Splintered Oak (Winsor Series Book 3) (10 page)

Next thing I knew, he had Naomi laughing and two stepping along the platform. Why she wanted to dance baffled me because it was
glaringly apparent that she had two left feet. Her partner was the picture of grace, as if he’d taken on another form when they hit the dance floor, while Naomi tripped and shuffled her way after him. Laughter soon consumed me, the type that started in my gut and didn’t stop until my chest actually hurt. Feeling the need to rescue him, I slowly stood and politely cut in. The man pretended to argue, but I could tell he was ready for a more experienced partner.

Naomi couldn’t talk she was laughing
so hard as we both fumbled our way around the place.

“You’re a terrible dancer,” I quipped with a grin.

“I know. Four brothers and none of them could do anything with me.” Laughter overtook her again as she stepped on my foot for the third time.

“Alright grace, I’m goin
g to save us both.” I pulled her back to the seating area. She followed gladly and then waved at her elderly dance partner.

“Man, that was fun!” she announced breathless. Her dark brown eyes were almost glowing from joy as she grabbed her water bottle for a nice long swig. Lost in her eyes, I could only stare as she set down the bottle and glanced at her watch. “Oh, we have to go. The painting lessons are starting soon.”

“Painting lessons?” I called, hobbling after her.

“Yeah, they do it in all the big cities now. They have these painting parties where they show you step by step what to do. Most go to drink wine and giggle with their girlfriends, but I love just being able to make something. If you haven’t guessed, I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, which is a real shame because I LOVE history and culture.” She shrugged as we continued walking side by side, avoiding fellow festival goers as we went. “Oh well, you know what they say, those who can’t do, teach.”

“Is that what you want to be? A teacher?” I asked, surprised by that little confession. I always pictured Naomi becoming a doctor or lawyer, or something else that took a crazy amount of schooling.

“Yeah. You didn’t know that?” she responded, s
urprise evident on her face. “Goodness, Jake, you need to pay more attention. It’s not like you just met me.”

Her little jab was meant in fun, but it took me aback. Was I really that guy? The one who was so consumed in himself that he didn’t even see the women he dated? I thought back to Avery and realized I totally was. We dated for months and in all that time, I never even realized she had a job. It wasn’t until I saw her slipping away that I actively tried to get to know her.

My heart constricted as memories flooded my mind—her eyes, her lips, her complete adoration of me. I missed it all.

10. PICASSO

NAOMI

Jake was lost in his own little world again, a habit he had been doing for as long as I could remember. Snapping my fingers in front of his face, he finally turned and looked at me with recognition.

“We’re here,” I said, motioning towards the portable overhang sticking out of a makeshift tent. I resisted the urge to ask him what he was thinking about, as part of me knew that getting inside the head of Jake Matthews was dangerous at best.

His casual grin appeared, but disintegrated quickly after we got all set up with our paints. “It’s a fruit bowl,” he said flatly as he glanced at the model picture we were supposed to copy.

“So?” I couldn’t help but laugh at his stricken face.

Jake tossed down his paintbrush and started to stand. “I’ll watch.”

“Oh no you don’t!” I yelled, quickly rushing to push him back in his seat. “You have been resisting fun all morning. Now stop this brooding in your head and just enjoy life a little. Come on, Jake, what’s one day away from all your drama?”

“What do you know about my drama?” he asked with a smirk, but still sat back on the stool.

“Nothing, thankfully, but I recognize a wounded soul when I see one, and you, sir, have been singing the blues in your head for days now.”

He chuckled at me again, this time his green eyes followed suit, getting a slight twinkle in them. I could definitely see how
girls fell for him. When he let himself relax and just be, there was no question he was breathtaking to look at.

“I don’t know where you come up with half this stuff, Naomi, but fine, I’ll draw your little picture.”

“Good!” I answered, drawing my eyes away from his. I felt a slight tremble in my hands, but slowly got them to steady as I methodically followed the steps given to us by the instructor.

Periodically, I would glance over to Jake who seemed completely lost in his painting. He continued, without stopping, even when the instructor showed us the techniques we should be using. My rule following nature resisted the urge to tap his arm and instead just put my focus into drawing the perfect grape.

I heard Jake set down his brush and let out a satisfied sigh. He leaned back in the stool with his arms folded, staring at his finished work.

“Can I see?” I hesitantly asked, stretching my back as I stood.

“Sure, but no judgment.”

