his face—like love and contentment were shining out of every pore. Any anxiety I might have expected at the thought of settling into a life together had simply vanished beneath the force of that glow.
“Okay,” I said simply.
“Excellent. I was thinking we could name it Taser.” His grin shone bright as the summer sun overhead.
I burst out laughing, dropping my head to his shoulder. “You’re a goof.”
“But I’m your goof, so you’re stuck with me.”
“Believe me, Jake, there’s no one on this planet I’d rather be stuck with. And Taser’s actually not a bad name for a dog.”
“So, next up, adopt a dog. Then what? Painting that bedroom bubblegum pink? Filling the koi pond with fish? Learning a few new languages? I don’t speak French, but I do know all about French kissing.”
I laughed. “That all sounds lovely, but I’m starting translation work on a romance novel this week. I decided I need a break from violent content, so for now, I’m only going to work on happily ever afters.”
His lips curved slowly upward into the kind of dimpled smile that always made me go soft and dreamy .
“Well, that sounds just perfect,” he drawled, dropping his mouth to mine, “because happily ever after is exactly what I had in mind.”