Page 5 of Signed With Love

“This time, try not to fuck it up so bad,” Finn says as he picks up his cards, tapping his hand on the table. Worst card player ever. He just gave away that he’s got a good hand to everyone.

“Fold.” I toss my cards down without looking and take a swig of my beer. My friends are right; she forgot to pay me. It’s the perfect in.

“Hey, don’t stay out too late, Casanova! We've got work in the morning.”

I flip Chadwick off over my shoulder, then take off, leaving my friends to occupy themselves.

I’m not about to give up on Claire that quickly, and this gives me a reason to go to her. It’s going to take more than turning away from me to stop me from communicating with her. If Claire thinks that’s the case, she hasn’t met an Alaskan man on a mission. I’ve fought the harshest terrain in the bush country and come face to face with death, staring back at it, unflinching. I’m going to ask this girl out on a date. As a friend, of course.

My heart is pounding as I make up the distance from my cabin to her parents’ place. Giving up all those treasure maps and practicing every day until I grasped the language was worth it if I get the chance to know this woman.

There’s a longing and something fierce I see every time those blue eyes lock with mine, and I’m not giving up on her that easily.

Chapter Three

Claire

By the time I slam the door shut and lean against the inside, my heart has slowed fractionally. I can’t figure out if I’m pissed, embarrassed, or just highly impressed because Jamison can sign.

The oak plank of the cabin floor is staring back at me. The swirls of wood grain and deep ruts from years of wear create an intricate story. Deep breaths in and out slow my heartbeat and loosen the band that’s wrapped around my chest. I finally rise from the door to grab some water from the kitchen. After a healthy gulp, I lean against the counter. Jamison has never once tried to speak or communicate with me. He’s always friendly and gives me a warm smile when I stop by. Our interactions are usually short. I knock, he waves, then I wave before handing him the rent check.

He watches me with curiosity, but intensity too. Jamison is a big man but has never once come off as imposing. He usually wears a dark t-shirt that stretches across his firm body. His arms are bulky and his shoulders broad. He often has this overgrown beard, but never so much that it hides his lips. I’ve never caught a glimpse of him with his hair down because it’s always tied back. He’s rough around the edges, which makes him seem like a bear about to pounce, but his eyes reveal something softer when they’re settled on me.

My father slips into the kitchen, that old leather-bound journal from Jamison in his hand. He glances at me, as he always does when first entering a room. It could be a room of hundreds and he will make sure to start a conversation with me first. He sets the journal down, abandoning his research.

What’s wrong? he asks, his blue eyes worried.

I’m fine.

You don’t look fine.

I roll my eyes, not in any mood to argue. My dad is as stubborn as they come. He always says that’s how Alaskan men are, but he finally lets it go.

Want to watch a movie? he signs. It’s the way we usually spend our nights when I visit. We are both in love with old cult movies and have seen our fair share, especially from the eighties and nineties. Dad was once up so far north into the bush country that movies were hard to come by, and when stuck with little entertainment during the winters, he grew a love for motion pictures.

As I’m about to agree, my father looks toward the living room. My head turns too. He heard something that drew his attention.

He goes and opens the front door. I sneak up behind my father to find Jamison standing on the porch. His hands are buried deep in his front pockets as the sun lowers behind him. Jamison starts to pull his hands out, but I look to Dad instead as my hands clench at my side. Jamison fills the entire doorway, and his presence is unexpected this late. I had finally gotten my anxiety to calm after seeing him once today.

You didn’t pay him, Dad signs.

My cheeks flush. I shake my hands out and grab the rent check from my back pocket. After seeing his friends, I felt out of place. I couldn’t even grasp Jamison signing to me, then all the commotion of his friends being nearby hadn’t helped. Hearing people and crowds makes me sweat. I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran.

I make quick eye contact, then rub my fist on my chest. Sorry. I hand the check over. I plan to turn away the moment his hand grasps the check from mine, but I’m hit with the full force of his forest-colored eyes locking on me before I can. They remind me of being lost in the winter woods at night when a storm is brewing.

His eyes are always probing. Like he wants to dig deep into me, burrow his way inside and latch on. I turn and walk away. I don’t make it far before he brushes past me. His brows lower, his forehead wrinkles, and he raises a finger for me to pause. He wants a moment of my time, and he’s not going to let me run off before he has a chance to share what’s on his mind.

Jamison is a force. That full beard covers most of his face, and his long blond hair is pulled back into a low bun, which gives off the rough mountain-man vibe. He dresses rugged—always clean, though. If looks weren’t enough, he has a presence that demands for me to pause.

I want you…

He pauses to think as my stomach somersaults. His I want you sends a wave of desire through me I have never felt so intensely before. Sure, I’ve had a fumble in the sheets, but this is hours-tangled-in-the-sheets kind of need. My body tingles everywhere. The way his hands glide as he tells me that he wants me… I blink my eyes closed. When I open them, he’s trying to find his words.

Friend time?

My father is laughing hard when he slams his hand down on Jamison’s shoulder. My father signs and speaks at the same time. My father will never speak to hearing people without me knowing what the conversation is. I don’t need it, but he’s protective of me like that.

You told my daughter you want her for friend time.

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