LATE THE FOLLOWING morning, Jake fumbled with the ring of keys in his hand as he tried to shield Carolina’s body with his own. It wasn’t because she was in imminent danger; it was because the wind was blowing like a bitch and she was stumbling just trying to stand up straight. Even though the sun peeked through the clouds, it was extremely cold.
“You okay?” he muttered, attempting to slide yet another identical key into the lock on the security shed. It was actually a small one-room cabin, but it didn’t look like much more than a shed. If Evans had been on duty with him, they would have taken turns periodically monitoring security cameras and other equipment from here, but as it was, headquarters had done it remotely.
So he hadn’t worried until late last night, when Carolina was sleeping peacefully next to him and his mind had wandered from her luscious body to decidedly uninteresting things—like doing his job—and he’d realized his huge-assed mistake in kissing her out in the open. The kiss had been epic, but how could he shield her after the fact if they’d been seen? Because they could have been. There were probably about forty-five seconds of security camera footage from late yesterday afternoon that potentially could cause a storm a hell of a lot bigger than the ones that were currently sweeping over the Grand Tetons.
Even so, he suspected the cameras hadn’t caught the kiss, because if they had, he would have received a phone call almost immediately. But he wouldn’t have any peace of mind until he made sure and dragging Carolina along on his paranoid journey to the shed was the only way to do that. He wasn’t about to leave her alone, unprotected.
“You don’t need to stuff me inside your coat, Jake. I’m fine. You want me to try the lock?” She wiggled her fingers at him. “I don’t have gloves the size of boulders on my hands. We need to hurry, you know. Regina’s expecting us for lunch, like five minutes ago.”
Jake wrapped an arm around her and clenched his teeth. “I’ve got it.”
“Oh, okay then. If that’s the case, then I’ll just go over to her house.”
“Like hell,” he said.
She sighed and pulled one of her thin gloves off with her teeth. “Give me those.” Ripping the keys from his glove, she flipped through them and stuffed one in the lock. It worked.
“How did you do that?”
“It was the only one you hadn’t tried. Jeez, it’s actually very surprising that the Secret Service doesn’t label their keys.” With a chuckle, she pushed the door open and stepped inside the small, warm space.
Blinking lights from all of the equipment provided a dim glow and Jake felt on the wall for the light switch. It wasn’t worth telling her that the keys weren’t labeled on purpose. If they fell into the wrong hands . . . but they wouldn’t. He was in charge. And he damn well had to make sure it stayed that way, because Carolina was his. If he wanted to keep protecting her, he couldn’t make stupid mistakes like kissing her right out in the open. What the hell was wrong with him?
“Jake?”
“Yeah.”
She frowned at him. “What’s going on? You’ve been grumpy all morning.”
“I’m just pissed at myself,” he admitted.
“Why? Because of my conversation with Virginia? That wasn’t your fault.”
“No. Because I kissed you out in broad daylight. And there’s a chance that Regina wasn’t the only one who busted us yesterday.” He gazed at her. “There are security cameras all over this property.”
Carolina’s eyes went round and she covered her mouth with her bare hand. “I forgot about that.”
“Yeah,” Jake repeated, this time in a flat voice. “Obviously, so did I, and I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“Yes, I do. Even if nothing incriminating was recorded, I should be apologizing to you. For—”
“For what? I thought we agreed that giving in to each other wasn’t going to be a problem.”
He gave a harsh laugh. “I always knew it would be a problem, but I agree that sleeping together was . . . inevitable.”
She pushed back the knit hat that had half-fallen over her eyes and stared at him. “Oh, now that’s really romantic.”
Romantic? No, of course it wasn’t. He couldn’t afford to be romantic. It was too dangerous.
“When we’re back in DC, there won’t be any romance in the way I treat you when I’m on duty. I can barely look at you without wanting to take you in my arms and it’s going to be close to impossible pretending like nothing happened. The best thing I can do for both of us is ask to be reassigned to one of your sisters.”
Carolina flinched, but held his gaze.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but shook his head instead. Pulling off his gloves, he sat down on the stool in front of the security console and scanned the monitors in front of him until he located the security camera program and opened it. When he found the files from the cameras pointed at the clearing, he narrowed the time frame to yesterday afternoon and began to watch. Carolina didn’t say a word.
He ought to apologize for the way he’d said that, but he’d only told her the truth. If he didn’t ask for reassignment, he was a complete fool. He had to shield her. And he had to focus right now.
