True North by Allie Juliette Mousseau Page B

coffee.”
    Sam piped up. “I’m closest. Still cream and sugar?”
    “ Black.”
    Sam poured him a cup. “So, what’s the plan, guys?” Sam rubbed his hand together like the devil.
    “ Nate and I have to go back to work. We don’t get a vacation like your lazy student ass,” Caleb jeered.
    “ Whatever.” Sam was unfazed. “I’m going to play a set at Wild’s tonight. You guys need to show up.”
    “ Who’s playing back-up band?” Nate’s interest was obviously piqued.
    “ There’s a house band, but I could really use you on drums, buddy.”
    “ Cool. Bet your ass I’ll be there. What time?” Nate got up and followed Caleb to the door. They each grabbed their Carhardt jackets.
    “ Nine p.m. sharp,” Sam said.
    “ I’ll be back early this evening,” Nate said excitedly, and Caleb shot him a look full of daggers. “We can go over the set list.”
    “ Caleb, you’re coming too, right? It’s my only chance to show you guys some new songs before I have to head back to Seattle,” Sam reminded Caleb. I could tell he was just trying to get him off Nate’s back.
    “ Of course I will.” He shook his head, and he and Nate took off.
    “ Well,”—Sam folded his last waffle and jammed the entire thing into his mouth—“IFGOTAGOPACTISH.” And he took off towards his room.
    Jake, Jules and I were the only ones left in the kitchen. Jules had, at some point during the conversation, sat up on the countertop. Jake was still on the other side of the counter, looking more like a bystander than part of the family, and I leaned over the counter toward him, still resting against the sink. An awkward silence settled over the three of us.
    “ Can you believe my Lit professor gave me homework over the weekend vacay?” Jules rolled her eyes and blew out a stream of air that lifted the bangs over her right eye. She hopped off the counter and gave me and Jake each a quick peck on our cheeks before she skipped out of the room.
    I couldn’t decide if I wanted to thank her or smack her. Traitor.
    “ Did you get a chance to eat yet?” Jake asked me, indicating the half-eaten waffles stuck to syrupy plates.
    I laughed lightly. “I had a few bites. My stomach wasn’t much into it.” Saying it made me think back to last night, and I felt a twinge of both resentment and guilt. Gotta love conflicting emotions.
    “ Got any plans for the day?” he asked, now meeting my eyes.
    Lie! “Nothing solid.” Dammit! Smooth, Liv.
    “ Want to go for a ride?”
    Do I want to breathe and eat and live??? “I don’t know? Is there an extra helmet somewhere around here?”
    “ You can use mine.”
    He was killing me with eye contact! Can you die from eye contact?
    “ Are you going to play daredevil and scare me half to death like that time you took me down the mountain on the ATV?” Even with his apology song, he’d still behaved like a prick last night. I couldn’t appear too eager.
    “ Liv, I promise I’ll only go as fast or slow as you want me to.” I wasn’t sure if we were both talking about driving speed.
    Breathless. I managed to nod. “‘K.”
    He came around the counter next to me. “It’s colder out there today. You can wear my jacket … it’s preheated and has riding armor.”
    Preheated, yeah.
    He unzipped his jacket the rest of the way and pulled it down over his shoulders, and I was mesmerized by my private mini strip-session. Both of his arms were covered with full sleeve tattoos. They looked mainly like a tribal pattern in black, but woven in the patterns were small splashes of colorful pictures, winding a variety of things into a masterful collage. As an art student I wanted to take the time to study them; as a girl crushing hard I wanted to know what each one meant.
    You’ll want your running jacket on underneath.” He was right. I nodded and put it on.
    He got as close to me as we’d been last night when we were dancing and put his arms around me with the jacket in his hands. I brought my