Page 7 of Pining for the Lumberjack

After throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and stopping by the bathroom, I made my way to the kitchen, the smell of coffee awakening my senses.Slightly.

Jack sat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island, sipping on a steaming mug. Bailey lay at his feet, chewing on a bone. One I didn’t recognize. Jack loved to spoil her.

Mornings like these made me thankful I installed a doggie door on the back door so Bailey could let herself out into the fenced-in yard. It made me feel better on the days I didn’t bring her with me to work.

“There’s the sleepyhead. Glad to see you joined the land of the living.” Jack nodded in my direction.

“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled while making myself a cup of coffee. My voice was gruff, and with how tired my body felt, I probably looked like shit.

I sat down across from him and took my time sipping my coffee before I spoke.

“Well?”

“I’ve been talking to the girl I told you about. Pretty much all the time when I’m not working, and last night, we stayed up late. I think I really like her, Jack.”

He looked at me with skepticism. “Listen, I’m here for whatever comes of this. Just be careful. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

“Aw, does Jack actually have a caring bone somewhere in there?”

“You know I do. You’re a brother to me. This chick better not be playing any games.”

“I hope not. That would suck.”

“So what’s she like?”

“She lives in Apple Falls, from a close-knit family, has an obsession with shoes and has a closet full of them, loves to write, and enjoys bingeing true crime documentaries.”

Jack stared at me over the rim of his coffee cup, lifting one eyebrow in question.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Nothing, it’s just...” He paused and shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Just say it, man.”

Jack shrugged. “It sounded like you described my sister.”

I froze.Wait- what?

Unsure how else to react, I laughed and shot him a look like he’d lost his mind. “Your sister? What? That’s crazy. Adalynn doesn’t like—” But then I stopped myself. Jack was right.

Adalynn was obsessed with shoes and had a closet full, she loved to write, and loved true crime…but no.No.It was just a coincidence. “Guess they have a lot in common, then.”

“When are you going to meet her?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully, soon. Seems like she’s avoiding it.”

“Uh-oh, that’s never a good sign.”

“I know. Maybe I should go back to the traditional way of dating—hanging out at the bar.”

Jack laughed. “And exactly who would you find there?”

“You know who. The regulars. No thanks.”

“Are you still going to work out with me? I need to get some weightlifting in.”

“Maybe after another cup of coffee. And we take Bailey for a walk first.”

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