Page 61 of Take Me Home

“All I heard was cute.” I slid my hand across her ribs to hug her tighter to me. Darcy’s hand met my arm, giving it a squeeze. I growled playfully in her ear before letting her go. Her eyes met mine again and I saw a flash of that predatory hunger I’d seen in her once before. Whatever chemicals that look released into my bloodstream could be a controlled substance. It was addicting and dangerous.Keep it together, Jake. It’s just the beginning of the night.

We ordered, both getting pulled pork with some sides, and I was quick with my wallet.

“I was going to get it!” she objected.

“Sorry, I’m quick on the draw. You’ll have to be faster next time,” I said coolly, parroting her words from the parking lot.

Darcy narrowed her eyes. “Fine, I’ll get drinks tonight.”

“Deal.”

When we sat, our conversation flowed easily. I didn’t get enough opportunities to just sit and talk to Darcy. We talked about my robot for a while, and then things rolled back around to our families. She took my hand across the table.

“How are you doing this week, with your dad?”

I took a deep breath.

“Or, I guess, you don’t have to talk about it if it’s too hard,” she said quickly.

I squeezed her hand. “No, I like talking about him. So I guess I didn’t mention the other day, a drunk driver killed him. That’s why I don’t mind being DD. I’ll drink one or two drinks tonight, but it’s more important to me that everyone gets home safe,” I said, pausing. “I learned early that life is too short and nothing’s guaranteed.”

Darcy had tears in her eyes as she listened. “I’m sorry that’s how it happened. I’m sorry it happened at all. What was your favorite thing about him?”

I looked off somewhere behind her as I thought about her question. “He had a really good sense of humor. I think he would have liked you. He liked people who didn’t take themselves too seriously, but who watch out for other people, you know? Like all of his best friends were goofballs, but they really took care of each other. When he passed they became my extra dads.” I smiled thinking of the four of them, and how they’d stayed involved in my life. “He also had this way of giving advice by having you come up with your own conclusion. I hope someday I’m as good a dad as he was.”

“That’s really sweet,” she said with a soft smile. Well, now she knew for sure that I wanted to be a dad, and she wasn’t across the room running off or visibly panicking. That was nice. If we were going to take this thing far, I hoped she wanted to be a mom. Not that I’d ask on our first date. Baby steps.

“Thanks for asking that question. Most people focus on the tragedy of it all and not who he was before that. It’s nice to remember him that way. Means a lot,” I said.

I felt seen and understood by Darcy. When I was upset on Wednesday, she’d known what to do to make me feel better. And here, she knew how to talk about Dad in a way that didn’t involve hushed tones and fear. I wasn’t the guy whose dad died to her. She saw me as a whole person despite what had happened in my life.

Our server dropped off our plates. “So did your dad have a J name, too? Jenny, Jackie, Jamie, Jake…” Darcy said.

“Ha, yes he did. James. The J Warrens, all five of us.”

We talked more while we ate, and then we hit a topic I wasn’t sure would come up on this particular date: our plans for the fall and beyond.

“Do you think you’re going to stick around after graduation?” Darcy asked. She put on a casual voice, but I could see the insecurity in her eyes.

“I haven’t really decided yet. Kinda waiting to see how the next six months go,” I said. What I wasn’t ready to say wasdepends on if you fall in love with me, Darcy. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I’d worked too hard with Becca and Caleb to plan the perfect moment to let it out then. “What about you? Back to Raleigh or keepin’ it Country Roads?”

She laughed at my Country Roads joke. “After this summer? I’m working on a couple of projects, and Uncle Bill seems willing to keep me on. I’ll probably be here for a while yet.”

I couldn’t hide that I was relieved.Time for honesty. Build that trust.“I’m glad you might be sticking around. I’d be bummed if you just peaced out at the end of the summer.”

Jake three weeks before would have addedbecause you’re such a good friend, but instead I let it hang in the air that I wanted her to stay because I wantedher. But there was also an undeniable discomfort around what we weren’t saying. We were feeling each other out.Are you worth my time? Are you going to break my heart in a month?

I could have chosen to be more honest, but that wasn’t something I was ready to let go of just yet. Darcy broke our awkward silence.

“Dinner was great,” she said warmly. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“Thanks for joining me,” I said. “Wanna get out to this party?”

20

DARCY

Jake parked a few rows back from the building at the Legion, mostly out of necessity. The parking lot was jammed. Whether that was on account of Becca’s birthday, the line dancing, or a typical Saturday night, I wasn’t sure.

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