held his hands up in front of him, as if warding off a blow. "That's not what I said."
"What exactly did you say?" Jake folded his arms over his chest, his face growing darker.
"Well," Ben said slowly. “I told her she needed to be sure you are what she wants before it ends ugly and makes things awkward. Because, bro, I'm not letting you take off if that happens."
Jake was standing right in front of Ben, but he moved so quickly that Ben never saw it coming. Jake hit him with a right hook then in the same movement stepped back out of reach, his guard up.
"What the hell was that for?" Ben touched his lip gingerly with the back of his wrist, as his hands were covered in grease, checking for blood.
"For sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong." Jake dropped his guard, when Ben didn’t try to retaliate. "Stay out of my relationship with your sister."
"I didn't mean to cause problems."
"No? What the hell did you mean to do?"
"Just make her think about things, I don't know. I wanted her to be sure she was doing the right thing."
Jake was starting to calm down. "I don't know if what we're doing will last, or if it's right, but right now, it’s damned good. Even if it's not, it's our mistake to make."
"All right, I get you, man. I'm sorry I said anything."
Jake pointed his finger at Ben. "Just remember, stay out of it." He turned and headed out of the shop. "Now, I have to go see if I can fix this with her."
***
J ake pulled into Andrea's driveway half an hour later. Her car in the driveway told him she was there. He knocked on the front door and waited, hoping she would answer. Her refusal to talk to him for the last two days stung. He only hoped he could convince her to at least listen now.
"Jake." She said simply after opening her door.
"Ten minutes, just give me ten minutes." He was relieved she’d opened it this time.
"All right." She took a deep breath and pushed the door open farther to let him inside.
"I went and talked to Ben." He flexed his fingers remembering the sharp sting when he’d hit the other man.
Andrea's eyebrows lifted.
"He says he wasn't trying to break us up, he just wanted you to think about it. To be sure." Jake watched her carefully.
"Yeah, I know." She looked at the floor instead of at him. He could tell by the set of her shoulders that she was still not sure.
"Well, let me tell you how I see it. It doesn't matter if what we have lasts forever. It only matters that we're happy now, no matter how long it lasts. The way I see it, we have to enjoy what we have as long as we have it." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before starting again. "I've learned the hard way that life is short. You have to take what happiness you get and enjoy it while it lasts.
"I don't want to give you up, Andrea. You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make my life brighter just by being you. I don't want to lose that. Please don't throw what we have away because of someone else’s doubts or some ideal that what’s between us has to last forever.”
Andrea looked at the floor, her face drawn and miserable. “It’s not just Ben, Jake. I’m just not sure this is going to work.”
"I'm not going to push for an answer right now. I just had to say my piece. You know where to find me if you change your mind.” He lifted her chin with one finger so he could look into her eyes. “I miss you, Andrea." Jake walked away, letting himself out, and leaving her there, thinking about his words.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A ndrea watched Jake leave. She wanted to run after him, stop him, beg him to stay, but she couldn't. He was right, she needed to decide what she wanted. She tried to go about her evening as though he hadn't knocked on her door, but his words kept circling in her mind, they’d joined her brother’s cautions as well as Heather’s concerns.
Jake had a point about life being too short. She needed to talk to someone. Someone she knew would be objective and give it to her straight. She
"What exactly did you say?" Jake folded his arms over his chest, his face growing darker.
"Well," Ben said slowly. “I told her she needed to be sure you are what she wants before it ends ugly and makes things awkward. Because, bro, I'm not letting you take off if that happens."
Jake was standing right in front of Ben, but he moved so quickly that Ben never saw it coming. Jake hit him with a right hook then in the same movement stepped back out of reach, his guard up.
"What the hell was that for?" Ben touched his lip gingerly with the back of his wrist, as his hands were covered in grease, checking for blood.
"For sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong." Jake dropped his guard, when Ben didn’t try to retaliate. "Stay out of my relationship with your sister."
"I didn't mean to cause problems."
"No? What the hell did you mean to do?"
"Just make her think about things, I don't know. I wanted her to be sure she was doing the right thing."
Jake was starting to calm down. "I don't know if what we're doing will last, or if it's right, but right now, it’s damned good. Even if it's not, it's our mistake to make."
"All right, I get you, man. I'm sorry I said anything."
Jake pointed his finger at Ben. "Just remember, stay out of it." He turned and headed out of the shop. "Now, I have to go see if I can fix this with her."
***
J ake pulled into Andrea's driveway half an hour later. Her car in the driveway told him she was there. He knocked on the front door and waited, hoping she would answer. Her refusal to talk to him for the last two days stung. He only hoped he could convince her to at least listen now.
"Jake." She said simply after opening her door.
"Ten minutes, just give me ten minutes." He was relieved she’d opened it this time.
"All right." She took a deep breath and pushed the door open farther to let him inside.
"I went and talked to Ben." He flexed his fingers remembering the sharp sting when he’d hit the other man.
Andrea's eyebrows lifted.
"He says he wasn't trying to break us up, he just wanted you to think about it. To be sure." Jake watched her carefully.
"Yeah, I know." She looked at the floor instead of at him. He could tell by the set of her shoulders that she was still not sure.
"Well, let me tell you how I see it. It doesn't matter if what we have lasts forever. It only matters that we're happy now, no matter how long it lasts. The way I see it, we have to enjoy what we have as long as we have it." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before starting again. "I've learned the hard way that life is short. You have to take what happiness you get and enjoy it while it lasts.
"I don't want to give you up, Andrea. You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make my life brighter just by being you. I don't want to lose that. Please don't throw what we have away because of someone else’s doubts or some ideal that what’s between us has to last forever.”
Andrea looked at the floor, her face drawn and miserable. “It’s not just Ben, Jake. I’m just not sure this is going to work.”
"I'm not going to push for an answer right now. I just had to say my piece. You know where to find me if you change your mind.” He lifted her chin with one finger so he could look into her eyes. “I miss you, Andrea." Jake walked away, letting himself out, and leaving her there, thinking about his words.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A ndrea watched Jake leave. She wanted to run after him, stop him, beg him to stay, but she couldn't. He was right, she needed to decide what she wanted. She tried to go about her evening as though he hadn't knocked on her door, but his words kept circling in her mind, they’d joined her brother’s cautions as well as Heather’s concerns.
Jake had a point about life being too short. She needed to talk to someone. Someone she knew would be objective and give it to her straight. She
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