Complete Pelican Lake Series

Chapter 8

Jared lay staring up at Ashley"s ceiling while he tried to remember how to breathe for the second time inside of twelve hours. He marveled at her reaction to his scars. She hadn"t found them ugly, which he"d half feared, nor had she pushed for more explanation than the bare bones’ bits. Both surprised him. When she"d pulled him back into bed with her, he"d been too shocked by her lack of questions to think about saying no.

Not that he"d wanted to.

Jared had only known her for a couple days, but there was a spark between them that, after last night, he knew she felt as well. Ashley got up and disappeared into the bathroom. Jared instantly missed the weight and heat of her body next to his. When the shower turned on, Jared got up and, again, looked for his clothes. Once dressed, he looked around and wondered what he should do.

Jared wandered out of the bedroom and found a small percolator coffee pot on top of the stove. Ah ha! Something he could do. Coffee would be nice. It only took two tries to find the coffee, and by the time Ashley appeared, the dark brew was done and Jared had poured himself a cup. He was standing in the tiny kitchen sipping some from a mug.

"Thank god." Ashley came out of the bedroom dressed but barefoot. "You made coffee." She poured a cup and added enough sugar to make Jared do a double take, then took a drink. "Perfect."

Jared realized he was staring and shook his head. He appreciated her enthusiasm for something so simple. It was something he"d lost and wished he knew how to get back.

"What?" Ashley asked, having caught him watching her.

"Just thinking."

"About what?" She shifted her weight and propped her hand on her hip.

"Me, coffee, you, the world." He knew he was being evasive, but he didn"t know how to explain what was in his head.

"Wow, you have a lot on you mind." She refilled her mug, again adding a mountain of sugar.

"You always use that much sugar?" He couldn"t stop himself from asking.

"Hm?" She looked at her mug then back at him. "Oh, no. Only when I"ve had a hard time waking up. And then only for a couple cups. I thought the shower would help more than it did." A sly smile crept across her face. She set her mug on the counter as she slinked toward him. "Though, it could be how little sleep we got last night."

Jared hesitated then thought, why not? He reached out, snagged her around the waist, and tugged her close.

"I wish I could say I was sorry," he dropped a kiss on the end of her nose. "But I"m not. I"d love to do it again, if you"re interested."

"I might be." She looked up at him through her lashes.

Jared was hyper-aware of her body pressed against the length of his. He wanted to lean down and cover her mouth with his, but he held back. He liked talking to her as much as the more physical pursuits.

"What are you doing today?" she asked.

"Finishing settling into the cabin. I need to stop at the store and pick up a few things too." He glanced down at her. "You said you need to go over there, right?"

"I do. I need to get my Ski-Doo so I don"t have to drive over for my shift tomorrow."

"How much longer does it take to drive from here? From my place, the boat takes about a quarter of the time driving takes."

"It"s about that. A little over five minutes across the lake, but more like twenty to go around."

"Is the store even open today? I mean, you"re here, not there..." he trailed off because he didn"t know how to ask who might be working.

"It"s open. Mom is working this morning and Steph this afternoon."

Jared wondered about her family, and what they might say about her Jet Ski still being there, but he kept that to himself. They finished their coffee and went out to his Jeep. As much as he enjoyed his time with her, she had things she needed to get done and so did he.