to get that man out of her mind and out of her house.
She looked longingly at her bed. Right now, she’d like nothing better than to crawl back in and burrow under her thick, warm covers. But even as she had the thought, she knew she wouldn’t. Who knew how much time she had before Jared returned?
She started for the bathroom, only to walk past it to the room Jared was staying in. Curiosity had her opening the door, peering inside.
The room looked exactly as it always did. Not a thing was out of place. The bedside table held the old lamp and picture of her grandpa fishing, just as it always had. The top of the dresser was bare except for a few more photos and another lamp. But that was it. Not even so much as a book or a glass of water altered the space. Knowing she was being nosy but unable to stop herself, she peeked into the closet. Empty. Chest of drawers. Also empty. It was almost as if he hadn’t spent the night. And then she saw the bed. There was no mistaking that military precision.
As she turned to leave, something in the corner caught her eye. She took a few steps closer and realized it was his duffel bag. His packed duffel bag.
She couldn’t help but smile. If he wasn’t unpacking, he wasn’t planning on staying.
All but humming, she left his room and headed to the bathroom.
She was in and out of the shower in twenty minutes—a record for her. Back in her room, she dressed in her favorite old pair of jeans and a long-sleeved cotton top. As she made her way to the kitchen, she twisted her hair up and around and secured the thick bundle with a claw clip. Thank goodness she hadn’t needed to take the extra time to wash her hair.
The house was chilly and dark; no surprise at this ungodly hour. She turned on the lights, cranked up the thermostat, and she put the teakettle on to boil. What was it with Jared and his obsession with the predawn hours? All right, predawn might be stretching it, but from her limited association with him, he seemed to be one of those obnoxiously early risers. She chalked up another fault on his ever-increasing list. Normally, she’d be generous and blame it on his military background, but she was feeling anything but generous this morning. Besides, it was Saturday. Even Steven had known how to relax on the weekend.
The teakettle whistled. A few moments later, with a cup of tea, she leaned against the kitchen counter and stared out the large window. Light, misty rain fell from a bleak sky. She stared at the dark clouds, taking comfort in the fact that the weather matched her mood.
She stood in her kitchen, drinking her tea and fighting down the feeling of trepidation that had plagued her ever since she’d come home last night and found Jared in her house. Knowing her unwanted guest (and she used that word in the loosest way possible) could come and go as he pleased was just plain unsettling.
He had to go. It was as simple as that. But knowing it and making it happen were two completely different things.
The old avocado green clock that had hung in her grandmother’s kitchen for as long as Jenny could remember ticked away. She mentally groaned, thinking about the long day that stretched out before her.
Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten much yesterday, even last night at her dad’s birthday party. Somehow, the hundred and one questions her family had pelted her with had killed any appetite she might have had. All anyone had wanted to talk about was Jared. A conversation Jenny was so not having. After an hour or so, her family got the hint, but even though his name hadn’t been brought up again, she couldn’t keep thoughts of him out of her mind.
She opened the fridge and saw the Tupperware container her mom had sent home. She didn’t remember putting it in the fridge, but then, she pretty much didn’t remember anything about last night except finding Jared in her family room.
Ignoring the leftovers—eating them would remind her of an evening of interrogation she’d rather forget—she reached for the carton of eggs. She got out a skillet from one of the bottom cabinets and set it on the stove.
Her breakfast was just about finished when the front door opened.