Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Island County Book 4) (17 page)

“Or not.” He laughed nervously.

It was hard to believe I was making this man nervous. Actually, it was hard to believe this man was in my foyer.

I twisted my mouth into a confused pucker and crossed my arms. “Do you promise to treat them like your own, to have and to hold from this day forward?”

“I do. I solemnly swear to return the books in the exact condition you loaned them to me.”

I let out a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Okay. Deal. Those two to the right of that historical romance are awesome. One is about space travel and the other is about a hiking expedition to the Donjek Glacier in the Yukon. The guy writes about his trip up there and falling in love with the guide.”

“I sense a theme.” Jake’s gaze flashed to mine.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I grinned. “But seriously, the landscapes that guy describes are amazing, and the things he faced in the backcountry made me shiver with fear for him. And there’s nothing wrong with a good love story.”

“So you really do enjoy adventure books.”

My brow arched. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Most women I’ve met say things they think I want to hear.”

“I’m not that type. I’d forget what I told who and it would blow up in my face. I just have really broad tastes when it comes to reading.” But it did make me wonder how many women he’d met who told him that.

“I see that.” He smiled, bending over to look at my bookshelf.

“Getting lost in the stories, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, fills me up with such happiness . . . I can’t even begin to explain it,” I continued. “I guess that’s why I like to work with books all day.”

“You love words. You love reading them and writing them.” Still bent over, he glanced over at me and smiled. “I feel the same way. So, you’re sure about loaning these? I don’t want to do anything else to screw up my chances at being your rebound guy.”

“I’m totally sure,” I joked. “The only way you’d screw up your chances is if you don’t like them.”

He reached for the three books, and in a complete moment of horror and disbelief, I watched my pink bra tumble out of the bookshelf as he slid out the books. The strap got hooked over the space book, and I lunged forward to take the bra away, but it just hung there, bouncing up and down.

“Well, that’s an interesting bookmark.”

“I’ll take that,” I said, pulling on the strap, only to have the clasp hook onto the pages and tangle with the historical romance.

“Do librarians usually use their bookcases for lingerie? Is that a thing?” He tried to unsnarl the bra from his collection of books, but the strap wasn’t letting go.

I stopped trying to grab at the bra because I was nearly doubled over in laughter as he clung onto one end of the bra while the other managed to stay firmly secured to the books he was clutching. At this point, it was so stretched out it could probably be used as a slingshot.

“Here.” I couldn’t stop laughing. “I’ve got it. I wonder if this is a sign.”

“What kind of sign could this possibly be?” he chuckled as I finally freed the books from the pink lacy contraption.

“I’m not sure, but it’s gotta be one.” I shook my head and let out a deep breath, feeling so much better than before I’d opened the door. I tossed the pink lacy thing on the stairs behind me where it belonged.

“So, dinner tonight?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with pure amusement.

“Absolutely.”

“Maybe you’ll wear that?” he teased.

“Only if you’re lucky.”

“So do you forgive me for not calling?” he asked, his tone turning serious. “I do have a good reason. Just give me time to think it up on the way home.”

I smiled and nodded. “You have my word.”

Jake’s eyes rested on mine, and I felt a twinge of guilt for messaging BlznBookie.

“And that kiss did mean something to me. I don’t want you to think it didn’t. It was pretty wonderful. Wonderfully distracting.” His eyes stayed fastened on mine, and I took in a deep, slow breath, pushing away an enormous wave of relief.

I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I didn’t want to feel relief that he might like me. I wasn’t ready to play these emotional games. I’d fallen on the wrong side of the game board one too many times with my ex, but Jake was giving me hope.

“Do you have a piece of paper, so I can write down the directions to my house? GPS doesn’t actually do any good. It tends to lead every single one of my visitors off a cliff at the end of the road, rather than hanging a left.”

“Now that would really suck,” I said, grabbing a small notepad and pen from the second shelf of the bookcase he was standing by.

He placed the stack of books next to the lavender and began scribbling the directions down. The longer he stood there writing, the more I began quietly freaking out. Was I ready to go to his house for dinner? I’d just gotten done telling myself I wasn’t ready for anything with him.

“I wrote to BlznBookie while I was busy being ignored by you,” I rattled off. “It was innocent. It always is, but I just felt I should tell you.”

Jake’s grin deepened, and he handed me the directions.

“I appreciate your honesty, but hopefully, I can make you forget about him and start texting me instead. See ya in a couple of hours.” He gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, but there was nothing innocent about it.

I was suddenly terrified about how much of myself I might wind up giving to Jake Harlen.

I entered the code Jake had written down into the keypad and waited for the wrought iron gate to open. I highly doubted he lived on a gated property surrounding a tent. This was getting more interesting by the second. I put the car back into drive and moved through the gate, letting the surroundings slowly unfold around me.

Long sea grass shivered up to the windows of the car as I drove by, the trees became sparser, and my worries about going to Jake’s for dinner were taking over my mind.

I wanted to get to know Jake, but I was afraid of losing everything I’d gained since my divorce. I’d started seeing things clearer now, and I was worried lust might cloud my vision.

I’d admit it had been fun not knowing much about him and slowly discovering things. But I felt myself wanting more. The kiss told me I wanted more, and that was worrisome. My mind signaled I wasn’t ready for much of anything, but my heart kept falling for him.

With every smile in my direction or glorious bit of laughter, I found myself wanting to escape into him instead of a book.

The reason I was so annoyed I hadn’t heard from him since the night of our kiss was because I truly loved being kissed by him. I’d long since stopped dreaming about being held by a man—let alone kissed—and then Jake showed up and rocked my world.

