Page 14 of A Recipe Called Home
Miles jerked his head in Jules’ direction and said, “I can take you. It’s on my way.”
Jules hesitated. It might not be a good idea, given the way he was looking at her earlier and the fact that she couldn’t seem to focus or even breathe when they were alone together.
Could she trust herself not to do or say things she’d regret? The rational part of her brain screamed she should take an Uber home. Nothing good could come of spending more time with Miles. But she couldn’t ignore the pull she felt towards him. Maybe she’d go just to prove to herself that she could be normal around him, that they could be friendly. Plus, it always made her uncomfortable to ride in an Uber or taxi alone after a few drinks. She’d listened to too many true crime podcasts.
Before overthinking it, she accepted his ride.
Everyone settled their tabs as Miles packed up his guitar and gear on the stage. Only a few other customers lingered, all getting ready to head home. Quicker than expected, Emily and Winnie’s Uber arrived, leaving Jules to wait for Miles with Jax at the bar.
“He’s mentioned you a few times, you know,” said Jax in a low voice, wiping the bar down. “I get the feeling you broke his heart.”
Jules sighed, the corners of her mouth turning down. “I could say the same thing.”
Before she could elaborate or probe further, Miles walked up to her side at the bar, motioning towards the door. She said goodbye to Jax and followed Miles to his white pickup truck hopping up into the front passenger seat. It didn’t seem like a vehicle he’d drive. She always pictured him in a vintage coup or car with more personality. It hit her how much she didn’t know him anymore. He had changed, and so had she.
In high school, neither of them had their own vehicles, but Miles borrowed his cousin Ricky’s beat-up Chevy Malibu for their date nights. They spent a lot of weekend evenings in that car, parked next to a pond they used to skate on in wintertime when it froze over. Set back from the road down a long gravel path in the woods, it became their hidden lover’s lane for the rest of their time together.
“You did a great job on the field tonight,” Jules said to break the tension as they drove down the dark country road leading into town. “You looked so comfortable.”
“Thanks. It surprised me at first, but I love it. Never thought I’d end up teaching a high school band, let alone back here, but I’m content with it.” Miles kept his eyes on the road, but Jules could see a muscle in his jaw clench as he spoke. “How’s the sink holding up? Any more issues?”
“Running like new, thanks to you. Unfortunately, I have a long list of other house projects. Seems like nothing has been fixed since Grandpa Lou died.”
It occurred to her he might recommend someone since he was fixing up his own house and helped with the Golden Kernel. “You don’t happen to know a handyman around town who could help, do you?”
“I do, but why don’t I just come take a look? Can’t be that complicated. Plus, it’d save your grandma some money,” he offered, taking a quick glance in her direction.
Jules couldn’t read him. One minute he glowered at her and the next he offered to help her fix things around the house. Was he playing a game? She didn’t want to read too much into it, so she took it at face value.
“Umm, sure. If you don’t mind, that’d be great." Out of the corners of her eyes she could see a shy smile spread across his face. “Can you come by tomorrow afternoon? I’ll make us all dinner as payment,” she added without thinking.
“Sure thing. I can be there around four.”
Great. Now she’d have to explain things to her grandma, who would be over the moon with the news of Miles visiting and staying for a meal. Jules swallowed a groan.
Miles parked in front of the old brick house and walked Jules to the front door.At least he still had his manners.
Thanking him for the ride, Jules stepped towards the front door, accidentally brushing his upper arm with hers. The electric sensation was undeniable, stopping her in her tracks. Miles must have noticed too, because he shot her a look that pierced the inky night. Not letting it linger, Jules recovered and mumbled a thank you before walking into the house. Resting her head on the cool wood of the door, she took a deep, shaky breath to calm herself. She couldn’t deny the unresolved feelings that hovered between them. But was she reading it all wrong? She couldn’t be sure Miles felt it, too.
Lying in bed that evening, Jules played the night over in her head. Even if she still had a connection with Miles after all these years, she couldn’t do anything about it. He lived here, and she lived a thousand miles away. Bottom line: it was impractical; it wouldn’t make sense. Jules was no longer outright angry at him; they were so young when it all happened. It was time to move past it.
She told herself that she’d just act normal and avoid any physical contact when he came over tomorrow. They could be friends; he’d be a great friend, right?
Deep down, Jules knew she was in trouble. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.
Chapter 6
Jules’headpoundedwitha slight hangover the next morning as she sat across from her grandma at the kitchen table sipping her coffee. She tried to give her a condensed version of her night, casually mentioning that Miles would be coming over to take a look at a few things later. Not wanting to play one hundred questions, she tried as best she could to give her grandma enough details to satisfy, but nothing more.
Luckily, Grandma Rosa had something else on her mind, so she didn’t linger too long on the whole Miles situation.
“Baby girl,” she started, “When Val was over last night, she brought up a great idea and I wanted to run it by you.”
Val was one of Grandma Rosa’s longest friends and lived in The Landing, a luxury retirement community that catered to seniors at various stages of aging.
“What is it?” Jules replied, happy to switch topics.
Sitting up tall, she continued, “Well, I told her about our little cooking project and that we keep making entirely too much food for the two of us. She mentioned that a few of the old folks at The Landing can’t stop complaining about the food they get from the cafeteria they share.”
