Trouble (Dogwood Lane 3)

A baby who just lost its favorite pacifier, but a baby nonetheless.

I’m not proud as I walk inside. I wouldn’t say I’m enthusiastic about seeing Jake first or that heading his way is something I’m eager about doing. But if I do the hard stuff first, maybe I can wallow in self-pity the rest of the day. Dane taught me that: do the hard stuff first.

This is definitely hard.

I spot Jake in the corner with a hammer in his hand. He doesn’t look smug or mad as I approach him. Instead, he meets me in the middle with his hand out. I shake it tentatively and make sure I keep my right foot back in case I need to toss a spur-of-the-moment punch.

“Good to see you today,” he says. “I almost called you last night but decided you probably had your hands full.”

“Mostly.” I force a swallow. “I wanted to talk to you about yesterday . . .”

“There’s no need.” He smiles genuinely, throwing me off a bit. “Look, I understand you more than you think I probably do.”

“How do you figure?”

“You’re a good-looking guy. Everyone likes you. You work your ass off, and you’re damn good at it. You have a great life.”

I did.

His lips twist as if he’s fighting back a smile. “And then this woman walks into your life and totally upends it all. We’ve all been there.”

I laugh—a single, solitary “Ha!” that makes Jake laugh out loud.

“If I made things worse for you yesterday, I apologize,” he says.

“Nah. I made them worse for me. And I want to say I’m sorry for acting like a kid. Shouldn’t have happened. Not here, anyway.”

He angles his body so he can study Avery’s mural. The sketch is starting to take shape. Little bits of color are popped here and there, and if you can look past that, the intricacies of her design really come to life.

A thimble for the old factory that used to employ most of the town is hidden in the tree. A medicine bottle with “Bernie’s” written on the label is tucked into the pocket of a man walking down a street. Headstones in the form of crosses line the bottom-right corner, just under the dogwood tree anchoring that spot. I’m guessing it’s to honor those who fought for our country.

“She doesn’t miss a thing,” I say as I spot the beginnings of an old man and a young boy near the edges of a lake.

It’s me and my grandfather. I know it is. The dice in the boy’s hand give it away.

Seeing that makes me want to cry.

“I acted like an asshole yesterday,” I say. “I hope you won’t let that reflect on Dane or Matt. They’re seriously way more professional than me.”

Jake chuckles, squeezing my shoulder. “Nah, I let asshole-ish behavior fall on the shoulders of the asshole.”

I grin. “Fair enough. Kinda harsh, the way you put it, but I get it.”

We exchange a smile.

Maybe this guy isn’t so bad.

“Can I give you some advice?” he asks.

My shoulders tense because more advice is the last thing I want. “To be honest, I’ve had enough advice for one day,” I say.

“Okay. Forget that I asked because I’m giving it to you, anyway.”

“Fabulous.”

He takes a deep breath. After studying me for a few seconds, he nods. “Go get her.”

My head falls back as I groan.

“Maybe you’re not worth the kindness you’d have to show yourself to do that. Fine. I’ll give you that. You were a dick yesterday,” he says.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he’s a jerk, after all.

“But . . . she is.” He waits until I look at him before he continues. “She’s a ten in every category. And I can say that because you two are ‘just friends,’ right?”

“You know, I’m really struggling with whether I like you or not.”

He bursts out laughing, catching Matt’s attention. Matt gives me a curious look, but I wave him off.

“Here’s the truth, Penn: you two aren’t ‘just friends.’ I can tell by how she looks at you and the way you behaved yesterday, because while it was utterly ridiculous, it was out of passion. And that,” he says, pointing a finger at me, “is how I know.”

“Aren’t you missing a golf game or something?”

I was joking, but he looks at his watch.

“Shit. I am. I need to get out of here,” he says. “But I’ll leave you with this: imagine how you feel right now and then how you’ll feel when you see her with someone else. Then consider how much you love her and know that no one else will ever be able to love her like that.”

Love her? What?

What’s he talking about?

“See ya, Matt,” he calls across the room. Then he gives me the biggest “I’m right and you can suck it” face I’ve ever seen a person make.