I left Fireweed a girl with wild ideas about life and what I wanted to do with mine, only to return a woman years later, broken and afraid to do much of anything beyond the pages of a good story. I thought I’d gotten over that little hurdle, but the fear of taking risks was only becoming more apparent as the days went by.

It didn’t help to take a second look at Mrs. Coleville’s tree on the way over here. It really wasn’t as big as it felt.

As I drove over a little knoll, a mammoth home came into view, and I nearly put the brakes on dinner.

I knew he didn’t live in a tent, but I never expected this for a home. My car crawled toward his house as I took in the expansive grounds. I spotted what looked like two barns and another building of some sort off in the distance.

The tall sea grass traded out for tiny silvery leaves with purple puffs of lavender bordering the long driveway. A short, rustic fence outlined empty pastures, but I spotted a tiny dark spot with four legs wandering off toward one of the barns. My curiosity was killing me.

I sucked in a deep breath and drove toward his house. I had no idea what I expected, but this wasn’t it. A large portico built with old-growth timbers and slate extended from the front of his house. The garage sprawled to the left of the home, and I counted five garage stalls, and that was the small part of the house. As I slowed in front of the home, I saw one of the massive iron doors open, and out stepped Jake.

He’d changed since stopping by my house, and he looked absolutely delicious wearing low-slung jeans and a black button-down shirt, which accentuated his broad shoulders. He waved me over to the portico and slowly came down the stairs.

Once I parked, Jake walked over to my side of the car and opened the door, helping me out.

“I suddenly feel underdressed.” I laughed, climbing out of my car. “This is the exact opposite of a tent.”

“Probably as opposite as one could get.”

“And this is all yours?” I asked. “I mean, you have all this for only you?”

“So far.” He closed my car door and grabbed my hand.

It felt like I was stepping into one of my novels. Usually, in the real world, a guy’s bag of tricks was just that—tricks. In my experience, when a guy started hiding something, it was because he lived on his mom’s couch or had a warrant out for his arrest.

“You’re quiet.” His voice was low.

We wandered toward the stairs in front of the double iron-scrolled doors leading into his home. They had to be ten feet tall.

“I’ve been honest with you from the beginning,” I said softly.

“I’d like to think so,” he said as we climbed the steps.

“Well, I’m kind of in shock right now and a teensy bit uncomfortable.”

“Shock?”

“I knew you didn’t live in a tent, but I didn’t expect this.”

“Does this change things?” He gestured toward the house.

I laughed. “Well, it makes me wonder about the porn connection after all.”

“Nothing like that at all. Just a lot of luck.”

Jake pushed open the door, and my jaw literally fell to the expansive marble entry. The polished marble floors swept in all directions, and inlaid stone medallions anchored the center of the foyer where two iron spindle staircases wrapped around the two-story entrance.

A large floral arrangement sat twisting toward the chandelier, and I literally needed a minute to regroup. There was wealth, and then there was this.

“Should I take off my shoes?” I squeaked.

“No. You’re fine.” He grinned, his eyes focusing on mine.

“You’re sure you’re the only one living here?”

“Technically, no. I have help, and they do live on the property.”

“Which is why you’re never seen at the grocery store.”

“We actually do grow a lot of our own food, so there’s another reason people don’t see me around often.” He tried to make me feel more comfortable, but the whole thing just threw me.

Fireweed wasn’t known for mansions. One of the largest homes on the island had belonged to the Hill family—Cole and Anthony—and it would probably fit in the foyer of this one. Growing up, all the islanders thought their house was huge. It was huge by normal standards. This, however, was extraordinarily abnormal and completely puzzling. I ran my fingers across my brow and looked around, peeking down each of the halls. I counted three zipping off in opposite directions.

“A tour?” he asked.

“Sure, but I’d kind of like to know more about what got you here than anything.”

He let go of my hand, and his eyes narrowed on mine. I got the distinct feeling that wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

“A bit of luck and a lot of help from above.”

“Huh-uh.” I shook my head. “I want details.”

Jake’s smile turned in a wry grin. “Follow me.”

“Fine, but I better hear something that makes sense, and it had better not involve a video camera.”

“Sometimes, life doesn’t always make sense, and video cameras are useful devices in the right hands.”

I followed him down a long hall, the marble transitioning to a beautiful wood floor that led into a great room. The room was so large, it made the black grand piano in the corner look like a toy. Charcoal-colored silk drapes framed the room, and the walls had been washed in a pale grey. An ivory sectional stretched the entire length of the wall and extended to a large stone fireplace. A coffee table that could act as most people’s dining table anchored the room. I was so mesmerized by the room, I didn’t even see the view of the water until I turned to face Jake.

“Where were you this week?” I asked, folding my arms.

“At fire training.”

My brow arched in disbelief.

“It’s true. I took a course on wildland fire prep.”

“Why?”

“Every summer, the fires seem to be getting worse, and I wanted to be up-to-date on the latest techniques.”

“That doesn’t explain this.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he said simply.

I wandered over to the couch and took a seat. It had to be one of the most comfortable couches my thighs had ever touched. This was insane. How could a couch give so much joy?

But it did.

Jake walked over and sat next to me, propping his elbows on his knees. “I got in on some tech stocks early.”

I looked around the room. “That’s it? Stocks explain all this?”

“Some of it.”

“Well, I can tell you the amount I invest wouldn’t get me this.”

“I’ve told you I have a bit of luck and a lot of interests.”