For the next several minutes, Jake explained the ongoing plans to rebuild the town. His surprise that the older man understood even the most technical terms must have shown on his face.
“I studied to be an engineer before the war broke out. Decided to drop out and join the Marines, and then got shipped off to Korea.”
He couldn't help but respect the guy. Mr. Quinn had put his country and fellow man ahead of himself. How much easier it would've been for him to stay in school and finish his degree.
“My parents were mighty disappointed too. They tried to talk me outta it but I wouldn't budge. I was a stubborn SOB back then. Some would say I still am.” Mr. Quinn looked over at his wife.
Jake could relate to that. His parents had done the same thing when he'd shared his plans to apply to the Naval Academy while still in prep school. Unlike Mr. Quinn though, he'd let their opinion influence his decision.
Thinking about how he'd failed to follow his dreams because of his parents’ wishes always put him in a foul mood. Today was no different. Deciding that a few minutes alone would be good, Jake stood. “I'm going to grab some coffee downstairs. Anyone want anything?” After jotting down how everyone wanted their coffee, Jake retreated from the room.
Neither Jake nor Charlie said a word on the ride back to the Victorian Rose a few hours later. Though his mood had improved, the sense of failure that always plagued him whenever he thought about his past weighed heavily on him. If he could only go back in time and redo things.
“You seemed to hit it off with Mr. Quinn.” Charlie broke the silence in the SUV as they pulled onto her street. It had been reduced to one lane as repair trucks worked to restore electricity, and he had to wait for his turn. “He doesn't usually take to outsiders.”
Jake navigated his way around a utility truck. “Must be my charming personality. I knew it worked well on the ladies, but it must work well on retired Marines as well.”
“Must be it,” she agreed laughing.
Despite his best effort Jake couldn't maintain his serious expression at the sound of her laughter.
“Maybe you should consider going into politics. With that charm of yours who knows how far you'd go. You could end up in the White House, too.”
He knew Charlie only meant to tease him, yet her words struck a sour chord in him. Politics held no interest for him despite his parents' best efforts. Although it was a big part of his family history, he had no intention of following that path.
The smile that had tugged at his mouth died. “I'll stick with what I'm doing.” Jake stopped the Escalade next to Charlie's Jeep in the parking lot. “Washington doesn't interest me. Too much BS.” Jake opened his door before she could respond hoping she'd take the hint. It didn't work though.
“Really?” Charlie stepped down after he pulled open her door. “I figured your family had a gene for politics.”
Her tone remained light and jovial but he knew she was only half joking. Everyone in America knew that the Sherbrookes had been involved in politics for years.
Jake crossed his arms across his chest. “That gene must have skipped me. Maybe my sister Sara got it.”
“Speaking of politics I thought every member of the President’s family got Secret Service protection. Where's yours?”
In the five months since he told the Secret Service to take a hike, no one had commented on their absence. Obviously, Charlie was more astute than most. “I refused their protection about two weeks after my father took office. I couldn't stand having them around.”
“You can do that?” Charlie's voice echoed the surprise on her face.
Jake let his arms relax and hang by his sides. “Nobody has before, but yeah.” He didn't intend to say anything else on the matter.
***
The battery powered alarm clock on her nightstand read midnight but Charlie stared at the ceiling wide awake. Her body cried out for sleep but her brain hadn't gotten the message yet. It knew Jake slept one floor below, and snapshots of their kiss kept playing through her mind. The feel of his lips on hers and his hand on her skin were forever burned into her memory. Yet that alone wasn't what kept her awake. The pull she felt toward him was what kept her up. She didn't need or want a man in her life. Letting someone in like that only made you vulnerable. Just look what it had done to her mom. No matter what she wasn't going to end up like that, and she knew she'd find herself in the exact same spot if she wasn't careful around Jake. Granted some of her first impressions of him seemed wrong, but that didn't mean he wasn't a heart breaker, especially considering the different worlds they lived in. Though he seemed like a nice guy, he didn't know what it was like to work for what you wanted. He'd always had everything handed to him. She doubted there was single thing in his life he'd ever wanted to do that he had not been able to do.