Page 8 of The Lover
“Yep. No problem.”
His jaw was flexing, his nose was flaring.
“I’m right, Jake. You know it.”
“I haven’t even started thinking about what I want to build for a house. I can build anything on the foundation, but how the hell do I know what I want?”
I thought about the timing of that and my plans, but it’s not like I had any control over that. Who knew how long it took to build a house? He probably needed to wait until spring anyway, when the weather was a little more forgiving.
“You’ll figure it out.”
He grunted.
This was a surprisingly easy victory. Given he’d been mad enough to drive out here in the first place. I figured now was a good time to redirect.
“How is Rich working out?”
“He’s fine.”
There might have been a pause there, but I couldn’t tell.
“And Petunia? You’re talking to her like I asked?”
“Hours every day. I find she’s really easy to talk to.”
I made a face at him. “Sarcasm doesn’t become you.”
He grunted.
I looked down at my coffee cup. I wasn’t sure what happened now. Did he just get back in his car and leave now that the fight was over? Although I have to say, all things considered he’d rolled over pretty quickly, which was not like him. Maybe he was getting mellow in his old age. This boded well.
“So…” he said.
“So what?”
“So are you going to show me around this place or not?”
I clapped my hands. “Yes, you’re going to stay for a while. Okay, first you have to have a caramel macchiato. It is the most delicious thing in the world.”
“I’m not spending four bucks for a cup of coffee.”
“Trust me, Jake. This is life-altering and so worth it. Then I’ll show you the campus. And then we have to go to Eddy’s for burgers later. They have thebestburgers. Don’t tell Frank I said that, but we’re talking miles better.”
“Miles, huh?”
“Miles and miles.”
“All right. After you.”
I was thrilled. I was over the moon.
Because Jake was here.
* * *
“Well?” I asked him as he pulled his truck up to my dorm building. It wasn’t very late, just after seven, but I knew he had a three-hour drive back.
“Consider my life altered.”
