Page 32 of Handling Skylar (Hope Parish #5)

SKY

I meant what I said as I stood there holding onto Jake.

We were living in the moment, not the past, nor the future.

Just now. I had no idea what the next few months would bring, if Jake and I would hold strong.

I knew life wasn’t cut and dried and never took anything for granted.

I’d learned that lesson when Seth disappeared.

There was no doubt I was falling for Jake.

It was so easy because Jake was stronger than he knew, supportive, caring, honest. I felt a twinge that he didn’t know my whole story, and I knew everything about his.

But I made a decision a long time ago I wasn’t going to drag my humiliation and shame all the way from Wyoming to Suttontowne.

I had drifted and wandered for the better part of six years, shutting people out, keeping to myself.

The guilt swamped me, and I shoved it back.

My heart opened when I came to this small town and the people embraced me, this outsider they just barely met.

Nothing from my past was going to ruin the life I had built here. I wouldn’t let it.

“Let’s just be us, Jake. For now. For this moment.”

“It’s what I want. To be just me. No golden boy, no rich kid,” he whispered, his tone uneven. “I don’t want to live anymore like I’m always under some shadow.”

I wondered if he could get away from all that, and we could just be simple together. But he led a complicated and complex life and I was just a simple cowgirl at heart. I didn’t quite fit into Sutton stock, not like Anna Kate did. Could we really overcome everything?

I wiped at my eyes. Then drew a deep shuddering breath, and Jake took over, whisking the moisture away with his thumbs. “It’s going to be okay,” he said.

“I know,” I whispered. Pressing my head to his shoulder, he gathered me up in a tight embrace, his hand delving into my hair.

Shifting so I was flat against him, I shut my eyes, the rush of sensation so intense that I had to grit my teeth.

He tightened his hold on me, my heart hammering, my breathing constricted.

I moved, the feel of his body sending shockwaves of heat through me, and he clutched my head, the feel of him almost too much to handle.

His fingers snagging in my hair, he kissed my jaw, down my neck.

I could barely breathe without it killing me.

Releasing a shaky sigh, he adjusted his hold on me, drawing me deeper into his embrace, my lungs constricting.

I buried my head, struggling to stay in this moment when there was so much pain inside me that I needed to release, but couldn’t, wouldn’t.

I needed the distraction, and I took it.

I slipped my hand over the hard ridge of flesh beneath his zipper, turning my face against his neck, breathing deep.

The smell of him brought a low, desperate sound from me.

I twisted my head, my mouth suddenly hot and urgent against his.

The bolt of pure, raw sensation was just what I needed.

I needed him. Jake shuddered, and he widened his mouth against mine, feeding on the desperation that ignited between us.

I made another wild sound and clutched at him, the movement welding our bodies together like two halves who had finally found each other.

I pushed him back against the window, reaching for his jeans, wild to free him. I needed him so much. He lifted his hips slightly to give me access to pull his pants down. I wasted no time and even less time in shoving off my panties.

I straddled him. Looking him in the eyes, the intensity of his gaze as hot and real as his aroused body.

I cried out, and he grunted as I took him, held him, moved above him, matching him stroke for stroke as I came undone for him.

For Jake, only Jake. I continued to pulsate and shudder around him.

He had no recourse, no way for him to stop the climax I felt building.

I kissed his mouth, riding him, meeting him heart to heart, this relationship I thought would never happen, this man that I held in my arms and in my body touched me to the deepest part of my heart until I couldn’t seem to remember where we were separate.

It was beyond seeking physical pleasure and well into something forged between two people that defies any definition.

I sank onto him again and again, until he came with a long, jerking groan. I covered his mouth wanting that sound inside me, wanting his life inside me touching those places that had felt so long dead. Oh God. I wasn’t falling. I had already fallen and it was either too late, or it was just right.

He rose in one powerful push of this thighs, dropping down to the bed with me, kicking away his pants and pulling off my top as if he didn’t want any barrier between us. Just skin to skin contact.

