Home to You (33 page)

I rolled my eyes and smiled, even though my stomach was full of tangled yarn. “We should make plans with them. Em and John, I mean. It’s been a while.”

“Sure, whatever you want.”

“How about tomorrow?”

He ran his hand through his hair, then gripped the bridge of his nose. “I can’t tomorrow. I’m behind on paperwork, and the inspector is coming on Thursday.”
 

“What time does the inspector come? Maybe after?”

He nodded. “Sounds perfect.” Then he kissed my lips, grabbed my hand, and we walked back to his waiting truck.
 

“WOW.” EM WRAPPED ME IN a long hug at the front door. “You look amazing.”

I glanced down at the draping fabric and my bare feet. “Do you think it’s too much?” I found the dress in the back of my closet with the tags still on. A light peach linen with tiny delicate straps that crossed in the back. I changed three times before she arrived, and only settled on this when I heard the knock.
 

Em shook her head and smiled. “No, you look great.”

I gave a small nod, then turned to my room and beckoned her to follow. “Where did you say we’re going again?” Even to my own ears I sounded strange. High-pitched and off-key. Last I’d seen her, Jake was still with Grace, and after my interaction with Justin, I didn’t know what to expect anymore. Would she disapprove? Would she warn me off, or think I wasn’t good enough?
 

For so long, every look, every word had been guarded to make sure no one knew my secret. Now it was time to hold Jake’s hand—the hand that had been in another’s only a week ago—and make this thing between us real.
 

“Donovan’s,” she answered. “It’s a little pub owned by John’s uncle. I can’t believe we haven’t taken you yet.” Em tilted her head and eyed me suspiciously. “There’s something different about you.”  

Heat flushed my cheeks, and I pulled open my closet. “You’re just used to seeing me in shorts,” I joked, then gestured to my laptop on the nightstand. “Plus my eyes are still glazed over from editing photos all day.”
 

She laughed and plopped down on my bed. “Ahhh… So is that what you’ve been up to?”
 

“Pretty much,” I lied. “Which reminds me…” I opened my dresser and took out the little box that contained the flash drive with all the proofs from her session and tossed it to her. “Go ahead and plug it in.”
 

She caught it in the air and plugged it into my computer on the nightstand while I searched my closet for a pair of shoes. I’d hoped Jake would’ve been home before anyone arrived, but he’d been stressed from work and said he’d be home as soon as he could. Actually I hadn’t seen him much since our date. The night before I’d tried to wait up for him but ended up falling asleep on the couch. He awoke me with kisses and carried me to bed. It felt so natural. Like I’d waited all my life, knowing that eventually we would end up together.

“Boots or flip-flops?” I asked, holding up a pair of brown distressed cowboy boots and gold sandals.  

She glanced from the screen. “Boots,” she answered, then her eyes immediately locked back on the monitor. “These are stunning.”  

I smiled and sat next to her on the bed so I could see which one she was looking at. “That’s my favorite.” I pointed to a candid shot from a moment when the wind picked up and blew her hair in front of her face. She wasn’t looking at the camera, and her eyes were half covered by wisps of her dark hair, but there was something there that intrigued me. A woman who held many secrets.
 

A loud knock sounded at the front door and I jumped. Em raised her eyebrows but smiled with understanding—I hadn’t quite gotten back to my old self after the attack. She hopped from the bed to answer it. “I’m sure that’s John. I’ll go get it.”
 

I quickly pulled on my boots, ejected the flash drive, and joined them in the living room. “Hey stranger,” I called to John as I walked into the room.

“Hey gorgeous,” he replied, then knocked my chin softly with his fist. “Jake out back?”
 

“I was hoping he’d be with you.” An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. Where was he?

He made a face and shrugged. “Got anything to drink?” he asked, brushing past me on his way to the kitchen.
 

“There’s some beer in the fridge,” I called, but something about his expression made me wary. “Didn’t you just get off work?”
 

He came back into the room with a bottle and twisted the top with his bare hand. “A couple hours ago.”
 

The garage door opened, and Jake entered the room still dressed in his jeans and work shirt. He nodded to Em and John, but his eyes met mine, and one side of his mouth lifted in an adorable smile. He dropped his bag as he strode toward me and my heart flip-flopped in my chest. I was vaguely aware of Em and John watching, but didn’t care. He stopped just inches away then scanned me from head to toe. “I like your boots,” he said softly.
 

I bit my lip and smiled. “Thanks.”
 

He lifted me off my feet, a small gasp escaped my parted mouth, and he kissed me. A kiss that claimed me as his, that left no question as to what had been going on the last few days. I heard Em take in a sharp breath, and John let out a low whistle before Jake slowly lowered me to the floor.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” he said in my ear, and a part of me wished we were alone so I could join him. Instead, he left me in the living room, my face flaming red as I turned to face our audience.
 

“I knew it!” Em announced when Jake rounded the corner. “Tell me everything.”
 

I didn’t tell her everything, but we talked about the party, about Grace, and our first date—minus the intimate details—and the longer I spoke, the more at ease I became. She wasn’t there to judge me, to warn me against Jake, or tell me we wanted different things. She was actually giddy with excitement and eager for every word. John seemed happy too but didn’t offer much except a few pats on Jake’s shoulder when he came back in the room.
 

We arrived at the pub thirty minutes later, and Jake held my hand as we all walked from the parking lot to the front entrance. It was only a few blocks away from his house. I’d driven past at least a dozen times but never once noticed it. The front of the building was painted black and reminded me of an old grocery store. Gold lettering over the double-door entrance read “Donovan’s Irish Pub. Est. 1963.”

