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I pointedly stare at the bed, back at him, and then at the bed again. “You barely fit. It will break the laws of physics if we try. We might even break it, and I refuse to let your mom wonder if we were doing anything under her roof. Let’s make a bed on the floor.”
“Seriously?” he asks, and I frantically nod. “Waking up with sore muscles will be fun. He begins pulling the blankets and sheets off the bed.
His annoyance strangely reminds me of my brother Boone.
“Who provided for your family after your dad died?” Jake’s curious eyes meet mine. “Who paid the bills? Where did your money come from?”
“Who do you think?” Jake asks. He goes back to leaning against the dresser with his arms crossed. “You shouldn’t have butted in like you did. If she wants a part-time job at the mall two days a week, I don’t care. She isn’t following in my footsteps.” Jake says that like he’s doing his sister a favor.
“You call me prickly. Part of that is I butt in and make things my business,” I say. Boone and Maddie are a couple because I made them my business. “I fixed your problem without you needing to threaten every race track owner in the state. “
“Not the entire state.”
“I forgot. Everyone within a hundred miles. Your correction is appreciated.”
He ignores my sarcasm. “It would have been fun,” Jake says. His smile verges on cocky.
“Boone is actively looking for more women to enter the sport,” I say, wanting to challenge him.
Jake doesn’t take the bait. “That’s great. I’ll join him as long as it’s not my sister.”
I tilt my head, taking in Jake’s demeanor. He uncrosses his arms, letting one palm rest on the dresser. I note Jake’s room one more time, and it clicks. Jake’s childhood ended when his father died. He doesn’t want that for his little sisters, especially the two youngest. He’s the closest to a father they will ever know.
I approach, wrap my arms around his chest, and squeeze ashard as possible.
Jake returns the gesture. “What’s this for?”
“Can I give you some unsolicited advice?”
He tilts at my chin so our eyes meet. “Have you met yourself? You have great unsolicited advice.”
It’s an odd compliment but a flattering one. My heart flutters and I put my hands on his chest. Jake’s skin is warm. “What you’ve done for your family is amazing; it’s more than anyone could have done. However, they have a great parent already. Let her do the job of raising them and concentrate on being a big brother. Not everything is your responsibility.”
His jaw tightens, so I say nothing to give him time to mull it over. Some messages can be immediately received, while others can only be shown in tiny bursts. I’m not sure which delivery Jake needs.
He pulls me tight against him, and his head sinks onto my shoulder.
“Like I said, practically a genius,” Jake says, kissing my cheek. “Let’s go to bed.”
Tiny bursts it is.
27-Jake
I stretch, and my entire body protests. A sore back is the lone reward for sleeping on the floor.
Sarah lies on her side next to me. Her eyes briefly flutter, but her slow breathing continues. She needs to wake up soon since we have a plane to catch.
I rub her lips, and she squeaks.
The house is silent, and I’m tempted to linger beside her, but my back cramps, so I get up with a pained sigh and quickly dress.
“You’re already awake,” I say to Mom in the kitchen. “I’ll make us coffee.”
“It’s already done,” she says. As if to prove it, the first drop lands in the coffee pot. “There’s cereal and milk for breakfast, and eggs too if you would rather have that.”
“Coffee is fine.”
She pulls a travel mug from one of the cabinets and creamer out of the fridge. “The girls already left for school.”
