Excitement and adrenaline flooded her system as she jumped into her PT Cruiser and headed to the station. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty with anticipation as she drove through the small town of Hope Falls. She had butterflies in her stomach, but they weren’t gracefully flitting about. Oh no, it felt more like they were having a full-blown roller derby of destruction in there.
“Okay, okay, okay, okay,” Tessa whispered to herself to try and settle down.
Just as she was starting her second round of ‘okays’, her phone buzzed in her purse.
Jake.
Grabbing her phone as she pulled up to the intersection the fire station sat at, she felt her heart sink when she saw the call was from Lauren. Not that she didn’t want to talk to her friend. It was just that, for a split second, she thought that maybe she and Jake did, in fact, have some kind of psychic connection and he was calling to tell her that he couldn’t stop thinking about her and they needed to talk. Then she would have pulled into the parking lot and Jake would have been standing there waiting. It would have been like a scene from a movie.
Snapping herself back to reality, Tessa hit the answer button on her phone. “Hey, Lauren.”
“I have some good news,” Lauren said with a small amount of hesitation before adding, “I think.”
Lauren’s contradictory words and tone ratcheted up Tessa’s nervous energy tenfold. The light turned green, and Tessa crossed the intersection and drove to the back of the station, pulling into one of the three empty parking spaces.
When she was no longer operating heavy machinery, she asked, “What good news?”
“We got on an offer on the house, as is. It came in at asking price and you can sign today. The buyer is pre-approved and going to be using it as a rental.”
Tessa went numb. This was good news. Right?
“Oh, okay.” Tessa’s head was spinning.
“Do you want me to come by? With the contract?” Lauren asked.
“Um, I’m actually in town. I have an errand to run, but I will stop by after.” Tessa felt like she needed to see Jake more than ever now.
“Okay, see you then,” Lauren said, and Tessa disconnected the call.
Tessa stepped out of the car and walked in through the back door of the station, operating solely on autopilot. She wasn’t even fully aware of the short trip from the lot to standing in front of Jake’s door. Her hand fisted and she watched as it knocked three times. She couldn’t feel the wood as her knuckles hit it. It was as if she were floating outside herself completely.
Jake’s voice sounded from inside. “Come in.”
Tessa tried to pull herself together before walking into the office. After their fight yesterday, she really wanted to say exactly the right thing. Unfortunately, she had no idea what that was.
“Come in,” he repeated, this time louder and with a hint of irritation.
Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. He looked up, his deep brown eyes locking with hers. Like always, she felt his stare all the way down to her soul.
He didn’t look mad, but he certainly didn’t look happy to see her. He looked…sad.
“Are you okay?” she asked, shutting the door behind her and moving to sit in the green leather chair in front of his desk.
“Yep,” he answered briskly and leaned back in his high-back leather chair.
The vibe between them was so strange that she got thrown off. Well she’d already been a little off balance by Lauren’s call, but now she had totally gone off the rails.
Whether it was because she hated awkward silences or just because she just didn’t want any more secrets between them, she blurted out, “I got an offer on the house.”
His expression did not change one iota. Nodding once, he said with resignation in his tone, “I know.”
Tessa felt her jaw literally fall open. Sure, she knew that news traveled fast in Hope Falls, but this was ridiculous. “Who told you?” After the question left her mouth, she realized it was a stupid one. Lauren had to be the one who had told Jake.
“No one had to. I made the offer.”
“You made the offer?” Tessa asked out loud, thinking that she must have heard him wrong.
“Yes.” Jake’s voice, body language, even his eyes were giving no clues as to what this was all about. It was as if he’d put up invisible walls since she’d danced with him just yesterday to their song at his sister’s wedding.
“Why?” she asked, searching his eyes.
“It’s what you wanted, right? To sell the house so you could open up your studio. I just moved the process along for you.” His cold tone caused a sinking feeling in Tessa’s stomach. “Did you stop by to say ‘goodbye’?”