Page 25 of Handling Skylar
“So, it’s a moot point to join the Belles then.”
“Oh, no,” River said, leaning over and snagging one of my cookies. “You’re joining. It’s even more important now that you show Jake your part of the town, part of the tradition. We need you on the team.”
River was right. This was Jake’s world for better or worse. He ran in these circles. If I wanted to be part of his life, and, I did, I would have to reconcile myself to these kinds of activities. Joining the Belles sounded like a good opportunity to do a service to Suttontowne, my chosen home. It’s just that I was a bit rough around the edges.
“Does this mean I have to wear pretty dresses and incredibly dainty high heels?” At their blank looks, “I said, “You know,thedress code?”
“We think you should just be yourself. We think you always look great.”
“All right. Against my better judgment, I’m in.”
“I just happen to have an application here,” River said, pulling out a sheaf of papers. “We’ll enjoy our tea and cookies while you fill it out.”
“You’re sure about this?”
She nodded and took a bite, sipping the tea, gesturing toward the papers with a determined look. “We’re sure.”
Thirty minutes later they were gone with my promise of attending the next meeting. I still wasn’t sure how that was going to go, but I was now part of the Suttontowne Belles. I didn’t have the pedigree, but, by God, I had gumption—the Scarlett O’Hara kind—and a paragon almost as good as Scarlett. River Pearl Sutton Outlaw.
There was simply no saying no to River Pearl.
I went back into the kitchen and made my bath melts and as I was sliding them into the fridge to harden, the sound of a car outside brought me back to the front. This time it was a Sutton again, but it was Jake.
One look at his face, I saw that the brooding Jake was back. He looked tired as if he’d been wrestling with something life-altering. “Are you hungry?” I said as he came up to the porch, and I opened the screen for him.
He nodded, his big body brushing by me, sending my senses reeling. I pressed my palms against his thickly muscled, broad back, directing him through the door and into the kitchen.
“Damn, it smells good in here.”
“Bath products and molasses cookies.”
“The hip expanding ones?” he said with a glint in his eyes.
“Yep, those would be them. I made some. You can have a few after I make you something to eat.” I walked to the fridge as he leaned his backside against the counter.
I threw together a sandwich with leftover meatloaf from my dinner last night, added a few chips and set the plate on the table. I grabbed a glass and poured him some lemonade.
“You’ve been busy.”
I settled in a chair next to him. “How did the consultation go?”
“Fine,” he said, his voice cool and detached.
“What happened?” I asked, settling my hand against the warmth of his forearm.
He chewed and set the sandwich down. “Good,” he murmured. Then met my eyes. “Chase asked me to be best man at his wedding.”
I could hear the heavy emotion in his voice and now understood what put that look on his face. This was tied up with his brother. The one he couldn’t seem to forgive. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I drove over here because I wanted to see you.” He covered my hand, and I smiled. “You wanted to talk to me about this? That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
With a hint of a smile, he rubbed his thumb along my wrist, sending tingles up my arm. “You’re a good listener.”
“So, Jake, talk. Tell me how you feel about this.”
He exploded from the table and pressed his hands against the counter looking out to the river as if he was seeking peace. “I feel like a prick which makes me angry, then guilty.” He shook his head. “Chase is still the same guy he was when we were growing up. Still cares about me.” He looked away, back at me, his voice rough. “He’s taken so many chances, risks, offering me the opportunity to make amends. I’ve acted like a jerk teenager with all my angst to deal with instead of a grown man who’s been through more than enough to temper me. I want the relationship back that we had, but, Sky, I don’t know how to do it.”
I rose and went to him, trying to will away the emotion that clogged my throat. I pressed my palm flat against his back, rubbing the taut muscles, then wrapped my arms around his waist. “You’re upset because you’re feeling the same feelings you were growing up, but Chase broke under the pressure, left the family and isolated himself in the bayou.” He turned to face me, his face ashen and carved by strain, his eyes shadowed by so much pain. But I continued, knowing I had to say what he needed to hear no matter how much it hurt. “You stayed, taking on all those expectations that doubled because your brother abandoned you, leaving you with the real burden of living up to your family’s legacy. Now that’s broken.” He swallowed and tried to break away, but I held him. “No,” I said softly, “hear me out.” I brushed my fingertips across his cheek, along his jaw. “Both of you are dealing with it in your own way. Find some common ground and build up your relationship again. Apologize, listen to him and I’m sure he’ll listen to you. Samantha made a really good choice there. Chase is a great guy. He really is, Jake.”
