Page 14 of Anything For This Love

Abby

My grandmotherand I are in the kitchen preparing pies for dinner tomorrow when there’s a knock at the door. The knob turns and it swings open, sending my pulse into a gallop. It can only be one of three people who have an open invitation in this house, but I’m hoping with everything I have that it’s Jacob. When he finally crosses the threshold, I run to him, hands covered in flour and flakes of pie crust. Neither of us care when my body slams into him and my lips crash over his.

By the time I’m through welcoming him, there are pie flakes in his hair and pumpkin pie filling is smeared across his shirt from my soiled apron. His eyes flare as they scan down my body.

“I like this,” he praises, slipping a finger beneath the string that ties around my neck. “I’d like it even better if there wasn't anything underneath it,” he whispers in my ear, his hot breath tickling my neck before pressing a seemingly innocent kiss to my cheek.

My face heats and my breath hitches, even as I prepare my naughty comeback. “Play your cards right and you just might get your wish.”

His eyes pinch closed as he tries to collect himself.

“Please don’t make me pop a boner in front of your grandma,” he mumbles below his breath. He better hope she didn’t hear that.

My grandmother wipes her hands on a kitchen towel before pulling Jacob in for a hug. She’s much more considerate than I am in that regard. “I’m so glad you could make it!” she gushes. Sometimes I think she loves him just as much as she loves me.

“Me, too,” he replies.

His smile is broad, but there’s sadness behind his eyes. This is the first Thanksgiving he’s spent away from his family and it must be weighing heavily on him. He wouldn’t come out and say it directly, but I gathered his family was upset that he was coming here instead of being with them. He wants to be where Chloe and I are, and that’s here. If things were different, I might have considered going to Virginia instead, but I’m not ready to sit across the dinner table from Evelyn and pretend like she didn’t do everything she could to keep Jacob and me apart. It will be a while before I can even be in the same room without wanting to slap her. I push away those thoughts, unwilling to let her ruin the precious time we have together.

“Is Chloe sleeping?” Jacob asks.

“Yeah, she should be waking up from her nap soon, though.”

He nods in response and turns his attention to my grandmother. “What do you need help with?” Jacob rolls up his sleeves as he scans the ingredients scattered all over the counter and table.

“There’s another crust that needs to be rolled out,” she replies, nodding toward the ball of dough wrapped in plastic on the table.

“I’m on it.” He grabs the ball and unwraps it, dusting flour over it, along with our table.

I watch, completely enthralled as his forearms flex with each pass of the rolling pin over the dough. How does he make baking look so damn sexy? His large hands work in a meticulous rhythm, his focus narrowed on the task before him. I can’t wait to get him alone and see what those big hands can do withme.

My lips turn down at the reminder that he’ll be staying here and we won’t have any privacy. All we’ll be able to get away with is a few stolen kisses. I’ll take it. Having him here is all that matters.

Once the last of the pies are in the oven, we go to Chloe’s room and I gently lift her from the bed to wake her from her nap. Jacob brushes the hair from her face and speaks to her in soft, soothing tones. Her eyes flutter open and she smiles dreamily at him as she rests her cheek against my chest. Suddenly, she pops up, the grogginess finally lifting.

“Daddy!” she cries and throws her arms out, reaching for him. I hand her over and she hugs his neck.

“Hey, Chloe Bug.” He holds her close, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. A smile tugs at my lips as I watch the two of them. They wear matching contented expressions, happy to be back together again.

“How do you feel about helping us decorate the tree?” I ask after washing the last of our dinner dishes and setting them in the rack to dry. We ate a simple meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. It was the best I could muster after baking all afternoon. Jacob offered to cook, but I wanted him to enjoy his time with Chloe. He hasn’t seen her in weeks, and that’s my fault. Guilt gnaws at my insides like a hunger that can’t be sated. I took her away and kept him at a distance while I worked through my emotions. This is my chance to make it up to him. He deserves all the time in the world with our daughter.

“I love that idea.” A slow smile spreads across his face as he gazes up at me from the floor. He's been keeping Chloe entertained by pretending to be a horse and letting her climb on his back and shouting “yeehaw” every time he jostles her around. My grandmother watches from her chair, quietly chuckling as she crochets. Chloe apparently isn’t the only one he’s kept entertained.

He stands and brushes off his clothing, his plain white tee stretching across his muscled chest. The navy blue pullover I soiled with pie filling was tossed in the wash and is now tumbling dry. I gulp, trying not to let my gaze settle on the hard plains outlined beneath the cotton, but it’s almost impossible to look away.

“Want to help me bring everything down from the attic?” I ask in a rush, turning to walk down the hall.

His footsteps echo from behind me. “Sure.”

It takes several trips to haul the tree and all the decorations downstairs, but it goes much faster with Jacob’s help. We unbox the tree first, putting the pieces together and fluffing the branches. He tackles one side while I work on the other, starting from the bottom and moving upwards, separating the branches so they appear fuller. Luckily, Chloe is too intrigued by the box to do much damage to the tree.

Our eyes meet as I reach toward the top, gripping a branch between my fingers. His gaze is tender, open, and it’s as though I can read his thoughts. He looks upon me with unbridled happiness and my heart sings. His fingers entwine with mine and he brings them to his lips, planting a soft kiss on my fingertips, then my knuckles, moving down until they brush the back of my hand. I turn my palm to his cheek and cradle it in my hand. His head dips and my eyes drift shut, ready to kiss him here and now, not caring that my grandmother is sitting right behind me.

“Mama! Daddy!” Chloe chirps excitedly and my eyes pop open. Jacob’s lips are only inches from mine. I reluctantly pull back and turn my attention to Chloe. She’s found the angel that goes on top of the tree. Clutching it in her tiny fist, she holds it up, proudly displaying her find.

“Great job! You found the angel,” I praise, picking her up.

“I do it!” she demands, reaching for the top of the tree. I start to lift her in the air so she can put the topper into place, but Jacob’s voice stops me.

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