Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)(66)

“Great. Text me the address. I’ll leave in thirty minutes.”

And then we hung up.

I turned and stared at Alexis. “He’s coming,” I said in disbelief.

She grinned. “I know.”

“Why is he coming? He doesn’t like unfamiliar things. Or places. Or people. Or changes to his plans.”

“No. But he definitely likes you.” She beamed.

I just sat there, shaking my head. This whole thing was baffling, so out of character. Was he trying to show me there were no hard feelings for last night? He could have shown me he was over it with a text. He didn’t have to drive all the way to Wakan.

Maybe he was so distraught over what happened with Amy that he needed a distraction and he didn’t care what it was.

That was probably it. I might not be “the one” for him, but we definitely had a good time together.

No matter what the reason, this was an act of desperation. I felt a little deflated over the thought that him coming was just an extension of the same impulse that made him ask me out last night.

I sighed. “I have to go take a picture of the driveway,” I mumbled, getting up.

“The driveway?” she asked.

“He needs to know where to park. It’s a thing.”





Chapter 28

Jacob



I was throwing everything into the duffel bag I used for my trips to the cabin when her texts came through. And when I saw them, I had to sit on the edge of the bed.

Briana: There’s two people here, Alexis and her husband, Daniel. Daniel is a carpenter and likes to garden. He’s also the mayor. Alexis was an ER physician but now she’s the town doctor at the Royaume satellite clinic in Wakan. We usually just hang out, but we might ride bikes on the bike trail or walk into town and have drinks at the VFW. There might be some townspeople there, but I’ll keep Doug off you. He’s the only extrovert who’ll bug you. Or maybe not, since you don’t have boobs. ?

Briana: When you get here you’ll have your own room and bathroom. Here’s a picture of your room and another one of where to park and one of Alexis and Daniel. The Grant House used to be a bed and breakfast and you can probably still Google it so you can see the property and get a feel for it before you get here. See you in a bit!

I set my phone down on my lap.

She’d known I needed the details. I didn’t have to ask her, I didn’t have to explain it to her—or not explain it and just deal with not having it.

She understands you, even when you don’t say anything at all…

This is what Mom meant. This is what she saw.

Emotion swelled inside of me. And then I deflated all over again. Because even though she speaks my language, it didn’t translate into her wanting me back.





Chapter 29

Briana



Alexis and I were sitting on the porch swing drinking coffee when Jacob pulled up.

My heart fluttered the second I saw him. I had to clutch my chest.

“What’s wrong?” Alexis asked, watching me watch Jacob put the truck in park.

I shook my head. “I don’t know.” But really I did know.

I was stupid for this man.

He had me all turned over and inside out. Just looking at him made me happy. I wanted to run down the steps and jump on him and kiss his face like an excited puppy.

I stayed where I was.

He got out of the truck with a duffel bag over his arm and Lieutenant Dan hopping behind him. Jacob had a plant in his hand. Lieutenant Dan spotted me and bounced up the steps to see me. I was petting him when Daniel opened the front door and Hunter ran out. Hunter took two seconds to sniff Lieutenant Dan’s butt, then bounded down the steps and did the jumping-all-over-Jacob, sloppy-kiss thing that I wished I could do.

Jacob put down his bag and crouched to pet the dog. This was probably going to be the best part of the day for him. He’d hate the rest of it. The strangers and the socializing and the new place. I still didn’t understand why he’d come.

He looked up at me, laughing while Hunter made a long, excited rooooooooo! noise, and I swear to God, all my resolve not to be Jacob’s rebound side-chick almost dissolved into thin air. I couldn’t even look away from him. That’s how messed up he had me.

Sometimes it felt like Jacob and I were two magnets being flipped over and over and pressed together. Pulling us in, pushing us out, pulling us in.

Pulling me in…

Alexis leaned over and whispered, “He’s handsome.”

“I know,” I grumbled. “Of course he is. Anything to make this harder.”

I went down the steps to meet him. “Hey,” I said, stopping in front of him.

He straightened and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. “Hey.”

Then we just stood there, both of us gazing into each other’s eyes, for some reason. Why did it feel like we should be making out right now?

Ugh. Someone needed to turn the hose on me.

Daniel came down the steps with Alexis to save me from myself, thank God, and I introduced them.

Jacob handed Daniel the little plant he had. “Briana tells me you garden,” Jacob said. “I brought you this.”

Daniel’s eyes went wide. “A variegated Elephant Ear.”

Jacob smiled, like he’d just gotten out of a birthday party at a bar. “I propagated it myself.”