She joined him on the couch, lifting her knees up and getting comfortable.
Jake watched her from the corner of his eye, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. He wanted to hold her, maybe plant a kiss on her forehead and thank her for helping him set this up. Which was pretty damn disconcerting. He didn’t do the whole intimacy thing, holding and petting and whispering sweet nothings in a woman’s ear, but Bree had always triggered some nurturing instinct he didn’t know he possessed. That’s why he’d tried so hard back then to keep things strictly physical between them.
He could never be the kind of man Bree Lockhart deserved. Nobody in this town took him seriously, especially not her family, and he’d given up on trying to change people’s minds. If they wanted to compare him to his father, let them. If they wanted to think of him as a bad boy going nowhere fast, let them. He didn’t give a shit what the people in this town thought about him.
As muffled voices drifted from the hall, Jake tapped his foot absently, straining to hear what was being said.
“How do you think it’s going in there?” he demanded.
Bree shot him a gentle smile. “Well, they’re talking, so that’s something.”
He was too on edge to reply, but he didn’t have to, because the phone on the coffee table rang. Jake leaned forward to snatch it up, frowning when he saw the unknown number on the caller ID.
He answered with a brisk hello, and his shoulders stiffened when he heard the familiar voice. “Captain, it’s Colonel Grainger.”
“Colonel. Hey.” Jake cleared his throat. “What can I do for you?”
“Give me a definitive answer, for one.”
Feeling Bree’s eyes on him, Jake battled a pang of discomfort. He stood up, covered the mouthpiece, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
After he’d ducked into the hall, he uncovered the phone and said, “I haven’t made a decision yet, sir. I was under the impression I had until the end of the week.”
“Yes, but the sooner you give us a solid commitment, the better. You sounded unsure when we spoke last week, so I thought I’d ease any concerns you might have about the position. I don’t need to remind you that you’re our first choice, Bishop. With your record, you’re the perfect candidate for this job, and we’d really like to lock you down here.”
Lock you down. If ever there was a phrase designed to send Jake Bishop running in the other direction, it was that one.
Unease coiled around his spine. “I know, sir. And I assure you, I’m seriously considering the offer. There’s some family stuff happening in my life at the moment, but I will have an answer for you soon.”
The line went quiet for a beat. “I know you’re still working through everything that happened with Daniels, but—”
“This has nothing to do with Daniels,” he cut in, his voice sharper than he intended. He took a calming breath. “I’ll let you know as soon as I decide, Colonel.”
Another pause. “Very well. I’ll be in touch.”
He hung up and leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly. This job offer in Colorado Springs was hanging over his head like a black cloud. He knew he had to make a decision, but he needed more time, damn it. Jake hadn’t stayed put in one place his entire adult life, and the mere notion of settling down and accepting that combat instructor job had the back of his neck breaking out in a cold sweat.
He would have to accept the job. He knew that. His only other option was going to work with Owen, but construction wasn’t his thing. At least the job on the base meant he’d be putting his skills to good use.
“What was that about?” Bree stepped out of the living room, concern etched into her delicate features.
He opened his mouth, prepared to deflect the question, when angry footsteps sounded from the hall.
A second later, Austin brushed past them, his green eyes flashing with unrestrained fury.
“Austin—” Jake started.
“Not now.” His brother marched out the front door, slamming it so hard the walls rattled.
Jake was two steps from the door when he heard the muffled sobs. He spun around and sprinted toward the kitchen instead, but Bree intercepted him in the doorway. Their gazes drifted to the table, where Jake’s mom still sat, her head buried in her hands as she cried.
His heart promptly cracked in two. “Mom—”
Bree touched his arm. “Let me talk to her,” she said softly. “Alone.”
As much as he wanted to comfort his mother, he realized Bree’s suggestion was the better option. From the quiet sobs racking his mother’s body, she clearly needed a thorough heart-to-heart, something he’d never been very good at.