“The trailer is pretty self-explanatory. There are a few things in the fridge and basic toiletries in the shower just in case. The water temperature in the sink can be a bit fussy but the shower’s okay.”
She looked him up and down and the blush started again moving from his chest to his face. If she noticed, she didn’t mention it. “You’re tall. This shower might be a stretch for you.” She giggled. “I’m not actually sure your head will go under it. Let’s try it.”
“You want me to shower?”
She shoved his arm playfully. He fought the urge to grab her and pull her close. “No, dummy. Just stand in it. I need to see if you can even fit.”
“I can check later.”
She gave him another shove toward the door to the bathroom. He could see that she was going to keep fighting him and honestly, he didn’t mind spending more time with her, even if he felt silly as he climbed into the tiny shower space.
He had to duck to stand upright, which meant that his body was touching the shower wall. And still the showerhead was no higher than his chin. Her giggles turned into full-on laughter. He loved the uninhibited sound of her laugh.
“This is fine,” he said, grinning. “As long as I don’t need to wash my hair or face for a few days. You won’t mind the smell. Probably.”
She wiped her eyes and he unfolded himself from the tiny space. “Get out of there before you pull a muscle. You can shower inside. We’ve got one bathroom, but it’s clean. Just come on in when you need it. Don’t mind Daddy. He’s a perfect gentleman to everyone. Well. Except to any would-be suitors. The only one of them he likes is Matt, which is too bad since—I’m sorry. I’m doing it again. Too many words.”
He had followed her back out to the main part of the Airstream while she babbled, coming to rest with his hips against the tiny kitchen sink. Crossing his arms, he watched her, feeling a smile twitch at his lips.
“I don’t mind hearing you talk,” he said.
The words seemed to carry more weight to them than what he meant, though maybe it was his subconscious talking. Because he felt like he could listen to her talk all day.
For a moment they stood looking at each other. She pulled the end of her braid up to her lips and chewed on the end. The motion drew his eyes down to her lips and Jake found himself staring. When he looked back up at her eyes, she had an expression he couldn’t read. He wanted to find something to say, to get her to stay there, to keep talking to him, but he couldn’t find any words. She spoke first, breaking the charged energy between them.
“I like you Jacob Black. Even if you are a little bit of a liar.”
He was blushing. Again. Maybe she wouldn’t notice because his permanent color around her seemed to be red. “Only about my name.”
“So why the fake name? You famous or something?”
Only in certain circles. Obviously and thankfully not the ones she traveled in. “I always travel incognito. It’s a habit.”
“Well, I don’t care about the little lies. As long as there aren’t any big ones.”
Jake swallowed. Just the lie about who he really was and why he was here. Was an omission the same thing as a lie? “Noted.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Shelby said. “Breakfast is around 7:30 or 8am tomorrow in the house if you want to join us. You don’t have to eat with us.”
“I’d like to,” he said.
She smiled. “Okay. Night, Jake.”
“Good night, Shelby.”
She hesitated before the door, and he felt an overwhelming urge to take one big step across the trailer and hug her goodnight. But that would be totally weird for someone he just met. He hated for her to leave, but feeling like a typical guy, he liked watching her go. He’d never seen a girl look so good in cutoffs.
Before she was gone even five minutes, he missed her. Greg better get those parts fast for Layla or Jake might have trouble leaving Lucky at all.