Independence (18 page)

Bish continued, "We went apartment hunting."

I felt Caleb stiffen next to me. And then the math started again. What in the world was wrong with him lately? I gave him a questioning look.

Everything's fine, gorgeous. Just stay out of my head.

He smirked on top of his command. Gosh, it was so cute. I turned back to Bish to try to figure out why Caleb would care that they were apartment hunting as Bish continued. "So, we think we found a place. Just a matter of…nailing down the details."

And coming up with freaking two thousand dollars in deposits.

Je
n's head moved up to look at him
as Peter and Rachel talked about their first house together
.
Sweetie, it's fine. We'll-No, it's not fine. If nothing else, since I can't buy you the house I'm supposed to, I'm going to come up with the deposit on my own.

She sighed.
If that's what you want.

It's what I
need
. Jenna, I've got to be able to take care of you if for nothing else, my own piece of mind. My chest…aches knowing that I can't give you what I'm supposed to.

S
he gulped.
I'm sorry. I never
wanted you to feel-He touched her cheek gently and shook his head.
It's not something you should apologize for. I wouldn't change anything
that happened.
I just…let me take care of this, OK? Then my chest will give me a break.

She tried to smile.
OK.

OK.
He
kissed her once, softly. He leaned back up just as Peter was finishing and no one but Caleb and I were the wiser.

"So," Peter clapped his hands. "Who's hungry? Let's all go to Mugly's. My treat."

"Yes," Caleb hissed under his breath. "Let's."

We all got up and piled into Caleb's truck. I sat in a Jacobson man-sandwich of him and Peter. Caleb snorted at my thought and shook his head at me. With Caleb's hand stuck between my thighs and Mutemath on the radio for his mom, we rode the short distance to town and parked in the lot.

He helped me down from the massive cab and
I looked around. You could see the benches and the lake from there. I felt my lips lift in a smile as I remembered our first date. My first motorcycle ride. My first time eating at Mugly's. My first time with jealousy. The first time Caleb showed me a vision. I sighed. It felt forever ago. I felt Caleb's arms go around me from behind. He rested his
chin on my shoulder. "The first time I fell in love with you," he added to my list.

I turned slightly, letting my cheek rub his. "Really?"
"Really. When you took off down the boardwalk and dared me to chase you? I was a goner."

I chuckled under my breath. "Well, I was on the track team."

"Which was why I couldn't catch you. But you came back to me, like a moth to a flame."

"Because you tricked me!" I said playfully.

"Admit it. You just couldn't stand to be away from me," he said huskily and nipped my chin. "Admit it."
"I will not."

"Hey!" Bish called from the restaurant door. "You two coming?"

"Coming!" I called. "You just got lucky. I was about to challenge you to a rematch."

He laughed. "
Please
! I may not be as fast as you, but my reflexes are like lightning."

I reached for the door handle and he jerked forward so quickly, I didn't even see him move, and took it from me
. "Let me," he said and smirked as I laughed at him.

I let him lead me to
the table where our family was sitting. We laughed and ate and let Bish try all the Bar-b-que dishes. And try he did. The guy could win an eating contest easily. And then I heard a sound I'd never thought I’d hear ever again. And for good reason; it was like nails on a chalkboard.

Ashley.

"Caleb," she purred. "Hi."
Caleb and I weren't facing her so we all turned to look at her. She soaked up the sudden attention, poking her chest out just a smidge
and tilting her head. I swallowed to keep fro
m saying anything. "Ashley," he said and everyone could tell he wasn't happy to see her, but her. She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. I saw Peter's eyes bug at that. He glanced to me and then back to Caleb. He must've thought I was going to take her head off. And when I looked back at her and saw her lean in a bit, I realized I was about to
. I went to stand, but felt Jen
's hand on my arm.

Just wait.

I looked at Caleb, waiting. Last time he'd sent her packing, but only after she insulted me. Would he really just let her touch him like that in front of his-He pushed her hand off and stood, glaring at her across the table. "Go home, Ashley."

She scoffed. "I'm here with my family."
"Then go back to them." When she just stood there as if she were waiting for the punch-line
,
he went on. "You can see
Maggie right here
. You know we're together. I've told you
more than once that there is no
chance for you and me. Absolutely none. Maggie and I ar
e getting married this weekend."

"You're marrying her?" she screeched. She thought and then smiled. "Oh, my gosh. Look, Caleb. When you knock a girl up these days, you
don't have to marry her anymore.
"

I heard Rachel and Peter's ga
s
ps
. I could take it no more. My body was about to explode with the need to hurt this girl. I took a deep breath when the lights flickered a little. I saw her look at me with disdain before looking back to Caleb. He shook his head and waited a beat. He was trying to calm himself. She was a girl after all. "Ashley, Maggie's not pregnant. I'm just in love with her."

She wrinkled her nose like something stunk.

Caleb forged
on. "I love her with all that's
in me. So stop this childish behavior and move on already."

"Fine!" she pouted. "Marry preschool, I don't
care. I'm so over you
. You can just forget all about me because we are so t
hrough!"
"We're not through." He waited a dramatic beat as s
he stared. "We never started."