All of the video showed nothing but swirling snow, and the footage of them in the clearing was grainy at best. It was obvious that he had grabbed her and held her for a moment, but he could have been doing nothing more than protecting her from the wind. He should have been protecting her from himself, but instead, he’d given in to temptation—and now? He didn’t know how to stop. Plus every time he kissed her, his resolve to keep their connection to each other purely physical slipped a notch.
He sighed, shaking his head, visualizing her shredded dignity when all of this was over—not to mention the train wreck of his career that was sure to become a reality.
“Get over it, Jake.” Carolina said suddenly. She stepped up behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I thought you said you didn’t want to waste our time together by worrying.”
He was silent for a moment, then closed the security footage with a couple of clicks. “I was being selfish when I said that. I didn’t want reality intruding on . . . us. I’m sorry for being so harsh.”
“It’s okay. I don’t want it intruding either.” She kissed his cheek, lingering. “We still have some time.”
He inhaled her fresh scent and closed his eyes. “It’s going to intrude, though.” And now, not only was he guilt-ridden about what had happened, he was even more worried about what surely would happen. So much for living in the moment.
She kissed him again and then drew back, her hands running across his shoulders. “I know. Starting pretty much right now, in fact.”
He turned warily.
“Regina will get your life story out of you—fair warning.” She smiled. “And I, for one, can’t wait to hear it.”
Like hell. The one thing Jake could control was what came out of his mouth. Well—at least he used to be able to. Until Carolina Fulton came along.
“Honey, I’m a closed book.” He grinned at her.
“We’ll see. Now come on. It’s hotter than the fires of hell in here.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “It’s freezing in here.”
“Not with you around.” She licked her bottom lip—a habit that drove him crazy—and smiled at him when he groaned.
“I’m not going to throw you on that cot in the corner, no matter how badly I want to,” he said in a strangled voice.
“Aww. But it looks so cozy.”
Jake stood up and grabbed her elbow. “Time for lunch.”
He pushed her out the door, locked it, and then guided her through the drifts to Regina’s front door. It swung open before he had a chance to knock.
“You’re late.” The older woman fixed her piercing gaze on him.
“I was working,” Jake shot back tersely. He matched her glare.
After a moment, she grinned and stepped back from the doorway. “I think I might like you. I’m not completely sure yet, but I think I might.”
He ushered Carolina in front of him. “Thanks, Regina. I think.”
Stepping into the warm room, Jake quickly took in the vaulted ceiling and the curving staircase, similar to the one in the Fultons’ cabin, which led to an open sleeping loft. The main room—really the only room in the cabin—was a burst of color with neon throw pillows on bright sofas and cherry-red kitchen appliances. A pile of photography books sat on one corner of the Mexican-tile counter. He watched as Carolina made a beeline for them.
“Regina, I want to look at these, if you don’t mind.” Carolina took the first one from the stack and began to flip through it.
Regina laughed and wiped her hands on a tea towel hanging from the stove handle. “If I minded, they wouldn’t be sitting there. Read the chapter on light manipulation in black and white digital images first. It’s fascinating.”
“I thought you hated digital photography.” Carolina glanced up. “At least—when I was a kid, you said nothing would ever replace 35-millimeter film.”
“Nothing will, but that was ages ago. I’ve gotten with the times. Don’t even have a dark room anymore. I use a printing company in Jackson for my photos.”
Carolina flipped the book shut. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“But then, where . . .” Carolina turned and darted up the stairs.
“You’re in for a surprise,” Regina called after her.
Jake followed Carolina, trying to ignore the sway of her hips, but he couldn’t ignore the annoyed look she threw over her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. “I’m in no danger here and you’re going to insult her by pretending that I am.”
Jake didn’t answer. What was he supposed to say? Admit that every time she was out of his sight, the bottom dropped out of his stomach? And that feeling only partly came from being tasked to protect her? She’d think he was crazy if he told her the truth—that when she was in another room for even ten minutes, he started to miss her.
When they reached the loft, he scanned the area, noting the neatly made bed and single nightstand. In the corner of the room, there was a closed door. An earthy, almost moldy scent reached his nostrils. “Hang on,” he muttered, brushing past her.
She sighed.
When he opened the door, his eyes bugged out. The long rectangular room in front of him was steamy, warm and completely full of plants. Some were tropical—varieties of hibiscus and lilies—completely familiar to him, and some he had no idea what they were. One plant, half-hidden behind a small palm tree, looked a bit suspicious.
