“I’m not trouble, Mr. Jacobson.” I stare hard at him, watching for clues. “If you want me to leave, just say so. I can find somewhere else to stay.”
He shakes his head. “I need to keep my eye on Jake. And I’d prefer to keep an eye on you, too.”
I throw up my hands. “I don’t know what you want me to do.”
“When you leave and take all that with you”–he motions from my head to my toes with a sweep of his hand–“take care with his heart, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod. “I will. You know that what was between me and Jake was in the past, right?”
He snorts. “Yeah. Sure. That’s why he’s at your house with your kids so you can get some rest.”
“Jake would do that for anyone.”
He makes another rude sound with his nose. “Jake has been in love with you for eighteen years.”
“Jake was married to someone else,” I remind him. “So was I.”
“But you’re not anymore. Neither one of you.”
I heave a sigh. “I need to get home.”
“You mind what I said, you hear?” He warns me with a look.
“Yes, sir.” I give him a smart salute and start for the door.
“I need a ride to the doctor tomorrow,” he calls to my back.
I turn back and point to my chest. “Do you want me to take you?”
He shakes his head. “No. I asked Gabby to drive for me.”
“Why can’t Jake take you?”
“Jake needs to stay with you.”
“Why?”
“I sometimes get a feeling in these old bones.” He rubs his knee.
A chill skitters up my spine. “What kind of feeling?
He chuckles. “A feeling like Jake needs to stay here with you.” He clears his throat. “You going to let Gabby drive me or what?”
“As long as Gabby’s okay with it, it’s fine with me.”
“She’s a good kid,” he says. He finally smiles at me. “Reminds me of you at that age. Too smart for her own good. Too kind. Too pretty.”
I don’t know if that’s good or not.
“You done good with your family, Katie.”
“Thank you.”
“You done good…until you didn’t.”
I nod, and my throat suddenly closes, and I get choked with emotion. “I’m working on it.”
He turns back to his puzzle and I can tell that I’ve been dismissed.