For a Thursday night, the bar was pretty lively, and I held on to Jake’s hand as we made our way to the bar. A group of drunk girls sang an out of tune rendition of “Hotel California” on the stage in the far corner, while the whole pub came alive with hoots and hollers cheering them on. One of the three bartenders raised a hand to John as we approached, then gestured for us to keep going. We walked past a couple of pool tables crowded with people and settled in the last four stools at the end of the bar.
 

Another man nodded to John, then came over to clear the empty bottles and wipe down the counter in front of us. “I was beginning to think you forgot about me,” he said to Em.
 

“Not a chance, Colin.” She flashed him a charming grin, then hopped up on a stool next to John.
 

“Who’s your friend?” he asked her, throwing me a smile that was guaranteed to break hearts.
 

“Her name’s Katie, and she’s with me,” Jake said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
 

Colin laughed, and shook his head. “Story of my life. What can I get you guys?”
 

“Round of Harp,” John replied.

 
Colin nodded, wiped his hands again, and left to fill four mugs with the pale lager.
 

 
“Do you sing?” Em asked loudly over the chaos of the bar.

“Only in the shower,” I replied.
 

“Oh come on. You can’t be as bad as them.” She gestured a thumb toward the stage and I laughed.

“Katie has an amazing voice,” Jake said, taking a seat on the stool beside me.
 

I turned to face him. “How do you know?”

His brows rose in a
who do you think you’re talking to kind of way
. And then I remembered. All the recitals, all the plays he attended when we were young. Sure, Mom had probably threatened his and Dave’s lives to make them come—but he was always there. One time he even brought me flowers. Just a few simple stems of Gerbera daisies I’d recognized from Mom’s garden. I’ll never forget the furious flutters that beat inside me when I saw him walking toward the stage. All the girls at school knew who he was, and he was coming to talk to
me
. “You did great, Kit Kat,” he’d said, then bent down and pressed his seventeen-year-old lips to my freshman cheek. I almost fainted then and there. I never thought he was really listening—I guess I was wrong.
 

Colin returned with our beer and a basket of fish and chips he said were “extras,” and placed them in front of us. “Anything else?”
 

John shook his head. “Thanks, we’re good.”
 

I grabbed a fry out of the basket, then looked past Em, who was flipping through the Karaoke catalog, and spoke to John. “I didn’t know you were Irish.”

“I’m not,” he said, downing a long swallow of beer.
 

Jake chuckled next to me, and I raised my brows.  

“I thought this was your uncle’s place,” I clarified.
 

 
John shook his head and smirked. “It is, but he’s not Irish. He just always wanted to own an Irish pub.” He popped a fry in his mouth and smiled at me.
 

I laughed. “Did he buy it like this?”

“No… We actually helped build the place,” he said, waving a finger between him and Jake.
 

I narrowed my eyes, then turned to the entrance. “But…what about the sign?”
Donovan’s Irish pub, Est. 1963
.
 

John shrugged and everyone laughed.
 

“He comes from a family full of liars, Katie,” Em said, elbowing John playfully in the ribs. “Makes me wonder if his name’s really John.”
 

He threw his head back with laughter, and I twisted out of my seat. “Where’s the restroom?” I asked Em. She gestured to the hall behind us, and I leaned over and gave Jake a quick kiss before excusing myself.
 

There was a line at the ladies’ room—of course—but I entertained myself by listening in on a conversation between two drunk girls about lost panties. I’d only lost my panties once—though I guess that fact could be argued. I knew exactly who had them. The thought made me smile.
 

I did my business, applied some Chapstick, then headed back out to the hall. Large hands gripped me from behind and I startled. Then Jake’s voice whispered in my ear and his rough jaw grazed my cheek. “I was beginning to get worried.” His arm snaked around my belly. “What do you girls do in there anyway?”

I grinned and leaned back against his chest. “Talk about missing panties.”
 

I felt his smile brush the side of my face, then he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back of the hall. “You and your panties,” he groaned.
 

He pushed me into the alcove, and my back hit the hard surface of a door. He leaned forward, his masculine form caging me in.
 

“I didn’t say they were
my
panties,” I clarified, but couldn’t help smiling as I looked from his beautiful eyes to his sexy mouth.
 

His knee wedged between my thighs, and he grinned at me. “Why are we here? I want you home,” he whispered, “in my bed.” His hand found my thigh and lifted my skirt to my hip. “Naked.”  

Breathless, my hand went to his jaw, and I pushed my thumb firmly over his lips. “I want that too,” I whispered between my teeth.
 

Just then the door opened behind me, and Jake yanked me forward against the wall of his chest.  

“Get a room, Jake,” I heard Colin say behind me, and I smothered a giggle into the crook of Jake’s neck.
 

Colin continued down the hall, and Jake looked down at me,
want
in his eyes but a smile on his mouth. “I’ve always hated that guy.”

We reluctantly went back to the bar with a plan to stay only another hour, then finish what we started in the hall. I loved Em and John, but my desire for Jake was insatiable.
 

“How about ‘Oops!... I Did It Again’?” Em asked when I returned to my seat.
 

“Uhh… no,” I replied without hesitation.
 

“Come on, you have to sing
something
.”  

“Fine.” I bent over to look at the book, and we eventually agreed upon “One Way or Another” by Blondie.
 

Em scribbled our name on the little sheet, then hopped from her seat to give it to the DJ. “We’ll be up quick. I think the DJ likes me.”
 

Jake leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Should I be worried?”