Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen - Jessica

I put the last of the groceries into the fridge before looking at the out-of-date kitchen. The old cat salt and pepper shakers were definitely from the 80s but there was no way I would ever get rid of them.

The basket of plastic red apples had a layer of dust big enough to keep me warm in the winter. The place needed a lot of TLC.

My phone vibrated on the kitchen cabinet and an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen.

“Hello?"

“Is this Jessica?”

“It is. Who am I speaking with?”

“My name is Jamie Forester. I received your resume from your job search application. I am very impressed with your experience back in Denver. I work for The Eagle here in Bradley County.”

I lifted both brows. “For Slade Springs?” I asked.

“Yes ma’am.”

I hadn’t applied for a job at The Eagle. The newspaper covered this town's microscopic social life, and frankly, I didn’t go to school for four years to work somewhere that barely had enough going on to have a newspaper. “I don’t think I applied to your newspaper, Mrs. Jamie.”

She chuckled. “You didn’t. However, I saw you at your grandmother’s funeral and learned from Tasha that you were seeking a writing job. I know it’s not the big newspaper that you probably wanted but it’s something while you’re living in your grandmother’s estate.”

I rolled my eyes and rested my elbows against the kitchen counter. Word travels fast in a small town, apparently.

“I’m not sure…”

“Why don’t you come over today or tomorrow? We’re located right next door to the courthouse. We can talk about the job requirements. I’ll answer any questions you may have. And if it’s a no, it’s a no. No pressure.”

I nibbled on the side of my thumbnail. It wouldn’t hurt to see what the job requirements were. “I can do that. I put in tons of applications online, so I don’t want to make any promises.”

“Absolutely not,” she said. “You come whenever you have a chance. I’ll be here until three both days.”

“Thank you for the opportunity. I’ll see you soon.”

I ended the call and slipped my phone into my pocket. Since I didn’t have a vehicle down here, I couldn’t go whenever I wanted. Plus, I didn’t want to ask Mason for another ride today.

I would speak with her in the morning. Grabbing my cleaning caddy, I started working on the first floor. The old wood floors of the house creaked underneath my steps. So, I turned on some music on my phone and blasted today’s hits to drown out the silence.

I spent most of the day cleaning the house from top to bottom. There was a shine when I finished that made the place feel livable. The hallway closet was filled with storage containers. I slid some out to rearrange my cleaning supplies in them and noticed a shoebox full of letters.

Bending down, I opened the top of the box and stared at the aged letters. My fingers brushed against the old envelopes gently. The smell brought back memories of my youth.

The times I hid in this closet during high and seek. Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes. Dotti was written in small cursive letters on the first envelope. I went to pull it out when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was five o'clock already. Shoving the letter back into the shoebox, I gently kicked it into the bottom of the closet floor before shutting the door.

I needed to shower and start cooking for us. Excitement raced down my body as I walked toward the shower. I’d never been a very bold woman but I had to thank him for paying for my purchase.

Plus, how would I woo this man out of obeying Jacob’s rules from a distance? If the feelings I had were right, he liked me just as much as I liked him.

Like wasn’t even the word. It was a connection. A pull. Something that drew me to him that I couldn’t see. Stripping out of my clothes, I hopped into the shower and scrubbed the dust and grime from my skin.

I grew more nervous as I got ready and pulled my hair back out of my face. I struggled to keep my gaze away from the chicken clock hanging on the wall of the kitchen as I prepared dinner.

When I pulled the garlic bread out of the oven and smoothed my palms down my apron, a truck door closed outside.

It was almost 7.

He was here.

Mason was more observant than any other person I’d ever liked before. Trying to calm myself didn’t seem to work with him. It was an endless cycle of blushed cheeks and nervous twists in my stomach.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I inhaled the smell of spaghetti and garlic bread as I walked to the front door. Mason stood on the other side with his hands shoved down into the pockets of his dark wash jeans.

The setting sun was vibrant behind him and it showcased the shadows of his strong jawline. “Smells good in there,” he said.

“Come on inside. I just pulled the garlic bread out of the oven.”

He stepped passed me as I shut the door. That pine scent he wore as a second skin slithered over me like a warm blanket.

I pretended not to notice how that gray T-shirt looked so good on him. It was odd how men looked so good in something so simple. “I got a call from a lady at The Eagle today,” I said, listening to him follow me into the kitchen.

Slowly, I took off my apron and placed it on the counter. Mason’s gaze was settled on mine when I looked up. “Yeah?” he asked. “What about?”

“They want me to come in for an interview. I didn’t even apply there. It’s so crazy. But you know Aunt Tasha. She tells it all.”

Mason smiled. “She means well.”

“She does.”

I went to grab the pot of spaghetti but he beat me to it. “You get the plates and I’ll grab the food.”

We carried everything into the dining room and set the table for two. I slid into the seat across from him. “The house looks and smells amazing. Have you been cleaning today?”

I snorted. “That’s an understatement. This place was nasty.”

Mason reached for the tongs and scooped a heaping of spaghetti onto his plate. I did the same and twirled my fork around in the spaghetti before shoving in a mouthful. I’d skipped lunch and didn’t realize how hungry I was until that moment. “Thank you for dinner,” he said. “This is great.”

“Well, I had to do something to thank you for paying for my food.”

“It’s no problem. So, do you need a ride to the interview? You know, Tasha has an old VW Bug in her driveway. It just needs a little love. I could look at it for you. That way, if you do get the job, you wouldn’t have to rely on us.”

“That would be awesome. I have a car back home but it’s not in the best condition and I wasn’t sure it would make the trip down.”

“I’ll look into it for you,” he said.

“You don’t have to be so nice to me, ya know. I can’t imagine you’re this nice all the time.”

Mason lifted a dark eyebrow and laughed at me. “I’m not this nice all of time. Only when I want to be.”

I took another bite and felt his gaze on mine. “Does Jacob know you’re over?” I asked.

He shook his head.

I bit my lower lip and tightened my cloth napkin into my hand. There was a tight band stretched between us and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to pull on it.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice low.

“Nothing,” I said, waving him off.

“Tell me,” he pushed.

I looked up at his handsome face. The ability to stop my words vanished. “Tell me it’s not just me.”

Mason didn’t flinch. “What’s not just you?”

I inwardly sighed and mustered the courage to say what I needed to say. We were adults. I could tell him how I felt. This wasn’t elementary school. “That I’m not the only one that feels this pull. This….burn?”

Mason’s fingers tightened around his fork. I watched him watch me for several seconds. I was one minute away from crawling under the table to disappear when he slowly shook his head. “It’s not just you, Jessica. It’s us.”