Carolina must have seen it too, because she grabbed his arm. “Is that . . . marijuana?”
“I don’t know, but this place is amazing.” He inhaled the air. “It’s like stepping into my childhood back yard.” He walked forward and looked around the space noting the bullet-proof glass in a wall of windows at the far end. The glass, installed no doubt when the entire property was overhauled for presidential security, probably insulated the room enough for her to be able to grow things.
Behind him, he heard labored breathing and Regina appeared in the doorway, smiling proudly.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” The older woman nudged him forward. “Take a look around.”
As Jake walked up and down the two narrow aisles in the room, Regina rattled off a lot of scientific names and he nodded, not really listening. All he knew was that if he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the waves of the ocean in his head.
Carolina’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Jake’s from Florida, Regina. And I have to thank you for showing us this room . . . this is the most relaxed I’ve seen him, ever.”
“It’s not a room. It’s a greenhouse,” Regina corrected. She raised an eyebrow at Jake. “Florida, huh? What part?”
“Miami.” Jake bent to inhale the sweet scent of a peace lily.
“You grew up there? Go to college there?”
“I grew up there, yeah. But I went to college in Texas.”
Regina nodded. “Athlete?”
“Yeah, baseball.” Jake touched a frond of another palm tree. There had been one just like this outside the small two-bedroom house he’d shared with his mother. Suddenly, he missed her.
“My mom wanted me to stay in-state, but I had a full ride to UT.”
“What did you major in?”
“Criminal justice.”
“Were you in the military?”
He shook his head. “I was a cop for a few years.”
Regina peered at him. “I know you can’t become an agent until the age of twenty-one but a cop? That’s unusual, isn’t it? I thought most agents had a military background.”
“A lot do.” He glanced at her, waiting for her to say something else. “You seem to know a lot already, but is there anything else you want to know about the Secret Service?” He tried to keep the aggravation out of his voice, and mostly succeeded.
“You mean something that isn’t on the government web site? I doubt you’d tell me,” Regina countered in a wry tone.
He smiled. “You’re right about that.”
“He doesn’t even tell me, so don’t feel bad,” Carolina commented. She made a move toward the door and Jake walked to stand in front of it. It was instinct. He didn’t even bother to shrug when she frowned at him.
“Jake’s dad was in the Secret Service,” Carolina said next, as if that explained everything there was to know about him.
He half-expected Regina to make some type of comment in agreement, but instead she shook her head at Carolina.
“I doubt that matters much. They never would have taken him if he hadn’t been able to pass the entrance exams and do the job.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I know you didn’t,” Regina cut her off. “But your man here is one in a million, literally. Just look at him.”
Both women stared at him appraisingly, and Jake gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Lunch ready yet?”
“It’s chicken soup. Been ready for a while.” Regina picked up a spray bottle and walked around aimlessly, squirting at plants. “What are you going to do when you’re out of a government job, Jake?”
He stiffened. “What do you mean?”
What have you heard? was what he really wanted to ask, but he wasn’t about to ask that. Besides, she couldn’t have learned anything damning that he wouldn’t have been made aware of immediately. She was just yanking his chain. Why, though, he had no clue.
“Well, as fit as you are right now, that muscled chest can’t last forever. What’s your passion besides guarding the lovely Carolina Fulton?” She continued to spritz plants, but didn’t look at him.
Jake realized suddenly that he had to satisfy this woman’s curiosity or she’d never let him off the hook. Carolina had been right. Regina was somehow managing to dig his life story right out of him. Damn it—she would be a good interrogator.
“My passion is . . . living in the moment.” He gave her his most charming smile.
She didn’t buy it. “Let me ask you something.” Narrowing her eyes, she turned to Carolina and pointed first at her and then at Jake. “Actually, let me ask you both the same question.”
“Uh oh.” Carolina rolled her eyes. “A hypothetical question, I hope?”
Regina ignored her. “If what you’re doing for a living right now—in your case, Carolina, what you’re training to do for a living—was suddenly taken away . . . vanished . . . and you had to pick yourself up and choose a new career, what would it be?”
Carolina glanced at him and he met her eyes, knowing what she was thinking. He nodded slightly, answering her silent question. Yes. Regina’s question was eerily similar to the discussion about her future he and Carolina had a few days ago. Too similar. He frowned. Had Carolina put Regina up to this? He asked his own silent question and her eyes narrowed. Guess she hadn’t.
