Page 59 of A Lonely Road
I nodded. “It seems pretty certain at this point. Nora bumped into him when she was out to lunch with my sister, then we caught him staring at her outside the hardware store the other day. She got a photo of him—it’s a little blurry, taken from a fair distance, but it looks like the same guy. I ran after him as soon as I was sure she was okay. He was gone by the time I got over there.”
“I’d like to see the photo.” John’s voice was low and he glanced over to make sure Nora wasn’t on her way back. “Am I wrong to assume she’s not staying at the apartment alone?”
“No, she’s been staying at my house. I’m hoping to keep it that way for as long as she’s willing. I have a security system and I feel better with her close by.”
Her father nodded. “She’d kill me if she heard me say this, but you take care of her. She’s not always as tough as she makes herself out to be.”
“No, sir, she’s even tougher. But I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.”
Clearly satisfied with my response, John held out his hand across the table. “Welcome to the family, Jake.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nora
Inafreakturnof events, my father seemed almost jovial after I returned from the restroom, which made me immediately suspicious. The men were both tight-lipped about whatever had transpired while I was gone, though.
When we walked out into the midday sunshine, I kissed my father’s cheek and bid him farewell, then waited until we were safely inside the truck to ask, “What did he say to you?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Jake blinked at my sharp tone in wide-eyed innocence. I merely cocked an eyebrow and waited, so he finally caved and said, “He asked if you were staying at the apartment alone. Or rather, he was already assuming that either you were staying at my place or that I was staying at the apartment with you. I’m still here, so I guesshe wasn’t too put out by learning the truth. Then he shook my hand and welcomed me to the family.”
My jaw dropped at the last part. “He did what?”
“I thought it was a joke, like he just meant it as a token of his approval?” Jake’s obvious delight in that assumption wavered when he saw my stunned expression. “Hey,” he said gently, touching my cheek, “I’m sorry if that upset you. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
I shook my head, though more to clear it than to refute his apology. “No, I’m not upset. That’s just . . . very unlike him.”
Jake chewed on that for a minute before a smile tugged at his lips. “So, you think that means he likes me? I thought he was going to straight-up murder me. For making out with you in the truck or for not stopping that asshole from touching you, I wasn’t really sure. Fifty-fifty, maybe.”
“Let’s just put it this way. He made my first girlfriend cry when he asked about her driving record, scared my prom date into not even dancing with me, and threatened a guy I dated in college with a chainsaw, though that one was over the phone. Apparently, you’re the first to pass muster. Congratulations.”
“Huh,” Jake said. For a moment, he paused to consider my words, then he frowned. “Does that mean you haven’t really dated anyone past college, or just that you started hiding them from your father for their own protection?”
I tipped my head to one side and replied, “A little of both, I suppose. Nothing like this, that’s for sure.”
“Well, thanks for not hiding me away. Meeting him was, ah, shall we say, enlightening?” When my eyes narrowed a little, Jake winked and leaned over to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Let’s just leave it at the fact that I see now where your badassery comes from.”
My laughter filled the cab. “I guess I can appreciate that.”
“Good. So what now?”
“I don’t know about you, but I need to get some work done,” I replied. “For once, I feel like the quiet will actually help. My thoughts are loud enough as it is.”
“Your wish is my command,” Jake said swiftly, shifting into gear. We drove in comfortable silence, then as we pulled into his driveway, he raised a brow and said, “So, now that I’ve met your father’s approval and you’ve admitted that you’re madly in love with me, will you finally let me fix up Baby?”
“You’re a glutton for punishment, Jake Lincoln, but sure, be my guest.” Immediately, his blue eyes lit with excitement and I had to laugh. “If I knew you’d be this happy, I would've let you get started days ago.”
Jake laced his fingers through mine with a contented sigh. “I feel like I’ve just cleared the ultimate trust hurdle.”
“If that were an Olympic sport, you’d have a dozen gold medals by now.”
“Does that mean I deserve a reward?” he asked, smiling hopefully.
I laughed as I hopped out of the truck. “Nice try, Romeo, but not until I get some work done.”
He grinned when he caught up with me, then wrapped an arm around my waist and twirled me across the driveway. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get changed and take a look at Baby so I can start planning,” he said as he tugged me back against his chest and dipped me low over one arm. “We should go dancing sometime.”
“Why was dancing not on Sam’s list of your best qualities?” I demanded when Jake swept me upright. “I want to lodge an official complaint. That was a grievous error on her part, almost unforgivable.”
