knees.
“And I love you, Coach Adams. Now get out of here and kick some ass!” I swat his and he laughs lightly.
He lingers in the doorway a bit, so I nod toward outside. He gives me another swift kiss and then finally walks out to his truck. I wave goodbye, shutting the door behind him. I stand with my back against it for a few minutes, wringing out my hands. I keep having this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something is wrong. I just have no idea what it could be. But before I can dig deeper into my thoughts, the kids rush me, telling me that it’s time to go meet Ben. I take a deep breath to rid any lingering tense thoughts.
Time to see Jake.
Again.
Eff .
***
We’re standing outside Jake’s door, and I get a feeling of déjà vu.
Stupid dream .
My face flushes as he answers the incessant knocking that my kids are partaking in. He laughs and says hello to the kids. Ben comes barreling through the door, practically knocking Jake over. I haven’t seen him this happy since I met him. It brings a huge smile to my face knowing my kids brought that out in him. Jake looks at me gratefully, silently thanking my kids for their role in Ben’s new attitude. I wink. Then curse inwardly for doing so. Friendly not flirty, Evie .
The kids start walking the few blocks toward the park, with Jake and I trailing behind. We haven’t said a word to each other yet. It isn’t awkward, though. It’s actually kind of nice. Jake breaks the silence first.
“How are you doing today? I mean, after last night, with um—Cole and everything?” he asks nervously. Why is he nervous?
“Good. We’re good. I think he’s dropped it. Well, for now at least. Don’t think he’ll ever fully drop it.” We all cross the street and watch the kids race to the playground. Jake and I find an open picnic bench and sit down.
“How do you feel about that?” Jake finally asks, peering up at me, waiting for my answer.
I sigh. Turning toward the kids, I watch them jump on the swings and push higher and higher. They look so free, so innocent. When I turn back to Jake, I find his eyes still on me. “Honestly, I don’t know.” And that’s the God’s honest truth. I don’t know. As if sensing my dark mood approaching, he swiftly changes the subject.
“So, I read book two this week.” He says sheepishly, and looks really cute while saying it. He almost looks childlike, with bright eyes and a lopsided grin. I chuckle softly, my brooding thoughts forgotten for the moment.
With a raise of an eyebrow, I ask, “And what did you think?”
“I thought I loved the first book. But the second one—was ridiculous. How could you end it like that? Now I have to wait for God knows how long to fucking find out who she picks, if she picks anyone at all. It pissed me off more times than not. But your words, the story kept reeling me in. I inhaled the book. I think it’s more than a love story, and it’s not just for women. It’s raw and emotional. I can tell how much you care for your characters, almost like they’re your family. There isn’t a bad guy. They’re all just real, flaws and all.”
I stare at him, mouth wide open, completely taken aback. I mean, I’ve read some pretty good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but this—this was something else. This man is something else . And maybe that’s why his appraisal does things to my body that are more than a little confusing and distracting.
I gulp. “Wow, that was—thank you.” Now it’s my turn to blush. I have never been good with compliments. They make me uncomfortable. “Well, since you are such an avid fan, I will give you a scoop that only you and my editor know.” I pause for suspense. He looks so stinking excited, it brings a ginormous smile to my face. “I am about ninety-eight
“And I love you, Coach Adams. Now get out of here and kick some ass!” I swat his and he laughs lightly.
He lingers in the doorway a bit, so I nod toward outside. He gives me another swift kiss and then finally walks out to his truck. I wave goodbye, shutting the door behind him. I stand with my back against it for a few minutes, wringing out my hands. I keep having this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something is wrong. I just have no idea what it could be. But before I can dig deeper into my thoughts, the kids rush me, telling me that it’s time to go meet Ben. I take a deep breath to rid any lingering tense thoughts.
Time to see Jake.
Again.
Eff .
***
We’re standing outside Jake’s door, and I get a feeling of déjà vu.
Stupid dream .
My face flushes as he answers the incessant knocking that my kids are partaking in. He laughs and says hello to the kids. Ben comes barreling through the door, practically knocking Jake over. I haven’t seen him this happy since I met him. It brings a huge smile to my face knowing my kids brought that out in him. Jake looks at me gratefully, silently thanking my kids for their role in Ben’s new attitude. I wink. Then curse inwardly for doing so. Friendly not flirty, Evie .
The kids start walking the few blocks toward the park, with Jake and I trailing behind. We haven’t said a word to each other yet. It isn’t awkward, though. It’s actually kind of nice. Jake breaks the silence first.
“How are you doing today? I mean, after last night, with um—Cole and everything?” he asks nervously. Why is he nervous?
“Good. We’re good. I think he’s dropped it. Well, for now at least. Don’t think he’ll ever fully drop it.” We all cross the street and watch the kids race to the playground. Jake and I find an open picnic bench and sit down.
“How do you feel about that?” Jake finally asks, peering up at me, waiting for my answer.
I sigh. Turning toward the kids, I watch them jump on the swings and push higher and higher. They look so free, so innocent. When I turn back to Jake, I find his eyes still on me. “Honestly, I don’t know.” And that’s the God’s honest truth. I don’t know. As if sensing my dark mood approaching, he swiftly changes the subject.
“So, I read book two this week.” He says sheepishly, and looks really cute while saying it. He almost looks childlike, with bright eyes and a lopsided grin. I chuckle softly, my brooding thoughts forgotten for the moment.
With a raise of an eyebrow, I ask, “And what did you think?”
“I thought I loved the first book. But the second one—was ridiculous. How could you end it like that? Now I have to wait for God knows how long to fucking find out who she picks, if she picks anyone at all. It pissed me off more times than not. But your words, the story kept reeling me in. I inhaled the book. I think it’s more than a love story, and it’s not just for women. It’s raw and emotional. I can tell how much you care for your characters, almost like they’re your family. There isn’t a bad guy. They’re all just real, flaws and all.”
I stare at him, mouth wide open, completely taken aback. I mean, I’ve read some pretty good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but this—this was something else. This man is something else . And maybe that’s why his appraisal does things to my body that are more than a little confusing and distracting.
I gulp. “Wow, that was—thank you.” Now it’s my turn to blush. I have never been good with compliments. They make me uncomfortable. “Well, since you are such an avid fan, I will give you a scoop that only you and my editor know.” I pause for suspense. He looks so stinking excited, it brings a ginormous smile to my face. “I am about ninety-eight
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