“Well?” Regina prodded.
Jake shrugged. “I’d do security, probably. Hire myself out for big events, stuff like that.”
“I’d . . . choose a different type of graduate program, I guess.” Carolina gave the older woman a quick smile. “So about lunch—”
“My question wasn’t hypothetical,” Regina interrupted. “And both of your answers are pathetic. Try again, or no soup for you.” She crossed her arms and waited.
Carolina let out a nervous laugh. “What’s your point, Regina?”
“Never mind that.” Regina turned her stare on Jake.
He looked into her eyes—like twin neon blue laser beams bent on world domination. A shiver went up his spine. “Fine. I’m hungry, so I’ll tell the truth. I wouldn’t have minded being a baseball coach. Worked my way up until I got to the majors.” He paused. “Is that a satisfactory answer?”
Regina laughed. “Almost. But instead of “wouldn’t have minded” you ought to be thinking about “how to accomplish” and then you’re on the right track.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “You’re not really interested in protecting people for a living, are you?”
Jake nodded automatically. “Of course. Why else would I devote my life to . . .”
He trailed off as a panicked, smothering sensation surged through him. Devote his life. To what, exactly? The satisfaction of knowing he was serving a higher purpose? Being noble, brave, and unfailingly precise? There was nothing wrong with that. It was admirable to aspire to that kind of life. So why wasn’t he happy doing his job unless he was with Carolina?
Suddenly, he completely understood what she meant by feeling trapped. Unlike her, he hadn’t bothered to seriously consider what would come next in life. He knew he wouldn’t be on presidential detail forever. He could work for Uncle Sam for the long haul, but did he really want to move all over, all the time? If he even ended up with a family of his own, would he end up putting them second . . . or third . . . like his father had?
Knowing that Regina and Carolina were watching him closely, he tried to smile. It didn’t work. Finally, he let out a large sigh. “Just the thought of doing security for the rest of my life makes me want to jump out that window over there. I . . . I’ve thought about quitting my job. I’ve dreamed about being a pitching coach for—hell, I don’t know—some small college in Florida, maybe. Find kids with potential—kids who don’t have superstar written all over them from the get-go. Give them support, encouragement. And then see where that takes me.” He ran out of breath as he finished talking and the last few words came out on a croak.
Carolina blinked at him. “You want to be a . . . teacher?”
“Yeah, I’d like that, but it’s not reality.” He shrugged. “It’s just a pipe dream.”
“It’s not a pipe dream. It’s your future, if you want it to be.” Regina pointed at Carolina. “And you?”
Jake glanced at Carolina’s petite face. It was white—pinched around her mouth. He knew what she wanted to say, and also that she hated to admit that she didn’t want to be a teacher. But she needed to let it out. If she didn’t, she would just retreat further into herself. There was nothing he could do to make her feel better, either. She needed to do that on her own. Nodding at her in encouragement, he touched her arm briefly. “Tell her. You’ll feel better.”
Carolina raised one stiff eyebrow. “I can’t believe you talked. Have you been sniffing that plant in the corner?” she muttered.
“There’s nothing weird about that plant and it’s not what you assume it is. Kind of like all of us standing here,” Regina said. “Now quit stalling and talk.”
Jake glanced at both women, a smile playing around his lips. “Carolina, it’s not that hard. Just tell her.”
But he had to admit, it was surreal, standing in a second-floor greenhouse in a cabin in Wyoming, surrounded by tons of snow and spilling deep, dark secrets to a woman who looked like a Keebler elf, but had the personality of a pit bull. And what’s more—he felt good about it. For now. But he knew himself—and later he would be kicking his own ass for being so open. What the hell was happening? Why hadn’t he changed the subject when he had a chance? Maybe it was because he wanted to hear Carolina’s answer. He wanted to know what the future held for her.
“Regina,” Carolina began. “When did you decide you wanted to be a photographer?”
“When I was six.”
Carolina nodded. “When I was six I wanted to live in a Barbie dream house. I had no clue beyond that. It’s taken years to finally realize what I want to do with myself.”
Regina grinned. “Are you going to drop out of school?”
“Drop out?” Carolina paused. “I want to. It’s not that I don’t still have a lot to learn, but I can’t think of a better teacher than you.”