I stepped closer to him, my shoulder now in line with his baseball cap and looked closely at what he had been doing for the last hour. The only word that came to mind was remarkable. Whereas my picture looked like an amateur version of the original, Jake’s could have been a Picasso. He had turned the bowl sideways, adding patterns and shapes that just slightly hid the true shape of it. Fruit spilled in all directions, each one taking a new shape as they moved away from the bowl. Some were elongated, others blocky, while some were flattened by the weight of another piece of fruit.

“Jake…wow.” Words seemed to escape me as I continued to stare at the painting, each time noting something else about it.

“Really? You like it?” He was genuinely surprised, which seemed al
most laughable considering I knew the massive size of his ego.

“Like it? I love it. You’re a little hustler, Jake Matthews!” I accused, smacking his shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me you are an artist?”

“Because I’m not,” he replied with his brow furrowed. “Honestly, it was a joke. I was trying to show you how ridiculous all this is.”

“Well, the joke’s on you, because I love it.”

He stood and backed away from me, picking up my purse in the process. “Come on, let’s go,” he urged with a frown. His mood had suddenly shifted, taking all his casual amusement with it.

“Wait. What about your picture?” I asked as he dropped the purse in my hand and bolted toward the exit.

“Leave it. I’m telling you, it was a joke.” With that, he stepped through the canvas flaps and was gone.

Something resembling irritation and pride surged in me as I picked up his beautiful painting. “Can I set this aside and come back for it later?” I asked the instructor as she set up for the next round of students. “I don’t want to move it until it’s completely dried.”

“Sure. Just set it behind the counter and stick your name on it. I’ll be here until seven.” She took the painting out of my hand and examined it with wide eyes. “You do this?”

“No, I wish.”

“Well, it’s really good. Your friend should take some of my art classes.” She handed me a card and then carefully set the painting in a safe place, promising to wrap the canvas when it fully dried.

Jake was leaning up against a telephone pole when I finally emerged from the tent. He had his casual smile back and chatted with a striking blonde and her two friends. I hung back, not wanting to interrupt them or give the impression that Jake and I
were more than just friends. He glanced my way and then pushed off the pole, going in for a quick hug before walking away from the blond. Once his back was turned, she shot me a death stare and measured me up from head to toe.

I looked away, not wanting a confrontation, but couldn’t figure out what she was so worried about. Her barely there shorts and tight, low cut tank top said it all. I had no doubt Jake would be giving me the brush off in moments. Grateful we had taken my car, I stepped toward him as he continued to stroll my way.

“I want to see the art displays in the park, so I’ll catch you later,” I said lightly as he approached. No need to prolong the goodbye.

“Wait. I’m coming too,” he called, jogging the rest of the way to get to me.

I shot him a surprised look. “But those girls? I thought for sure you’d be otherwise engaged.”

“Are you kidding?” he scoffed, glancing back to look at them still standing there. “I can’t stand that girl. I thought you’d never get out here.”

I stopped and put my hands on my hips. “Then why did you hug her?”

He shrugged, looking completely bewildered by my question. “I don’t know. It seems to make them happy.”

I gaped at him. Surely he was not that ignorant. “It sends mixed signals, Jake. I totally thought you liked her. Wow, I remember wondering how Betsy ever got so hung up on you, but now it all makes sense. You are a master manipulator when it comes to women.”

I started walking again, shaking my head as we went. Jake followed, but stiffly, and his grin had morphed into a set jaw and focused glare. “You’re never going to get past that, are you?” he mumbled under his breath.

I grabbed his arm, attempting to shake his bad mood off again. “There’s nothing to get past, Jake. I’m not the one you hurt. I just feel sorry for the rest of the female population.”

Jake stopped walking and crossed his arms. I suddenly felt guilty for my teasing. He obviously wasn’t taking it well. “I’ve never made any promises, and I never pretend to feel something I don’t. Women are notorious for reading into the actions of men, when deep down they know we’d treat them differently if we really cared.”

His words cut into me a little as I remembered Alex’s harsh words regarding Jonathan’s actions. Hurt gnawing at a place deep in my heart, I tried to push down the fact that Jonathan had yet to even text me.

My face softened as I glanced at Jake’s pained expression. “I’m sorry. I was only teasing you. I have four handsome brothers so it’s a force of habit.”

Truth was, while all my brothers were lookers, none of them dated casually. They honored and respected women, at least around me. I couldn’t hold Jake to that standard, though. My brothers had an amazing example in my father, while Jake had no one to show him any differently.

Satisfied with my apology, Jake
bounced his eyebrows at me and smiled. “You think I’m handsome?”

“Oh my goodness! You are such a guy,” I huffed, rolling my eyes.

