Taking What's Mine: A Small Town Enemies-to-Lovers Romance by Ellie Clark

Author:Ellie Clark [Clark, Ellie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Jake

I let the opportunity of a free meal at a restaurant, something I hadn’t indulged in since Grams died, tempt me into town. But now I was regretting it.

People’s looks in my direction weren’t as openly hostile as they used to be, but now there was a definite thread of pity.

I’d rather face hostility.

Grams was well-liked in town. Her friendships were what kept us afloat after Grandpa died. The phone rang at least once a day, and after catching up on small talk and absorbing the town gossip in her understated way, she’d make a sale every handful of calls. She wasn’t one to gossip herself, but she would listen quietly to anyone who wanted to talk. She kept people’s secrets, but still kept what she knew in mind when she offered a nudge of advice disguised in a compliment or a subtle observation.

Even her presence couldn’t overcome what I’d been accused of though. She and Gramps believed me, but even their opinions were no match for the word of a preacher. Lots of people in this town blindly trusted religious authority. To do otherwise was to spit in the face of God himself as far as they were concerned.

“So, you grew up here?” Alex asked, her inquisitive blue eyes intently focused on my face.

Tired from a morning in the hot sun, I slumped slightly in the booth across from her, my attention focused back on the placemat in front of me. “Yeah,” was all I said.

“Cool,” she said. Then glanced around the restaurant. “Kind of a black hole,” she observed.

She’d had to rely on my directions for most of the way here as her GPS couldn’t get a signal. “Not much cell phone reception,” I replied.

“Have you lived here your whole life?”

I glanced up at her, but she wasn’t looking at me. Instead she was studying her placemat now. She casually drew up a leg underneath her.

She must have slipped her shoes off.

I liked the idea of her feeling comfortable enough to do that. She’d been so… out of her element since getting here.

Her eyes flicked to mine, a hint of a question in them, reminding me she’d asked me something.

“Uh, no,” I said, turning back to the table in front of me. “I used to teach,” I added reluctantly.

She studied me for only a beat and then said, “What’d you teach?”

She hadn’t gone with the obvious question - why don’t you teach anymore? “Biology and math,” I answered.

“Interesting combo,” she remarked.

“Yeah, well. Science and math teachers are a little hard to come by in rural Pennsylvania.”

“I thought you said you taught elsewhere…?” she asked.

“A few towns over.”

She mouthed the word, ‘Oh.’

“You left to take care of your grandparents?” She asked it without pity, without lowering her voice as if she was afraid to ask the question. And she had avoided the outright ‘why did you quit,’ sentiments.

I shifted my gaze back to her, taking in the softly curious expression on her face. “Yeah.” I shifted in my seat and then for some reason added, “something like that.

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