usually with several of his siblings. Jean and Jake’s mother, Fran, never bothered to sort out their respective children at mealtime. Whoever was sitting at the table at the beginning of a meal got fed, no matter which family they belonged to.
Jake had just dug into his pancakes when Teddy walked in the back door, covered in snow and carrying an armload of firewood. He sent Jake a knowing smile, then dropped the wood next to the door. “Morning, Jake. How’d you sleep?”
“Teddy, I want you to take some firewood over to Ellis and Fran’s house,” Jean said. “Load a bunch in the back of your truck. We have plenty. Jake can help you load it.”
Teddy grinned. “Oh, I think he might be too tired to load firewood, Ma. So didja get much sleep last night, Jake?”
“I’ve been meaning to get a new mattress for that bed,” Jean said. “It wasn’t too lumpy, was it?”
“Not lumpy,” Teddy said. “Maybe a little crowded.”
Caley’s mother scowled. “Teddy, what are you talking about?”
The entire group turned to hear Teddy’s response. “Caley was sleeping with Jake.”
Jean gasped. “Caley’s home? When did she get in?”
“At about three in the morning.”
They all turned again, this time to Caley, who stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She was dressed in a bulky wool sweater a shade of blue that complemented her eyes. Faded jeans hugged her long legs and slender hips.
“I thought I was crawling into bed with Emma,” she explained. “It was a mistake. And nothing happened.”
“Emma’s staying at the inn,” Jean said, bustling over to give her daughter a huge hug. She stepped back. “That’s right, you don’t know the big news, do you?”
“Jake told me,” Caley replied. “Sam and Emma. Who would have thought?” She cleared her throat and looked at the curious gazes of her siblings. “Nothing happened. It was a mistake.”
“Of course nothing happened,” Jean said. “You two are like oil and water.” She kissed Caley’s cheek and smiled at Jake. “How could you possibly mistake Jake for Emma?”
“He had the covers over his head,” Caley explained.
“Well, since I don’t have to worry about you two getting cozy, maybe I should just have you bunk together for the rest of the week,” Jean teased. “Oh, and Emma is going to ask you to be her maid of honor, darling. I hope you’ll say yes. Bacon or sausage?”
“I’ll just have the pancakes,” Caley said, glancing across the table at Jake. “And you don’t have to worry about me. I booked a room at the inn.” She paused. “I’ll be able to help Emma out. Since I’m her maid of honor. And Jake can have Emma’s room all to himself.”
Caley searched for a spot at the table and Adam moved his seat to make a space between himself and Jake. Caley reluctantly retrieved a chair and sat down. Her mother put a plate down in front of her and Jake picked up the pitcher of orange juice and poured her a glass. He held it out and she hesitantly took it and set it beside her plate.
They ate in silence, the both of them pretending to listen to the conversation around them. Jake’s foot brushed against hers and she coughed on the orange juice she was drinking.
It was so nice to be able to touch her, Jake mused.
He felt her hand push his leg away and he reached beneath the table to grab it, weaving his fingers through hers. Her eyes grew wide as his thumb rested on her wrist, just over her pulse point.
“What’s the schedule for today?” Caley asked, her voice cracking slightly.
“Emma’s chosen a dress for you at the bridal shop in town and you need to go try it on this morning. The snow is getting deep. Adam will take you in his truck.”
“I’ll take Caley into town,” Jake volunteered, giving her hand a squeeze. “I have some errands to run anyway.”
“I can drive myself,” Caley said, tugging her hand from his.
Jean smiled at Jake. “Thank you, dear. I knew I could count on you.” She folded her hands in front of her, then looked back and forth between Jake and Caley. “It’s so nice to see you two together again. How long has it been?”
“Eleven years,” Caley said. She grabbed her plate and stood up. “I’ve got to make some calls. And I can drive myself to town. I have to check in at the inn before I go to the fitting.” She sent Jake a cool look, then stalked out of the room.
Jake stood and carried his plate to the sink. “Not much has changed. Come on, Teddy, let’s get that firewood loaded.”
As they grabbed their jackets and walked out the back door, Teddy chuckled softly. “Oh, I think a lot has changed.”
“And I’m not so sure you need help with the firewood,” Jake replied.
“Sorry,” Teddy murmured.
Jake used to be able to hide his feelings for Caley. But from the moment he woke that morning to find her wrapped around his body, Jake knew he wanted to explore those feelings. He and Caley weren’t teenagers anymore, they were adults. And there were no rules keeping them apart. Now that there was time to test their attraction to each other, he planned to take full advantage of it.
2
THE GENTLE SNOWFALL increased in intensity throughout the early morning. Caley watched it from the window seat in her father’s den. She’d been trying to work, making calls back and forth to the office and trying to send a report via a dial-up modem. She decided to wait until she had better Internet access at the inn and sent a text message to her assistant in the meantime.
Trying to concentrate on work had been impossible. Her mind kept returning to the bedroom upstairs and to the kiss that she and Jake had shared. A shiver skittered down her spine and she rubbed her arms to quell the goose bumps. It was usually so easy to focus on work and now just one silly kiss—two, really—had completely consumed her thoughts.
She closed her laptop and gathered up her things; she would check into the inn right after her fitting. But right now she had to concentrate on getting to her car, which was probably buried. She remembered Jake’s offer of a ride, but thought it best not to tempt fate. It had been far too easy to kiss him. Given another chance, who knows what they might do?
Caley found a hodgepodge of winter outerwear in the hall closet and pulled on a jacket, boots, mittens and a cap. She tucked her phone into her pocket and trudged outside to shovel. She was glad for the distraction, for something productive to occupy her thoughts.
Other things had happened in that bed and she searched the haze of her memories for details. There had been a long, delicious dream in which Jake had finally succumbed to her charms. She’d spent most of her teenage years fantasizing about that moment when he’d pull her into his arms and kiss her, so it was no wonder that back in North Lake those thoughts had invaded her sleep again.
Yes, he’d kissed her. But