He rolled to his side and pulled me with him. Cuddling me to his side.

Softly he said, “Yeah, you know how to handle just about anything, sugar,” his drawling, sexy voice sluiced through me.

“You did clean up,” I said.

“I have the dishpan hands to prove it.”

We laughed and he pulled me closer, placing a kiss on my temple, his big body comforting and warm.

He drifted into sleep and I listened to the sound of his heart.

Mine beat to his. I kept telling myself this wasn’t temporary, but the experienced part of me knew that all good things came to an end.

Sometimes with no warning, either people just left or they died.

They were the facts of life that I knew so damn well.

***

The next morning as I was opening the shop, I groaned inwardly when I saw Anna Kate get out of her sleek car and head in my direction.

I was still raw about last night, twisted up in my grief and my feelings for Jake.

They were beginning to overwhelm me and scare me just a bit.

I had tried to tell myself over and over again I shouldn’t get too close to him, but I had lost my way with him.

I had lost all sense of direction because he just simply overwhelmed me and my distinct attempt to keep everything in the moment.

Against my better judgment, I kept slipping up and thinking about the future.

I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the woman who could have had him.

Had everything with him if she had one working brain cell in her empty blonde head.

She had disrespected him from the beginning.

Everything was always about her. She entered and shut the door.

With a flick of her wrist, she turned the open sign to closed.

“Anna Kate, this is my place of business and I decide when it’s open.”

She gave me a snotty look, but made no move to switch the sign. She walked up to the counter and picked up one of my soaps, smelled it and set it back down. Her expression showed her surprise that it didn’t smell like manure.

“I have Belle business to discuss. You are no longer in initiation. You passed,” she said with a sour tone. “You wowed the town, congratulations. I think they believe you are the second coming of Scarlett O’Hara.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. The credo shouting and hoop-skirt wearing days were over. I couldn’t believe how many times beautiful was used in everyday conversation. Jake, that rascal, got great pleasure in calling me beautiful. “What do you want?”

“You’ve been nominated for Pecan Queen, and I’m afraid that I am outnumbered.

So this honor goes to you,” she sniffed.

“At our next meeting, we’ll be discussing the particulars and your responsibilities, so don’t be late.

” She headed for the door. “Oh, and I’ve had a nice conversation with your hometown pal, Adam. He had some interesting things to say.”

I swallowed hard. Did Anna Kate know about everything? Had Adam told her my personal business?

“What?”

“Oh, this and that. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

As soon as Jordan came in, I asked her if she could man the shop.

I had an errand I needed to run. I drove to Lafayette to the hotel Adam said he was staying at, but when I asked at the front desk, the clerk told me that no one by that name was registered there.

I guessed I must have gotten the hotel wrong.

I could only hope that he’d gone home, and my secret was still safe.

Instead of going back to the shop, I drove over to Verity’s house. When she answered the door, she beamed at me. The twins were in a playpen, Duel was playing a video game on the TV and Henry was in school.

“Hey, I heard the news! Congratulations! Pecan Queen. That is so fabulous.”

I nodded smiling. I’m sure my Scarlett performance was responsible for that.” What a backfire that turned out to be. But, I had to suck it up for Jake. “I came to ask you a favor.”

“Sure, come on in.” She got me a cup of coffee and we sat down on her sofa. “So what do you need?”

“I’d like you to design the dresses. I don’t trust Anna Kate. She hates me and if I know my revengeful Southern Belle, she’s going to find some way to make me pay. I don’t want this whole ball ruined by some hideous dresses. So say yes, please.”

“Say no more and consider it done. River, Aubree and I will be your court, so that will be so much fun, right? I can assure you Jake will look great in a tux. I’ve seen him.

Our Outlaws, do I even have to tell you how well they clean up?

She chatted about her kids for a bit and I talked about our trip on the Vermilion.

When I left, I felt marginally better. I still didn’t know what Anna Kate had planned, but I was sure it wouldn’t be good for me.

I could just kill her.