Page 29 of Something that Could Last

“Hi,” I greet him, sounding like a nervous teenager talking to her crush for the first time.

“Hi,” he answers, and his smile grows. I drink him in, making note of his fitted t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He has a day's worth of stubble growing thickly on his gorgeous face. Good. I like a man with a little facial hair. His eyes rake over me with equal intensity, from my wet, wavy hair to my curve-hugging pants. “I brought breakfast.”

I’m so smitten with him that I don't notice what's in his hands at first. He reaches out and hands me two brown paper bags but holds on to the cardboard drink holder.

“Thanks. Come on in.” He passes over the threshold into the house, and Cero begins to whine again.

Jacob's eyes widen when he takes in Cero's large body and wolf-like features. With his size, he has a commanding and intimidating presence. He's a big baby with people he knows and likes, but he doesn't much care for strangers.

I flinch when Jacob kneels and reaches out to pet him.

“Careful, he's not fond of...”

My warning is silenced when Cero licks Jacob's hand and then nudges it with his head, begging to be petted. His rapidly wagging tail thumps against the hardwood floor.

“He's beautiful,” Jacob marvels in awe. “What kind of dog is this?”

“He's a wolf hybrid.”

“I've never seen anything like him.”

“Yeah, he's pretty special.” I've had Cero almost five years now. He's been my protector and loyal friend since the day I found him nearly frozen to death in the woods. It was the dead of winter, snow on the ground, temperature in the single digits, and he was just a pup. I’d heard his cries while waiting on the school bus that morning and went to investigate. My grandmother was furious that I had skipped school, but she was proud when I managed to nurse him back to health. He’s more than a pet to me. He’s family. And the fact that he seems to like Jacob tells me everything I need to know. I trust Cero's instincts. They haven’t let me down yet.

“I brought coffee and muffins, and there's a French vanilla cappuccino in here for you.” He raises the drink holder enticingly and looks down at me.

“How did you know that's what I like?” I take it from him and wrap my hands around the warm cup. The first sip of sugary, caffeinated heaven hits my tongue and I let out a soft “mmmm”.

“You know, your friend isn’t much of a morning person.” A coltish smile pulls up the sides of his lips.

Well, that answers my question.

We both chuckle. “Yeah, I've noticed,” I reply, leading him towards the kitchen. I can only imagine the string of expletives she hurled at him for waking her up. We settle our breakfast items on the small kitchen table and I grab a couple of napkins.

“I got two apple cinnamon muffins with raisins and two cranberry and orange with almonds.”

“That sounds delicious.” My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

“You need protein. You cannot live on muffins alone.” The sound of my grandmother's voice startles me and I pull my gaze away from the divine smelling breakfast. I walk over to where she stands next to the refrigerator and hug her close, kissing her cheek.

“Who is your friend, Abigail?” she asks. She’s the only person who ever uses my full name.

“This is Jacob,” I tell her, leading her to the table. Jacob stands and holds his hand out to her.

“It's nice to meet you,” Jacob asserts, smiling down at her. She’s short like me, so he towers over her. Her long, straight, salt and pepper hair is pulled over her shoulder into a braid, much like I wear mine. Her deep brown eyes assess him as she holds onto his hand, searching his face. Her perceptive gaze lands on his eyes and she studies him a moment. She has always been a good judge of character. Her approval of Jacob would mean a great deal to me.

“It's nice to meet you, too,” she finally replies. “Please, have a seat. I will make the two of you some eggs and bacon. Are you hiking today?” she asks, nodding towards my backpack and shoes. She knows me so well.

“Yes.”

“Well then, you'll need your strength.” She grabs the carton of eggs and the bacon from the fridge and places two pans on the stove. I go over to help her prepare our breakfast.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I turn to see Jacob standing behind us, eager to assist.

“No, no, you sit down. You are our guest,” my grandmother replies, eyes twinkling. Evensheis not immune to his charm.

“Would you like some coffee?” Jacob asks her. “I brought extra.”

“Yes, thank you,” she replies with a smile. My grandmother looks over and winks at me as Jacob retrieves the coffee from the table. He brings back a cup of premium roast, aromatic steam rising when she removes the lid. She stirs a teaspoon of sugar into the warm, brown liquid and takes a sip. “Ah, that is delicious.”

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