He laughed and casually draped his arm across my shoulder, squeezing it slightly. “Come on, let’s go get cultured.”

I pushed him off and we fell into a casual stride, stopping at each tent to peruse the pieces each artist displayed. Though he wouldn’t admit it, Jake had an eye for art. He was surprisingly easy to talk to and as the hours passed, his hard exterior from the morning completely washed away.

We stopped to get snow cones as we were both feeling the effects of the North Carolina heat. The park was well shaded, but the hot breeze still felt like a blow dryer passing over my skin.

“There’s a table over there,” I offered when he handed me the icy drink.

“Sounds good.” He stuck out his tongue to catch the blue liquid before it slipped over the edge of the cup. A strange sensation hit me as I watched him being so normal. Jake had always seemed larger than life to me, this combustive force that, combined with Issy, made the world stop when they graced a room with their presence.

He glanced up from his sipping. “What?”

“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head affectionately. “Let’s go.”

He got that arrogant grin back, and I rolled my eyes. Jake was used to girls fawning over him, and I realized it was going to take a while before he accepted that I would not be one of them.

Stopping short of our desired location, Jake’s body became fiercely rigid. I glanced at him in confusion and noticed a dark haired man strolling over to us. Jake was more tense than I had ever seen him and the visible scowl on his face let me know immediately he was not happy to see the guy.

“Stay here,” Jake demanded before he stalked towards the approaching figure.

They were too far to hear what was being said, but I took the opportunity to examine the stranger facing me. He was casually aloof and seemed to be smirking at Jake’s words, which I guessed were not pleasant since his back was still stiff with anger. The stranger lifted his chin towards me and smiled, causing Jake to turn his head and scowl at me. I suddenly felt like an eavesdropper and turned to leave, finding the closest booth.

I secretly kept sending glances their way, watching as Jake seemed to get more and more agitated as the conversation continued. Two more men approached them, both so large it was apparent they were acting as bodyguards for the smaller man. I suddenly felt a sense of urgency in my gut, as if Jake needed rescuing. Without thinking, I walked back over to the group and put my hand on Jake’s shoulder. The tension around them was suffocating.

“Jake, we should go,” I offered casually. “You promised me we’d catch a movie.” I tugged slightly on his arm and sent a casual smile to the stranger who glanced at the two men flanking him. They seemed to catch his hint and retreated, leaving just the three of us.

“My apologies,” the stranger purred with a smile. He was a handsome man, not much older than Jake, but something in my gut screamed “danger” when he looked at me.

“It’s fine,” I choked out, feeling very uncomfortable under his gaze. “We just need to go. Jake?” I tugged at his arm again and he finally came to life, turning sharply from the intense man, and pushing me quickly ahead of him.

When he had put plenty of distance between me and the stranger, Jake grabbed my arm tightly and spun me around. “I told you to stay put,” he yelled, his face blazing in fury.

I tried to jerk my arm away, but he was too strong.

“Let go of me,” I demanded, glaring right back at his intense eyes. “I know bad odds when I see them. It was three to one and I could feel the tension from ten feet away.”

He threw down my arm and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I had it under control, Naomi. I didn’t need to be rescued by some girl.” Bitterness spewed from his lips as I tried not to take offense to the “some girl” comment.

“Well, it didn’t look under control
. And this girl is perfectly capable of taking care herself. You forget I have four older brothers, one of which is a amateur fighter.” Pride welled up in me as I crossed my arms defensively.
Who does he think he is?

Jake shook his head in frustration again, but seemed to be calming. “Fine. Let’s just go. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

I stepped back, amazed at how easily he would just run away. “Go right ahead. I’m staying here. There’s a band I want to watch, and they don’t start their set for another hour.” With that, I turned and strolled away from his shocked expression. Before I even got five feet away from him, I heard him call out.

“Naomi, wait.”

I stopped, turning back to him. Gone was his anger as his face reflected remorse.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t want you around him, that’s all, and I panicked. Sometimes my protective nature can come off as controlling.”

I let out a sigh and then just nodded before turning to begin walking again. Jake matched my stride, but didn’t say another word. Finally after five long, excruciating minutes of silence, I decided he had calmed enough.

“Who was that guy?” I asked casually while we were examining the booth selling all types of scented oils.

“Just a business associate of mine. He’s becoming a little overbearing and honestly I don’t trust him,” Jake admitted, his shoulders beginning to relax a little.

I kept walking through the aisles, smelling the different scents. “Well, I don’t blame you. He creeped me out.” I lifted one more scent to my nose and then backed away in horror. “Oh my goodness, this is awful! You have to smell it.”