In response, Regina pulled her into a big hug and then drew back, squeezing Carolina’s shoulders. “You ought to know something, though. If you decide to study with me, I’ll put you through the ringer. I’ll criticize every photo you take. No mercy,” she warned.
“Well, thank God for that.” Carolina laughed. “Finally someone who’s not afraid to tell a First Daughter like it is.”
Jake found himself laughing along with her, sharing her relief. Regina was the best thing for Carolina right now—someone who would take Carolina at face value. Treat her like a normal human being. Carolina deserved nothing less, and that’s what he’d been doing too, hadn’t he? He’d tried to do that—when he wasn’t protecting her with his life, that is. Which was all the time.
The smile fell away from his face as his own cursed analytical mind began to work, spoiling his rare happy mood. He had to face facts. The truth was, as long as he was her professional protector, he couldn’t truly let himself see her as just Carolina. And because of that, she couldn’t truly know him, either.
Turning away before the women noticed his resurgence of anxiety, he strolled down a narrow row. Thick plants brushed his shoulders and he rolled his head on his shoulders. Who was he kidding? He and Carolina had a snowball’s chance in hell of actually moving beyond their time in Wyoming—and there were a lot of snowballs out here. Nobody could change that, not even Regina. The feisty old woman might have her heart in the right place, but she didn’t realize that she was just feeding them feel-good garbage. She didn’t have anyone to answer to but herself, so it was hardly a surprise that she didn’t see the big, complicated picture.
He could. It wasn’t pretty.
Absently, he walked to the bank of windows and looked out. Snow-covered mountains arched steeply as far as the eye could see. Little smudgy sticks of hardwood trees on the horizon poked up here and there—a reminder that eventually, everything would change. The snow would melt, the season would turn, the trees would branch out, and life would move on. He would move on. And Carolina would too. They had to. It was their duty.
“Jake?”
He turned and smiled down at Carolina, who wore a hopeful look on her lovely face. Before he could stop himself, he reached down and touched her cheekbone. “Happy?”
She nodded, but then turned to glance out the window, her expression thoughtful. “Honestly? I’m not sure I can be happy if you aren’t.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away, disappearing from his watchful gaze as the plants closed around her.
AS THE SHADOWS grew dark later that evening, Carolina moved restlessly in the kitchen, stacking clean dishes in the cupboards and wiping down the counters. In the background, the bursts of laughter from the TV were getting on her nerves. All afternoon she’d been thinking about the grilling she and Jake had both received from Regina. And the more she thought about her future, the more tied up in knots she became. She didn’t want to go back to school. She didn’t want to keep up this charade with Jake either—pretending to everyone but him that she didn’t care about him one way or the other. She did care.
And she wanted their relationship to be real.
Jake didn’t seem to be aware, though, and he didn’t seem to be bothered by the too-loud TV. He just sat kicked back on the sofa, his ankles crossed in front of him on the coffee table, watching Jeopardy. “Final question,” he called out. “Want to make a bet?”
“What’s the category?” She tossed the dishtowel on the counter and walked to the sofa, leaning over to run her fingers through his hair.
“Memorable moments in sports.”
Carolina made a face. “Okay, I’ll gamble.” She sat down next to him and settled her legs over his. “How much cash does the top player have?”
“Twenty grand.” Jake grinned at her. “I bet half.”
She grinned back. “I bet it all.”
He shook his head. “Big risk.”
“Big payoff,” she countered.
He leaned forward and grabbed a notebook and pen from the coffee table. “I think we ought to make the bet more interesting.” Glancing up, his gaze focused on her mouth. “I win and you give me kisses. Lots of them in lots of places.”
“That sounds like a win-win,” she said, and grabbed the notebook from him to tear out a sheet.
Jake chuckled. “And if you win?”
She hesitated a moment. “We have a chat,” she answered. “And I choose the subject.”
“Sounds ominous.”
“It might be, but I hope not.” She smiled at him, but turned her attention toward the TV as her stomach jumped in apprehension. Could she really broach the subject of the future with him? But how could she not?
“I think you’re trying to psych me out,” Jake commented, then he too, focused on the TV as Alex Trebek read the final question.
“What Major League baseball player holds the career record for stealing home plate?”
Jake laughed and scribbled in the notebook, then handed Carolina the pen. “Easy.”
“Hmm.” She frowned, pretending to think for a moment, shielding her paper as she wrote. She glanced up at his amused expression. “I hope you guessed right.”
