Page 59 of Something that Could Last

“Look, I’m sorry about the misunderstanding at work.”

Misunderstanding?Is he serious right now?What he did goes well beyond the boundaries of a simple ‘misunderstanding.’ I don’t say anything, though; I just wait for him to finish so I can get this awkward encounter over with and get back to work.

“Sometimes my approach can be a little too...” he pauses for a moment, trying to find the right word, “forward,” he finishes. He does his best to inject sincerity into his words, but I’m not falling for it.

“You see, when I want something, I go after it.” It takes every bit of southern charm within me not to roll my eyes at him. “And I’m not used to being told no.”

I bet you aren’t, creep.He’s still doing his best to woo me. He thinks his smile is debonair, but it’s not. It’s almost sinister, as though I can see all his darkest desires reflected in the black depths of his pupils.

My stony silence flusters him and his smile fades. “Anyway, I just came here to apologize and call a truce. I don’t want what happened to interfere with our working relationship.” He holds his hand out, waiting for me to take it for a shake.

I heave a deep breath and grit my teeth, doing my best to keep from telling him where to go and how to get there. This guy harasses me, puts his hands on me, and I’m just supposed to carry on like it never happened?

Maybe I’m being unreasonable here. Maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, he’s not touching me again. I square my shoulders, put my hands on my hips, and look him straight in the eyes. His cocky smile falters and he drops his hand.

“Alright,” I grit out with feigned courage. “We can call a truce.” His lips twitch, arrogance marring his features once again. “But.” I raise my hand, my index finger sticking up in the air. I lower my voice and he leans in to hear me. “If you ever put your hands on me again, I’ll make sure that you’reneverable to have children.”

His eyes widen almost imperceptibly before his cool façade slides back into place. He studies me for a beat, gauging whether I mean what I say, I suppose, and then his expression turns odd, his eyes darkening. It’s almost as if he’s... aroused? A shiver runs up my spine and I shrink back a little.Is that what he’s looking for? Someone who will put up a fight?The cold fingers of unease wrap around me, feelings of dread settling in my gut. He just nods and smirks at me before turning away.

I watch as he heads for the exit, wanting to make sure he actually leaves. He stops and flirts with the hostess, flashing his artificially whitened smile at her. I can’t ignore the sinking feeling in my gut. I know we made peace, but I can’t help feeling like this isn’t the last I’ll be seeing of Caleb.

AT FOUR MINUTESpast seven, my truck roars to life when I crank the ignition. I can’t wait to see Jacob tonight, especially after my unnerving encounter with Caleb. I contemplate telling Jacob about him approaching me at work, but decide I really don’t want to spoil our evening so I resolve to forget about it. It won’t accomplish anything anyway. It’ll just upset him.

My elation at spending the evening with Jacob leaves me distracted on my drive home. I’m still in my own little world when I pull into my driveway, and nearly side-swipe his Range Rover. I press the heel of my hand into the center of my chest to calm my racing pulse. I can’t imagine how much it would cost to repair such a high-end vehicle. I can barely afford the insurance on my truck as it is.

Once my heart rate slows back down to normal and I can breathe again, I grab my purse and open my door, wondering all the while why Jacob is here already. Hope blooms in my chest. Maybe he’s just as excited to see me as I am to see him and he simply couldn’t wait any longer.

When I walk into the house, my step falters at what I see. Jacob and my grandmother are sitting at our kitchen table talking and laughing. The corners of her dark eyes crinkle with her broad smile. Her weathered hands are wrapped around her favorite coffee cup, the one I got her that says, “Wild and Wonderful” with an outline in the shape of West Virginia. Jacob’s head is tossed back with a whole-hearted, gut-trembling belly laugh. My heart feels like it could burst right out of my chest. They look like... family.Myfamily.

“Abigail.” My grandmother’s sweet voice shakes me from my thoughts. “I was just telling Jacob about your first junior high dance.”

I remember that day like it was yesterday, and I know what’s got them so tickled. We had just returned from the salon after getting our hair done and were trying to take some pictures at the river. Tiff, ever the fashionista in her four-inch heels, stumbled on the dock. She grabbed my arm to steady herself, but instead of stopping her descent, pulled me down with her. We crashed ungracefully into the water, ruining our fresh up-dos.

My grandmother motions for me to join them, so I pull out a chair and sit down at the small table. She turns back to Jacob and continues her story. “You should have seen the scowl on my Abigail’s face, but the best part was Tiffany’s theatrics. You would have thought she was drowning. She came up out of that water spittin’ and asputterin’ and gaspin’ for air.” All three of us are laughing now. Looking back, it really was a comical scene, though at the time I certainly didn’t think so.

“Tiff stomped off, looking like a drowned rat and muttering curse words under her breath,” I add.

“I can only imagine,” Jacob replies, shaking his head in amusement. He knows just how prissy my best friend is.

My grandma glances at her watch and stands up. “I’d better head out now or I’ll be late for Bingo.” She winks at me and grabs her purse from the counter. I know Fridays aren’t her usual Bingo night. She must be trying to give Jacob and me some privacy.

“Don’t you wanna stay for dinner?”

“No, sweet girl, I’ve already eaten. But I made you two a peach cobbler. It needs to come out of the oven in half an hour.”

I pull her in for a hug and kiss her cheek. “Thank you.” Not just for the cobbler, but for giving Jacob and me this chance to spend some time together.

She cups my cheek with her hand and smiles softly. “You’re welcome, sweetie.” She lets go of me and turns toward Jacob. “You kids have fun. I’ll be back in a little while.” She gives me a pointed look to let me know that although she trusts me and respects my privacy, no funny business is allowed under her roof.

“I’ll walk you out.” Jacob laces his arm through hers.

“Oh, that's not necessary,” she objects half-heartedly, but her smile tells me she loves that he offered.

“It’s no problem,” he assures her. “I insist.” He flashes those pearly whites and my sixty-four-year old grandmother turns into a giggly teenager right before my eyes.

“Well, if you insist...” She grips his arm with her free hand and lets him lead her to her car.

I gather all the ingredients and supplies I’ll need to prepare dinner while Jacob helps my grandmother outside. She really doesn’t need the help. She’s quite capable, but she enjoys his display of chivalry, something she hasn’t had since my pappy passed away.

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