She marched off with a flip of her Barbie blonde hair. He turned and immediately started to apologize.
I put my thumb over his lips. "Don't," I whispered. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them I saw her pouting across the restaurant with her family. The significant in me said,
Go ahead. Just rip one handful of her hair out. You'll feel better
,
but I took another breath to calm myself. "Just don't. It's fine."

He was all mine after all.

He touched my neck, letting his knuckles rub over the Visionary mark. I moaned a little as his calm finally hit me. His lips held the smallest of smirks at my reaction to him. "Don't be so smug, Jacobson."

"What?" He leaned forward a bit. "I told you how hot it is when you're jealous. And then those noises you make when I touch you…" he whispered the last part into my cheek. "God
,
help me."

I let a little half annoyed half amused sigh escape. "Oh, boy. So this is what I have a lifetime to look forward to?"

"You bet your pretty tush. And so much more."

I finally let my grin take over. "Good."

He kissed me
quickly and then sat back, popping a corn nugget in his mouth. I sat back, too, and could feel eyes on me. I peeked over at Rachel. She was giving me the weirdest look. She pointed to her ear, meaning for me to listen.

I can't believe
you didn't cold-cock that
girl
.

I jerked at her insult. She continued.

There was this woman who used to work in Peter's first office and she was so in lust with him.
I saw Peter smile and shake his head, but she kept going, leaning forward to look at me from across his chest.
It seemed like every time I went to bring him lunch or
drop by for…a visit, she was there. Touching his arm, leaning on his desk, calling his office when I was in there with some emergency. Ugh. Anyway, the very first time I got her alone in the elevator I corner
ed
that hussy and told her she better keep her paws off. That I was watching her and that hunk of a man was taken.
I covered my mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.
So I admire your restraint. Significants usually don't have much when it comes to our mate
s
.
I would have given Bimbo a black eye at the very least.
And then she winked. Winked!

I nodded and smiled. "Thanks."

She reached across the table over Peter and grabbed my hand. "Anytime, honey."

It was such a mother—
thing to say. I smiled again and returned to my food. I
felt strangely like crying as I took a bite of garlic bread. The taste was something not of this world. It danced on my tongue. I looked at the waitresses in their cute boots and skirts and wondered how they kept their figures working there. I would have problems with the garlic bread.

After we drove back to Peter's we parted, going our separate ways. Bish pulled me aside and asked about the wedding. Jen had told him I wanted to share the day and he wondered why. I just said it made sense for us all to be together. All three of the members of my family had imprinted. That was miraculous in itself. What better way to feel good about all three of us being split up than to be present for each other and watch as we devoted ourselves completely to the one we loved. It made complete sense in my mind.

"I know, I'm not saying I don't want to
,
it's just…with you rushing the wedding it's not giving me much time to come up with everything
that
I need to."
"For your apartment," I guessed and understood.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"I'm sorry. Look, Bish, I know this is hard for you, but honestly this family is just happy to have you in it. The way they know you're going to make Jen happy is worth it. And don't ask me how I know." I smirked. "I can read minds
,
remember?"

"I know," he said, not taking my bait. "I just always feel like I'm a step behind somehow. And with school…I mean I took art classes. What the heck am I going to do in Tennessee with Art classes?"
"I think I can help you there," Peter interrupted with hands raised. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to pry, I just overheard you as I was walking inside. Listen, Bish, we have lots of uses for an Art major at the firm. An architecture firm," he said meaningfully. "We pride ourselves in bold designs and things others haven't come up with yet. I think you'd make a great addition if you're interested. And Jen already works there, of course. So it wouldn't be hard on you the first couple years to be apart."
Bish looked at Peter's shoes. "No offense, sir, but you're only offering me this job because I'm abo
ut to be your son-in-law."

"You're daggum right
I am," Peter said and laughed. It reminded me of Caleb and I couldn't help but smile. "But I'm also offering you this job because you're my daughter's significant. Not only will it make it easier on you and her, but we like to keep this a family affair.
Almost all of my family works in the business in some form or fashion. So I'm not being biased by offering you the job, technically I'd be biased by
not
offering you one."

His lips held the Jacobson smirk as he realized he'd just put Bish in a corner. He waited and I listened to Bish work it out in his mind and finally relented. "You'll never know how grateful I am to you, sir."

"Son," Peter said, putting a hand on his shoulder. His lips twitched with what I thought was a smile, but I realized it wasn't. Peter was fighting tears. "My daughter has been through more than any woman ever should. Our women are precious to us, the center of our universes. For me to think that after all that she wasn't even going to bond with anyone, that she wasn't going to know what it felt like to literally feel someone's heart in your chest…it tortured me as a father. But then you…come along," he growled. I bit my lip as I watched him fight his emotion. "And you make her happier than she's ever been save the day Maria was born, and you really have to wonder why I'd want you around?" He laughed a little. "In my eyes, you are my son now, and I want nothing more than to be your family. My daughter finally has someone to look at her the way I look at Ray and you'll never know how grateful I am to you…sir," he spouted Bish's words back at him and chuckled with emotion. Then he pulled him into a manly hug.

Bish patted his back and mumbled his own emotional thank you before letting go. I heard Jen's thoughts before Bish did. She was waiting at the door and wondering what was going on. Bish looked over at her
and smiled. Then he nodded to Peter, hugged me hard, and then made his way to her. He picked her up off the ground in a bear hug and carried her inside that way, giggling.