“Guess? Honey, I don’t need to guess about baseball trivia.”
Carolina didn’t try to stop the smile that crept over her face. “Good. After the commercial, we’ll see what’s what.”
He chuckled again as they sat through a bunch of ads. Then upbeat, hopeful sounding music began to play and Marie Fulton’s smiling face filled the screen. Carolina gasped. “Mom!” She sat up straight. “Oh, this is the commercial for Family First.”
“The public service initiative?”
“Yeah,” Carolina answered. “She’s really passionate about it and . . . hang on, I want to listen.”
“When was the last time you called your mother?” Marie gave a nice First Lady smile and Carolina smiled back at the TV.
“When was the last time you called your grandparents? Or your son?” Marie continued. “Family is important and the bedrock of America. The closer we are, the more we thrive. It’s simple to encourage one another, and I encourage you to take a few minutes each hectic day to connect, or reconnect with your loved ones. Family First.”
She smiled again as the camera faded to a still shot of the President sitting on a sofa, his feet propped up. Marie sat beside him, her head on his shoulder. Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia stood behind the sofa. Everyone was laughing.
“That’s a great photo,” Jake murmured.
A shiver of pleasure ran through Carolina’s body. She’d taken it. Of course, it would get skewered by the talking heads. Some of them would call it staged—which of course it was; she’d been hiding the camera remote in her hand—but the emotion was genuine. The connection was real. Oh, God . . . she wanted Jake to be a part of that. He’d barely spoken about his parents, but she knew he didn’t have the warmth and closeness she had with hers.
“Jake . . .”
“Final Jeopardy,” he said quickly. “You ready?”
“Sure.”
The question was read again and all three contestants chose Jackie Robinson as their answer. Jake laughed and flipped around the notebook. He’d written Ricky Henderson. “Suckers. What did you put?”
Grimacing, Carolina showed him her paper. “Ty Cobb.”
“Ohhh,” he groaned. “That’s too bad, Carolina.”
She smiled and pointed at the TV, where Alex was shaking his head.
“I’m sorry, folks, but the correct answer is Ty Cobb.”
“What?” Jake shot off the sofa, tumbling Carolina’s legs to the side. “Bullshit.”
She began to giggle.
“How did you know that?” he asked.
“My dad loves trivia. Sports, mostly. Especially baseball. He had this deck of flashcards when I was a kid and he made us play along.”
Jake groaned and started for the kitchen, but turned around. “I didn’t know he was a baseball fan.”
“Yeah. You could probably have some pretty great conversations with him.” She glanced up, smiling, but Jake’s expression was inscrutable. After a moment, he walked to the refrigerator and pulled open the door.
She closed her eyes briefly. Did he think she was fishing for him to make some kind of commitment? She hadn’t been. Not consciously. All she wanted was to talk to him about the future . . . and he had lost the bet.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?” He came back holding a bottle of water and settled next to her. “You want to gloat? Go ahead.” He winked.
“No, I’m not going to gloat. But I am going to hold you to that chat.”
He took a drink of the water and deposited it on the coffee table. “Okay.”
“It’s kind of still about baseball, actually.” She gave him a smile and continued quickly. “I was wondering if you’d given Regina’s little interrogation any thought. About your future.”
“No.” He reached for her hand. “If I wasn’t an agent, I wouldn’t get to see you every day,” he said lightly. “That wouldn’t work for me.”
“I see how it could work.” Pausing, she waited until he met her gaze. “We both make major changes in our lives.”
“Like what?” He sounded skeptical, but there was hope threading through his voice. It gave her courage.
“Like you quit your job.” She swallowed. “And I quit school.”
He let go of her hand and folded his arms. “Carolina . . .”
“At least think about it. I’m not trying to grab onto you like some kind of leech, Jake. I’m not planning our wedding or naming our kids. I’m just being honest about the way I feel, and part of that is . . . wanting to make my life better. Happier. I feel that happiness beginning with you, and I think you feel the same way. We ought to encourage each other, if nothing else. Correct me if I’m wrong.”
He looked at her for a few seconds and then slowly unfolded his arms, but he didn’t correct her. He also didn’t acknowledge most of what she’d said. Instead, he raised his eyebrows. “Are you really going to quit school?”
“I am.” She lifted her chin and stared at him.
He didn’t comment. Dropping his gaze, he got up and walked away from her, toward the bedroom.
Her heart sank.