He’d accept the words, the blows.
Because he deserved them.
“Damn, Mal,” Sam said with a huff when he was beside them. He glanced at Jake with a nod. “Mom’s been looking for you because we’re getting ready to sit down. What are you doing down here?”
“Oh, I uh…I put that painting in the boathouse earlier and…”
“I brought it in already,” Sam said, oblivious to any of the tension that Jake was certain he and Mallory were feeling. “It’s in the study with the rest of the gifts.” He paused. “C’mon. I need you next to me so I don’t get stuck sitting next to Mason.”
They all laughed quietly.
“You’ll still have the other side open,” Mallory reasoned.
“Nah, Jake will grab that seat. Right?” he asked, smiling at Jake.
And in that moment, Jake knew it was probably the safest place for him to sit. “Yeah, man. No problem. Let’s go.”
He didn’t look at Mallory again. Didn’t dare.
Once they were back in the house, there was no time to think. No time to even steal a glance. Everyone was ushered to the table to take their seats.
He didn’t hesitate to grab another glass of champagne and drink it down quickly to calm his nerves. Within minutes, another glass was in front of him to toast the Coleman family patriarch. And when everyone raised their glass to Zeke, Jake joined them.
And prayed that his friend and mentor never found out how he’d practically lost control and devoured his great-granddaughter out on the pier.
Mallory’s appetite was gone.
She had her chance, took it, and Jake couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Even now when she tried to get a glimpse of him – if her stupid brother would get out of the way! – he was looking away from her.
What had she done wrong? The kiss was amazing and he was on board from the moment her lips touched his, so…why did he step back like that? Mallory had felt thrilled and giddy when he started walking them down to the pier and she was certain they were going to go to the boathouse to continue what they started.
Of course then Sam had shown up so maybe…maybe it was a good thing they hadn’t gone any further.
There was always later, right?
Relaxing a bit, Mallory enjoyed her dinner and got a kick out of listening to Pops talk about all of the changes he’d seen here in Magnolia Sound throughout his life. None of it was new – her great-grandfather loved to tell stories about how life used to be so much simpler – but for tonight, everyone sat and listened to every word. And it was obvious how much it meant to him. There was a twinkle in his eyes and a lightness to his voice that she hadn’t seen or heard in a long time.
It made her heart happy to know that this night meant so much to him.
After their meal, everyone stood and moved to the massive parlor where Pops continued to hold court. Eventually everyone gave him his presents and he seemed genuinely touched and pleased by all of them. By the time they all headed back into the dining room for cake, Mallory knew she couldn’t be the only one to notice how tired he looked. It was a big night and it was way past his usual bedtime. Fortunately, her mother and her aunts noticed it as well and did their best to expedite dessert.
“I want you all to know,” Pops began after his last forkful of cake, “how much it means to me that you’re all here.” He paused and looked around the table. “I never thought I’d be here this long – that I’d be the one left after so many have gone before me. But as I look around the room, I feel blessed. I look at all of your faces and I feel loved. And when I sit here and look in the eyes of my great-grandchildren, I feel pride because all of you are going to be my legacy. You’re the ones who are going to take what we’ve built here in Magnolia Sound and make it so much more than I ever imagined.”
Mallory felt tears stinging her eyes and reached for her napkin. To her right, her mother took her hand and squeezed. They looked at each other with understanding. To her left, her brother even appeared to get choked up and it made her smile because it was good to know that he wasn’t completely jaded about being here. Deep down, she knew he understood the importance of their family.
Sometimes they all just needed a little reminder.
Once Pops thanked everyone and kissed them goodnight, the party broke up. Mallory, for one, was relieved. Maybe now she could search out Jake and see if they could go outside and talk alone for a little while.
Or maybe kiss some more.
Oh, how she hoped he wanted to kiss some more.
Everyone helped with the cleanup and putting the house back to its pre-party state. Dishes were put away, chairs were folded and put back in storage, and trash was taken out. Things were winding down and when Mallory finally spotted Jake, he was out on the deck talking to her brother. She knew how anxious Sam was to go out so she didn’t think it would be a problem to prod him along.
Feeling hopeful, she gave a quick glance around to make sure no one else was around and made her way out onto the deck.
“Hey,” she said casually, looking at her brother. “I thought you’d be long gone by now.”
Sam grinned. “I had to wait for everyone to leave. Mason asked me if I wanted to go and hang out and I told him I was tired from traveling all day today. No way was I going anywhere with him.”
“You’ve got to lighten up, Sam. He’s not going anywhere. He’s always going to be family.”
“Yeah, family that I only have to see for a few days every year. And tonight was enough.”
Laughing lightly, she looked over at Jake. “I thought there was very little Mason bragging tonight. What about you?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t really paying attention.” Then he looked over at Sam. “You ready to go?”
For a minute, Mallory could only look back and forth between the two of them. “Go? Go where?”
“Oh, Jake is taking me into town to…what’s the name of that place again?” he asked.
Without looking at Mallory, Jake replied, “Does it matter? Chances are we’ll hit more than one.” They both laughed.
Mallory didn’t.
Sam stuck his hand in his pocket and then groaned. “Dude, give me five minutes. I left my cash up in my room. I’ll be right back.” And then he was sprinting back into the house, leaving Jake and Mallory alone.
“So…um…great party,” Jake said, studying the deck.
“Yeah. Great,” she murmured, still hopelessly confused.
“Zeke seemed to have a real good time.”
She nodded. “Yup.”
It was painful. And awkward. And…she had been brave once tonight, might as well try it again.
“I had hoped we’d have some time alone,” she said carefully. “You know, to talk and…maybe finish what we started earlier.”
Then he did look at her. His expression was serious, bordering on grim. “Look, Mallory, what happened earlier…it shouldn’t have. It was wrong and…we need to just forget it.”
Her eyes went wide and she was certain her jaw was on the floor. “Excuse me?”
“It’s true, Mal. I don’t know what you were thinking, but…whatever it was, you were mistaken, okay? Anything between me and you just isn’t going to happen.”