She shakes her head, nibbling on her lower lip as she stares into my eyes. “No, it doesn’t.”
She quickly brushes her hair and then lets herself out of the room, and I take the quickest cold shower known to mankind.
I wrap a towel around my hips and open the door, looking to see if anyone is in the hallway, and then I dart across the hall to my room. I close the door behind me and look at the bed. In the center of the bedspread rests a box of condoms.
God, I wish I’d had these five minutes ago.
42
Katie
I walk with wary steps down the hallway, knowing that I’m going to bump into Laura and I won’t know what to say to her. I won’t know how to explain what Jake is to me and how we came to be together before they were even divorced. I have no idea how to talk to the woman that Jake used to love, the woman he will always have a history with.
I walk into the kitchen to find my dad bouncing Hank on his shoulder while Hank alternates screaming with trying to suck on Dad’s face. “Please take this thing,” he pleads as soon as he sees me. “Or I’m going to have to explain to Adam why I have hickeys all over my chin.” He uncovers his shoulder so I can see it. “Look at this. He tried to suck on my shoulder.”
“Won’t be the first time I’ve seen you with a hickey,” I taunt, and I hold my arms out for my baby. He’s in full-on screaming mode by now. “Where’s Laura?”
He nods toward the porch. She’s sitting in a chair facing the water, holding her baby as she feeds her. “I think I’ll join her.”
“Fred and Mr. Jacobson went to set up the grill and start unloading the carts with the burgers and stuff. Send Jake down there when he comes out of your room.” He stares hard at me.
“Dad,” I say on a heavy sigh, “we were just talking.”
“Yeah, sure you were.” He snorts out a laugh. “I wasn’t born yesterday.” He passes me two bottles of water, tucking them between my free arm and my chest. “Besides, Jake has good intentions.”
“How do you know what Jake’s intentions are?”
“He came to see me yesterday.” He pops a piece of cheese into his mouth and grins around it. Hank is screaming so loudly that I can barely hear Dad. “Go feed that thing,” he says. “I can’t think with all that noise.”
“Will you at least tell me later what he came to talk with you about?”
He rocks his head back and forth like he’s thinking about it. “Maybe,” he finally says with a grin. Then he sticks his fingers in his ears, grimaces, and I know this conversation is over.
I grab one of Hank’s thin blankets and go out to the porch. I lean over so Laura can take a bottle of water from me. “Thanks,” she says with a smile. “It’s really beautiful here,” she murmurs, staring out over the water.
I sit down to feed Hank and, finally, quiet settles around us. “It’s my favorite place on earth.”
“Jake always liked it here, too. He talked about it all the time.”
I wonder if he talked about me. I shake that thought away.
“He used to tell me stories about the crazy things he did with you and Freddy.”
I smile. “We had some really good times.”
“There’s some famous bridge near here?”
“Oh, wow, I haven’t thought of that in a really long time.”
“He said you guys all jumped off it.”
“If Mr. Jacobson knew we jumped off the Branson Ferry Bridge, he’d kill all of us, and he’d make it a slow and painful death involving toothbrushes and bathhouses.” I shudder. Thank God he never found out.
“Where is it?”
“About two miles from here. We walked in the dead of night to get there, because someone had told us a story around the campfire the night before, about a man who died there. Jumping off the bridge had become a stupid ‘rite of passage’ thing that kids around here did. Freddy was determined he wasn’t going to do it, but Jake just jumped right off. I remember standing there at the railing looking down, wondering if he was going to come up. Then his head popped up from the water and he started to laugh.”
“Jake was always fearless, then?” Laura shakes her head. “That’s one thing I won’t miss, wondering if he’s going to come home at the end of the day.”
“Is his job dangerous?”
“No more than any police officer. But his hobbies, they’re even worse. He jumps out of planes, he flies those big one-person kites…” Her voice trails off. “I can’t remember what they’re called. Anyway,” she says, “he’s always had a bit of a wild side. I never could keep up with him.” She stares at the placid lake waters. “Do you love him?” she asks quietly.
I nod my head. “I think so. I didn’t expect to, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Freddy told me your husband died. I’m so sorry.”
I suck in a breath. “Me too. I wasn’t really looking for love. But I’m glad it found me.”
Laura stares at me as we both sit and feed our children, and then we go to the grill area to see if the burgers are done yet. I’m getting hungry.