“I do,” he says with no hesitation. It’s quite obvious that Jacob is very passionate about his line of work.
“I actually wanted to be a vet,” I confess, doing that annoying thing I do where I unnecessarily overshare. The fact that I couldn’t follow my dreams still stings. And the pain it brings me comes with a wave of guilt. I couldn’t go to college like I wanted to because I had my daughter. And I love my daughter more than anything. Wishing I could have gone to college doesn’t mean that I have any regrets about Everly, I know. But mom guilt is real and it sure is a weird thing.
Jacob glances over at me again, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “I could see that. What made you change your mind?”
“The little fact that I got pregnant when I was sixteen,” I say with a shrug. “My parents were really supportive and helpful, and I was able to graduate high school but, obviously, my plans for the future changed.” I watch Jacob’s face, mentally preparing to see the judgment in his expression.
But there is none.
Like Poppy pointed out earlier, it’s considered rude to ask somebody how old they are, or straight-out ask someone if they were a teenage mother. Usually, when I tell someone that I had Everly so young, it’s followed with an “oh, I thought so, but I didn’t want to ask.” Jacob just accepts it all in stride, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Vet school was pretty grueling,” he tells me, slowing at a stop sign. He glances over at me once more and when our eyes meet, my heart speeds up.
“I’ve heard.” I push my hair back behind my shoulders and fold my hands in my lap. We ride in silence for another few miles or so. I hear my phone chime with a text from inside my purse. “If that’s Poppy, I swear to God…”
Jacob chuckles. “At least they went to her house and Mason didn’t bring her back to mine.”
“Your brother is staying with you?” I ask as I see the text is from Louisa.
“For the time being,” Jacob tells me. “I never know how long he’s able to stay in town. He really is an FBI agent. You seemed a little skeptical.”
“I was. Poppy seemed to eat that up, so I wasn’t sure if it was just a line.”
Jacob laughs. “If Mason finds out you doubt him, he’ll flash his badge in a heartbeat. He might even tell you horror stories and show you the scars that go along with them.”
“Now reminds me of my brother.”
“Our oldest brother is a doctor, I’m a vet, and our sister is a nurse. We like to give Mason hell for being the only one of the family who didn’t go into medicine. It’s probably half our fault why he brags about his job to everyone he meets.” The genuine smile is back on Jacob’s face and it’s almost like a whole new person is sitting next to me. Not a smug, grouchy vet, who sees the worst in every situation.
I open the text from Louisa.
Louisa: Haven’t heard from you in a few days. Everything OK?
Me: Yes, just crazy busy. I actually went out to a bar tonight. Then I got ditched
Louisa: With a guy???
Me: I went out with a female friend…if you can call her that. She went home with a guy and left me alone at the bar
Louisa: I know you like your dramatics but let me know if you’re OK.
Me: I’m fine. The vet is giving me a ride home.
Louisa: And that’s a good thing?
Me: Yes, unless he decides to pull off the road and murder me
Louisa: Make sure that doesn’t happen, please.
Me: I’ll ask him if that’s his plan
I look up from my phone, blinking as my eyes adjust from the bright screen to the dark. “Are you planning on pulling over in a remote area anytime soon?”
He whips his head to the side and eyes me curiously. “What?”
I realize how out of context my question could be taken.
“I meant, are you planning on pulling over in a remote area so you can brutally murder me? My sister wants to know.”
Jacob continues to stare at me curiously for another few seconds before he looks back at the road. “No, I wasn’t planning on doing that. But if I was going to murder you, it wouldn't be brutal. I have access to enough drugs that I can make it look like you naturally died of a heart attack.”
I laugh, watching a smile slowly take over his face.
“Good to know. I’ll fill my sister in, that way she knows what to expect when they find me. She is a rather prominent lawyer in the Chicago area I should warn you. I don't think you'll get away with my murder.”