kids.”
Trish smiled. “I’ll bring them by when
they get back, John. You’re so good to Trevor. He really does think
of you as another grandparent.”
“ He’s a fine boy, Trish.
And that little Lexie is just as pretty as a picture. Looks like
her mama.” Trish smiled again at the elderly man who her kids had
taken such a liking to.
“ I’m starving, Granddad.
When’s supper ready?” Callie smiled as she handed her grandfather a
glass of iced tea.
John thanked Callie for the tea.
“It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes. We’re having chicken with
all the fixins’.”
“ We brought a, I mean I
brought a salad. It’s in the fridge.” Trish stood up to get
it.
“ Hey, I helped chop
stuff,” Jake stated indignantly.
“ Yes, you did. So, I guess
we did bring a salad. Sorry.” Noticeably uncomfortable with the
reference to them as a couple, Trish went inside to get the
salad.
Too bad, sweetheart,
you’ll have to get over it eventually. I’m not going
anywhere .
As usual, the Dubeck/Scanlan barbecue
tasted delicious coupled with great company and atmosphere. It felt
strange to Trish not to have the kids in tow. She usually had to
leave early, so she could get them in bed at a decent hour, but
tonight she felt as free as a bird. It felt weird in a good way.
Sort of.
Trish helped Callie and Eva clean up,
and everyone left around nine. It was a quiet drive home, which
gave Trish plenty of time to think, which wasn’t necessarily a good
thing. The closer she got to her parents’ house, the more nervous
she became. Jake hadn’t made a pass at her all day, despite her
drunken invitation of last night. She couldn’t figure out if she
felt disappointed or relieved. She was a mother of two now. She
still had a pretty good figure, though, and she’d worn her hair
down just like he liked it. Maybe she’d imagined things last night.
Maybe his kisses weren’t as steamy as she remembered. She had been
under the influence at the time. Maybe he wasn’t quite as enthused
as she’d thought. Probably for the best.
Jake pulled into the driveway and
turned off the truck. She wanted to jump out and run inside before
he had a chance to follow, but she forced herself to walk slowly
with him beside her. She unlocked the door and turned to look at
him.
“ Thanks for everything
today, Jake. Showing me the house, driving me around, everything.
You’re a good friend.”
“ So you said last night.
And you’re welcome. Mind if I come in?”
“ Uh, sure. I mean, no, I
don’t mind. We have to work tomorrow, though. I need my beauty
sleep.” Trish laughed nervously.
They walked inside together. Trish
acted fidgety. “Can I get you something? I don’t think I have any
beer, but I might have wine.”
“ I’m good, thanks.” Jake
sat down on the couch. “Come talk to me, Trish.”
Trish’s blue eyes were as big as
saucers as she made her way to the couch and sat in the furthest
corner from where Jake sat. “What do you want to talk
about?”
“ Last night,
mostly.”
“ Last night? Okaaay. I had
fun at girls’ night and had waaaay too much to drink. Thank you
again for being the designated driver.”
“ Sure, Trish, no problem.
I’ll be your designated driver anytime. All you have to do is
ask.”
“ That’s very nice of you,
Jake. You are a true friend. I don’t think I’ll need a DD anytime
soon, though, plus it’s really not fair to you. I’m sure you were
bored out of your mind.”
“ You’re rambling, you
know. Are you nervous or something?”
“ Rambling? Nervous? Me?
That’s silly. I’m simply thanking you and watching out for your
best interests. That’s what friends do for one another.”
“ Kind of like you watched
out for me last night when all those loose women were bothering
me?”
“ Yes, I mean no. Well,
yes.”
“ Which is it, Trish the
dish? Yes or no.” Jake turned his body to face her and scooted a
little closer.
“ Yes, I watched out for
you. Like a
Trish smiled. “I’ll bring them by when
they get back, John. You’re so good to Trevor. He really does think
of you as another grandparent.”
“ He’s a fine boy, Trish.
And that little Lexie is just as pretty as a picture. Looks like
her mama.” Trish smiled again at the elderly man who her kids had
taken such a liking to.
“ I’m starving, Granddad.
When’s supper ready?” Callie smiled as she handed her grandfather a
glass of iced tea.
John thanked Callie for the tea.
“It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes. We’re having chicken with
all the fixins’.”
“ We brought a, I mean I
brought a salad. It’s in the fridge.” Trish stood up to get
it.
“ Hey, I helped chop
stuff,” Jake stated indignantly.
“ Yes, you did. So, I guess
we did bring a salad. Sorry.” Noticeably uncomfortable with the
reference to them as a couple, Trish went inside to get the
salad.
Too bad, sweetheart,
you’ll have to get over it eventually. I’m not going
anywhere .
As usual, the Dubeck/Scanlan barbecue
tasted delicious coupled with great company and atmosphere. It felt
strange to Trish not to have the kids in tow. She usually had to
leave early, so she could get them in bed at a decent hour, but
tonight she felt as free as a bird. It felt weird in a good way.
Sort of.
Trish helped Callie and Eva clean up,
and everyone left around nine. It was a quiet drive home, which
gave Trish plenty of time to think, which wasn’t necessarily a good
thing. The closer she got to her parents’ house, the more nervous
she became. Jake hadn’t made a pass at her all day, despite her
drunken invitation of last night. She couldn’t figure out if she
felt disappointed or relieved. She was a mother of two now. She
still had a pretty good figure, though, and she’d worn her hair
down just like he liked it. Maybe she’d imagined things last night.
Maybe his kisses weren’t as steamy as she remembered. She had been
under the influence at the time. Maybe he wasn’t quite as enthused
as she’d thought. Probably for the best.
Jake pulled into the driveway and
turned off the truck. She wanted to jump out and run inside before
he had a chance to follow, but she forced herself to walk slowly
with him beside her. She unlocked the door and turned to look at
him.
“ Thanks for everything
today, Jake. Showing me the house, driving me around, everything.
You’re a good friend.”
“ So you said last night.
And you’re welcome. Mind if I come in?”
“ Uh, sure. I mean, no, I
don’t mind. We have to work tomorrow, though. I need my beauty
sleep.” Trish laughed nervously.
They walked inside together. Trish
acted fidgety. “Can I get you something? I don’t think I have any
beer, but I might have wine.”
“ I’m good, thanks.” Jake
sat down on the couch. “Come talk to me, Trish.”
Trish’s blue eyes were as big as
saucers as she made her way to the couch and sat in the furthest
corner from where Jake sat. “What do you want to talk
about?”
“ Last night,
mostly.”
“ Last night? Okaaay. I had
fun at girls’ night and had waaaay too much to drink. Thank you
again for being the designated driver.”
“ Sure, Trish, no problem.
I’ll be your designated driver anytime. All you have to do is
ask.”
“ That’s very nice of you,
Jake. You are a true friend. I don’t think I’ll need a DD anytime
soon, though, plus it’s really not fair to you. I’m sure you were
bored out of your mind.”
“ You’re rambling, you
know. Are you nervous or something?”
“ Rambling? Nervous? Me?
That’s silly. I’m simply thanking you and watching out for your
best interests. That’s what friends do for one another.”
“ Kind of like you watched
out for me last night when all those loose women were bothering
me?”
“ Yes, I mean no. Well,
yes.”
“ Which is it, Trish the
dish? Yes or no.” Jake turned his body to face her and scooted a
little closer.
“ Yes, I watched out for
you. Like a
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