Home to You by Taylor Sullivan

to the pan and flipped the first pancake to a waiting plate.  
    He shifted a little. “It’s been too long, Katie.” His tone causing a knot to form in the pit of my stomach.  
    I’d lost count of how many times he’d invited me to come back. But I always knew seeing him again would be painful—I was right. He looked at me expectantly, but what could I even say?
    Because just the sound of your voice makes me quiver.  
    Because I was afraid you’d see the longing in my eyes.
    Because I was terrified of falling in love with you again...   
    But I said nothing, and ladled more batter into the pan. The coffee maker beeped, breaking the silence between us, and Jake retrieved a couple of mugs out of the cupboard. “Will milk be okay? I don’t have any half-and-half.”  
    I shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact he remembered how I took my coffee, but my heart still squeezed a little. “Yes, thanks.”  
    Flustered, and not knowing what else to say, I answered his earlier question. “I took a class,” I said, trying to ignore how easily he affected me.  
    He shook his head, and I realized it had been a while since he asked it.
    “To learn how to cook.”  
    “Oh yeah?” He took a sip of his coffee, but the corner of his mouth lifted from behind his mug.  
    “Are you laughing at me?” I narrowed my eyes, though inside I was smiling too.
    “I’m just happy you’re here, that’s all.” His dimple flashed, and I had to clear my throat before continuing.  
    “It was when I moved to San Diego. The flyer said it was a great way to meet people.” I flipped another pancake, thinking of how I was the only person in class under the age of sixty-five.  
    “Is that where you met Kevin?” His voice was tight.  
    “No,” I said softly, then wanting to chance the subject asked, “Where’s Grace?”
    He raised a brow and took another sip of his coffee. “She went home last night.”  
    “Oh, yeah…” I vaguely recalled him saying so last night. “How long have you guys been together?”  
    “A few months. She sold me this house.”
    “Real estate agent?”  
    “Yep.”
    “So she sells you this house and you fall madly in love?” I laughed, trying to hide the fact that seeing him with another woman still made my blood flow green.
    He topped off his mug with more coffee and smiled. “She works for the agency that sends us most of our clients.”
    Oh. My brows furrowed. “Doesn’t that make things complicated? Mixing business with pleasure?”    
    He shrugged, then completely ignored my question and nodded toward my hoodie. “I remember that shirt.”  
    I cleared my throat and poked a finger through a hole on the sleeve. “Yeah, it’s seen better days.” But inside a bubble of fear grew in my stomach. Did Jake love her? Getting into a relationship with someone so close to his business didn’t seem like the Jake I knew.  
    “I think this was from when Dave and I painted the old house together.” He ran a hand down a streak of brown on my arm, and my worries about Grace were replaced by memories of my brother. My chest tightened.  
    “Yeah, I think you’re right.” It had been so long since anyone mentioned Dave that the sound of his name caught me off guard.
    “It looks better on you.” He smiled his crooked smile, then excused himself to get the paper.
    When he turned the corner, I leaned against the counter and tried to collect my thoughts. Being around Jake brought back so many feelings I hadn’t been prepared for. Feelings I thought had dulled but in reality were as sharp as a razor. I blew out a breath, told myself to calm down and got back to work flipping pancakes.  
    With the table set, I looked out of the bay window, taking in the view of the backyard. It was beautiful, and after I finished my chores, I thought I might treat myself to a dip in the pool. When I turned around, Jake was right behind me, and I slammed into the wall of his chest.  
    “Ooof!”